Institute on the Environment names four College of Science and Engineering faculty as resident fellows

Faculty step up to the task of solving environmental challenges through interdisciplinary work

Contact: Mary Hoff, Institute on the Environment, maryhoff@umn.edu, 612-626-2670

Rhonda Zurn, College of Science and Engineering, rzurn@umn.edu, 612-626-7959

MINNEAPOLIS / ST. PAUL (9/7/11)—Four College of Science and Engineering faculty are among the 14 University of Minnesota faculty from 13 departments and eight colleges and schools who have been named 2011 resident fellows of the University’s Institute on the Environment.

Representing a broad range of disciplines, the new fellows join 32 others in taking on the task of building bridges across disciplines to solve environmental challenges. They begin their three-year appointments with Institute on the Environment this month.

Fellows maintain their appointment in their own departments, but receive additional funding to pursue projects that cross disciplinary boundaries. The fellowships also help accelerate professional and leadership development.

“Our emphasis with this program is to give exceptional faculty the jump-start they need to break through barriers to collaboration and seek ‘outside the box’ environmental solutions through synergy,” said Institute on the Environment director Jonathan Foley. “These eclectic thinkers and doers were chosen for their creativity and willingness to try new ideas. We're thrilled to welcome them to the Institute."

The 2011 Institute on the Environment resident fellows from the College of Science and Engineering and their plans for their fellowships include:

Bill Arnold, professor of civil engineering, College of Science and Engineering, will explore connections between human alteration of the environment on a global scale and potentially deleterious changes in natural halogenated chemicals.

R. Lee Penn, associate professor of chemistry, College of Science and Engineering , will build collaborations with faculty in microbiology, civil engineering, and other fields and organize scientific conference presentations related to advancing understanding of the impact of nanotechnology on microorganisms and other ecologically relevant life forms.

Martin Saar, associate professor of earth sciences, College of Science and Engineering, will work with the Bell Museum and other partners to develop a documentary about geothermal energy.

Shashi Shekhar, professor of computer science and engineering, College of Science and Engineering, will apply spatio-temporal data analytics to problems posed by sustainability science in areas such as environmental forensics and climate modeling.

Faculty from other parts of the University who have been named 2011 Institute on the Environment resident fellows include:

John Carmody, director, Center for Sustainable Building Research, College of Design

James Forester, assistant professor of fisheries, wildlife and conservation biology, College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences

Tracy Lipke-Perry, assistant professor of music, School of Fine Arts, University of Minnesota Duluth

Dylan Millet, assistant professor of soil, water and climate, College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences

Ruth Okediji, professor, Law School

Hari Osofsky, associate professor, Law School

Gurumurthy Ramachandran, professor of environmental health sciences, School of Public Health

Kim Robien, associate professor of epidemiology, School of Public Health Gillian Roehrig, director, STEM Education Center, College of Education & Human Development

Scott St. George, assistant professor of geography, College of Liberal Arts

For more information, visit the Institute on the Environment website at environment.umn.edu.