The first cohort of Institute fellows (called the “founding fellows”) were selected and began work early in 2007. Their initial work focused on assisting the interim director in getting the Institute up and running. They are now focused on establishing and growing the Institute’s research and pubic engagement programs.
The Institute’s founding fellows come from 15 departments and eight colleges across the University of Minnesota:
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Susan Galatowitsch, Ph.D.
College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences
Department of Horticulture Science
Dr. Galatowitsch is a landscape ecologist who focuses on the revegetation of natural communities. Currently, she is investigating factors affecting ecosystem recovery in restored wetlands, including land use and invasive species. She holds a joint appointment with the Department of Landscape Architecture. |
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Sagar Goyal, Ph.D.
College of Veterinary Medicine
Department of Veterinary Population Medicine
Dr. Goyal’s research encompasses the pathogenesis and control of viral infections in livestock and poultry, and he conducts clinical studies in the development of rapid methods for the detection of viral infection. |
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Lucinda Johnson, Ph.D.
Center for Water and the Environment
Natural Resources Research Institute, Duluth
Dr. Johnson’s research projects include the effects of multiple stressors on aquatic communities; testing indicators of coastal ecosystem integrity using fish and macroinvertebrates. |
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Anne Kapuscinski, Ph.D.
College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences
Department of Fisheries, Wildlife and Conservation Biology
Dr. Kapuscinski conducts policy analysis on cross-sectoral governance of biotechnology and is leading a large collaborative effort to develop recommendations for U.S. organic aquaculture standards. She is also the director of the Institute for Social, Economic and Ecological Sustainability. |
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Bradley Karkkainen, J.D.
Law School
Karkkainen is a nationally recognized authority in the fields of environmental and natural resources law. His research centers on innovative strategies for environmental regulation and natural resources management, with an emphasis on mechanisms that promote continuous adaptive learning, flexibility, transparency, and policy integration. |
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David Mulla, Ph.D.
College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences
Department of Soil, Water and Climate
An internationally recognized researcher and scholar, Dr. Mulla’s research in soil and water resource management involves many aspects of non-point source pollution. His research focuses primarily on identifying the sources of lake and river pollution, and on developing tools and strategies to improve water quality. |
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Lance Neckar, MLA
College of Design
Department of Landscape Architecture
Neckar is a practicing landscape architect, historian and urban designer. He has investigated subdivision design approaches that can reduce or stabilize the number of vehicle miles traveled by residents. Neckar has also conducted planning studies on light rail and bus transportation in the Twin Cities, and has studied ways to develop industrial and rail properties in St. Paul. |
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Paige Novak, Ph.D.
Institute of Technology
Department of Civil Engineering
Dr. Novak’s studies primarily specialize in research on the biological transformation of hazardous substances. She is currently collaborating with colleagues in Chemical Engineering to develop a layered membrane that can both treat and contain common sediment contaminants. |
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Christopher Paola, Ph.D.
Institute of Technology
Department of Geology and Geophysics
Dr. Paola’s research focuses on creating a sedimentary record to study the history and composition of Earth’s stratigraphy. He conducts this research at the St. Anthony Falls Laboratory on the banks of the Mississippi River. He is also a fellow of the Geological Society of America and directs the National Center for Earth-surface Dynamics (NCED). |
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Stephen Polasky, Ph.D.
College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences
Department of Applied Economics and;
College of Biological Sciences
Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior
Dr. Polasky’s research focuses on ecological and environmental economics, biodiversity conservation, and endangered species policy. |
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Lanny Schmidt, Ph.D.
Institute of Technology
Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science
Dr. Schmidt’s research focuses on aspects of the chemistry and engineering of chemical reactions on solid surfaces. He has published more than 300 papers in refereed journals and has been recognized for his work toward creating fuels from plant wastes such as sawdust or cornstalks. |
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Richard Skaggs, Ph.D.
College of Liberal Arts
Department of Geography
Dr. Skaggs’ work and instruction are strongly focused on climatology. Recently, he has been investigating extreme precipitation in Minnesota and assessing the impacts of climate variability and change on Minnesota’s natural resources. |
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G. David Tilman, Ph.D.
College of Biological Sciences
Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior
Considered the inventor of the biodiversity concept, Dr. Tilman studies the effects of biodiversity on the stability and functioning of ecosystems. He is a Regents’ Professor and McKnight Presidential Chair in Ecology whose findings on ethanol and biodiversity have been published throughout the world. |
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Lawrence Wackett, Ph.D.
BioTechnology Institute
Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology and Biophysics
Dr. Wackett teaches and researches in the areas of biodegradation and biofuels. He is a Distinguished McKnight University Professor. |
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Elizabeth Wilson, Ph.D.
Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs
Dr. Wilson’s research focuses on the development of carbon-managed energy systems. Her recent work examines the regulatory and legal contexts for the deployment of carbon capture and sequestration technologies. |
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