Gund Institute for Environment Welcomes New Community Membersfull story >>>

Gund Institute for Environment Welcomes New Community Members

New Gund Institute community members include, from left to right: Matias Sevilla, Em O'Hara, Dror Etzion, Josh Taylor, Ilaria Coero Borga, Jayashree Yadav, Carlos Amissah, Peter Newman, Alexis Yamashita, and Marie Vea

The Gund Institute for Environment today announced that 42 new interdisciplinary researchers and leaders in environmental science and action from the University of Vermont and beyond have joined its community as affiliates, postdoctoral fellows, and graduate student fellows.

"We are very excited to welcome our newest members to this diverse and vibrant community of researchers and scholars from across the world," says Gund Institute Director Taylor Ricketts. "As we continue our vital work of putting research into action for people and nature, our newest colleagues strengthen our efforts on every front, and we are thrilled to have them join us."

With over 250 faculty, affiliates, postdocs, and students, the Gund Institute research network has tripled in size since 2018. The Gund community represents all eight UVM colleges and schools and dozens of research institutions, businesses, and organizations around the world, including Microsoft, World Wildlife Fund, Root Capital, Jackson State University, and Ben & Jerry's.

The new cohort includes seven Macmillan Scholars, four global affiliates, seven UVM affiliates, six postdoctoral fellows, and 21 graduate fellows. In addition, the Gund welcomes Marie Vea, Assistant Dean for Student Services and Staff Development, as its Ombuds, an impartial and independent resource for students, staff, and faculty for discussing and resolving diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging concerns. And joining the Gund Steering Committee is recently named Dean of the Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources Peter Newman.

All new Gund community members will be honored at the annual Welcome BBQ on September 5.

Macmillan Scholars (7)

Molly Anderson, Middlebury College

Andrew Balmford, University of Cambridge

Roger Madrigal, University of Gothenburg

Alejandra Martinez, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth

Alex Pfaff, Duke University

Fabio Trinco, Argentina National Institute of Agricultural Technology

Ellen Wohl, Colorado State University

Global Affiliates (4)

John Brawley, Sweet Sound Aquaculture & Lake Champlain Sea Grant

Courtney Hammond Wagner, U.S. Department of Agriculture

Seamus Lombardo, Planet

Stephen Posner, The Garrison Institute

UVM Affiliates (7)

Joe Ament, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Community Development and Applied Economics

Paige Brochu, Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources, Spatial Analysis Lab

Marieka Broewer Burg, College of Arts and Sciences, Anthropology

Dror Etzion, Grossman School of Business

Anne Jefferson, Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resource, Lake Champlain Sea Grant

David Novak, Grossman School of Business

Salim Uddin, Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources, Forestry and Sustainability, Ecology and Policy 

Postdoctoral Fellows (6)

Sam Bliss, Department of Nutrition and Food Sciences

Monireh Dehabadi, Chemical Engineering

Cari Ritzenthaler, Food Systems

Josh Taylor, Food Systems

Humberto Romero Uribe, Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources

Jayashree Rajaram Yadav, Electrical and Biomedical Engineering

Graduate Fellows (21)

Sevda Alvirdizadeh, Food Systems

Carlos Amissah, Biology

Abraham Awolich, Sustainable Development Policy, Economics and Governance

Ilaria Coero Borga, Biology

Lindsey Bouzan, Community Development and Applied Economics

Lazaro Carneiro, Rubenstein School of Environmental and Natural Resources

Quinn DiFalco, Food Systems

Esther Ekitela, Community Development and Applied Economics

Samuel Gameiro, Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources

Ericka Griggs, Biological Data Science Program

Caitlin Henry, Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources

Robert Jones, Civil and Environmental Engineering

Anna Maassel, Rubenstein School of Environmental and Natural Resources

Carina Manitius, Sustainable Development Policy, Economics and Governance

Chris McElroy, Leadership for the Ecozoic

Maura Muldoon, Biological Data Science Program

Emily R. O'Hara, Community Development and Applied Economics

Greta Savitsky, Biological Data Science Program

Shiva Soroushnia, Food Systems

Matias Vaccarezza Sevilla, Community Development and Applied Economics

Alexis Yamashita, Community Development and Applied Economics

Ombuds

Marie Vea, Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources

New Steering Committee Member

Peter Newman, Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources

More news

The Gund Institute has invested over $7M in UVM research and student success in seven years. Gund Catalyst Awards have issued over $1.4M in startup funds to 25 innovative projects and over 100 UVM scholars, generating over $23M in external funds and inspiring real-world action.

Faculty fellows are invited to submit proposals for the next round of Gund Catalyst Awards, interdisciplinary research grants valued from $10,000 to $50,000, by October 31, 2024. Applications for Macmillan Scholars and enrichment funds are also open.

The Institute will open applications for the next cohort of graduate and postdoctoral fellows and nominations for new faculty fellows in September.

About the Gund Institute at UVM

The Gund Institute for Environment at the University of Vermont is a research center dedicated to understanding and tackling the world's most critical environmental challenges. Driven by the belief that research should inspire action, the Institute takes a cross-sector approach to solving environmental issues with stakeholders from government, business, and broader society. The Institute focuses on five interconnected research themes: climate solutions, sustainable agriculture, health and well-being, equity and justice, and resilient communities. With over 250 scholars in Vermont and across the world, the Institute brings together a network of internationally recognized researchers from diverse disciplines, including the natural and social sciences, business, health, technology, engineering, and the humanities.

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