IonE Associates are relatively early-career researchers at the University of Minnesota seeking training and mentorship to develop engaged and interdisciplinary careers in environmental scholarship. Associates are individuals with great promise to become recognized for their environmental and sustainability research and those most likely to affect transformative environmental outcomes. The IonE Associates program lasts for two years. Ideally, IonE Associate alumni will apply at a later date to become IonE Fellows.

A key focus of the program is capacity building for pre-tenure faculty, however, early career researchers in long-term, non-tenure track appointments that include a track for promotion also are eligible. Post-tenure scholars can also apply if they are newly embarking on interdisciplinary career or shifting their research to environmental topics.

The cohort receives a range of support and training, such as workshops on media and stakeholder engagement, best practices for interdisciplinary scholarship, and strategies for effective project management and strategic thinking to create impact in society. Associates have also received formal and informal mentorship by one or more IonE Fellow(s) during the program, a mutual exchange through which fellows have learned new methods and approaches from their mentees as well.

The 2022 call for new associates closed on April 15, 2022. For current associates, you can find our travel policy here.

Associates Advisory Board

• 
  Afton Clarke-Sather
  IonE Associate since 2018
  College of Liberal Arts
  University of Minnesota Duluth
  
• 
  Andy Wickert
  IonE Associate since 2017
  Department of Earth Sciences
  University of Minnesota Twin Cities
  
• 
  Crystal Ng
  IonE Associate since 2018
  Earth Sciences
  University of Minnesota Twin Cities
  
• 
  Diana Karwan
  IonE Associate since 2016
  College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences
  University of Minnesota Twin Cities
  
• 
  Jessica Gutknecht
  IonE Associate since 2016
  College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences
  University of Minnesota Twin Cities
  
• 
  Tiffany Wolf
  IonE Associate since 2016
  College of Veterinary Medicine
  University of Minnesota Twin Cities
  

IonE Associates

• 
  Adam Wilke
  IonE Associate since 2020
  Water Resources Center
  University of Minnesota Twin Cities
  
• 
  Afton Clarke-Sather
  IonE Associate since 2018
  College of Liberal Arts
  University of Minnesota Duluth
  
• 
  Alison Hoxie
  IonE Associate since 2016
  Swenson College of Science and Engineering
  University of Minnesota Duluth
  
• 
  Andy Wickert
  IonE Associate since 2017
  Department of Earth Sciences
  University of Minnesota Twin Cities
  
• 
  Anna Cates
  IonE Associate since 2020
  Department of Soil, Water, and Climate
  University of Minnesota Twin Cities
  
• 
  Aparna Katre
  IonE Associate since 2019
  Cultural Entrepreneurship
  University of Minnesota Duluth
  
• 
  Audrey Dorélien
  IonE Associate since 2017
  Humphrey School of Public Affairs
  University of Minnesota Twin Cities
  
• 
  Cara Santelli
  IonE Associate since 2017
  Department of Earth Sciences
  University of Minnesota Twin Cities
  
• 
  Corinne Teed
  IonE Associate since 2020
  College of Liberal Arts
  University of Minnesota Twin Cities
  
• 
  Crystal Ng
  IonE Associate since 2018
  Earth Sciences
  University of Minnesota Twin Cities
  
• 
  Daniel Larkin
  IonE Associate since 2016
  College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences
  University of Minnesota Twin Cities
  
• 
  David Beard
  IonE Associate since 2020
  College of Liberal Arts
  University of Minnesota Duluth
  
• 
  Deepak Ray
  IonE Associate since 2020
  The Institute on the Environment
  University of Minnesota Twin Cities
  
• 
  Elise Harrington
  IonE Associate since 2021
  HHH School of Public Affairs
  University of Minnesota Twin Cities
  
• 
  Eric Shook
  IonE Associate since 2017
  Department of Geography, Environment and Society
  University of Minnesota Twin Cities
  
• 
  Fayola Jacobs
  IonE Associate since 2020
  Hubert H. Humphrey School of Public Affairs
  University of Minnesota Twin Cities
  
• 
  Forrest Fleischman
  IonE Associate since 2020
  Department of Forest Resources
  University of Minnesota Twin Cities
  
• 
  Gabriel Chan
  IonE Associate since 2016
  Humphrey School of Public Affairs
  University of Minnesota Twin Cities
  
• 
  Gillian Tarr
  IonE Associate since 2021
  School of Public Health
  University of Minnesota Twin Cities
  
• 
  Gretchen Hansen
  IonE Associate since 2021
  Department of Fisheries, Wildlife and Conservation Biology
  University of Minnesota Twin Cities
  
• 
  Harsh Jain
  IonE Associate since 2021
  Swenson College of Science and Engineering
  University of Minnesota Duluth
  
• 
  Heidi Roop
  IonE Associate since 2021
  Department of Soil, Water, and Climate
  University of Minnesota Twin Cities
  
• 
  Jack DeWaard
  IonE Associate since 2016
  College of Liberal Arts
  University of Minnesota Twin Cities
  
• 
  Jacob Jungers
  IonE Associate since 2019
  College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences
  University of Minnesota Twin Cities
  
• 
  Jeff Standish
  IonE Associate since 2019
  MnDrive
  University of Minnesota Twin Cities
  
• 
  Jessica Savage
  IonE Associate since 2019
  Swenson College of Science and Engineering
  University of Minnesota Duluth
  
• 
  Joseph Bauerkemper
  IonE Associate since 2021
  College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences
  University of Minnesota Duluth
  
• 
  Joshua Barnett
  IonE Associate since 2018
  College of Liberal Arts
  University of Minnesota Duluth
  
• 
  Justin Johnson
  IonE Associate since 2018
  College of Food, Agriculture and Natural Resource Sciences
  University of Minnesota Twin Cities
  
• 
  Kara Nell
  IonE Associate since 2019
  Chemistry (Math and Science Division)
  University of Minnesota Morris
  
• 
  Kate Derickson
  IonE Associate since 2016
  College of Liberal Arts
  University of Minnesota Twin Cities
  
• 
  Kristen Blann
  IonE Associate since 2021
  The Nature Conservancy
  The Nature Conservancy
  
• 
  Laurie Moberg
  IonE Associate since 2020
  College of Liberal Arts
  University of Minnesota Twin Cities
  
• 
  Melissa Maurer-Jones
  IonE Associate since 2021
  Swenson College of Science and Engineering
  University of Minnesota Duluth
  
• 
  Nat Springer
  IonE Associate since 2018
  The Institute on the Environment
  University of Minnesota Twin Cities
  
• 
  Natasha Wright
  IonE Associate since 2020
  College of Science and Engineering
  University of Minnesota Twin Cities
  
• 
  Nathan Johnson
  IonE Associate since 2019
  Swenson College of Science and Engineering
  University of Minnesota Duluth
  
• 
  Neil Wilmot
  IonE Associate since 2017
  School of Business and Economics
  University of Minnesota Duluth
  
• 
  Noelle Noyes
  IonE Associate since 2018
  Veterinary Medicine
  University of Minnesota Twin Cities
  
• 
  Pete Marchetto
  IonE Associate since 2018
  Conservify & Sensing, LLC
  Engineer & Small Business Owner
  
• 
  Peter Hawthorne
  IonE Associate since 2020
  The Institute on the Environment
  University of Minnesota Twin Cities
  
• 
  Peter Kang
  IonE Associate since 2019
  College of Science and Engineering
  University of Minnesota Twin Cities
  
• 
  Qi Zhang
  IonE Associate since 2018
  Chemical Engineering and Materials Science
  University of Minnesota Twin Cities
  
• 
  Rachel Olson
  IonE Associate since 2021
  Center for Learning Innovation
  University of Minnesota Rochester
  
• 
  Ryan Bergstrom
  IonE Associate since 2017
  College of Liberal Arts
  University of Minnesota Duluth
  
• 
  Rylie Pelton
  IonE Associate since 2021
  Institute on the Environment
  University of Minnesota Twin Cities
  
• 
  Salli Dymond
  IonE Associate since 2017
  Earth and Environmental Sciences Department
  University of Minnesota Duluth
  
• 
  Tiffany Wolf
  IonE Associate since 2016
  College of Veterinary Medicine
  University of Minnesota Twin Cities
  
• 
  Tsutomi Shimotori
  IonE Associate since 2020
  Swenson College of Science and Engineering
  University of Minnesota Duluth
  
• 
  Vishnu Laalitha Surapaneni
  IonE Associate since 2019
  School of Medicine
  University of Minnesota Twin Cities
  
• 
  Xue Feng
  IonE Associate since 2018
  Civil, Environmental, and Geo-Engineering
  University of Minnesota Twin Cities
  
• 
  Yuan Cheng
  IonE Associate since 2019
  Humphrey School of Public Affairs
  University of Minnesota Twin Cities
  
• 
  Zhenong Jin
  IonE Associate since 2020
  Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems Engineering
  University of Minnesota Twin Cities