VUB brings four US climate researchers to Brussels

Vrije Universiteit Brussel is bringing four established US climate researchers to Brussels for a three-year collaboration designed to deepen its work on climate, energy and sustainability.

Valerie Trouet of the University of Arizona, David O. Prevatt of the University of Florida, Sol Kim of the University of Chicago and Kirsten Heikkinen Dodson of Lipscomb University will join the VUB-US Research Chair program. The initiative receives support from the Helios Foundation.

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The researchers are not meant to break their ties with their American university.

Each researcher brings a different specialty. Trouet studies how tree rings can reveal climate change in the past and will work with VUB climate scientist Wim Thiery. Prevatt focuses on making homes and cities more resilient to extreme natural events. At VUB, he will collaborate with Michael Ryckewaert and other researchers in urban planning, architecture, housing policy and climate adaptation.

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Thanks to the Research Chairs, they can develop research and collaborations at VUB to address global climate and sustainability challenges.

Kim works on extreme weather, climate attribution and artificial intelligence. Heikkinen Dodson specializes in humanitarian engineering. VUB says the appointments will allow the researchers to build projects and partnerships in Brussels without ending their ties to their US universities.

Pieter Ballon, VUB’s vice-rector for research, said, "The researchers are not meant to break their ties with their American university." He described the chairs as a way to develop research and cooperation on global climate and sustainability challenges. Rector Jan Danckaert said international cooperation is essential because climate change cannot be understood or addressed through one discipline or one country.

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The climate challenge is inherently interdisciplinary and international. You cannot understand and address climate change from one discipline or one country.