UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Christopher Scott has been named an associate director of the Institute of Energy and the Environment (IEE) at Penn State. Scott is a professor in the Department of Ecosystem Science and Management and the Maurice K. Goddard Chair of Forestry and Environmental Conservation with more than three decades’ experience in international and domestic water, food and energy policy.
“Chris is the ideal leader to unite our diverse water research community,” said Bruce Logan, director of the Institute of Energy and the Environment. “With a proven track record in addressing critical water challenges, he will be instrumental in shaping the University’s water sustainability agenda. His appointment as associate director marks a significant step forward in our commitment to this vital area."
Scott’s research, extension and engagement focus on natural resource conservation and policy, climate-smart forestry, watershed science and management, the water-energy-food nexus, interstate and transboundary waters, climate adaptation and resilience, and energy transitions. His current work focuses on the crucial role of “mountain water towers” in providing and regulating river flows and groundwater downstream. An example would be the Appalachian and Allegheny Mountains as headwater sources for the Susquehanna River, Chesapeake Bay and Ohio River. He also researches flows in the Andes and Himalayas.
Scott expressed enthusiasm for IEE's mission to enhance environmental, energy, climate and societal impact through research and engagement.
“IEE has just the kind of mission I am committed to and have some experience with — fostering interdisciplinary research to address grand challenges,” Scott said. “The current IEE leadership team includes eminent scholars with practitioner experience, and I feel honored to have been invited to contribute my strengths both in science and policy especially related to water, agriculture and forestry.”
Scott said he was interested in building upon IEE's water sustainability research theme by facilitating faculty and student engagement with state and federal policymakers, a goal aligned with the Goddard Chair's mission.
“I would also like to help coordinate IEE’s programming across its themes, especially water, climate and energy,” he said. “This can involve brokering conversations among faculty and leadership in the College of Agricultural Sciences and colleagues in other colleges and other units like Penn State Sustainability, the Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences and others.”
Scott said he would also like to strengthen IEE’s impact internationally, including through enhanced coordination with Penn State Global and college-level global offices.
“I hope to support better communication and collaboration among physical and social sciences, engineering, health, law and other disciplines at Penn State University Park and Commonwealth Campuses,” he said. “Penn State has a very conducive environment for this kind of research, though at times it can feel diffuse, so I would like to identify opportunities and strengthen initiatives around water resources and help bring this area up to the level of IEE’s programming in energy and climate. Ultimately, however, it is a question of putting science in the service of environmental, energy, climate and other societal goals.”
Prior to Penn State, Scott served 15 years at the University of Arizona, most recently as director of the Udall Center for Studies in Public Policy, professor in the School of Geography, Development & Environment, and director of the Consortium for Arizona-Mexico Arid Environments. From 2019-22, he served as chair of the Consensus Study on U.S.–Mexico Binational Sustainability Partnerships of both countries’ National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine. He is a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and a fellow of the International Water Resources Association.
In addition to Logan and Scott, IEE leadership includes Erica Smithwick, who is an associate director of the institute, distinguished professor of geography, and director of the Penn State Climate Consortium and the Earth and Environmental Systems Institute; and Michael Janik, who is an associate director of the institute and professor of chemical engineering.