UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Andrew Warner has joined the Institutes of Energy and the Environment as the director of a new University-wide initiative designed to elevate Penn State’s prominence as a center of excellence in water.
Warner has worked in the water sector throughout his 30-year career, with experience in the private and public sectors, non-governmental organizations and academia. He brings technical and policy expertise in water resource and water infrastructure management, watershed restoration in urban and agricultural landscapes, biodiversity conservation, environmental remediation, and ecosystem health and services. Additionally, he has built and managed multidisciplinary teams in developing and implementing sustainable and climate-resilient water strategies across North America, Asia, Latin America and Africa.
Warner said Penn State is well positioned to play a catalytic role in helping to address many of the world’s water challenges at a time when 20th-century solutions are strained and failing.
“Penn State has an enviable breadth and depth of water and water-related expertise,” Warner said. “We now have the opportunity to tap this expertise and launch an initiative that enhances innovation across the water space and illustrates that innovation through teaching, research and direct engagement that benefits communities across Pennsylvania and around the world.”
Access to clean, reliable water is foundational to the health of every person on earth and the ecosystems that support life, Warner said.
“Water is also critical for the health of our communities and the vibrancy of our economy,” he said. “It flows through agricultural production, manufacturing, energy generation and so much more.”
However, water in the extremes — floods and droughts — and degraded water quality can wreak havoc.
“Because many of today’s water challenges are large and complex, finding solutions requires experts from a wide spectrum of disciplines,” Warner said. “I am eager to see Penn State’s impact on these challenges evolve and grow as we further pursue the University’s commitment to serving communities.”