The Supreme Court opinion in West Virginia v. Environmental Protection Agency released last week will undoubtedly slow the development and implementation of national strategies for greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction at power plants, one of the nation’s most significant sources of GHG pollution. While this specific opportunity for significant climate action is limited, we are reminded that action at state and local levels and in non-governmental sectors will be more important than ever. Decision-makers in those spaces will need sound evidence of climate strategies with proven impact and will rely on climate leaders with the endurance necessary to overcome roadblocks, think creatively, and continue to build capacity and cross-sector relationships. The Institute on the Environment brings that valuable knowledge and demonstrated leadership, in part through the strength and diversity of our affiliate network. 

We are excited to announce a new group of affiliates, coming from a range of disciplines, who bring compassion, dedication, and expertise to their work. IonE is honored to welcome these individuals into the broader IonE community, and nurture the kind of collaboration necessary to solve the environmental issues we face. We are confident their expertise, networks, and desire to create impact will be instrumental in finding effective solutions and implementing them at scale.

We welcome seven Fellows, established in their careers having demonstrated excellence in one or more subject areas related to the environment and sustainability; six Associates, early-and mid-career researchers and instructors at the University of Minnesota and other organizations who are building interdisciplinary careers in environmental scholarship; and one Educator, faculty and instructional staff who have a special interest in pedagogy and curriculum development; Our new affiliates come from the Duluth, Morris, and Twin Cities campuses, as well as Extension, the Science Museum of Minnesota, United States Geological Survey (USGS), and United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).

IonE Fellows

Chris Wright, Natural Resources Research Institute, UMN Duluth

Joel Tallaksen, West Central Research and Outreach Center, UMN Morris

Deepak Ray, Institute on the Environment, UMN Twin Cities

Shirley Nordrum, UMN Extension, serving Leech Lake, White Earth, and Red Lake

Olivia LeDee, Midwest Climate Adaptation Science Center, United States Geological Survey 

Adam Heathcote, Science Museum of Minnesota

David Beard, College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences, UMN Duluth

IonE Associates

Brandon Miller, College of Food, Agriculture, and Natural Resource Sciences, UMN Twin Cities

Amit Pradhananga, College of Food, Agriculture, and Natural Resource Sciences, UMN Twin Cities

Craig Hill, Swenson College of Science and Engineering, UMN Duluth

Amy Kinsley, College of Veterinary Medicine, UMN Twin Cities

Jonathan Knott, Forest Service, United States Department of Agriculture 

Xinyi (Lisa) Qian, University of Minnesota Tourism Center, UMN Extension

IonE Educator

Dan Nolan, College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences, UMN Duluth