OUR STAFF
DENIN has a highly experienced team that can help researchers and community partners develop and manage large, interdisciplinary grants. We provide services throughout the grant application and implementation process.
HOLLY MICHAEL
Director, Delaware Environmental Institute
Professor, Earth Sciences
Professor, Civil, Construction and Environmental Engineering
Unidel Fraser Russell Career Development Chair for the Environment
hmichael@udel.edu
302-831-4197
Leading the Way
Holly Michael, DENIN Director, Professor & Unidel Fraser Russell Career Development Chair for the Environment
There are so many challenges facing our environment — what do you feel DENIN is uniquely positioned to take on?
“A major strength of institutes like DENIN is the ability to draw together and coordinate interdisciplinary teams to take on issues critical to society. Most environmental problems cannot be addressed from only one angle. They are often “wicked” problems that require not only technological solutions, but trade-offs among sectors, societal buy-in, and policies for implementation. For example, Delaware is uniquely vulnerable to coastal hazards, and promoting sustainability and resilience will require efforts across engineering, natural sciences, social sciences and the humanities. Among our affiliates are some of the world experts in coastal processes and resilience across all of these disciplines, so we as a community are well-poised to address it. DENIN can facilitate researchers, educators and stakeholders in taking a coupled natural-human systems approach to promoting coastal resilience and solving other similarly complex environmental problems.”
What goals do you have for the institute?
“My primary goal is to broaden participation within DENIN by engaging new faculty and new disciplines, strengthening partnerships, and catalyzing new research areas. I will seek to increase the national and global visibility of environmental research and interdisciplinary academic programs. I also will work toward broadening funding support to expand the activities that DENIN supports.”
What are some of the first tasks/challenges/opportunities you plan to address?
“As director, my first priority is to develop a strategic vision that builds on past successes, welcomes new participants and ideas, and creates new opportunities and partnerships both within and outside of UD. I plan to reach out to the community for input to this vision, and I hope to hear opinions and ideas from everyone. If you are not affiliated with DENIN but would like to be, especially new faculty, please reach out to me, as I would love to get you involved.”