Gund Institute at UVM

Gund Institute at UVM Research that inspires action. WORLD-CLASS RESEARCH, WORLD-CHANGING IMPACT

Research isn’t enough to solve our environmental problems — we need action, too.

The Gund Institute for Environment mobilizes scholars and decision-makers to understand and tackle critical environmental challenges. Driven by the belief that research should inspire action, we work in partnership with stakeholders from government, business, and broader society. We focus our research on five interconnected themes, each of which is essential to creating a sustainable future for pe

ople and the planet:
-Climate solutions
-Health and well-being
-Sustainable agriculture
-Resilient communities
-Equity and justice

THE PLANET'S BIGGEST PROBLEM IS PACE

Globally, we often know what’s required to sustain a world where people and nature can thrive. The real problem is pace. To tackle global environmental challenges, we need cross-sector collaboration driving innovative solutions — and we need it now. This sense of urgency inspires our nimble approach to research and our focus on partnerships that deliver real-world impact. SOLUTIONS FOR PEOPLE AND NATURE

The Gund Institute takes an integrated approach to developing solutions for a healthy environment and a healthy society. We do this in three ways:

-Connect scholars across multiple disciplines, and with policy-makers, business leaders, and communities.
-Catalyze innovative ideas by funding and leading world-class research on the most pressing environmental issues.
-Solve urgent environmental problems with solutions and partnerships that inspire bold action. DIVERSITY DRIVES DISCOVERY

The Gund Institute unites scholars across the University of Vermont’s academic ecosystem with a global network of leading researchers. With expertise in the natural and social sciences, business, health, technology, engineering, and the humanities, the Gund Institute community harnesses the diverse perspectives of multiple disciplines to tackle the pressing environmental issues of our time. POWERED BY PARTNERSHIP

We believe that partnering with external stakeholders as research collaborators—rather than research consumers—leads to research that inspires action. By bridging the gaps between academia, government, business, and communities, we increase the potential for insight, innovation, and ultimately impact. We’re proud to count many leading global, national, and local organizations among our partners, including Ben & Jerrys, Johnson & Johnson, Microsoft, the United Nations, the National Science Foundation, the United States Congress, the United States Dept of Agriculture, and Vermont state agencies.

As Fall 2026 classes get underway at University of Vermont, we’re proud to welcome our newest Gund community members. We...
08/31/2026

As Fall 2026 classes get underway at University of Vermont, we’re proud to welcome our newest Gund community members. We know their new ideas and innovative research will fuel needed solutions to urgent environmental problems, for people and nature.

Meet our newest Gund colleagues here:

| The University of Vermont

Meet UVM Rubenstein School associate professor and Gund Affiliate Kim Coleman. A broadly trained social scientist, Colem...
08/17/2026

Meet UVM Rubenstein School associate professor and Gund Affiliate Kim Coleman. A broadly trained social scientist, Coleman studies the human dimensions of natural resources. Things like how the Covid outdoor recreation boom has affected communities in Vermont.

Check out Coleman's work in the latest 90-Second Scientist.

We're back with another 90-Second Scientist! Climate change is bringing more extreme weather to communities across the g...
07/21/2026

We're back with another 90-Second Scientist!

Climate change is bringing more extreme weather to communities across the globe, including Vermont. Flooding churns up pollutants that can affect drinking water, but traditional water quality monitoring is expensive and data is limited.

Appala Raju Badireddy, an associate professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Vermont and a Gund Faculty Fellow, wants to change that.

Enter: affordable microsensors that can provide real-time water quality data.

What started with seed funding from a Catalyst Award has turned into a $6 million project with collaborators in South Dakota and New Mexico.

Get an inside peek at Badireddy's lab: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SjKv6o6Axyw

UVM College of Engineering and Mathematical Sciences
University of Vermont

Raju Badireddy's research group, ALCHEMIST, is advancing the health...

Remote sensing data, like LIDAR and satellite imagery, can provide scientists with a large-scale look at a study site. B...
07/17/2026

Remote sensing data, like LIDAR and satellite imagery, can provide scientists with a large-scale look at a study site. But the details matter, and sometimes, nuanced facts can only be found by getting out into the field in person, observing the ecosystem, and learning from the local community.

In this guest blog post for the British Ecological Society's Forest Ecology Group, Gund Grad Fellow and UVM Rubenstein School PhD student Onome Ofoman shares an example of a disconnect between what was on a map and what was on the ground, and why it matters for research:

Written by Onome Ofoman (Guest Writer)Maps give us direction and a sense of understanding of a location before our feet even touch the ground. As ecologists, we often begin our work scrolling through satellite imagery, identifying landscape patterns to guide our research [1]. This was exactly how I....

What policies are needed — or need to change — to help rural economies thrive? Gund fellows were among the 30+ policy ex...
06/18/2026

What policies are needed — or need to change — to help rural economies thrive? Gund fellows were among the 30+ policy experts and Vermont practitioners, who this week helped shape that conversation as part of the SEEC Institute’s Thriving Economy Project. Thank you to the Sustainable Energy and Environment Coalition (SEEC) Institute for including Vermont in this important conversation and to UVM Leahy Institute for Rural Partnerships for taking the lead on organizing. And a big thanks to Rep. Becca Balint and her team for participating in this work! Keep a lookout for SEEC's final report out this September, which will feature recommendations in nine key issue areas and be shared with the SEEC Caucus.

As increasingly severe and frequent climate threats are bringing new and continued challenges to rural economies, what opportunities and challenges do you see for rural economies? Let us know in the comments.

Gund grad fellow Anna Maassel discusses her research into the effects of summer wildfire smoke on children with asthma. ...
06/12/2026

Gund grad fellow Anna Maassel discusses her research into the effects of summer wildfire smoke on children with asthma. Watch below:

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

Congratulations to Gund Fellow Teresa Mares, winner of a 2025-26 University of Vermont Humanities Center Public Humaniti...
05/27/2026

Congratulations to Gund Fellow Teresa Mares, winner of a 2025-26 University of Vermont Humanities Center Public Humanities Fellowship!

Working with Vermont Humanities and Vermont Weavers' Guild, Professor Mares will interview Vermont fiber artists and document their practice. We're excited to see the results!

05/08/2026

Did you catch Gund director and UVM Rubenstein School professor Taylor Ricketts on NPR this week?

Taylor shared his insights on a new study in Nature that estimates in Nepal's rural communities pollinators are responsible for more than 20% of people's intake of key vitamins, and more than 40% of their income. When applied to communities worldwide, millions of people could be affected.

Missed it? Check it out: https://www.npr.org/2026/05/06/nx-s1-5807663/preserving-pollinators-is-good-for-health-and-income

Thanks Jonathan Lambert for the great story.

🐝

05/01/2026

The Gund Institute for Environment is proud to celebrate the 2026 faculty award recipients at the University of Vermont, including colleagues whose work across and beyond the Gund continues to advance scholarship and elevate UVM’s impact on campus and beyond.

Congratulations to:
Paul Bierman—University Distinguished Professor Award
Eva Kinnebrew—Excellence in Online Teaching Award
M. Noelia Barrios-García—President’s Distinguished Lecturer Award
V. Ernesto Méndez—University Scholars Award (Basic & Applied Sciences)

Congratulations to all recipients for their outstanding contributions to research, teaching, and service.

We sometimes joke that every day is   here at the Gund as our researchers work to solve some of the most challenging env...
04/22/2026

We sometimes joke that every day is here at the Gund as our researchers work to solve some of the most challenging environment problems facing the planet. But sometimes, it can feel like things aren't moving fast enough.

One way to combat that feeling is to do something! So, today, our community fanned out around Farrell Hall and picked up trash (and also a full pair of skis!) and repotted plants. It may not solve the climate crisis, but it's a great reminder that we can all do things to take care of the environment. 🌍

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