Participant Abstracts

Our group links basic and applied research in aquatic sciences to address contaminant dynamics and changing weather patterns, conservation of aquatic fauna, management of sport and commercial fishes, and quantify/communicate relative risk related to fish consumption.

My research has as a goal to develop and understand systems for the effective utilization of renewable resources to produce sustainable products, including polymeric materials and biofuels.

Scientific analysis of insects to protect our nations borders from pests & enhance trade. Research interests in forest & urban entomology studying the impact of invasive species on ecology of natural environments through plant-insect interactions.

Working with CALS and NC Agricultural Research Service to facilitate research initiatives and interdisciplinary projects for ag and life sciences.

Developing energy / nutrient recovery systems for animal production systems. Building systems-level understanding of impacts of on-farm technologies / practices. Working across disciplines and institutions to understand impacts and opportunities regarding our ecological, social, and food systems.

Integrate population dynamics and species-habitat relationships to inform decisions about conservation design and persistence of species.

Integrated food/plant systems for water conservation, nutrient removal and carbon sequestration from aquaculture production.

Research evaluates the effects of climate change, temperate, and other environmental stressors on imperiled native freshwater mussels.

Quantitative population and habitat modeling as applied to natural resource management. Co-development of decision frameworks to help resource managers understand how risk and uncertainty affect decision-making and to provide appropriate science in support of these decisions.

Applied cotton management including variety evaluation, tillage, growth regulators, fertility, disease management and defoliation.

Using dynamic optimization to address problems of natural resource management. Applications include endangered species and wildlife harvesting. The development of methods and software with a specific focus on how to handle uncertainty concerning system variables and system dynamics.

Urbanization and climate change affect trees and bees. We study how urban warming increases tree pests & reduces tree health & services. We also study how urban warming predicts ecological effects of global warming. Extension and outreach to government, landscapers, general public, and others.

Conservation agricultural approaches being explored to sequester soil organic carbon, mitigate greenhouse gas emissions, and cycle carbon and nitrogen more efficiently.

Efficient use of natural resources under global change requires connecting basic and applied knowledge. Our research in soil chemistry aims to solve agricultural, environmental, and energy-waste problems by scaling knowledge of molecular-level processes into solutions to larger-scale problems.

I study processes that cause rapid climate-driven shifts in vegetation, with particular emphasis on fire and drought. I undertake this work in savannas and forests in tropical and temperate regions to understand and predict the distribution of biomes at regional and global scales.

Stormwater management

Pollination biology and the conservation of pollination services in natural and human-modified systems.

My lab focuses on environmental change in the coastal realm. We use a food web perspective, exploring top-down (e.g., predation) and bottom-up (e.g., nutrient excretion) mechanisms by which animals affect ecosystem processes. Our efforts are framed within a broad educational outreach framework.

Community Outreach & Engagement Core, Center for Human Health & Environment: translate research into knowledge to be put into practice, inform Center activities w/ practical community information. Interest in informal science education, community engagement, curriculum development.

I am the director of the SECSC and am collaborating with colleagues at NCSU, USGS, and elsewhere to examine the relation between science (natural, physical, social, etc) and policymaking in the broad realm of global change.

Urban Entomology: bed bugs, from basic ecology of to behavior and evolution of this important pest insect.

Understanding how climate change impacts production of crops grown for food or animal feed. Predicting planting time, crop varieties, etc. using climatology data. We develop management practices and technologies to help farmers grow crops and become sustainable.

My specific research interests are driven by understanding the effects of environmental stressors and disturbances on ecological populations and communities and by making conservation and management decisions in the face of such uncertainty.

Teach courses relating to global sustainable human development/world population and food prospects in CALS and CHASS. Advise students regarding sustainable approaches to food, feed, fiber, and specialty crop global sufficiency.

Environmental impacts on fungi and mycotoxin contamination of food. Building public-private research partnerships with industry and academia to generate knowledge and develop, test and disseminate new approaches, technologies and analytic tools to advance high-yield sustainable agriculture.

Agroecology Education Farm: We are a 6 acre farm that provides sustainable produce to the NCSU dining halls. Our mission is to promote agroecology and sustainable food systems by providing a diversity of experiential learning opportunities for NC State and the broader community.

My research addresses how fish and fish populations are affected by habitat characteristics (e.g., hypoxia, temperature) and biological processes (e.g., predator-prey interactions, invasive species impacts). I use this information to identify implications and applications for fisheries management.

Vector ecology in a dynamic world, from the individual to the community to the landscape to the globe. Mosquitoes, other flies, ticks, their pathogens and their hosts. Multi-disciplinary approaches that may include ethology, population genetics, spatial analysis, and mathematical modeling.

Jean Ristaino is the Director of the Emerging Plant Disease and Global Food Security Cluster at NC State. She directs a research program on a reemerging plant disease, late blight of potato, conducts geospatial mapping of disease outbreaks, genotyping and population genetics research.

My research strives to improve species conservation and monitoring programs, and the management of protected areas, through a better understanding of wildlife habitat relationships and sampling methods.

We study how climate changes in streamflow phenology affect algal blooms and how these effects propagate up food webs to fish. We also study how climate changes in drying phenology of wetland ponds affect species range shifts/replacements, and how these shifts/replacements affect ecosystem function.

I apply the tools of economics to understand how people and firms interact with their environment and to evaluate policies affecting the environment. Expertise in ecosystem service valuation, land-use modeling, demand modeling, and policy evaluation.

Global change scientist with the NCSU/Dept. of Interior Southeast Climate Science Center. I work on big global change problems related to climate and land use change in the Southeast and US Caribbean.

As Director of Research Partnerships in NC Agricultural Research Service, I work closely with the College’s Associate Dean for Research and Director of NCARS, and the CALS Advancement team to develop and manage corporate partnerships among CALS faculty and corporations.

Plant and soil microbe interactions and soil carbon/nitrogen dynamics and feedbacks under global changes.

We are developing forecasting models for predicting pest distribution, occurrence, and population. Climate change is a part of the picture.

My urban ecosystem research connects climate, insects, plants, and ecosystem services. How can human activities, including urbanization and restoration, be guided to preserve a diversity of species and interactions?

Head of the School of Architecture, NC State University: City design; City regeneration; sustainable forms of urban housing and infrastructure; urban issues in the developing world; alternative transportation; smart cities; urban ecology; waste to energy systems.

My research goal is to understand how the design of city form, space, and movement can foster resilient and sustainable communities, neighborhoods, and public places. My research has focused on how urban form and space are shaped, particularly along the urban/suburban/rural growth edges.

Sustainable and adaptable cities and communities. Developing tools to help assess people’s experiences and perceptions of environment; measuring the impact of built environment on human well-being. Community design and engagement addressing social and environmental justice.

NC Clean Energy Technology Center: Promoting the use of alternative fuels and clean transportation technologies to lower emissions and improve energy independence.

My primary research interest is at the interface of climate and water management focusing on large-scale hydroclimatology.

Our work focuses on coastal processes (including landform change) as a response to storms and sea level rise. Geospatial tools and process-based models are utilized to visualize and identify coastal hazards and to develop response strategies to improve the resilience of the coastal environment.

Public communication of science and technology, using public opinion surveys and content analysis of media coverage to understand how citizens make sense of emerging and aging technologies.

I am associate dean for research in my college. My research has been on natural disaster policy, including disaster politics and hazard mitigation. I’ve published two books and several articles in this field.

Bill Boettcher, SPIA, NCSU. Energy and Security Initiative, Triangle Institute for Security Studies. Co-PI, Consortium for Nonproliferation Enabling Capabilities, Intelligence Community Center of Academic Excellence. Research on energy and security, public opinion, risk behavior and decision making.

An environmental historian of the 20th century U.S, I study the boundaries of history, ecology, law & policy. Projects: Food panics past & present; archiving agricultural genetic engineering; immigrant oysters in the industrial city; restoring an edible San Francisco Bay; Visual Narrative cluster.

My on-campus courses and study abroad in Africa offerings focus on building community competence toward well being. Community competence refers to building communities that are capable of effectively adapting to global change.

I teach courses with an interdisciplinary focus, particularly emphasizing applied ethics. Courses such as Animals in the Global Community, Environmental Ethics, Humans and the Environment, Science, Technology and Society. A core theme is paradigm change.

Integration of spatial, social and natural sciences for understanding persistence and changes in land use for ranching systems of western Europe.

Dr. Struett studies the politics of global governance, and particularly the role of international institutions and norms in managing global public policy problems.

Jim Bray, Adjunct Prof. Forest Biomaterials, CTO, Tethis, a company developing and commercializing natural biomaterials for absorption of fluids and adsorption of salts and toxic metals. Have previously licensed technology developed at NCSU.

Natural resource policy, economics, market based conservation incentives, agroforestry teaching, research, and practice

Using analytical and statistical tools for solving data related problems. I currently use different perceptual models including social life cycle analysis and risk assessment tools to gather and analyze social impact data in natural resources.

Jason Delborne, Associate Professor of Science, Policy, and Society. Dept. of Forestry and Environmental Resources and Genetic Engineering and Society Center. Studies highly politicized scientific controversies and governance of emerging technologies like GMOs for biofuels.

Emanuel focuses broadly on water in the environment. He leads the ecohydrology and watershed science group at NCSU, exploring the hydrology, micrometeorology and biogeochemistry of landscapes from mountains to coasts. Indigenous perspectives and participation are important components of his work.

Development of inventory and web interface to increase connections to observational data resources that can be used to assess the effects of global change on ecosystem resources. Communication of SE CSC science. Coordination of atmospheric deposition monitoring in North Carolina.

I am the Research Director in the College of Natural Resources. I am interested in connecting our faculty with the interests of the USGCRP.

My research area is textiles for health and protection. This includes chemical, biological and insect-proof clothing, wound care, and medical devices.

USDA Southeast Regional Climate Hub connects with researchers, consultants, and outreach specialists to deliver technical support and provide tools to help producers cope with climate challenges such as drought, heat stress, excessive moisture, longer growing seasons, and changes in pest pressures.

Director of the Center for Geospatial Analytics at NC State. works to develop innovative analytics for scenario-based modeling and visualization of sustainable solutions to complex natural resource challenges.

Pinemap outreach (adpatative management), climate forests and woodlands extension outreach, climate learning network.

Providing science outreach to K-12 schools and the public through community-based conservation and research projects that provide science-based educational and capacity building opportunities which help citizens address critical habitat and wildlife issues.

We integrate field studies, genetics, & quantitative population modeling to understand how population dynamics of wild animals – & their communities and ecosystems — respond to human-caused global changes. We apply ecological science to help solve global challenges in wildlife conservation.

Extension and outreach on sustaining forests in a changing climate. Audience is landowners, extension personnel and natural resource professionals.

Needs assessment, data analytics and visualization, and open source tools focused on climate change and adaptive management options for working lands (forest, agriculture, and range) across the southeastern US.

Understanding and mitigating the effects of global change, especially land use change, on wildlife. Focal areas include forest wildlife management with emphasis on fire ecology, conservation of wildlife in agricultural landscapes, and urban wildlife ecology and management.

Land use change and intensifying management alter ecosystem structure, function and services. Intensifying water and carbon cycles make balancing productivity and carbon sequestration more difficult. Forest ecosystem services are sustainable only as long as soil C stocks and health are protected.

All of my research fits under the broad umbrella of understanding the drivers of environmental behavior, but there are distinct strands focusing on environmental education among adults and children and redirecting the environmental impacts of housing and urban development.

Using genomic technology to improve wood properties and adaptation of trees to environmental stress. Improved trees would have reduced impact on land and would be more readily processed to wood products. Also interested in protection or restoration of tree species such as the American chestnut.

Examining communities’ capacity for climate adaptation, understanding cultural resource prioritization decisions, projecting climate-related changes to nature-based tourism demand, and assessing informational and social influences on management preferences and conservation behaviors.

Professor of forest economics and coordinator of international programs in DFER. Research interests include non-timber benefits from forests, tropical deforestation, initiatives to reduce forest carbon emissions, and impact evaluation of forest conservation policies.

Using stated preference experiments, geospatial modeling and immersive virtual environments to understand humans’ contingent behaviors and preferences in response to rapidly changing environmental conditions.

Evaluate the effects and consequences of multiple interacting stresses; Increase knowledge and understanding of the risks; Provide science-based decision support tools; work closely with land managers and scientists to identify and meet technology transfer needs related to climate change.

Sarah Warren, Associate Professor, Department of Forestry and Environmental Resources, NCSU. Interests: biodiversity, population growth, forestry, environmental studies. Teach primarily undergraduate courses in environment, toxic substances, conservation.

Dean Mary Watzin specializes in aquatic ecology and watershed management, with a wide-ranging program of research focused on understanding how human activities influence ecosystem health and how adaptive management can be used to improve environmental outcomes.

Dr. Bell’s research primarily explores the relationship between ecohydrological processes and climate change. He is specifically interested in understanding the links between climate extremes to terrestrial water cycle and the role these changes have on society.

Combining big climate data & climate science w/ technology to meet partner needs. Historical strengths connecting weather & climate impacts to agriculture, natural resources, infrastructure, water & air. We build technology tools to help assess weather risk & benefit from predictions.

My work involves integrating climate data at a variety of spatial and temporal scales in a meaningful manner to help meet the needs of decision makers. Most of my tools are focused on assessing the current moisture status across a region (particularly NC) for drought/water monitoring.

I primarily design web-based decision support tools for sector-specific needs, including monitoring fire risk and assessing changes in climate and suitability for loblolly pine growth. I also write for the SCO’s Climate Blog, which communicates weather and climate information to a general audience.

David Eggleston, Center for Marine Sciences and Technology: a research, teaching and extension service center for marine science applications in Aquatic Animal Health, Seafood Technology, Marine Ecology and Conservation, Estuarine & Coastal Fisheries, and K-12 STEM education.

Using field experiments and mathematical tools to predict animal responses to environmental change, at the level of the genome, individual, population, community, and ecosystem. My current experimental systems are located in streams, rivers, coastal habitats, and oceanic and continental islands.

Nick Haddad studies the ecological effects of the loss and fragmentation of habitat. More specifically, he studies conservation strategies such as landscape corridors that can restore fragmented landscapes, and promote connectivity as climate changes.

Research interests: Physical Oceanography. My lab preforms climate regional downscaling/projections of coastal ocean circulation, coastal meteorology, and marine environmental conditions (such as carbon and nutrient cycling, and primary production).

Earth observations and remote sensing to study the multiple stressors acting on the earth’s systems under threat for water and food security and biodiversity including changing hydro-climate, land use, water projects, species introductions, sediment, nutrient and carbon transport.

Developing web-based decision-support tools for communities sensitive to weather and climate (i.e. agriculture, water resources, human health). Currently focusing on tools for researchers to determine relationships between human health and climate.

Jane Hoppin, Center for Human Health and the Environment, Department of Biological Sciences: Evaluating the human health effects of pesticides and other environmental exposures. Particularly interested in how climate change may change exposures or may change response to exposures.

Teaching non-science majors about Climate Change can be a challenge due to preconceptions formed by media coverage and social influence. Are views on Climate Change shifting in NCSU Freshmen? If so, why? Data collected from 1100 students over six semesters show recent trends in Climate Change views.

I serve as the communication and outreach point of contact for the SE Climate Science Center, also focus on project management of our science funded projects, as well as overseeing our graduate fellowship program. Also, love initiative creation, networking and bringing people together.

Changes of Global Rivers and Deltas; Past, present and future Sea-level Change, Coastal Erosion, Coastal Environmental changes, and Sediment Transport

College of Sciences, Research Office, and Professor of Biological Sciences: changing conditions in the world oceans and the effects of these changes on populations/distributions of gelatinous organisms. I represent the Research Office of the College of Sciences.

My work ties together the affective and cognitive domains of learning through both qualitative and quantitative methods in the context of climate change phenomena. I am interested in measuring participant responses to climate information in order to bring insights to best communication practices.

Modeling and analysis of the dynamics and circulation of Earth’s atmosphere as it relates to climate and climate change. Teaching climate dynamics and Earth-system science.

I advise undergraduates in Zoology, Ecology, Evolution, and Conservation Biology, and General Biology. I am interested in connecting undergraduates to biology-related research opportunities, and assessing the impact of undergraduate research experiences on student success in the sciences.

Integrating field and laboratory studies to identify factors contributing to the decline of freshwater invertebrates. Developing new approaches that can be used to assess their health and support their propagation. Public health entomology and the ecology of vector-associated diseases.

As a freelance writer affiliated with the Graduate School, I am interested in in learning about research work of NC State grad students.

I am the NC State orchestra conductor. We are doing a concert and accompanying discussion dealing with issues of sustainability, for which we got a Sustainability Grant. I am interested in learning more and meeting faculty who may be interested in the concert and/or participating in the activities.

Significant experience in building science, green materials and energy efficiency. Leader of multiple green building teams, consultant & facilitator of integrated design process.

Director of the Natural Resources Library and Research Librarian for Science Informatics at NC State.

As communications coordinator for the University Sustainability Office, I promote how NC State is becoming more sustainable and driving sustainable innovations/research.

Bringing leading companies, universities, and federal research together under one roof to help develop the next generation of power electronics.

Interest in applying faculty sustainability research & teaching into the operations & programs of NC State – using the campus as a classroom to model a sustainable community. Personal interest in policy and processes for addressing long term, interdependent, complex systems.

As Manager of Global Partnerships in the Office of International Affairs, I work to develop collaboration with academic institutions around the globe.

Fellow of the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education at USDA Forest Service Southern Research Station, Eastern Forest Environmental Threat Assessment Center. Risk assessment of fire impacts on water supply, integrated watershed modeling for extreme climate conditions.

As communications director for the Graduate School, I am interested in sharing stories about the research that our students are engaged in.

ARTS NC STATE collaborates with a wide variety of campus and regional partners to inform the populace about the ways in which the arts can positively affect our environment and communities.

Erika Mack, GIS Analyst with the USDA Forest Service and USDA Southeast Regional Climate Hub on centennial campus. I work with researchers on an integrative model that assesses the impacts of climate change, land use change, and water withdrawals on water stress and ecosystem productivity.

Pradip Pramanik currently serves as the Director of the Proposal Development Unit at North Carolina State University. He plays a key role in the development of large multi-disciplinary proposals at NC State from NSF, NIH, NNSA, USDA, DOE, DOEd, private foundations, and industry.

Hydrology and meteorology. Multi-sensor quantitative precipitation estimates.

ARTS NC STATE: Highlighting global change and sustainability through the arts (Crafts, Dance, Museum Exhibitions/Events, Music, Performing Artist Series, and Theatre) to inspire, create dialogue and positive action. Seeking collaboration with departments on upcoming projects and performances.

Environmental Epidemiologist: North Carolina Institute for Climate Studies: Scientific support for GCRP Climate and Health report. Research: impact of climate change and chemical contaminants as co-stressors on health. Exposure assessment: new data/methodologies to safeguard vulnerable populations.

Cheryl Smith CPA, NCSU Gift Planning: a non-scientist with a personal interest in the earth & atmospheric sciences. I’m here so I may share news of the conference, and the great work being accomplished, with friends and alums who support all things NC State.

Combining science & outreach expertise to address community needs related to coastal & freshwater resource management across local, regional, national and international scales. Coordinating w/NOAA, USGS & other state/federal programs to leverage resources for improved decision-making tools, technology & training.

Assisting coastal NC stakeholders in incorporating information about climate variability and change into local decision-making. Helping coastal communities and industries make better long term decisions by facilitating decision-support and planning for coastal weather and climate hazards.

I am the Project Coordinator for the Southeast Regional Climate Hub. I evaluate tools and resources for agricultural and forest land managers, as well as extension specialists, and put them in user-friendly formats. I also keep the projects of the Hub moving forward.

SECSC Tribal SAC

Virginia Burkett, USGS chief climate scientist. Formerly Secretary Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries. Lead Author of IPCC 3rd, 4th and 5th Assessment Reports and all three U.S. National Climate Assessments. Senior Editor of the journal Regional Environmental Change.

Main activities:
– Promote US-France partnerships in science, technology and innovation
– Foster mobility of researchers and doctoral students,
– Serve as a liaison between French and American academic and scientific organizations.

In the past 6 months, I have interviewed 4 internationally known climate scientists, and helped to produce a half hour documentary on climate change. I am also speaking publicly about the vitriolic divide on this issue among the masses, and how we can bridge that divide.

Quantify large scale land use/land cover and mangrove forest cover changes of the world using earth observation satellite data . Research uses advanced data mining algorithms and cloud computing.

I coordinate the research activities of INRA, the French national institute for research on food systems and bioeconomy (the most similar US institution is probably USDA-ARS).

Building and sustaining Educational networks to create more Meaningful, Satisfying and Happy careers and lives.

Develop a national enterprise to co-develop scientific information needed by natural and cultural resource managers to facilitate adaptation to climate change. Ensure that Climate Science Centers are strongly focused on the needs of management partners, especially state, tribal, and federal.

Research on adaptation and mitigation of effects of disasters that are forecasted to increase in frequency and severity due to climate change. Using GIS data and infrastructure to create decision support systems for critical infrastructure recovery, coastal adaptation and resource management.

Building and sustaining Educational networks to create more Meaningful, Satisfying and Happy careers and lives.

I have worked on climate change adaptation policies, practices & outreach since 2004. I work w/federal, state & local governments, NGOs, & across multiple academic disciplines to raise awareness of the impacts of climate change & promote behaviors that reduce risk & increase community resilience.

Understanding human health vulnerabilities to climate change in North Carolinians. Focusing on heat, air quality (indoor air quality, wildfires), extreme weather (hurricane, tropical storms), waterborne disease, and mental health.

French Institute for Agricultural Research. Fields: agricultural and resource economics. Projects on Greenhouse Gas emissions from agriculture, adaptation of irrigated agriculture to climate change in India. Director of the Metaprogram GloFoodS (Transition towards Global Food Security) since 2014.

Dr. Luis Tupas is the NIFA Deputy Director for Bioenergy, Climate, and Environment, which administers programs that address national priorities to advance energy independence and help farms, ranches, and forests adapt to climate change.

The Office for Science and Technology of the French Embassy and the North Carolina State University organize the FACTS event on “Climate-Smart Agriculture: Innovation and Resiliency”, on August, 27.

Chief research interest is pollen dispersal from high-latitude forests in the Northern Hemisphere. Having published original research and a textbook in this area, my scholarly interest is to explore the forest-atmosphere interface with regional climate change.