High Meadows Environmental Institute Explained

High Meadows Environmental Institute
Former Name:Princeton Environmental Institute
Type:Think tank
Location:Princeton, New Jersey
Leader Name:Gabriel Vecchi
Area Served:Global
Focus:Environment, Climate change
Leader Title:Director
Parent Organization:Princeton University

High Meadows Environmental Institute (HMEI, formerly the Princeton Environmental Institute, PEI) at Princeton University in Princeton, New Jersey is an interdisciplinary center for environmental research that studies effects of and solutions to climate change and other environmental threats. The International Center for Climate Governance named the Princeton Environmental Institute the second-highest climate change think tank in the global category for 2012,following the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs.[1]

The High Meadows Environmental Institute is an interdisciplinary center for environmental research that includes over 120 researchers from 29 departments. Researchers study the causes and impacts of climate change and other key environmental issues involving energy, food, water, and biodiversity. Long-term projects include the Carbon Mitigation Initiative, the Center for Biocomplexity, and the Integrated Ground Water Modeling Center. Grand Challenges and other initiatives focus on climate change and infectious disease, food and the environment, ecohydrology, urban resilience, and sustainable development.[2] [3]

History

The Princeton Environmental Institute was founded in 1994 as part of a broader initiative led by university president Harold T. Shapiro, to make Princeton a center for addressing global environmental challenges. Shapiro met with Tom Barron, Robert H. Socolow and Henry S. Horn in 1992 to discuss the university's possible direction.[4] [5] [6] [7] Shapiro then formed a faculty committee which recommended the creation of the Princeton Environmental Institute.[8] In December 1995, the Institute moved into the newly-renovated Guyot Hall.[9]

The founding director of the institute in 1994 was Simon Levin.[10] [11] François M. M. Morel held the position of Director twice, first between 1998 and 2004.[12] Ignacio Rodríguez-Iturbe, who served as acting director of the institute in 2002, founded the field of ecohydrology.[13] [14] Stephen W. Pacala was Acting Director of the Princeton Environmental Institute from 2005 to 2006, and Director from 2006 to 2014.[15] François M. M. Morel returned for a second time as Director from 2014-2017.[16] The Director of the institute from 2017-2021 was Michael Celia, the Theodora Shelton Pitney Professor of Environmental Studies and professor of civil and environmental engineering at Princeton.[17] [18] As of July 2021, the Director became Gabriel Vecchi.[19]

In 2000, the institute established the Carbon Mitigation Initiative (CMI) in partnership with BP.[17] The Carbon Mitigation Initiative has identified eight major carbon mitigation strategies or "wedges" for reducing human-based carbon emissions.[20] [21]

In 2014, with funding from the National Science Foundation (NSF), the institute established the Southern Ocean Carbon and Climate Observations and Modeling project (SOCCOM), to study the Southern Ocean's role in climate regulation.[17] [22] [23]

In 2019, the institute received $2.5 million in federal funding to study resilience and sustainability in urban food systems.[24]

In 2020, the Institute received a gift to create the Thomas A. and Currie C. Barron Family Biodiversity Research Challenge Fund to support research on the preservation of species and ecosystems.[25]

The Princeton Environmental Institute was renamed as the High Meadows Environmental Institute, following a gift from Judy and Carl Ferenbach III's High Meadows Foundation in 2020.[2] [26] [27] [28] The High Meadows Environmental Institute (HMEI) is projected to move to a new building at Princeton in early 2025.[29] [30]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: First-Ever Ranking of Climate Think Tanks . Think Tank Watch . en.
  2. Book: Durkee . Robert K. . The New Princeton Companion . 5 April 2022 . Princeton University Press . 978-0-691-21044-5 . 1 September 2022 . en.
  3. Book: Implementing the MIT Global Environment Initiative . 2012 . Massachusetts Institute of Technology . 22–23.
  4. News: Valenti . Denise . Can the humanities help solve climate change? . 22 June 2023 . Princeton University . August 29, 2022 . en.
  5. News: Seltzer . Molly A. . Tough, timely and team-driven: 50 years of energy research . Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment . 21 August 2020.
  6. News: Wohlforth . Charles . PEI Celebrates 25 Years: Princeton’s Hub of Environmental Studies Surveys the Global Challenges Ahead . 29 June 2023 . Princeton Alumni Weekly. December 4, 2019 . en.
  7. News: Currie Barron and Tom Barron ’74 establish research fund to preserve biodiversity . Princeton University . November 16, 2020 . en.
  8. Wei . James . Plans and Detours . Annual Review of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering . 7 June 2014 . 5 . 1 . 1–9 . 10.1146/annurev-chembioeng-061312-103325 . 29 June 2023 . en . 1947-5438. free .
  9. News: PEI finds new home . Princeton Alumni Weekly . Princeton University Press . February 7, 1966 . en.
  10. News: Kelly . Morgan . From muddy boots to mathematics: Advancing the science of ecosystems and biodiversity . High Meadows Environmental Institute . August 14, 2020.
  11. Web site: National Geographic's Strange Days on Planet Earth . About the Project . Season 1 . Our Advisors PBS . PBS.
  12. Web site: François M. M. Morel . Office of the Dean of the Faculty . 22 June 2023 . en.
  13. News: Water Wonder . 22 June 2023 . Princeton Alumni Weekly . Princeton University Press . July 2, 2002 . en.
  14. News: Ignacio Rodríguez-Iturbe, renowned hydrologist who forged a new science linking water to ecosystems, dies at 80 . 22 June 2023 . Princeton University . October 31, 2022 . en.
  15. Web site: Stanford Global Carbon Management Workshop #1 - Speakers, Moderators and Panelists Stanford Strategic Energy Alliance . strategic-energy-alliance.stanford.edu . 22 June 2023 . en.
  16. News: Kelly . Morgan . New PEI director Michael Celia plans to build on Institute's strengths, expand reach . High Meadows Environmental Institute . Jul 10, 2017.
  17. News: Kelly . Morgan . Photo exhibition explores 25 years of Princeton environmental education, research . 22 June 2023 . Princeton University . December 13, 2018 . en.
  18. Web site: PE Distinguished Seminar: Large-scale Geological Storage of Carbon Dioxide . Campus Events Calendar . 22 June 2023.
  19. Web site: Professor Gabriel Vecchi . Eye Towards The Sky . 22 June 2023.
  20. Book: Kibert . Charles J. . Sustainable Construction: Green Building Design and Delivery . 12 April 2022 . John Wiley & Sons . 978-1-119-70645-8 . en.
  21. Book: Arnold . Denis G. . The Ethics of Global Climate Change . 31 March 2011 . Cambridge University Press . 978-1-139-50100-2 . en.
  22. Web site: Matsumoto . George I. . Data for all via the Adopt-A-Float program: Southern Ocean Carbon and Climate Observations and Modeling (SOCCOM) . AGU. 18 February 2020.
  23. Groeskamp . Sjoerd . Griffies . Stephen M. . Iudicone . Daniele . Marsh . Robert . Nurser . A.J. George . Zika . Jan D. . The Water Mass Transformation Framework for Ocean Physics and Biogeochemistry . Annual Review of Marine Science. 3 January 2019 . 11 . 1 . 271–305 . 10.1146/annurev-marine-010318-095421 . en . 1941-1405. 1959.4/unsworks_57806 . free .
  24. News: Kelly . Morgan . Princeton researchers receive $2.5 million to advance the science of urban food sustainability . High Meadows Environmental Institute . November 6, 2019.
  25. News: Research fund at Princeton University will preserve biodiversity . centraljersey.com . 16 November 2020.
  26. News: Princeton receives naming gift for environmental institute . 22 June 2023 . Philanthropy News Digest . November 3, 2020.
  27. News: Princeton honors Judy and Carl Ferenbach ’64 at High Meadows Environmental Institute dedication . High Meadows Environmental Institute . May 11, 2022.
  28. News: From High Meadows to higher ground: Carl Ferenbach III ’64 is investing in future generations . Princeton Alumni . October 29, 2020 . en.
  29. Web site: Our New Home . High Meadows Environmental Institute . 22 June 2023.
  30. Web site: Princeton University Environmental Studies and The School of Engineering Applied Science . ennead . en.

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