I have always admired the University of Minnesota for its work in ecology, with pioneering research like Dave Tilman’s work at Cedar Creek. I believe that big things are possible here, in this Minnesota sandbox, where the prairie meets the forest, the river and the Great Lakes, Fortune 500 companies, and a Big 10 university. And it’s exciting to be working at the Institute on the Environment, a interdisciplinary community of scholars and students.

If I could do any job other than what I’m doing now, I would still be working at a university. Whether we’re ecologists, economists, sociologists, chemists, engineers or artists, universities are the place where ideas–ideas that are shared freely–make the future come alive, to make the world a smarter, better place. In the end, good ideas should, and usually do, win the day.

In its strategic plan MPACT25, the University of Minnesota adopted a focus on “MNtersections,” interdisciplinary research and education that centers the issues of the state we serve. At the Institute on the Environment, we call this “in Minnesota, for the world.”

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Check out the Institute on the Environment where you can learn more about how we are using Minnesota to help realize a future where people and planet prosper together.