We are pleased to welcome Dr. Jason Rohr, the Ludmilla F., Stephen J., and Robert T. Galla College Professor and Chair of Biological Sciences at the University of Notre Dame, as our seminar speaker on Monday, January 26. A world leader in ecology and public health, Dr. Rohr was recently honored as an International Champion of the 2024 Frontiers Planet Prize and a 2025 Fellow of the Ecological Society of America for his transformative work in sustainability science.

In his talk, "Planetary health innovations for disease, agriculture, water, energy, sustainability, and poverty challenges in Africa and beyond," Dr. Rohr will discuss his "win-win" research in West Africa. This project addresses the scourge of schistosomiasis by removing invasive aquatic vegetation that harbors disease-carrying snails and repurposing that biomass into livestock feed and organic fertilizer—simultaneously improving public health, local agriculture, and economic stability.