The Gund Institute for Environment at ̽̽ today announced fellowships and research awards for eight new community members, including five PhD students, one postdoctoral researcher, and two undergraduate researchers.
This outstanding cohort of new Gund Graduate and Postdoctoral Fellowship recipients comes from 3 countries: Iran, Nigeria, and the U.S. Their research at ̽̽ will target urgent environmental issues within five themes: climate solutions, sustainable agriculture, health and wellbeing, equity and justice, and resilient communities.
“Research should inspire action—and that’s why I am so excited to welcome this outstanding group to our global research community,” says Gund Institute Director Taylor Ricketts. “They will join a vibrant community that is mobilizing scholars and decision makers to understand and tackle the world’s most critical environmental issues.”
Gund Fellowships are made possible by support from the Gund Family, the Barrett Family, the Patrick and Marcelle Leahy Scholars Initiative, the Roger and Victoria Sant Trust, and the Medina Fund.
Gund PhD Fellowships
Sevda Alvirdizadeh (Food Systems) will continue her research on the effect of dietary choices on health and well-being in rural areas. Focusing on plant-based diets, Alvirdizadeh’s research will emphasize the importance of safe and affordable food for rural communities and the impact of that food on disease and diet-related environmental burdens. Gund Fellow Emily Belarmino will advise Alvirdizadeh.
Luke Briccetti (RSENR) will examine how landowner perspectives influence the adoption of private land best management practices, including for private roads and road culverts. By improving field data quality and increasing connections between landowners and environmental planners, Briccetti’s research seeks to improve community resilience in the face of climate change, both within the Lake Champlain watershed and beyond. Briccetti will be mentored by Gund Fellow Cecilia Danks.
George Harrison Myers (CEMS) will work to improve the National Water Model’s representation of floodplains and other natural features using machine learning, mapping, and modeling techniques. As flood events increase in intensity and frequency, Myers’ work will help improve flood prediction and response on a national level. Myers will be mentored by Gund Affiliate Kristen Underwood.
Joy Onuh (CEMS) will explore sustainable solutions for groundwater contamination and the non-functionality of water structures in rural communities and beyond under the guidance of Gund Fellow Mandar Dewoolkar. Inspired by her work in environmental public health, Onuh will approach groundwater protection from an engineering perspective to develop new solutions to complex issues.
Ryan van der Heijden (CEMS) will join ̽̽ researchers working with the Cooperative Institute for Research to Operations in Hydrology (CIROH), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), National Water Center, and U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). Ryan will use large geospatial data sets to study the interactions between groundwater and streamflow, seeking to improve the national water model streamflow predictions. Gund Fellows Ehsan Ghazanfari and Mandar Dewoolkar will advise him.
Postdoctoral Fellowships
Megan Duffy (RSENR) will investigate winter nutrient cycling and export due to flooding in Vermont and beyond. Working with 2023 Catalyst Award recipients Carol Adair (RSENR) and Raju Badireddy (CEMS), Duffy’s work will help uncover the true effects of winter flooding on our watersheds and help to predict and prepare for the impacts.
Gund Undergraduate Fellowships
The Gund Institute, through the Mayo-Smith Family Research Award Endowment, supported two Gund Undergraduate Research Awards recipients this summer in partnership with the ̽̽ Office of Fellowships, Opportunities, and Undergraduate Research (FOUR):
Jake Hart (CAS, CNHS) examined the relationship between food insecurity and diarrheal disease through the mediators of climate change and local conflict in Nigeria. This research used statistical analysis to build a regression model to help inform public health efforts while also serving as a framework for research on other health indicators and outcomes in our changing environment. Hart was mentored by Gund Fellow Kelsey Gleason.
Peter Tschaikowsky (CAS) studied the reactivity of copper acetylacetonate, a catalyst used to increase the efficiency of hydrophosphination, a phosphine synthesizing reaction. The data gathered in this project will contribute to the effort to prove that this catalyst has a broad scope of reactivity that creates potential in phosphine production on an industrial scale. Gund Fellow Rory Waterman mentored Tschaikowsky.
Since launching six years ago, the Gund Institute for Environment has awarded 44 PhD and postdoctoral fellowships and 12 undergraduate research awards, an investment of over $4.2M in ̽̽ student success. Recipients are mentored by Gund Fellows from across ̽̽ in a range of disciplines.
With over 250 scholars and leaders, the Gund community has tripled in size since the Institute’s launch. The Institute’s global network of researchers and partners hail from all 8 ̽̽ colleges and schools, 31 departments, and 50 external organizations in 11 countries, including Microsoft, World Wildlife Fund, Harvard University, and Ben & Jerry’s.
Funding Opportunities for ̽̽ Scholars
- The Gund Institute seeks proposals for the next round of Gund Catalyst Awards by October 12, 2023. Gund Fellows can apply for seed grants from $10,000 to $250,000. Applicants can request funding for a postdoctoral researcher.
- In response to Vermont’s historic flooding this summer, the Gund Institute and ̽̽’s Office of the Vice President for Research also seek Flood Rapid Response Grant proposals. This funding opportunity is open to all ̽̽ faculty members, postdocs, and graduate students.
- New Gund Faculty Fellows and Affiliates will be announced in September.
About the Gund Institute
The Gund Institute for Environment at ̽̽ 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.