Overall Rating Gold - expired
Overall Score 66.39
Liaison Shane Stennes
Submission Date Dec. 15, 2015
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.0

University of Minnesota, Twin Cities
AC-9: Academic Research

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 7.60 / 12.00 Beth Mercer-Taylor
Sustainability Education Coordinator
Institute on the Environment
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Number of the institution’s faculty and/or staff engaged in sustainability research:
253

Total number of the institution’s faculty and/or staff engaged in research:
1,602

Number of academic departments (or the equivalent) that include at least one faculty or staff member that conducts sustainability research:
76

The total number of academic departments (or the equivalent) that conduct research:
381

A copy of the sustainability research inventory that includes the names and department affiliations of faculty and staff engaged in sustainability research:
Names and department affiliations of faculty and staff engaged in sustainability research:

Alexander Jr,Emmit C
Allan,Deborah L
Anderson,James Allan
Arndt,Roger
Arndt,Roger E A
Arnold,Todd William
Arnold,William A
Aukema,Brian Henry
Aydil,Eray S
Baker,Lawrence Alan
Bates,Frank S
Baumgartner,Jill Christine
Becker,Dennis Robert
Bernardo,Rex N
Bhan,Aditya
Blank,David A
Blinn,Charles Robert
Bloom,Paul Ronald
Bolstad,Paul
Bolstad,Paul V
Bond,Daniel R
Bramson,Maury D
Brauman,Kate Andrea
Broadbent,Jeffrey P
Brooks,Kenneth Norman
Calcote,Randolph R
Candler,Graham V
Cao,Xinyu
Carlsson,John Gunnar
Cattell,Cynthia Anne
Cavender Bares,Jeannine M
Chen,Senyu
Cheng,Renee
Collins,James E
Connett,John E
Cotner,James Bryan
Coulter,Jeffrey Alan
Cox,Ryan Bradley
Cuomo,Gregory J
Curley,Shawn
Current,Dean Alan
Cuthbert,Francesca J
Dalbotten,Diana M
Dalzell,Brent James
D'Amato,Anthony
D'Amato,Anthony William
Daoutidis,Prodromos
Davenport,Mae Allen
Dejong-Hughes,Jodi Marne
DiCostanzo,Alfredo
Eckman,Karlyn
Edwards,Richard L
Ek,Alan Ryan
Erickson,Darin John
Fahrenkrug,Scott Christopher
Falkowski,Michael James
Fernandez,Fabian Gerardo
Ferrington,Leonard C
Finlay,Jacques C
Foley,Jonathan A
Forster,Jean Lois
Fortson,Lucy Frear
Foufoula,Efstathia
Fox,David L
Frelich,Lee E
Fritz,Vincent A
Galatowitsch,Susan Marie
Gerberich,William W
Gillman,Jeffrey H
Glaser,Paul H
Goldberg,Louise F
Goyal,Sagar M
Gralnick,Jeffrey A
Graves,Richard
Griffis,Timothy John
Gulliver,John Stephen
Gupta,Satish Chander
Harder,Kathleen
Harjani,Ramesh
Harnack,Lisa J
Haynes,Christy Lynn
He,Tian
Heins,Bradley
Heins,Bradley J
Hemmingsen,Richard A
Hill,Jason David
Hillmyer,Marc A
Hirschmann,Marc M
Hokanson,Stan C
Holzenthal,Ralph
Hozalski,Raymond M
Huelman,Patrick Henry
Hurley,Terrance Michael
Hutchison,William Dale
Iacono,William G
Ismail Mroueh,Baraem Mohamad
Ito,Emi
Jacobson,Larry Dean
Jansa,Sharon A
Jeffery,Robert W
Jitendra,Asha Kiron
Johnson,Gregg A
Johnson,Timothy J
Johnston,Lee
Jordan,Nicholas R
Kaiser,Daniel
Kakalios,James
Kamenev,Alex
Kannan,Mathur
Kass,Steven R
Kazlauskas,Romas
Khazanovich,Lev
Kinkel,Linda Lee
Kipfmueller,Kurt Foster
Kircher,Amy
Kirkpatrick,David T
Kodali,Dharma
Kokkoli,Efrosini
Kozak,Kenneth H.
Kozarek,Jessica
Kumar,Satish
Kumar,Vipin
Labuza,Theodore P
Lamb,John Alexander
Lapara,Timothy M
Lazarus,William Franklin
Lehman,Clarence L
Lenhart,Chris
Leopold,Doreen Geller
Leopold,Kenneth
Li,Perry
Lutsey,Pamela Lynne
Magner,Joseph A
Mahesh,Krishnan
Manson,Steven M
Marks,Michael D
Marr,Jeffrey D
Marshall,Julian David
Mashek,Douglas
McCormick,Alon V
McGehee,Richard P
McGue,Matthew
Mettler,Bernard
Metzger,Lloyd E
Modiano,Jaime Freddy
Moeller,David
Moncrief,John F
Montgomery,Rebecca Anne
Morey,R
Morey,R Vance
Mosenfelder,Jed L.
Muehlbauer,Gary J
Mulla,David J
Murray,Helene
Myers,Chad Leighton
Naeve,Seth L
Nagel,Linda M
Nelson,Beth Marie
Nelson,Peggy Bull
Neumark-Sztainer,Dianne R
Newman Jr,Raymond M
Nguyen,Hong-Ngoc Ba
Ni,Wei-Ming
Nieber,John
Nieber,John Little
Noll,Sally
Noren,Anders J
Northrop,William
Novak,Paige Jennifer
O'Grady,Scott M
Oh,Sang-Hyun
Olive,Keith A
Orf,James Harold
Ostlie,Kenneth R
Oxenham,Andrew John
Pagliari,Paulo Humberto
Pereira,Mark Andrew
Peterson,Devin G
Ponder,Julia Beth
Powers,Jennifer Sarah
Pui,David
Que Jr,Lawrence
Ramaswami,Anuradha Anu
Reese,Michael H
Reich,Peter
Reich,Peter B
Reynolds,Arthur
Rockwood,Todd H
Rosen,Carl Jay
Ruggles,Steven
Rusack,Roger W
Saar,Martin Oliver
Sadowsky,Michael Jay
Sarkanen,Simo
Scarlata,Maria Claudia
Schermann,Michele A
Schilling,Jonathan S.
Schmidt-Dannert,Claudia
Schmitt,Michael A
Schoenfuss,Tonya
Seabloom,Eric
Setterholm,Dale Robert
Seyfried Jr,William E
Sharkey,Leslie Carol
Sheaffer,Craig C
Sheehan,John Joseph
Shen,Lian
Shen,Wei
Shurson,Gerald C
Siepmann,Joern Ilja
Simcik,Matt Francis
Simpson,Jeffry A
Sims,Albert Lee
Smith,Rodney B
Smith,Timothy M
Sorensen,Peter W
Sotiropoulos,Fotis
Spivak,Marla
Springer,Nathan Michael
Strock,Jeffrey Scott
Suh,Sangwon
Swackhamer,Deborah L
Talghader,Joseph John
Tallaksen,Joel E
Tilman,G
Tilman,G David
Tolman,William B
Torremorell,Montserrat
Toscano Jr,William A
Truhlar,Donald
Tsapatsis,Michael
Twine-Snyder,Tracy Elizabeth
Valentas,Kenneth John
Van Wyk,Eric
Vondracek,Bruce
Wackett,Lawrence
Wackett,Lawrence Philip
Warner,Richard Holway
Watkins,Eric T
Weber,William G
Weiblen,George D
Wells,Michael Scott
Wells,Peter S
White,Kathleen Marie
White,Michael E
Wiersma,Jochum Jan
Wilson,Bruce Nord
Wilson,Elizabeth
Wilson,Elizabeth Joan
Wissinger,Jane Ellen
Woodward,Paul R
Wyse,Donald L
Yoo,Kyungsoo
Zamora,Diomides S
Zeitouni,Ofer
Zimmerman,Mark Edward

Department Affiliation:

AFNR Crops
AFNR Forestry
Agron&Plant Genetics, Dept of
Animal Science, Dept of
Anthropology
Applied Economics, Dept of
Architecture, School of
Bioprod&Biosys Eng, Dept of
CBS Biotechnology Inst Admin
CBS Ecology, Evolution, Behavr
CBS Gen Cell Bio & Dev Dept
CBS Microbial Bio & Biotech
CBS Plant Biology Department
Cedar Creek Ecosystems Sci Res
CFANS Administration
Child Development Admin, Inst
CSENG Aerospace Eng & Mech Adm
CSENG Astrophysics,MN Inst for
CSENG Biomedical Eng Admin
CSENG Chem Eng & Mat Sci Admin
CSENG Chemistry Administration
CSENG Civil, Envrn & Geo- Eng
CSENG CS&E Bioinformtc&CompBio
CSENG CS&E Data Mining Db/GIS
CSENG CS&E NetworksSystm&Secur
CSENG CS&E SoftwareEng&ProgLan
CSENG Earth Sciences, Dept of
CSENG ECE Computer Engineering
CSENG ECE Fields & Photonics
CSENG ECE Microelectronics
CSENG Environmental Eng
CSENG Industrial & Systems Eng
CSENG Mathematics Admin
CSENG ME Design & Manufacturng
CSENG ME Thermal Sciences
CSENG Mech Engineering Admin
CSENG MN Geological Survey Adm
CSENG Physics & Astron,Schl of
CSENG St Anth Falls Lab-SAFL
CSENG Transportation Eng
CSOM Information &Decision Sci
DESGN Design in Health, Center
DESGN Sustainable Bldg Rsrch
Ed Psych Administration
Entomology, Dept of
Environment, Institute on the
Fish Wildlife & Cons Bio, Dept
Food Protection/Defense,NatCtr
Food Sci & Nutr, Dept of
Forest Resources, Dept of
Geography,Environment,Society
HHH Regional Plan & Pol Acad P
HHH Sci, Tech & Env Acad Prog
Horticultural Sci, Dept of
Minnesota Population Center
MN Inst Sustainable Agric
No Central ROC, Grand Rapids
Northwest ROC, Crookston
Obesity Prevention Center
Plant Pathology, Dept of
Psychology
Sociology
Soil, Water & Climate, Dept of
Southern ROC, Waseca
Southwest ROC, Lamberton
Speech-Language-Hearg Sci Dept
SPH Biostatistics Division
SPH EnHS Division
SPH EpiCH Division
SPH Health Policy & Mgmt Div
SPH MN Technical Assist Prog
Veterinary Biomedical Science
Veterinary Clinical Sciences
Veterinary Population Medicine
Water Resources Center
West Central ROC, Morris


A brief description of the methodology the institution followed to complete the research inventory:

The institute on research conducted a query based on the following key words in their research description:
Sustainable
Sustainability
Environment
Water
Transportation
Climate
Air
Biodiversity
Efficiency
Energy
Renewable
Photovoltaic
Hydro
Smart Grid
Biomass
Biofuel
Soil
Poverty
Forestry
Emissions
Agriculture
Life Cycle


A brief description of notable accomplishments during the previous three years by faculty and/or staff engaged in sustainability research:

Global Landscapes Initiative Finds Methods to Improve Environment and Food Security
- At the Institute on the Environment, the Global Landscapes Initiative (GLI) conducts research in agriculture, which has a greater environmental impact by far than any other human endeavor, using about 40% of the terrestrial land surface and emitting nearly a third of all greenhouse gases. GLI publishes in leading publications including Science, Nature Communications, and BioScience. The paper "Leverage points for improving food security and the environment," in Science, was covered by 60-70 media outlets--including the Guardian, Newsweek, NPR, National Geographic, and FastCompany. This paper focused on regions, crops, and commodities where interventions to decrease the environmental impact of agriculture can have the greatest effect. GLI work in sustainability gets results out of academic journals and into the hands of practitioners who can effect change on the ground. This occurs through work with corporate partners in agriculture-focused and agriculture-dependent companies to help them achieve effective sustainability commitments and programs. GLI has recently met with companies such as General Mills, Bunge, Coca-Cola, and Unilever. GLI also presents work at high-profile conferences and workshops, such as American Association for the Advancement of Science, the Brasilian Congress of AgroMeterology, and Colombia’s Expogestión Orinoquía.

Bacteria tapped for eco-friendly industrial cleanup
-Now, a collection of scientists and business experts at the University of Minnesota are developing new methods of remediation — the act of removing pollutants from the environment. The researchers are developing software that models how enzymes break down chemicals at the microscopic level to optimize the selection of bacteria that biodegrade those chemicals. Meanwhile, business experts are conducting market research to discover the best ways to apply this new knowledge and learn how it can lead to viable industrial processes and products.

Startup takes aim at invasive carp threat in Minnesota lakes
-The common carp, an invasive species now prevalent in Minnesota, has been a destructive force in the state’s many lakes since it was first introduced about a hundred years ago.
Now, a University of Minnesota startup is bringing a new approach to bear in the fight against common carp. Carp Solutions, which launched in February, uses the results from U research conducted over the past decade to provide a comprehensive assessment of carp populations and recommend methods for how best to limit their populations in bodies of water across the state. The company is led by Przemyslaw Bajer, Ph.D., assistant professor of fisheries, wildlife and conservation biology with the U’s College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences, who has been conducting carp research in Minnesota since 2006.

Research supercharges rice to meet growing demand
Through a consortium effort, the Center for Genome Engineering Research engineered rice to use a form of super-efficient photosynthesis — the process that lets plants draw energy from sunlight — in addition to its normal, less efficient version. This form, called C4 photosynthesis, boosts plant growth by better capturing and concentrating carbon dioxide in the leaves’ cells.

Urban Heat Islands
Some parts of the Twin Cities can spike temperatures up to 9° F higher than surrounding communities thanks to the “urban heat island” effect, according to a new study from the University of Minnesota. The study, which was funded by the Institute on the Environment and published in the Journal of Applied Meteorology and Climatology, used a network of 180 sensors deployed throughout the Twin Cities metropolitan area in residential backyards and city parks to paint the most detailed picture anywhere in the world of how temperature varies with time and place across pavement-filled metropolitan areas and surrounding communities. “We’ve long known that heat radiated by buildings, roads, bridges and other structures keeps surface air temperature higher in cities than in surrounding areas. However, temperature is officially measured at just a few locations in most cities, so awareness of the extent and variability of urban heat island effects was limited,” said lead author Brian Smoliak. “Our study highlights the usefulness of dense sensor networks for urban weather and climate research with practical implications for human health, energy consumption, and environmental quality.”


The website URL where information about sustainability research is available:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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