LESSONS LEARNED
Research & Learnings
Research & Learnings
Our work is the result of many different collaborations in various areas, crossing from private to public. Much of our strategic work is necessarily not public for many reasons (e.g., nature of the work, time to develop the plans before publicly launching, confidentiality or sensitivity). However, there are moments where we are able to discuss and share some of our insights and research. This page provides a view of selected topics.
Invasive species and detection.
Managing species.
The Wildlife Habitat Council hosts a fantastic series of seminars to share information with their members and others. I had the chance to discuss invasive species management in a two part series: an introduction to invasive species and resources & techniques for managing species.
Optimizing detection.
My co-authors and I published one of the early papers on detection of invasive species. This work formed a key part of the global discussion on invasive species by focusing on management under uncertainty and optimizing budgets across a range of management tools.
Monitoring disease.
Much of this research is tied closely to epidemiology and disease spread models. Integrated pest management (IPM) has been utilizing these concepts for years. For example, modeling spatial movement for soybean rust monitoring networks.
Environment and climate.
The environment faces many proximate threats including pollution, habitat loss and land degradation, biodiversity loss, and climate change.
Climate change.
I had a chance to discuss climate change and its far-reaching impact at the Indiaspora Philanthropy Summit 2019 at Georgetown University Climate. The panel, Climate Change: The Fierce Urgency of Now - How philanthropy can play a part in helping mitigate one of the most critical aspects of our time, brought together experts from a range of organizations focused on reducing climate change and its impact on communities and the world.
Lion conservation.
Conservation of keystone species and biodiversity is one of the greatest challenges we face. I had a chance to collaborate with a group of experts and researchers on lion conservation in Tanzania and South Africa.
Agriculture and sustainability.
Agriculture and environment are deeply interwoven. Thus, agriculture is a significant lever to addressing climate change, land use changes, biodiversity loss, and a host of other environmental impacts.
The invasive species and lion research both utilize models and concepts used widely in agricultural research. The chance to work in agriculture and conservation brought together many of these elements to address a broader question - how do we best support farmers to improve their resilience and sustainability (economic and environmental) while lessening the impact on the environment and natural resources.
Economics of conservation.
I had a chance to share the role of economics and decision-making in adopting conservation soil practices at the 4th Annual Meeting of the Soil Health Institute in Sacramento, California, while ED of the Soil Health Partnership (SHP) of the National Corn Growers Association.
Farmers focus on soil health.
I had the opportunity to testify before the U.S. House of Representatives, while ED of the Soil Health Partnership. The testimony highlighted the role of conservation practices for farmers and the economic challenges and risks facing farmers. There are a myriad of ways to incentivize and support utilization of conservation practices through improved policy, better market-based mechanisms, and lessening the risks farmers face when adopting these practices.
Education and science.
I was asked to speak at the commencement ceremony of my alma mater and shared some of my experiences and insights with the graduates.