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Claudia Benitez-Nelson is a Distinguished Professor and Senior Associate Dean for College Initiatives and Interdisciplinary Programs at the University of South Carolina , within the College of Arts and Sciences and the School of the Earth, Ocean and Environment . She holds a courtesy appointment and is actively engaged in research, education, and national science leadership. B.S. in Chemistry and Oceanography — University of Washington Ph.D. in Oceanography — MIT-WHOI Joint Program (1999) Her research centers on biogeochemical cycling , particularly of phosphorus and carbon , in marine and coastal systems. She investigates particle formation, export, and burial using radiochemical and mass spectrometric techniques, with field sites spanning South Carolina, California, and South Africa. Her work integrates climate change, ocean acidification, and nutrient dynamics. The most recent publications reflect a strong focus on marine particle dynamics , organic matter cycling , carbon export , and environmental change . Themes include the use of radionuclides (e.g., 234Th), mercury isotopes, and foraminiferal proxies to understand biogeochemical processes and paleoenvironmental conditions. Research spans coastal to open ocean systems, with implications for climate modeling and ecosystem health. Scientific Awards and Honors: AGU Early Career Award in Oceanography Fulbright and Marie Curie Fellowships AAAS, ASLO, and Oceanography Society Fellow University of South Carolina Distinguished Professor of the Year Sulzman Award for Excellence in Education and Mentoring (AGU) Oceanography Society Mentoring Award Outstanding Educator Award — Association for Women Geoscientists She has been continuously funded by NSF, NASA, and NOAA for over two decades, supporting extensive research and education initiatives. She mentors numerous graduate and undergraduate students, many of whom are co-authors on her publications. She leads major projects such as those under EXPORTS and GEOTRACES , and serves on national advisory panels including the NAS Ocean Studies Board and the White House Ocean Research Advisory Panel . She is also active in outreach through Science Moms , a nonpartisan group of climate scientist mothers advocating for climate action and education. Her work bridges science, policy, and public engagement.

• Biogeochemistry
• Geochemistry
• Oceanography
• +12 more

Susan Capalbo is Professor of Applied Economics at Oregon State University, affiliated with the College of Agricultural Sciences and the Department of Applied Economics. She previously served as Department Head (2008–2016) and Senior Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs (2016–2021). She holds a Ph.D. in Agricultural and Resource Economics from the University of California-Davis and has held faculty positions at Montana State University. She is currently a Commissioner for the Northwest Commission for Colleges and Universities (NWCCU) and a member of the National Academy of Sciences’ Board on Agriculture and Natural Resources (BANR). Her research focuses on the economics of climate change, agricultural sustainability, food systems, and non-market valuation. She has contributed extensively to integrated policy analysis, carbon sequestration economics, and the assessment of tradeoffs in sustainable agriculture. Her work bridges science and economics to inform policy decisions on climate adaptation and sustainable land use. Her recent publications reflect a strong emphasis on climate change impacts in the Pacific Northwest, with interdisciplinary contributions to agriculture, water resources, forestry, coasts, and human health. She has led and contributed to major climate assessments, particularly through the Oregon Climate Change Research Institute, and has pioneered the use of big data and decision-support tools in agro-environmental policy evaluation. Roy G. Arnold/Agricultural Research Foundation Leadership Award (2014) Distinguished Scholar, Western Agricultural Economics Association (2012) Dr. Capalbo has advised numerous research initiatives and contributed to national and regional policy frameworks. She has led OSU’s strategic planning efforts (SP3.0, SP4.0, Vision 2030) and continues to play a pivotal role in higher education governance through her NWCCU commissioner role. While she has stepped down from administrative leadership, her academic and research contributions remain active and influential. She is affiliated with key research teams involved in climate-smart agriculture and regional climate assessments, often collaborating with interdisciplinary groups across OSU and national institutions like Resources for the Future and Columbia University.

• Economics of climate change
• Agricultural sustainability
• Food systems analysis
• +8 more

Andrew Richardson is a Regents' Professor at Northern Arizona University, jointly affiliated with the School of Informatics, Computing, and Cyber Systems and the Center for Ecosystem Science and Society. His research focuses on ecosystem dynamics, plant phenology, climate change impacts, and carbon cycling, utilizing advanced monitoring technologies and data science approaches. His research interests span phenology , vegetation monitoring , carbon cycling , remote sensing , and ecological modeling . He is a leading figure in the use of PhenoCam networks and eddy covariance flux data to understand ecosystem responses to environmental change. His work integrates field observations with machine learning and large-scale data synthesis. The most recent articles reflect a strong trend in combining machine learning with ecosystem-scale CO2 flux measurements , analyzing forest phenology across temperate and mesic systems, and investigating long-term carbon reserves in tree species . His publications emphasize data-driven approaches to understanding climate-vegetation interactions and are published in high-impact environmental science journals. Andrew Richardson has contributed significantly to open science through the release of major datasets, including PhenoCam imagery and greenhouse gas flux measurements from Howland Forest. He collaborates extensively across institutions and has developed tools for continental-scale evaluation of carbon cycle models using flux tower data. He advises students and researchers in ecosystem science and environmental informatics, though specific advisees are not listed. His work is supported by long-term ecological research initiatives and collaborative grants focused on climate change impacts and carbon dynamics. Richardson leads or contributes to major research infrastructure including the PhenoCam network and SPRUCE experimental plots, enabling ground-based phenological observations under controlled warming conditions. His lab emphasizes open data, reproducibility, and interdisciplinary collaboration between ecologists, computer scientists, and climate modelers.

• Phenology
• Ecosystem Science
• Climate Change
• +7 more

Edna Ely-Ledesma is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Planning and Landscape Architecture at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She directs the Kaufman Lab for the Study and Design of Food Systems and Marketplaces, focusing on Latinx community agency in urban planning. Her work bridges community needs and city governance through smart, green, and equitable city design. PhD in Urban and Regional Science, Texas A&M University Master of Architecture and Urban Design, University of Texas at Austin Bachelor of Environmental Design, Texas A&M University Her research examines immigrant populations' cultural landscapes, micro-economies, and design methodologies in 21st-century cities. Key themes include food systems, telehealth access, farmers markets, and hybrid public spaces. Recent publications analyze marketplace fiscalization, borderland urbanism, and community-driven planning frameworks. 2023–2026: USDA Principal Investigator for farmers market metrics adoption 2022–2027: USDA Co-PI for climate-smart commodities and carbon sequestration 2021–2024: Multiple USDA Co-PI roles for farmers market equity and outreach She advises on grants exceeding $25 million, including USDA-funded projects and internal research awards. Her work emphasizes interdisciplinary collaboration, community engagement, and policy innovation.

• Smart Cities
• Green Infrastructure
• Urban Equity
• +6 more

Jiaze Wang is an Assistant Professor in the School of Earth and Climate Sciences at the University of Maine, where he conducts interdisciplinary research at the intersection of geology, oceanography, and climate science. His work focuses on understanding Earth system responses to climate change through integrated approaches combining field observations, laboratory experiments, and advanced numerical modeling. Research Interests: Dr. Wang's research spans multiple dimensions of coastal and marine systems, with emphasis on biogeochemical cycles in water and sediment, sediment dynamics, coastal morphological evolution, and deltaic systems. He investigates how rising sea levels alter freshwater-saltwater interactions and influence greenhouse gas emissions from coastal wetlands. His work also includes paleo-environmental reconstructions and the development of process-based models such as the Genome-based EmergeNt Ocean Microbial Ecosystem Model (GENOME) to simulate microbial controls on nutrient and carbon cycling. His methodological toolkit includes sensor-based field monitoring, wet-lab experimentation, and high-resolution numerical simulations. Although no recent publications are listed in the provided text, his ongoing projects suggest strong engagement in climate-driven coastal system modeling, carbon flux estimation, and ecosystem response prediction under global change scenarios. Scientific Awards: No personal awards are mentioned in the provided text. Advising and Grants: Dr. Wang advises graduate students in the School of Earth and Climate Sciences, with recent successes including Rachael’s thesis defense and Anna Johnston’s receipt of the 2025 Maine Wetlands Research Award for her work on tidal marsh pond dynamics. While specific grant funding is not listed, his active research group and modeling efforts imply external support. The lab is currently not recruiting new graduate students for 2025. Labs and Research Groups: Dr. Wang leads a research group based in Room 114 of the Bryand Global Science Center at the University of Maine. The team explores biological-geological interactions in coastal systems, focusing on carbon sequestration and biogeochemical dynamics under changing climatic conditions using both observational and modeling approaches.

• Biogeochemical Cycles
• Sediment Transport
• Coastal Morphology
• +7 more

Ryan L. Sensenig is Professor of the Practice in the Department of Biological Sciences at the University of Notre Dame, where he focuses on fire and grazing ecology in grassland systems. He previously held leadership and faculty roles at Goshen College from 2007 to 2023, including Professor of Biology, Chair of Biological Sciences, and Director of the Environmental & Marine Science Program. Ph.D. in Ecology, University of California, Davis (2007) B.S. in Biology, Eastern Mennonite University (1992) His research integrates fire ecology, herbivory, and restoration in both African savannas and Midwestern tallgrass prairies. Key areas include plant compositional dynamics, ant-plant mutualisms, and soil organic carbon sequestration. He emphasizes undergraduate involvement through collaborative field programs in Kenya and Indiana. His recent publications reveal strong trends in fire-herbivore interactions, disturbance ecology, and carbon cycling in grasslands. Work spans long-term exclosure experiments, prescribed fire effects, and belowground dynamics using minirhizotrons. The research bridges applied rangeland management and fundamental ecological theory. Sensenig has not received any explicitly mentioned scientific awards in the provided text. He actively mentors undergraduate researchers and integrates fieldwork into teaching, notably through a summer program engaging Kenyan and U.S. students. His work is supported by collaborative grants focused on grassland restoration and carbon sequestration, though specific grants are not listed. His leadership roles include directing the J.N. Roth Marine Biology Station and environmental science programs. His research is conducted in collaboration with teams in Kenya and Indiana, particularly through the Kenya Long-term Exclosure Experiment (KLEE). These international, interdisciplinary teams study ecological disturbances and restoration, emphasizing experiential learning and cross-cultural scientific exchange.

• Fire Ecology
• Grazing Ecology
• Savanna Ecology
• +12 more

Emily Graham is a quantitative ecosystem ecologist at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) and an Adjunct Professor at the School of Biological Sciences , Washington State University. Her work integrates molecular biology with ecosystem ecology to study responses to disturbances like drought, wildfire, and urbanization. PhD in Biogeoscience, University of Colorado at Boulder (2015) MS in Biogeoscience, University of Colorado at Boulder (2012) BS in Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (2009) Graham’s research explores microbial and biogeochemical mechanisms driving ecosystem resilience. Key projects include the Molecular Observation Network (MONet) at EMSL and global crowdsourced disturbance ecology frameworks. Her recent publications focus on soil viromes, microbial assembly processes, and hydrological-biogeochemical linkages. Her work spans interdisciplinary domains, including soil microbiomes , hyporheic zone biogeochemistry , and climate change impacts . She collaborates on the WHONDRS project and contributes to biogeochemical modeling and metabolomics integration.

• Ecosystem Ecology
• Biogeochemistry
• Microbial Ecology
• +3 more

Christopher A. Williams is an Associate Professor in the Earth System Science program within Clark University's Graduate School of Geography. His research focuses on terrestrial ecosystem ecology, land surface hydrology, and the complex interactions between ecosystems and climate. Williams leads the Biogeosciences Research Group and actively supervises PhD students working on climate impacts of forest change, drought effects, and pathways to deep decarbonization. Williams' research interests span Terrestrial Ecosystem Ecology, Land Surface Hydrology, Land-Atmosphere Interactions, Ecosystem-Climate Interactions, Global Environmental Change, Energy-Water-Carbon Exchanges, and Ecohydrology. His work combines field measurements, remote sensing data, and ecosystem modeling to understand how forests respond to climate change and how these responses feed back to the climate system. A significant portion of his research examines the dual climate effects of forests - both carbon sequestration benefits and albedo-related warming or cooling effects. His recent publications reveal important trends in forest-climate interactions, particularly how forest management decisions impact climate mitigation potential. Williams' research has shown that forests can have net warming effects in certain regions due to albedo changes, challenging simplistic tree-planting approaches to climate mitigation. His team has developed high-resolution forest carbon monitoring systems that are being used by conservation organizations like The Nature Conservancy and Open Space Institute. Oliver and Dorothy Hayden Junior Faculty Fellowship Hodgkins Junior Faculty Award Excellence in Reviewing Award from Journal of Geophysical Research - Biogeosciences Excellence in Reviewing Award from Biogeochemistry Williams actively mentors PhD students and has successfully guided several through to completion of their degrees. His research group has received substantial funding from NASA's Carbon Monitoring System, the U.S. Climate Alliance, and The Nature Conservancy. The Biogeosciences Research Group maintains strong collaborations with organizations including NASA, The Nature Conservancy, and the U.S. Forest Service, contributing to major initiatives like the National Forest Carbon Monitoring System and Natural Climate Solutions assessments.

• Terrestrial Ecosystem Ecology
• Land Surface Hydrology
• Land-Atmosphere Interactions
• +7 more

Lucas Silva is a Professor in the Department of Biology and Environmental Studies at the University of Oregon's College of Arts and Sciences (Natural Sciences division). His research examines terrestrial ecology and biogeochemistry with emphasis on soil-plant-atmosphere interactions and climate change impacts across natural and managed ecosystems. His primary research interests include carbon cycling dynamics in forest and grassland ecosystems, drought responses in plant physiology, geomorphic controls on soil organic carbon storage, and paleoclimatology through tree-ring and soil analysis. Work spans Pacific Northwest landscapes, tropical forests, and savannas, integrating field measurements with modeling to address climate resilience. Key methodologies involve stable isotope analysis, dendrochronology, and biogeochemical assays of soil-plant systems. Analysis of his 2024-2025 publications reveals dominant themes in natural climate solutions (e.g., riparian restoration and fire management in the Pacific Northwest), tropical dendrochronology for global change research, and comparative studies of Earth-Mars paleosols. His work demonstrates consistent focus on carbon sequestration mechanisms, ecosystem responses to climatic stressors, and sustainable land management strategies across biomes. Dr. Silva leads the Soil-Plant-Atmosphere Research Group (https://soilplantatmosphere.com), conducting interdisciplinary fieldwork in collaboration with international partners. The group investigates soil carbon dynamics in wildfire-affected landscapes, tropical montane forests, and agricultural systems, with particular attention to legacy effects of land-use change and erosion processes.

• Ecology
• Evolution
• Biogeochemistry
• +5 more

Alexander R. O'Neill serves as an Adjunct Professor at Georgetown University's Walsh School of Foreign Service, affiliated with the Science, Technology & International Affairs Program. An ecologist specializing in geospatial tools for land management, he leads initiatives for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's National Geospatial Program since 2019, with fieldwork spanning the United States and South Asia's mountain ecosystems. His academic credentials include dual Master's degrees from Duke University: a Master of Environmental Management (MEM) and Master of Forestry (MF), alongside a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Biology from Georgetown University. Professional certifications include Project Management Professional (PMP) and Geographic Information Systems Professional (GISP). Dr. O'Neill's research integrates geospatial analysis with conservation biology to address climate change impacts on Himalayan ecosystems. His work emphasizes community-based environmental management, high-altitude wetland preservation, and ethnobotanical knowledge systems, particularly focusing on Nepal and Sikkim, India. Key methodologies include ecological baseline establishment, genetic connectivity studies, and sustainable resource management frameworks. His publication record (2016-2023) reveals consistent thematic focus on Himalayan biodiversity conservation, with recurring emphasis on wetland ecology, climate-threatened medicinal plants, and parasitic flora. Articles demonstrate methodological diversity spanning geoclimatic modeling, Ramsar site evaluation, and ethnobotanical documentation, reflecting interdisciplinary approaches to mountain ecosystem sustainability. Professional recognitions include: Fulbright Scholar David L. Boren Scholar PMP (Project Management Professional) GISP (Geographic Information Systems Professional) Collaborations with U.S. Department of State, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Smithsonian Institute, and International Union for Conservation of Nature demonstrate extensive project leadership, though specific advising roles or grant details remain unreported in available materials. Current EPA initiatives involve geospatial data management and cartographic design innovations for national land management strategies, building on his field experience in South Asian conservation contexts.

• Ecology
• Geospatial Analysis
• Land Management
• +6 more

Jeffrey R. Vincent is the Korstian Distinguished Professor in Forest Economics and Management at Duke University's Nicholas School of the Environment and Earth Sciences, with a joint appointment as Professor of Public Policy Studies. He is also an Affiliate of the Duke Center for International Development. Vincent holds a Ph.D. from Yale University (1988) and an M.S. from Michigan State University (1984). His career spans academic research, teaching, and leadership of international policy projects. Vincent's research focuses on forest policy economics in developing economies, emphasizing forest restoration in Asia. His work integrates climate change mitigation, biodiversity conservation, and ecosystem service valuation, with recent studies examining cost-effective reforestation and tropical land-use dynamics. Major themes include: Economics of forest restoration and degradation Climate-agriculture interactions Valuation of ecosystem services Environmental policy design in Southeast Asia Recent publications demonstrate a strong focus on quantifying restoration outcomes and refining conservation economics methodologies, with empirical work across Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Colombia. Awards & Fellowships: McKinsey Award for Harvard Business Review article (2003) Cozzarelli Prize for PNAS publication (2006) Fellow: Beijer Institute of Ecological Economics (Sweden) Fellow: South Asian Network of Development Economists (Nepal) Research Grants & Initiatives: Research and Development of Global Applications of Forest Restoration Potential Using SEPAL (2023-2024) Consequences of Changing Mangrove Forests in South Asia (2017-2021) Annual Duke Summit on Innovation for Tropical Conservation (2016-2017) Duke Conservation Economics Initiative (2014-2015) As Co-Editor-in-Chief of Environment and Development Economics , Vincent shapes discourse on sustainability policy. He teaches graduate courses including Resource & Environmental Economics, Economic Valuation, and Forest Resource Economics.

• Forest Economics
• Environmental Policy
• Forest Restoration
• +5 more

Casey Godwin is an Associate Research Scientist at the University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability (SEAS) and the Cooperative Institute for Great Lakes Research (CIGLR). His work focuses on the interplay between carbon and nutrient cycles in freshwater ecosystems, particularly examining how microbial and algal elemental requirements affect biogeochemical processes. Ph.D. , Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior, University of Minnesota (2013) M.S. , Ecology, Pennsylvania State University (2006) B.A. , Biology and Environmental Studies, Cornell College (2003) Godwin’s research investigates whether nutrient pollution decouples carbon and nutrient cycling, with applications to harmful algal blooms, hypoxia in Lake Erie, and sustainable algal biofuel systems. He explores microbial physiological adaptations to nutrient imbalance, biodiversity impacts on biofuel stability, and nutrient retention in watersheds. Key trends in his publications include biodiversity’s role in aquatic ecosystem stability, biogeochemical processes in Lake Erie, and stoichiometric flexibility of microbes. His work often bridges ecological theory with applied environmental solutions. 2021 Research Faculty Recognition Award (University of Michigan) Godwin collaborates with NOAA GLERL to collect sediment and water samples from Lake Erie, advancing understanding of hypoxia and nutrient cycling. He has contributed to large-scale field experiments on algal biofuel polycultures and theoretical frameworks for coexistence in competitive communities.

• Freshwater Ecosystems
• Nutrient Cycling
• Biogeochemistry
• +5 more

Stefan Rainer Schmollinger is a Research Assistant Professor at the MSU-DOE Plant Research Laboratory and the Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology at Michigan State University. His work focuses on understanding nutrient dynamics in photosynthetic algae, particularly nitrogen and iron utilization, through systems biology and quantitative ionomics. Ph.D. in Biology from the University of Kaiserslautern Specializes in algal metabolism and ionome analysis under nutrient stress Develops CRISPR/Cpf1 tools and uses photo-bioreactor systems for precise environmental modeling His research explores how algae acclimate to changing nutrient availability, integrating physiological, transcriptomic, and proteomic data at single-cell resolution. Key projects investigate iron's role in chloroplast photosynthesis and nitrogen's impact on carbon fixation, aiming to engineer algae for biotechnological and carbon sequestration applications. The work addresses critical challenges in agricultural productivity and climate change mitigation.

• Algal Nutrient Management
• Systems Biology
• Ionomics
• +6 more

Elham Fini is an Associate Professor at the School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment at Arizona State University. She serves as a Senior Global Futures Scientist at the Global Institute of Sustainability and Innovation, Director of the Innovation Network for Materials, Methods and Management, and holds affiliations with the Center for Negative Carbon Emissions. Education: Ph.D. from University of Illinois-Urbana-Champaign Her research focuses on Built Environment and Health , Bio-based Materials , and Multi-scale Characterization , aiming to advance sustainable infrastructure through novel material design and environmental impact mitigation. She has published over 200 scholarly works and her research has been highlighted by BBC Women in STEM, Science Nation, and Wired Magazine. Recent publications analyze bio-based rejuvenators , waste plastic integration , and biochar applications in asphalt systems, addressing carbon management , pollutant adsorption , and asphalt durability . Her work bridges chemical engineering principles with civil infrastructure challenges. Scientific Awards: NSF CAREER award, ASEE Gerald Seeley award, BEYA Emerald STEM Innovation award, NC BioTech Research Excellence award, WTS Innovative Transportation Solution award Dr. Fini serves as editor for the ASCE Journal of Materials and the Journal of Resources, Conservation & Recycling. She previously held leadership roles as ASCE North Carolina Northern Branch president and NSF program director.

• Civil Engineering
• Sustainable Infrastructure
• Materials Science
• +5 more

Ekrem Ozlu is an Assistant Professor and Soil Management Extension Specialist at North Carolina State University (NCSU), affiliated with the Vernon G. James Research and Extension Center and Tidewater Research Station in Plymouth, NC. His work bridges extension and research, focusing on climate-smart soil management strategies, regenerative agriculture, and addressing challenges like soil health, carbon sequestration, and saltwater intrusion in North Carolina's Coastal Plain region. Education Ph.D. in Soil Science with minors in Statistics and Geography, University of Wisconsin-Madison (2020) M.S. in Plant Science, South Dakota State University (2016) B.S. in Soil Science and Plant Nutrition, Ataturk University, Turkey (2011) Research & Extension Focus Developing sustainable tillage strategies for crops like corn, soybean, and wheat. Advancing soil health metrics and carbon sequestration practices. Mitigating saltwater intrusion impacts through adaptive management. Promoting regenerative agriculture for yield optimization and soil resilience. Leading soil management training programs for county agents and stakeholders. Labs & Teams Directs the Soil Management Lab at NCSU. Collaborates with Dr. Joshua Heitman on soil compaction studies. Engages in the Climate Adaptation through Agriculture & Soil Management (CASM) initiative.

• Soil Science
• Soil Health
• Carbon Sequestration
• +5 more