Lafayette Reporter

Dr.  Jorge Villa, assistant professor in the School of Geosciences at the  University of Louisiana at Lafayette, is a self-described wetlands  scientist. He studies the functions of wetland ecosystems using  experimental setups at multiple scales from controlled settings in  experimental wetlands to the extensive marshes of the Gulf Coast.

A recent award from the U.S. Department of Energy will help Villa  focus specifically on greenhouse gas fluxes in freshwater coastal  wetlands and how these fluxes are affected by saltwater intrusion over  time.

Villa received the prestigious Early Career Research Award from the  U.S. Department of Energy. Under the program, he will receive nearly  $750,000 over five years.

Results of Villa’s research will help improve computer models used to  estimate methane emissions from wetlands, specifically on how these  models deal with changes in water and soil salinity as sea level rises.  In addition, student researchers at UL Lafayette will gain experience by  working with Villa on this project.

“One of the aspects that excites me about this project is the  possibility of being able to support multiple Ph.D. students, which is  the single most crucial task of faculty in R1 institutions,” said Villa.  “I also hope to attract new undergraduate and graduate students and  support postdoctoral stances in my lab.”

Earlier this year, the Carnegie Classification of Institutes of  Higher Education designated UL Lafayette a Research 1 university. Only  3% of public and private institutions in the U.S. have earned the  top-tier designation.

“Dr. Villa is a respected researcher in geosciences, which makes this  Early Career Award a well-deserved one,” said Dr. Azmy Ackleh, dean of  the Ray P. Authement College of Sciences. “We are fortunate to have  faculty like Dr. Villa who are working to solve regional and global  issues facing our world.”

To be eligible for the DOE award, a researcher must be an untenured,  tenure-track assistant or associate professor at a U.S. academic  institution or a full-time employee at a DOE national laboratory.  Selection was based on peer review by outside scientific experts.

“Supporting talented researchers early in their career is key to  fostering scientific creativity and ingenuity within the national  research community,” said Asmeret Asefaw Berhe, director of DOE’s Office  of Science. “Dedicating resources to these focused projects led by  well-deserved investigators helps maintain and grow America’s scientific  skill set for generations to come.”

Photo caption: Dr Jorge Villa. Submitted photo

Original source can be found here.