Susan Brantley Appointed Director of EMS Environment Institute

Susan Brantley, professor of geosciences and director of the Center for Environmental Chemistry and Geochemistry, accepted the position of director of the EMS Environment Institute on Tuesday morning.

"Sue has a proven track record of promoting collaboration across the colleges at Penn State. She's done a remarkable job of organizing environmental chemistry and geochemistry initiatives that involve people from many departments," says Eric Barron, dean of the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences.

As director of the Environment Institute, Brantley will continue to focus on initiatives that promote interdisciplinary research. "I'm excited to move the institute in a direction that will incorporate more of the departments in EMS and faculty in other colleges," she says.

Brantley is interested in expanding the Environment Institute's research efforts to include the biological aspects of environmental science. "Molecular environmental science, for example, is a hot area that can include meteorology, water quality, and nanomaterials," she explains. "Penn State is positioned to be a leader in the molecular sciences and EMS can contribute in unique ways."

Brantley's own research focuses upon investigations of bacteria-enhanced mobilization of trace metals and organics from weathering minerals. She collaborates with faculty in soil science, biochemistry and molecular biology, materials science, and civil engineering.

"I'm good at promoting interaction between people with different backgrounds," she says. "And I look forward to learning more about areas that are new to me, like the human dimensions of environmental science or aspects of climatology."

Brantley anticipates facilitating interdisciplinary graduate education and training programs through the Environment Institute. The Biogeochemical Research Initiative for Education (BRIE), funded by NSF, is one such program that she and Kate Freeman, professor of geosciences, spearheaded in 1999. "BRIE has been extremely successful in bringing people across campus together and in recruiting top notch graduate students," Brantley says. "I'd like to continue working with graduate students in my new position."

Brantley's appointment will begin on April 1, 2003. Additional information about her is available here.