From left: Prof Karen Wiltshire and Richie Boucher. Image: Paul Sharp
The new position is funded by CRH, the building materials group headquartered in Dublin.
Environmental scientist Prof Karen Wiltshire has been appointed as the inaugural CRH chair of climate science at Trinity College Dublin.
Wiltshire, who is an alumna of Trinity, is a well-known climate ecologist and expert in coastal research. She assumed her new role last month after wrapping up as vice-director at Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research in Bremerhaven, Germany. She also held a professorship in shelf sea ecology at the University of Kiel.
The latest position is a joint appointment by Trinity’s School of Engineering and School of Natural Sciences. It is funded by CRH, the building materials group headquartered in Dublin.
In an announcement today (19 August), Trinity said that Wiltshire brings with her a wealth of international and multidisciplinary research experience around “whole-system climate resilience”.
As chair of climate science, she will focus on innovative ways to combine the needs of society, renewable energy and nature towards a sustainable climate and human future. This includes research into “long-term climate-related shifts” in vulnerable ecosystems and food webs.
“It has never been more urgent for universities to pursue ground-breaking climate research,” said Trinity provost Dr Linda Doyle. “I am delighted that Trinity has appointed such a superb researcher as the first-ever chair of climate science, and I am looking forward to the contribution Karen will make to research in sustainability.”
Expressing her eagerness to work with Trinity and other Irish institutions, Wiltshire said everyone showcases “impressive climate expertise”.
“This means there is great potential for engaging all stakeholders, especially in tech and engineering, which is key to the transformation of society and the natural environment. This gives me hope for Ireland’s climate resilience and future sustainability.”
In February, Trinity unveiled the long-awaited Variable Atmospheric and Light (VAL) laboratory to study the effects of the climate crisis in precisely controlled conditions.
Originally funded by the Science Foundation Ireland research infrastructure scheme and by TCD in 2015, a long manufacturing process and Covid-19 delayed the project until now. The VAL lab includes six walk-in chambers that will enable teams of researchers from various disciplines to run experiments under specific light, atmosphere and climate conditions.
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