UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Christopher Scott’s career is as varied as the many places he has lived and worked, such as Nepal, Mexico, Argentina and India. His expertise is in water, and much like water, his work connects to many areas, including climate change, energy, policy, sustainability and agriculture.

His vast experience and expertise in these critical areas led to Scott’s appointment to the Maurice K. Goddard Chair of Forestry and Environmental Conservation at Penn State, which reflects the University's commitment and dedication to the conservation, allocation and protection of natural resources. It is also why Scott is a cofunded researcher in the Institutes of Energy and the Environment. And it is here in Pennsylvania where Scott finds an array of connections to his work around the world.

“Pennsylvania is an incredibly diverse place in geographic, environmental, economic and political terms. I’ve found an amazing array of interesting, relevant and challenging opportunities in my position as Goddard Chair,” said Scott, a professor in the College of Agricultural Sciences’ Department of Ecosystem Science and Management.

One of the challenges Scott is thinking about is energy transitions, specifically in rural areas. He recognized Pennsylvania is working through how to transition to a carbon-friendly economy while not abandoning its citizens. Throughout the state, there are communities that rely on coal and natural gas as a part of their economy.

“How does Pennsylvania transition from a conventional model of heavy industry toward newer forms of production, including sustainable agriculture, renewable energy and information technology services?” Scott said. “Regions across the country and around the world are going through similar transitions, and so a Pennsylvania-and-beyond focus is needed if we are to get this right.”

He added that it’s critically important to understand the transition in economic terms — jobs, revenues and impacts to people and the environment.

“Other economies at national and state levels are also grappling with these questions,” he said. “Sharing experiences, lessons learned and ways forward across regions and around the globe can be instructive, often providing the ‘aha’ breakthrough.”

Scott said that the people of Pennsylvania and the commonwealth’s environment — its land, forests and waterways — are all key to this transition.

“This is not just a question of transitioning people into new jobs, which is of course crucially important,” he said, “but it’s also about being responsible stewards of the land including Penn’s Woods — private and public forests — and the Allegheny, Susquehanna, Delaware and other rivers that give life to the land.”

There is a strong link between Scott’s work and the challenges that Pennsylvania is facing. Several of his recent professional endeavors have involved building and working with teams of researchers, practitioners, community members and decision-makers, for example, around water security in the arid western United States and water-scarce regions across the Americas. Scott considers there is immense potential to expand linkages around water, energy and food for Pennsylvania and partners nationally and globally.

“I studied hydrology and water resources, but I was keenly interested in the human dimensions of natural resources and the environment more broadly. This emphasized interdisciplinarity. And it became increasingly apparent that water was related to food, energy, ecology, climate and so much more — the challenge and need for integration,” said Scott.

Scott has lived and worked on three continents with more than half of his life outside the United States. He said he has seen how the challenges related to water are worldwide.

“All these dynamics play out at the global scale, so while I have always been interested in and committed to being grounded locally,” he said, “the international nature of the challenges requires us to go global.”

The common thread that connects all his pursuits and interests is a commitment to improve human and environmental conditions and outcomes through his research, teaching and extension engagement, Scott said.

“Interdisciplinary, integrated and international are three of the defining elements of my career,” he said. “These elements have presented me incredible opportunities, opened doors and led me to Penn State. Here, I’m fortunate to hold the Goddard Chair that allows me to continue developing the three I’s as I start this new phase of my career at Penn State.”