Meredith Niles, associate director of the Food Systems Research Center at the University of Vermont, has been appointed acting director of UVM's Gund Institute for Environment, effective Jan 1.
Niles will lead the institute, a research center that operates in collaboration with the USDA Agricultural Research Service, until Aug 1, when director Taylor Ricketts returns from sabbatical. During her term, Niles will oversee all aspects of the institute, from annual funding competitions to relationships with industry, policymakers, donors and the UVM community as well as leadership of the institute’s six staff members. She will also lead special projects focused on external impact and real-world change, including the launch of a new Global Impact Fund, continued advancements in open research and science, and the Gund Research Slam, an annual showcase of UVM environmental research.
“We are so fortunate to have Meredith leading the institute for the next seven months,” Ricketts said. “As a Gund Fellow, Meredith has distinguished herself as a talented researcher, generous collaborator and effective leader. The Gund Institute will benefit from her fresh perspective and her experience connecting research with policy to produce real-world change in Vermont, across the United States and beyond.”