About the presentation: Researchers often assume that the value of research in solving problems is self-evident. Yet most research does not lead to solutions, even when the proposals that launched the research promised solutions. University and government researchers could address this longtime peril by including clear theories of change in project development, and co-creating and co-executing projects across disciplines and sectors. This would require alignment of funding and infrastructure to support such mission-driven research. In a rapidly changing government landscape, I will examine past examples of the role of research and technology development in driving change in policies, practices, and products. While I do not promise to resolve all the promises and perils, I will suggest some possible ways forward for solutions-oriented sustainability research in government and universities.

About the speaker: Dr. David M. Lodge is the Francis J. DiSalvo director of Cornell University’s Cornell Atkinson Center for Sustainability. He is an internationally recognized environmental scientist, with expertise in environmental risk assessment, freshwater and marine coastal ecology, ecosystem services, bioeconomics, and invasive species. His research has improved ecological forecasting to better inform environmental risk assessment, natural resource management, and policy development. Lodge is a leader in the development and application of environmental DNA (eDNA), a transformative technological tool for discovering unrecognized biodiversity, censusing aquatic biodiversity, and improving the management of imperiled, invasive, or harvested species. He is past president of the Ecological Society of America, and former senior science advisor in the US Department of State’s Office of Polar Affairs. On numerous occasions he has testified before the U.S. Congress, and served as an expert witness in federal court. He is faculty member in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at Cornell University.