LIFE Partners

LIFE brings together an international network of researchers, research groups, institutions, experimental laboratories, and field sites all dedicated to collaborating to advance sustainability and vulnerability science of the Earth’s surface environment. We emphasize that LIFE will reach a much broader international community via our summer institutes, field campaigns, short courses and workshops, but the core partners will be engaged actively in visit exchanges, organization, and development of the joint degree programs. Learn more about the core LIFE network below!

	Efi Foufoula-Georgiou (Lead PI) Director, National Center for Earth-surface Dynamics Distinguished Professor, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering University of California, Irvine, USA Expertise: Hydrologic processes and sediment transport, coastal eco-geomorphology, stratigraphy
	Chris Paola Professor, Department of Earth Sciences Director, National Center for Earth-surface Dynamics Interim Director, St. Anthony Falls Laboratory University of Minnesota, USA Expertise: Physical sedimentation and stratigraphy Experimental Laboratory: St. Anthony Falls Laboratory, University of Minnesota Unique field sites: Ganges Delta (Bangladesh), Wax Lake Delta
	Vaughan Voller Professor, Department of Civil, Environmental and Geo- Engineering University of Minnesota, USA Expertise: Modeling of mass transport processes, mathematical descriptions of ocean delta dynamics, non-local treatment of diffusion, numerical methods for free and moving boundary problems Experimental Laboratory: St. Anthony Falls Laboratory, University of Minnesota
	William Dietrich Professor, Earth and Planetary Sciences University of California, Berkeley, USA Expertise: Channel processes, sediment transport, and hydrodynamics of aquatic ecosystems Unique Field Sites: Richmond Field Station, Angelo Coast Reserve
	Paola Passalacqua Professor, Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Department University of Texas, Austin, USA Expertise: Water Resources Engineering Unique Field Sites: Wax Lake Delta Observatory
	Praveen Kumar Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering Department University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, USA Expertise: Ecohydrology, sediment transport
	Pat Hamilton Program Director, Environmental Sciences and Earth-system Science Science Museum of Minnesota, USA Expertise: Future Earth exhibit, educational outreach
	Vladimir Nikora Chair in Environmental Fluid Mechanics University of Aberdeen, UK Expertise: Coastal hydraulics, channel processes, sediment transport, and hydrodynamics of aquatic ecosystems Experimental Facility: Aberdeen Open-Channel Facility (AOCF)
	Liam Reinhardt Professor, Physical Geography University of Exeter, UK Expertise: Environment and Sustainability Institute (ESI), focusing on biodiversity science, ecological processes, hydrological processes, land use management, conservation biology, disease control. behavioural change, environmental economics, environmental law and public policy, and environmental governance and regulation Experimental Facility: Sediment Research Facility
	Francois Metivier Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris, France Expertise: Surface geochemistry and geophysics, particularly river geochemistry and morphology Experimental Facilities and Field Sites: Geological Fluid Dynamics Laboratory (GFD), Observatoire de l’Erosion aux Antilles (ObsErA), French-Chinese International Associated laboratory (IAL), French network of Critical Zone Observatories (CZO)
	Antonio Parodi Project Leader CIMA Research Foundation, Italy Expertise: Predictability of meteorological extremes, Modeling and prediction of floods/droughts, dispersion of pollutants in hydro- and atmospheres, marine ecology Experimental Facilities and Field Sites: EU-funded project on distributed infrastructure for hydrometeorology
	Daniel Conde Professor Universidad de la Republica, Uruguay Expertise: Interdisciplinary Center for Integrated Coastal Management (C-MCISur) focusing on ecosystem vulnerability and coastal sustainability Experimental Facilities: A developing program of laboratories and instructional facilities that can be prototyped to the focused themes of LIFE
	Cristian Escauriaza Assistant Professor, Hydraulic and Environmental Engineering Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile Expertise: Interaction between hydrology, hydrodynamics and geochemistry to investigate watersheds in extreme environments. Anthropogenic impacts and stream restoration in mountain rivers Experimental Facilities and Field Sites: Hydraulic/Fluid Mech. and Environmental/Geochemistry laboratories. Lluta river basin in northern Chile. Maipo river basin near Santiago
	Rina Schumer Associate Research Professor, Division of Hydrologic Sciences Desert Research Institute, USA Expertise: Hydrology/hydrogeology, stochastic processes, extreme value theory, transport processes, statistical hydrology, stratigraphy, use of LiDAR in geomorphology
	Laurel Larsen Assistant Professor, Department of Geography University of California, Berkeley, USA Expertise: Hydroecology, landscape dynamics, complex environmental systems, environmental restoration