Wayne State faculty member named president of the International Association for Great Lakes Research

DETROIT — The International Association for Great Lakes Research today announced its new board of directors and has named Donna Kashian, Ph.D., professor of biological sciences and director of environmental sciences in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at Wayne State University, as president. Kashian previously served as vice president of the board.

Founded in 1967, the International Association for Great Lakes Research is a scientific organization made up of researchers studying the Laurentian Great Lakes, other large lakes of the world and their watersheds, as well as those with an interest in such research. The association’s important work brings together researchers across disciplines, knowledge systems and domains of expertise to collaborate. The organization is a trusted source of science-based knowledge about the Great Lakes and other large lake ecosystems.

Kashian is a researcher with expertise in aquatic ecology, ecotoxicology and invasion ecology. Her research focuses on aquatic organisms to understand the impacts of environmental contaminants and examines challenges related to environmental justice, particularly in urban contexts where underserved groups may be more exposed to environmental pollutants. She has developed methods to improve water quality monitoring, and her findings have been integrated into community programs to raise awareness about environmental health threats.

Kashian leads the United Nations Regional Centre of Expertise (RCE) Detroit-Windsor, a joint effort between Wayne State University and the University of Windsor. This partnership is part of the Global RCE Network and works to identify actions that address climate change, economic and health disparities, and social inequity to create a more sustainable future for the Detroit-Windsor region. Learn more about this partnership at https://s.wayne.edu/unrce/.

Kashian also leads Wayne State’s Research Experience and Training Coordination Core in the Center for Leadership in Environmental Awareness and Research – or CLEAR – a center funded by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences of the National Institutes of Health (P42ES030991).

“Dr. Donna Kashian is an excellent choice to lead the board of directors of the International Association for Great Lakes Research,” said Ezemenari M. Obasi, Ph.D., vice president for research at Wayne State University. “Her commitment to their core values and vision — particularly that of inspiring curiosity, awe and respect for our lake ecosystems and the people who have an interest in their well-being and impact on lives — makes Dr. Kashian an excellent leader for the association. I look forward to the great work that she and the rest of their board of directors will do.”

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About Wayne State University

Wayne State University is one of the nation’s pre-eminent public research universities in an urban setting. Through its multidisciplinary approach to research and education, and its ongoing collaboration with government, industry and other institutions, the university seeks to enhance economic growth and improve the quality of life in the city of Detroit, state of Michigan and throughout the world. For more information about research at Wayne State University, visit research.wayne.edu.

Wayne State University’s research efforts are dedicated to a prosperity agenda that betters the lives of our students, supports our faculty in pushing the boundaries of knowledge and innovation further, and strengthens the bonds that interconnect Wayne State and our community. To learn more about Wayne State University’s prosperity agenda, visit president.wayne.edu/prosperity-agenda.