Karen Gran
Fluvial geomorphology; sediment transport; sediment budgeting; GIS analyses; physical modeling
Background & Expertise
Karen Gran, PhD, is a professor in the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences at the University of Minnesota Duluth. Her research into river geomorphology, sediment transport and river evolution has taken her from Minnesota to the Philippines and back again. For the last two decades she has been working to understand how rivers within Minnesota have evolved since the last glaciation and how we can use that information to better manage them, including research into erosional sources in agricultural streams in southern Minnesota, beaver dam impacts in northern Minnesota, and the role of surficial geology and subsurface stratigraphy on landslide hazards across the state.
2023 Impact Goal Grants Award $1.1M to Support Interdisciplinary, Sustainability-Focused Project Teams
As increasing concentrations of greenhouse gasses and environmental degradation threaten people and ecosystems around the world, sustainability issues have never been more pressing. At the same time, signals are emerging of pathways to a liveable future, including growth in clean energy, greater consideration of natural capital in decision-making, and advocacy for socio-economic equity.