Houlton
Research Group
Global Environmental Studies
​
​
We investigate how people and ecosystems shape our world. We combine tools from microbial genetics, chemistry, data science, remote sensing and modeling in our global research studies. Our mission is to increase science and solutions for the benefit of humanity, nature, and the economy.
**Country-scale map of our recent collaborations\
Scientific Discovery for People, Ecosystems & Planet
Research Team 2019 - 2020: yes we love rocks (not pictured, Dr. Maya Alamaz)
The Global Environmental Studies Lab spans the University of California and Cornell University, where since 2020 Ben has been the Ronald P. Lynch Dean of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and a faculty member in the Departments of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and Global Development. We believe that science must be freely available to everyone without pretense or barriers.
RESEARCH AREAS
Climate change is an issue that affects, business, industry, people, ecosystems and the economy. It is pressing that we develop a more complete understanding of how the world can work to solve climate change through innovation and workforce development. We examine sources of greenhouse gases and how such sources can be mitigated. This includes R&D on low tech carbon capture opportunities spanning 100 acres in partnership with farmers and ranchers, and examining the efficacy of policy solutions such as Cap and Trade. We also work with business, industry, policy makers and researchers to create new pathways of cooperation and unleash climate solutions.
Increasingly, the biogeochemical innovations that have allowed us to grow food, build businesses, develop industries and advance new technologies will need to be considered within the context of the long-term health and welfare of people, ecosystems and the economy. We strive to advance basic biogeochemical science and apply it to a sustainable worldview, from molecular to global scales.
Mathematical modeling allows us to scale information into global patterns, processes and predictions. We strive to examine globally-important questions and identify regional-scale differences in the environment with the aim of advancing science and advising policy decisions.
