Dear Colleagues:
I am pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Ashley M. Helton as the Deputy Director of the Institute of the Environment (IoE). Dr. Helton is an Associate Professor in the Department of Natural Resources & the Environment and a Core Faculty Member in the Center for Environmental Sciences & Engineering. She also recently served as Acting Director of the Institute of the Environment.
Dr. Helton obtained her PhD in Ecology (2004) from the University of Georgia and was a Postdoctoral Research Associate at Duke University before joining the faculty at UConn in 2013. She currently holds the Al Geib Term Professorship in Environmental Engineering Research & Education. In addition, she received the UConn-AAUP Excellence in Research and Creativity Early Career Award in 2019, and the Donald M. Kinsman Award for Excellence in Teaching from the College of Agriculture, Health, and Natural Resources in 2017.
Dr. Helton is a prodigious scholar, having published over 50 peer-reviewed journal articles. In addition, she currently enjoys extensive extramural support from National Science Foundation, US Department of Agriculture, US Geological Survey, Long Island Sound Study Research Fund, Connecticut Institute of Water Resources, and Connecticut Sea Grant College Program.
Dr. Helton has been the major advisor of 4 PhD and 6 MS, has directed the research of 2 Postdoctoral Associates, and has mentored 18 undergraduate researchers while at UConn. Her research is multidisciplinary in nature, with a focus on landscape biogeochemistry, the effects of climate change and land use change on carbon and nitrogen cycling, watershed and floodplain hydrology, and aquatic ecosystem ecology.
As deputy director, Dr. Helton will engage in all facets of research, education, and engagement by the institute, especially those related to integrative and strategic activities, including promotion of justice, equity, diversity, and inclusiveness. She is a dedicated advocate of multidisciplinary and collaborative engagement and I look forward to her partnership in leading the institute’s activities. Please join me in congratulating her on this appointment.
Sincerely,
Mike
Michael R. Willig, Ph.D.
Board of Trustees Distinguished Professor
Executive Director—Institute of the Environment
For more information, contact: Mike Willig at michael.willig@uconn.edu