New AWRI director to begin role in January

Stuart Jones, a faculty member in the University of Notre Dame's Department of Biological Sciences and the former associate director of the University of Notre Dame Environmental Research Center, has been named the executive director of Grand Valley State University's Annis Water Resources Institute (AWRI).

"Stuart is a highly accomplished aquatic ecologist who is deeply committed to all three pillars of AWRI's mission - research, education and outreach," said Jennifer Drake, Grand Valley's acting provost. "He is a strong teacher and scholar, a collaborative and curious leader and a very effective science communicator. I am excited about AWRI's future."

Jones' research focuses on ecology and environmental biology along with genetics and genomics. He obtained a bachelor's degree in biology and a doctorate in limnology and marine sciences from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He was also a postdoctoral fellow at Michigan State University's W.K. Kellogg Biological Station at Gull Lake.

"It's a dream job for several reasons," Jones said. "The group that's there at the AWRI is outstanding, and I can't wait to get started collaborating with them and with those who think about aquatic ecology on the main campus.

"There's a long history of aquatic research at the AWRI, and, obviously, there's been a really great foundation that's been set over the last 20 years by (Allen and Helen Hunting Research Professor) Al Steinmanbache. It's a launching pad for great research and community engagement that I hope to facilitate over my time there."

Jones said one of the distinguishing factors in his decision to join AWRI was the institute's engagement with the community.

"There are a lot of really good existing connections, for example, with folks who live around the Lakeshore area or with the Native American tribes in the region. So, that's some existing engagement that I want to foster and continue to grow," Jones said.

"And, I want to be open as a listener so that we can find other partners in the community that would benefit from the work at AWRI, or if we can facilitate connections with people on the main campus."

Mark Luttenton will continue as acting director of the AWRI until Jones takes office in January.

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