Graduate Research Grants (Cornell Atkinson Center for Sustainability)

Graduate Research Grants (Cornell Atkinson Center for Sustainability) is sponsored by Cornell Atkinson Center for Sustainability. These grants provide direct funding to doctoral graduate students at Cornell University for innovative research aligned with four priority areas: Accelerating Energy Transitions, Reducing Climate Risk, Increasing Food Security, and Advancing One Health.

Graduate Research Grants | Cornell Atkinson Center for Sustainability Graduate Research Grants | Cornell Atkinson Center for Sustainability Innovation for Impact Fund The 2030 Project: Fast Grants The 2030 Project: Climate Solutions Fund Summer Undergraduate Mentored Research Grants Postdoctoral Fellowships Application Sustainable Biodiversity Fund Semlitz Family Sustainability Fellows Graduate Funding in Thematic Areas Cornell Atkinson’s Graduate Research Grants provide direct funding for periods of 12-24 months to students in any doctoral graduate field at Cornell (or terminal degree in fields that do not offer the PhD) in support of innovative research that aligns with our four priority areas: Accelerating Energy Transitions (AET), Reducing Climate Risk (RCR), Increasing Food Security (IFS), and Advancing One Health (AOH).

Cornell Atkinson’s Graduate Research Grants program is supported by generous gifts from Bruce H. Bailey ’74, Dan ’47 and Pat Cornwell, Laurie Paravati Phillips ’78 and Duane Phillips ’78, and other Cornell Atkinson donors.

Cornell graduate students The 2026 Cycle Is Closed : Fifteen recipients across research themes Accelerating Energy Transitions , Advancing One Health , Increasing Food Security , and Reducing Climate Risk from Biological & Environmental Engineering, Chemistry & Chemical Biology, City & Regional Planning, Development Studies, Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Economics, Entomology, Food Science, Landscape Architecture, Mechanical Engineering, Natural Resources & the Environment, and Plant Pathology & Plant-Microbe Biology Samantha Davies (Biological and Environmental Engineering) Determining Spatial Heterogeneity of Lake Methylmercury Advisor: Jacqueline Gerson Methylmercury (MeHg), a toxic compound that accumulates in food webs, poses risks to wildlife and humans.

This project examines the spatial variability of MeHg in five New York lakes, focusing on its concentrations in sediment and water and the factors driving its production. Through field sampling, isotopically labeled mercury incubations, and analysis of microbial and geochemical processes, the study will identify whether variability arises from local production or transport.

Results will enhance understanding of MeHg dynamics, improve exposure risk assessments, and guide lake management and fish consumption advisories to better protect ecosystem and public health.

Ethan Flanagan (Chemistry and Chemical Biology) Morphological Optimization of Anion Exchange Membranes for Fuel Cells and Water Electrolyzers Green hydrogen offers a transformative path for decarbonizing sectors like shipping and ammonia production, but current electrolyzers rely on expensive platinum-group metal catalysts.

Anion-exchange membranes (AEM) provide a cost-effective alternative but face challenges in ionic conductivity and alkaline stability. This project builds on a newly developed ABC triblock polymer AEM system, exploring its phase space through computational modeling, optimizing factors like long-range order, and enhancing mechanical and chemical stability.

By improving AEM performance, this research advances clean energy technologies, offering durable, efficient, and affordable solutions critical for scaling hydrogen-based decarbonization efforts globally.

Weilong He (Biological and Environmental Engineering) One-Health Crop: Agent-Driven Synthetic Stereo and Georeferenced 3D Mapping for Precision Crop Management Biotic diseases and pests reduce yields while driving scouting and pesticide use. This project aims to develop a platform pairing synthetic stereo imagery with georeferenced 3D mapping for crop health monitoring.

The research will generate field-aligned training data via automated screening and targeted review to cover symptoms and severity stages. Researchers will build a stereo-to-point-cloud pipeline adapted to farms to produce plant- and row-level maps of disease hotspots and yield risk. Cornell trials will validate results against expert ratings and yield.

This work will advance One Health aligned precision crop management with benefits for sustainability, farm economics, and regional food security. Ayşegül Kılınç (Natural Resources and the Environment) The Effect of the EU Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism on Turkish Manufacturing Firms: Investment, Innovation, or Diversion?

Advisor: Ariel Ortiz-Bobea The European Union’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) seeks to regulate the carbon footprint of imports, significantly impacting Türkiye, which exports nearly half its goods to the EU. This project provides the first causal analysis of how CBAM is reshaping the energy transition strategies of Turkish manufacturing firms.

Through data analysis and modeling, the study will evaluate CBAM’s effects on emissions, economic performance, and strategic responses such as investment in energy-efficient technologies versus output reduction. Findings will inform policymakers and industry leaders, offering guidance on leveraging CBAM as a catalyst for decarbonization while supporting climate policy in developing countries.

Chloe McGovern (Food Science) Optimizing Postbiotics to Improve Intestinal Defense in Humans and Poultry This project investigates how exopolysaccharides (EPS) from Lactiplantibacillus plantarum enhance gut barrier integrity in humans and broiler chickens. EPS biosynthesis will be optimized through transcriptomics, while its efficacy will be tested in an in ovo chicken model of colitis induced by dextran sulfate sodium.

Intestinal tissues will be analyzed for inflammation, barrier function, and microbiome balance. Expected outcomes include a high-performing probiotic strain and insights into postbiotic mechanisms. The work will advance sustainable nutrition, reducing antibiotic use and environmental impacts, while supporting One Health goals to improve gut health in humans and animals through innovative microbiome research.

Michael Mueller (Entomology / Ecology and Evolutionary Biology) Examining Variation of Insect-Induced Defenses in the Wild Maize Relative, Balsas Teosinte This project investigates the inducible chemical defenses of Balsas teosinte, the wild ancestor of maize, to address insect resistance lost during domestication.

Using common garden experiments, metabolomics, and insect bioassays, the research will examine variation in teosinte’s defenses across populations exposed to different pest pressures and evaluate their effectiveness against fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda). Findings will advance ecological understanding of inducible defenses while identifying genetic resources for maize breeding.

By integrating basic ecology with agricultural solutions, this work aims to improve pest management, enhance climate resilience, and ensure food security in global crop systems.

Gauri Nagpal (City and Regional Planning) Carbon Brokers: The Fiscal Politics of Urban Climate Finance in India and South Africa This project examines how voluntary carbon markets are reshaping urban governance in the Global South as cities face fiscal pressures and turn to carbon trading for development funding.

By analyzing how “carbon brokers” create tradeable metrics and how municipalities use these mechanisms, the research will explore the political and financial dynamics of urban carbon finance. Fieldwork and corporate disclosure analysis will trace carbon offset practices and inform a dashboard for improved transparency.

Findings aim to advance fiscal accountability, support equitable energy transitions, and reduce climate risks, offering practical guidance for balancing development priorities with market-driven sustainability goals.

Emma Nelson (Plant Pathology and Plant-Microbe Biology) Hidden Hosts of Phytophthora capsici: Identifying Weed and Cover Crop Contributions to Long-Term Pathogen Persistence Phytophthora capsici is a devastating pathogen of many crops, including peppers, eggplants, pumpkins, melons, and squash. The pathogen can persist in fields through long-lived oospores, threatening vegetable yields despite crop rotation strategies.

This research investigates whether common weeds and cover crops in northeastern U.S. fields harbor overwintering P. capsici inoculum. The study will assess pathogenicity in weeds and cover crops, determine if oospores form within asymptomatic hosts, and identify differences in pathogen interactions across host types through inoculations and microscopy.

Results will refine crop rotation recommendations, offering growers effective tools to manage P . capsici, reduce yield loss, and enhance regional vegetable production and food security over an 18-month timeline.

Maeve Reilly (Chemistry and Chemical Biology) Development of Fluorine-Free Polynorbornene Proton Exchange Membranes for Fuel Cell Devices Proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) efficiently convert hydrogen into electricity with only heat and water as byproducts, offering a sustainable alternative to fossil fuels. Current PEMFCs rely on Nafion membranes, which release persistent fluorinated byproducts into the environment.

This project aims to develop highly conductive fluorine-free polynorbornene (PNB) polymer membranes with exceptional chemical and thermal stability for fuel cell use. By leveraging PNB’s resistance to degradation and adaptable synthesis methods, the research will create cost-effective, durable membranes suitable for acidic environments.

These advancements will align with global clean energy goals by enabling environmentally friendly and affordable PEMFC technologies. Cheyenne Reuben-Thomas (Ecology and Evolutionary Biology) Investigating the Impacts of Indigenous-Led and Agency-Led Fire Regimes on Insect Genomics Reuben-Thomas is a member of the Oneida and Tonawanda Seneca nations.

Her research investigates the ecological impacts of Indigenous fire practices compared with government-led prescribed burns, focusing on ant populations. While cultural fire has long been used by Indigenous communities to enhance local biodiversity, fire regimes lacking Indigenous Ecological Knowledge may harm ecosystems.

By analyzing the genomic variation and genetic structure of ant populations from burned field sites, this 18-month study will identify how contrasting fire practices affect biodiversity and ecosystem health.

Findings will highlight the importance of Indigenous stewardship in conservation, weaving together Indigenous Knowledge systems and Western science to inform sustainable land management strategies that benefit ecosystems and biodiversity conservation.

Simon Shi (Mechanical Engineering) Advancing Organic Thermoelectric Materials and Devices for Sustainable Waste Heat Recovery and Energy Harvesting A significant portion of global energy is lost as waste heat from electronics, industry, and human activity. This project aims to develop organic thermoelectric devices to convert waste heat into electricity, enabling greater energy efficiency and supporting sustainable technologies.

Focusing on ladder polymer BBL, capable of both p-type and n-type conduction, the research will optimize thermoelectric properties through material synthesis, doping control, and nanomaterial hybridization.

By addressing limitations in n-type materials and leveraging BBL’s versatility, the project will create flexible, environmentally friendly systems for wearable electronics, industrial heat recovery, and distributed energy, promoting scalable clean energy solutions.

Kristina Sokourenko (Development Studies) Mapping the Adaptive Economy of the Lagos Lagoon: Food Security, Gendered Labor, and Climate Risk in the Small Scale Fisheries that Feed Nigeria’s Megacity This project examines how small-scale fisheries in Lagos, Nigeria, sustain urban food security under climate stress, pollution, and rapid coastal development.

Nigeria has built one of the region’s strongest food security monitoring systems, yet informal waterfront communities—despite supplying affordable fish across the megacity—often fall outside standard sampling frames. Using household surveys aligned with national measurement tools, this study will generate the first government-comparable data on these coastal food systems.

Outputs include insights on diet quality, food security, market flows, and value-chain dynamics, supporting more inclusive blue economy strategies and climate-resilient urban food policies in rapidly growing coastal cities.

Matthew Sprague (Landscape Architecture) Biodiversity and Climate-Resiliency Potential of a Novel Ecosystem on Anthropogenic Substrates on New York City’s Coast Floyd Bennett Field in New York City, a decommissioned airfield with rubble-based substrates, hosts unique plant communities distinct from neighboring managed habitats.

These novel ecosystems, which provide valuable services, face increasing threats from sea-level rise, storm surges, and flooding. This project will classify the vegetation and functional traits within these communities, assessing their resilience to climate change and their potential for mitigating storm impacts.

By conducting comprehensive plant, soil, and trait analyses, the research will inform NYC and the National Park Service on ecosystem benefits and guide management strategies to protect and leverage these ecologically significant habitats. Vaios Triantafyllou (Economics) Cross-Border Environmental Regulation in the E. U.

and Green Technology Adoption Abroad Advisor: Nicholas Sanders This project examines how European cross-border environmental regulation affects firms in India, a key developing trade partner of the European Union (EU). Recent EU regulations raise the environmental standards faced by foreign suppliers by pricing embedded carbon emissions and delegating compliance responsibilities to importing firms.

Preliminary analysis shows that exposure to such regulations induces technological upgrading and organizational adjustment among suppliers. Affected firms in India increase green investment, improve energy efficiency, expand spending on auditing services, and invest more in worker training, without detectable short-run wage effects.

The project will advance understanding of how environmental regulation drives industrial upgrading in developing economies. Allasandra Valdez (Ecology and Evolutionary Biology) Developing Ecosystem Methane Emission Reduction Strategies in the Subtropics Methane is a potent greenhouse gas with a relatively short atmospheric lifetime, offering a key opportunity for short-term climate mitigation.

This project investigates methane emission variability in subtropical pastures in central Florida, focusing on how management practices influence emissions. Researchers will examine two factors influencing methane emissions: the impact of forage type on methane flux, potentially linked to plant transport, and how soil methane oxidation rates vary with management decisions like water retention.

Findings will inform scalable management strategies to reduce methane emissions across subtropical agricultural systems, supporting climate mitigation efforts.

Eighteen recipients across research themes Accelerating Energy Transitions , Advancing One Health , Increasing Food Security , and Reducing Climate Risk from Anthropology, Applied Economics & Management, Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Communication, Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Economics, Entomology, Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering, Plant Biology, and SIPS Horticulture Ruohong Chen (Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering) Remediating Groundwater Through Biomineral Precipitation Using Designer Bacterial Communities Groundwater contamination is a critical environmental issue.

Permeable Reactive Bio Barriers (PRBBs) present a sustainable and cost-effective solution by harnessing microorganisms to remove pollutants through biomineralization processes. The efficiency of PRBBs is influenced by factors such as the composition of microbial communities, the risk of clogging as biofilms and biominerals form, and the multiple interactions between bacteria and porous materials.

In this project, we aim to quantify the effects of the multiphysical interactions between bacterial communities and their environment. We will develop novel computational models for bacterial community design and characterization. With these models, we will unveil the regulatory mechanisms of environmental factors on biofilm and biomineral formation in PRBBs.

To validate our models and their predictive capabilities, we will also collaborate with experimental groups that characterize biofilm and biomineral formation. We will use our model to design sustainable and highly effective PRBBs that can adapt to the environment.

Natalia Correa Sanchez (Global Development) The Forests of the Future: Understanding Forest Conservation and Agricultural Dependency in the Tropical Dry Forests in the Colombian Caribbean Correa-Sánchez’s research examines the relationship between forest conservation and agricultural dependency in Colombia’s Tropical Dry Forests, focusing on Tierralta in the Department of Córdoba.

Tropical Dry Forests are critically endangered ecosystems, yet they receive less policy and research attention than tropical rainforests. My research explores how state agencies, peasant communities, NGOs, and private actors shape land use, ownership, and conservation strategies.

I hypothesize that while state policies prioritize market-based conservation, peasant communities emphasize land rights that support agriculture vital to their livelihoods. By framing these perspectives as relational rather than conflicting, my study seeks to promote local participation in forest governance, balancing conservation with resource-dependent livelihoods.

I will use qualitative methods such as interviews and participant observation to focus on land reform initiatives like the Alto Sinú Peasant Reserve Zone. Findings aim to inform forest governance debates by integrating local practices and policies to address conservation and food security challenges.

Samantha Davies (Biological and Environmental Engineering) Predicting Methylmercury Concentrations from Methane Measurements in Lakes Advisor: Jacqueline Gerson Methanogens are anaerobic microbes that both convert organic matter into methane (CH4) – a potent greenhouse gas – and convert inorganic mercury (Hg) into toxic methylmercury (MeHg), which bioaccumulates in fish, posing risk to humans and animals who consume them.

Despite their linked cycling by methanogens, methane and methylmercury have rarely been studied simultaneously in freshwater. This project will examine the relationship between methane and methylmercury production to ultimately create a model that estimates methylmercury concentrations from methane concentrations.

This model will take advantage of the abundance of methane data for lakes, streams, and ponds, which are cheaper and easier to acquire than methylmercury data. Davies will create a robust dataset of estimated methylmercury concentrations which could supplement the lack of methylmercury data for freshwater bodies. This research will enable better understanding of the health implications of methylmercury on communities globally.

Malembe Dumont Copero (City and Regional Planning) Repairing the Land to Repair the Body: Environmental and Embodied Health Experiences of Relocation in San Juan The expansion of relocation as an environmental justice and climate adaptation solution brings questions about the exacerbation of preexisting health inequities, but also about processes of collective resistance by communities to continuously try to be healthy.

Copero’s research takes a historic approach to the study of pre-, during-, and post-relocation processes and communities’ experiences within the continuous iteration of disasters in self-built communities along the Caño Martin Peña in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Her collaborative research aims to point to the historic processes under public health discourses that displaced settlements in the area and created health inequities.

It also aims to understand current community-based relocation efforts along Caño to avoid the continuation of displacement and improve community health. At the core of Malembe’s efforts is centering embodied health experiences of relocation as narrated by relocated residents.

As the continuous iteration of disasters becomes the norm, this research can offer empirical knowledge to improve climate adaptation planning by learning from community-based efforts to advance justice and improve health.

Alexander Gonzalez (Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering) Policy-Driven Electrochemical Solutions for Converting Real-World CO2 Emissions Into Renewable Fuel Gonzalez’s research focuses on pulsed electrochemical CO₂ reduction (PECR) across multiple length scales, investigating how variations in catalytic materials change the interfacial environment to control product selectivity, to improve carbon capture for re-use.

At the molecular level, Gonzalez uses techniques like differential electrochemical mass spectrometry and attenuated total reflection surface-enhanced infrared absorption spectroscopy, to uncover how pulsing influences local reaction conditions. These insights inform the design of scalable electrochemical systems, optimizing reaction environments for enhanced efficiency.

Beyond fundamental studies, Gonzalez works to translate PECR for industrial use and apply it to CO₂ point sources requiring mitigation, such as effluent gas streams and emissions from agricultural operations.

By integrating electrochemistry, materials science and computational modeling with climate and energy policy considerations, he aims to develop scalable, sustainable solutions for carbon utilization and greenhouse gas mitigation across diverse sectors.

Woojin Huh (School of Integrative Plant Science, Horticulture Section) Impacts of Repetitive Drought on Seasonal Dynamics of Fine Roots and Nonstructural Carbohydrates in Temperate Forest Ecosystems Forests sequester approximately 50% of terrestrial carbon, but increasing drought frequency threatens their resilience and carbon dynamics. This study investigates the long-term impacts of repetitive drought on mature trees.

It focuses on drought legacy effects and how they influence carbon allocation and root dynamics, essential for understanding forest responses to climate extremes. Conducted at Kranzberger Forest in Freising, Germany, the study uses experimental plots with Norway spruce (Picea abies) and European beech (Fagus sylvatica), subjected to either first-time or repeated drought treatments, in single-type and mixed-species setups.

The research examines fine root phenology, longevity, and nonstructural carbohydrate dynamics across tree organs through seasonal observations. This study will provide critical insights into forest responses to climate extremes, informing forest management strategies to enhance resilience, protect carbon storage, and sustain ecosystem services.

Alexandra Lim (Chemistry and Chemical Biology) Accessing Hydroxide-Based Metal-Organic Frameworks for Direct Air Capture via High Concentration Synthesis Carbon capture and sequestration and direct air capture are key initiatives to minimize anthropogenic CO2 emissions and combat global climate change. Current amine-based technologies are prone to degradation from oxygen and heat.

Oxygen-based nucleophiles have shown potential as alternatives. In particular, nucleophilic metal-hydroxide (M–OH) groups in metal-organic frameworks (MOFs)—porous coordination polymers constructed from organic linkers and inorganic nodes—have shown high carbon capture capacity under high-temperature and humid conditions.

However, progress towards direct air capture in current M–OH-containing MOFs is restricted by specialized materials and/or inefficient methods to install M–OH groups, limiting their suitability for industrial application.

My research aims to streamline MOF syntheses and build a library of M–OH-containing MOFs to determine the key structure and property relationships that underpin their reactivity towards CO2 and suitability for direct air capture.

Improving Tobacco Growth With a Superior Hornwort Rubisco and Its Assembly Factors Strategies to improve crop yields must include increasing photosynthetic efficiency to ensure food security in the face of climate change and population growth. Ribulose-1,5- bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (Rubisco) is the crucial gateway enzyme for carbon dioxide fixation, but it is also the main limiting factor of photosynthesis.

Rubisco engineering thus presents an opportunity to improve photosynthetic efficiency and crop productivity. Loh’s project aims to do so by introducing a kinetically superior Rubisco, belonging to the hornwort Anthoceros agrestis (AaRubisco), into tobacco, a major crop species and model organism for transgenic plants.

Subsequent analyses on plant growth and Rubisco kinetics will determine if tobacco photosynthesis and growth are indeed improved. This will lay the foundation for future research in Rubisco engineering. Given Rubisco’s crucial role in photosynthesis, it has far-reaching impacts on plant physiology and should be part of a holistic approach to improve crop productivity.

Daniel Petticord (Ecology and Evolutionary Biology) A Cryptic Crisis: The Contribution of Subsoil Phosphorus to the Eutrophication of the Everglades Petticord’s research investigates the role of subsoil phosphorus in driving excessive nutrient pollution in the Everglades’ waterways. Despite extensive phosphorus control measures, Florida’s waterways remain above federal thresholds, exacerbating harmful algal blooms.

The study focuses on spodic horizons—deep soil layers that can store and later release phosphorus due to seasonal water table fluctuations. Because traditional field sampling methods are inadequate, the project employs ground-penetrating radar at Buck Island Ranch, a Long-Term Agroecological Research site, to map phosphorus-rich subsoils across varied pasture management histories.

The study integrates deep soil coring and physiochemical analysis to validate radar data, assessing phosphorus mobility and its implications for water quality. Findings will inform improved land management practices to mitigate legacy phosphorus loss, ensuring long-term environmental resilience and public health protection.

This work contributes to broader ecological research on nutrient cycling in highly weathered tropical and subtropical soils.

Sylvana Ross (Entomology) Ride With Me: Exploring Gene Expression Variation in Tapinoma Sessile Across Segregated U.S. Neighborhoods The concrete and asphalt that build our cities are assembled with generational biases and prejudiced political and social practices that unevenly distribute resources across different communities.

This causes an urban mosaic of environmental conditions across neighborhoods that can shape the adaptations of urban wildlife, driving evolutionary responses to the unique pressures of human-altered landscapes. This novel approach to ecological and evolutionary dynamics compares the socioeconomic influences within urban ecosystems to the physiological and genetic adaptations seen in urban wildlife populations.

Ross will use the native North American ant species Tapinoma sessile to understand the impacts of historical housing segregation on physiological and genetic adaptations in urban wildlife.

This project seeks to understand the genetic mechanisms of urban adaptation by examining differential gene expression across populations from racially segregated neighborhoods, with correlated environmental stressors, such as temperature and pollution. Anna Shattuck (Entomology) The Effect of Dengue Infection and Humidity on the Thermal Preferences of Ae.

albopictus Advisor: Courtney Murdock Aedes albopictus is a highly invasive mosquito species that is an important secondary vector of several diseases, including dengue. Predictions suggest that because of climate change, Ae. albopictus will continue to expand its range, presenting a significant public health threat.

Models to predict thermal suitability for vector-borne disease transmission use mosquito-temperature trait relationship data that are typically collected in the lab across a range of constant mean temperatures. While these models are insightful, they do not account for the likelihood that mosquitoes are behaviorally selecting more suitable microhabitats.

Shattuck will determine if mosquitoes are behaviorally optimizing the microclimate they experience, and then she will update predictions on temperature suitability for dengue transmission under different climate change scenarios to include mosquito microclimate selection behavior.

By understanding the effects of behavior on vector-borne disease transmission, we can optimize control strategies to mitigate potential public health risks in the face of climate change.

Shikhar Dinesh Singh (Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering) Development of Metal-Organic Framework (MOF) Functionalized Electrospun Microporous Polymer Nanofibers for Post-Combustion CO2 Capture and Humid Temperature-Swing Adsorption Singh seeks to develop an innovative carbon capture system for post-combustion CO2 capture, utilizing advanced metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) encapsulated within nanofibrous polymer membranes.

By leveraging a gas-assisted electrospinning method, he aims to create new composite nanofibers with tailored chemistry and structure that repel water. These materials are designed for high CO2 capture capacities and efficient regeneration. The proposed approach addresses key challenges in CO2 capture technologies, such as effective selection of CO2 vs. other chemicals, water resistance, energy efficiency and durability.

This research contributes to global carbon capture and storage efforts, offering a promising pathway for industrial scalability and impactful climate action. Meredith Theus (Ecology and Evolutionary Biology) Effects of Plant Biodiversity on Wetland Greenhouse Gas Emissions Advisor: Meredith Holgerson My research focuses on the relationship between biodiversity and wetland carbon cycling.

Wetlands are large sources of greenhouse gases (GHGs), and plants influence GHG production, degradation, and transport pathways. However, it is unclear how plant diversity and the composition of species and traits influence GHG dynamics, despite the high levels of biodiversity supported by wetlands. Theus’ project investigates the effects of different combinations of wetland plant species richness and functional diversity on GHGs.

Understanding how plant communities drive GHG emissions from wetlands may strategically be used to conserve, restore, and potentially construct wetlands with lower emissions and allow for more accurate estimations of GHG fluxes. Vaios Triantafyllou (Economics) Green Supply Chains: The North-South Ripple Effects of Environmental Regulations Advisor: Nicholas Sanders Since 2017, several E. U.

countries have adopted supply-chain due diligence laws, requiring multinational firms to ensure compliance with environmental standards across their supply chains. An E. U.

-wide directive on such laws was adopted in 2024, to be implemented by 2026. This project aims to study the effects of laws that were in place before the directive on firms in India, a key developing trade partner of the E. U.

Triantafyllou will study whether these laws lead Indian firms to adopt green technologies with positive environmental impacts and how they affect firm concentration, firm closures, greenwashing practices, export behavior, and labor dynamics. Additionally, he will assess whether the costs of compliance are passed on to European consumers through price increases.

Ultimately, he aims to show how the costs of supply-chain due diligence laws are shared between developed countries and their developing trade partners, informing future policy design.

Amanda Vilchez (Communication) Vampire Bat Guano: Exploring the Risks and Benefits of a Pre-Hispanic Tradition for Human-Bat Healthier Coexistence Advisor: Bruce Lewenstein Vampire bats are often feared and viewed negatively due to their diet based on blood, their attacks on cattle causing economic loss, and their role in rabies transmission.

However, in Peru’s Cusco Valley, this species holds a unique cultural and economic significance: for centuries, communities have used vampire bat guano as a natural fertilizer for maize, one of the region’s most culturally, socially, and economically important crops.

This research seeks to map the implications of the traditional use of vampire bat guano through an analysis of perceived and observed health and environmental benefits and risks, relying on Quechua oral traditions and transdisciplinary researcher perspectives.

This participatory research will contribute to a more nuanced, culturally informed perspective on One Health, expanding the understanding of how different ways of knowing, as Indigenous epistemologies, see the interconnectedness between wildlife, humans, and the environment to shape their perception of risks and benefits across their traditions.

Anna Whittemore (Anthropology) Sustainability and Imperialism in the Ancient Andes through Stable Isotope Analysis Though the pressures of anthropogenic climate change and globalized markets are unique to the modern world, ancient food systems offer insight for designing equitable and sustainable solutions to food insecurity today.

Ancient and modern cultures in the South American Andes have developed a variety of adaptations to high-altitude and arid environments, including terracing and drought-resistant plants, drawing the attention of food security researchers.

Whittemore’s research builds on these studies through stable isotope analysis of plant, animal, and human remains, reconstructing farming, herding, and food distribution practices among an ancient community—where she excavated in 2023—in the central Andes.

By studying diet at the individual level, she will address how food consumption patterns related to other factors like nutritional status, migration history, and vulnerability to violence, as inferred through skeletal analysis.

Henry Williams (Sibley School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering) Digital Twin for Multi-use Solar Farm Design and Management Hongdi Zhao (Applied Economics and Management) Optimal Dynamic Adaptive Sampling to Minimize Child Malnutrition in Kenya Geographically targeted food assistance is essential to relieve human suffering from droughts, high food prices and other disasters, and to prevent lifelong adverse effects in at-risk children with severe acute malnutrition.

Machine learning-based predictions of child malnutrition can be used to aid in early warning and response planning. However, government and humanitarian agencies generally face a tight budget between investing in data collection for early warning systems and the provision of relief food in the context of food emergencies.

This project develops an optimal adaptive dynamic sampling model to balance these trade-offs, maximizing the impact of food relief while minimizing acute malnutrition. Using high-frequency monthly household data from Kenya’s National Drought Management Authority, the model optimizes resource allocation while adapting to new information.

This project provides insights into optimal resource allocation strategies for effective targeting and resource utilization in food assistance interventions.

Fourteen recipients across Accelerating Energy Transitions (AET) , Advancing One Health (AOH) , Increasing Food Security (IFS) , and Reducing Climate Risk (RCR): from Anthropology, Biological & Environmental Engineering, Chemistry & Chemical Biology, Entomology, Global Development, Government, Materials Science & Engineering, Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering, Natural Resources & the Environment, and Soil & Crop Sciences Made Adityanandana (Global Development) Mobilization of Surplus Populations for Food Security in Indonesia’s Resettlement Project Aditya is a Ph.

D. student in the Department of Global Development. His research examines agrarian transformation, food security, and population resettlement in Indonesia.

Population resettlement has been integral to state-led agricultural projects since the Dutch colonial government relocated landless poor to the archipelago’s periphery in the early 20th century. Following independence, the Indonesian government has continued resettlement with the aim of bolstering food production.

With its focus on the recent agri-food megaproject in Central Kalimantan, this research offers a vantage point in understanding the potential and constraints of distributive policy in ensuring reproduction of smallholders and securing food production.

Alonso Alegre-Bravo (Biological & Environmental Engineering) Seeking a More Justice Oriented Indicator for Access to Electricity in Rural Communities of Latin America: The Guatemalan Case Advisor: Lindsay Anderson Alegre-Bravo’s dissertation examines rural electrification challenges in Latin America from a public policy and community perspective.

Despite high rates of access to electricity in the region, rural communities describe electricity service as unstable, unaffordable, and unpredictable. Lack of or poor access to electricity hinders efforts to reduce inequality and poverty. Alegre-Bravo’s current research explores this discrepancy between official access to electricity metrics and the perceptions and realities of electricity access in rural communities in Guatemala.