Michael Piehler

Michael Piehler is the Cary C. Boshamer Distinguished Professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, holding joint appointments in the Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering within the Gillings School of Global Public Health and the Department of Earth, Marine, and Environmental Sciences within the College of Arts and Sciences. He serves as Director of the UNC Institute for the Environment and as Chief Sustainability Officer and Special Assistant to the Chancellor for Sustainability.

His research focuses on the connection between human activity and natural systems, particularly at land-water interfaces. Piehler has extensive expertise in nutrient cycling, coastal ecology, and water quality, with particular emphasis on how coastal habitats like oyster reefs, seagrass beds, and salt marshes function in nutrient dynamics and contribute to coastal resilience.

Analysis of his recent publications reveals a consistent research trajectory centered on coastal biogeochemistry, with particular attention to nitrogen cycling processes in various coastal habitats. His work spans fundamental microbial processes to applied coastal management solutions, demonstrating strong translational research that connects basic science with practical environmental management.

• Cary C. Boshamer Distinguished Professor (2025)

Piehler has advised numerous graduate students who have gone on to successful careers in academia, government, and research institutions. His lab has received significant funding from federal, state, and regional sponsors, including the Strategic Environmental Research and Development Program (SERDP) for the decade-long DCERP project examining nutrient processing at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune. The lab has also developed innovative approaches to environmental monitoring using low-cost, open-source technology for real-time stream data collection.

His research group has made foundational contributions to quantifying the positive impacts oyster reefs can have on water quality, which has helped shift the research community's focus toward this critical aspect of coastal resilience.