Three Dedicated Faculty Members Retire

After decades of mentoring students and enriching the academic community, Robert O. Mendelsohn, the Edwin Weyerhaeuser Davis Professor of Forest Policy; Gaboury Benoit, the Grinstein Class of 1954 Professor of Environmental Chemistry; and Timothy Gregoire, the J.P. Weyerhaeuser Jr. Professor of Forest Management, are retiring.

“These scholars have each changed the shape of their respective fields through their scholarship, profoundly impacting our understanding of the delicate balance between humanity and nature,” Dean Indy Burke says. “They have also mentored and taught generations of students, who, as alumni, are bringing systems thinking and a science-to-solutions approach to environmental challenges all over the world. The legacies of Professors Mendelsohn, Benoit, and Gregoire extend far beyond the classroom, with each of them leaving a lasting imprint on their field that will inspire future generations.”

Mendelsohn, a renowned environmental economist, has transformed how we understand and value the natural world. Over the course of his distinguished career, he has developed groundbreaking methods to assess the economic value of non-timber forest products, ecotourism, outdoor recreation, and ecosystems such as coral reefs and old-growth forests. His innovative approach to integrating adaptation into climate impact assessments has reshaped policy dialogues, particularly in developing countries. Mendelsohn is the author of more than 280 peer-reviewed articles and the editor of six books. Equally impressive is his legacy as a mentor and educator. Mendelsohn has trained and inspired dozens of leading economists, many of whom now hold prominent academic, governmental, and policy-making positions across the globe.

Gregoire is a leading expert in statistical methods for natural resources and environmental science, particularly in probability sampling and modeling longitudinal and spatially correlated data. He has published more than 150 peer-reviewed articles and several influential books. His work has significantly advanced the fields of forestry, ecology, and environmental studies.

Benoit’s research and teaching explore the behavior, transport, and fate of chemicals in the environment, focusing on nonpoint source pollution and the biogeochemistry of trace metals and radionuclides. His work combines advanced analytical methods, field studies, and modeling to understand chemical processes in diverse aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems, including urban environments.

Animating the Carbon Cycle: A New Rewilding Model

An interactive platform developed by YSE and the Global Rewilding Alliance (GRA) highlights the role thriving wildlife populations play in boosting ecosystem carbon capture and storage. Based on synthesis of data and mathematical models developed by Oswald Schmitz, the Oastler Professor of Population and Community Ecology, in partnership with the GRA, the “Animating the Carbon Cycle” website presents quantitative estimates of the significant carbon drawdown potential of healthy wildlife populations and restored ecosystems.

“Animals are not passengers on the ill-fated voyage of climate change; they are drivers of the ship of climate and biodiversity conservation,” Schmitz says.

The new platform (animatingcarbon.earth) features visual animations to explain the process, updates on global rewilding projects, policy guidelines, and peer-reviewed research. It aims to revolutionize conservation efforts by demonstrating the crucial role of wildlife in mitigating climate change.

Dual-Use Solar: Okovate Powers the Future of Solar

Okovate Sustainable Energy, a startup co-founded by Miles Braxton, a 2020 graduate of the Financing and Deploying Clean Energy (FDCE) Certificate Program, is bringing to market community solar projects that integrate with existing farmland. The approach, known as agrivoltaics, allows farmers to continue agriculture operations such as growing leafy greens partially under solar panels while generating clean energy. The concept has garnered significant attention, with Okovate recently securing a $750,000 investment from the Schmidt Family Foundation, established in 2006 by Google co-founder Eric Schmidt and his wife, Wendy Schmidt.

Braxton credits his FDCE network as instrumental to his work. While enrolled in the FDCE program, Braxton co-founded BlackOak Collective with colleagues in the clean energy sector Kiera Givens, Sarah Nesbit, and Wes Gobar ’24 MEM. Originally a Washington, D.C., metropolitan area networking group for Black professionals within the sustainability space, BlackOak has become a national organization through partnerships with leading companies and nonprofits looking to diversify their applicant pools.