MSU's Bruno Basso appointed to prestigious National Academies board
Michigan State University ecosystems scientist Bruno Basso has been appointed a member of the Board on Agriculture and Natural Resources (BANR), the major program unit of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM).
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Basso is one of BANR’s seven new board members appointed to a three-year term; BANR also reappointed six current board members to a second term. There are a total of 19 board members, plus a chair and director. As a board member, Basso will engage with federal, state and private sector sponsors seeking the National Academies’ independent, authoritative advice to develop and promote the board’s own initiatives and will provide guidance to BANR staff.
“Dr. Basso’s appointment to this board is yet another affirmation of his individual research expertise, as well as the collective strength of agricultural related sciences at Michigan State,” said Doug Gage, vice president for Research and Innovation at MSU. “Serving on the BANR will provide a platform for the sharing of knowledge at the highest level benefiting both MSU and the agricultural community.”
The BANR addresses issues related to the production of food, fiber, and fuel and the stewardship of the natural resources that support those activities. A variety of problems and causes drive BANR’s work on the issues in these fields. Often conflicts arise between growing demands for food and resources and the impacts on the natural ecosystem of developing and producing these resources. The need to sustain, restore and improve the productivity of agriculture for the economic well-being of the nation can also generate serious questions.
“Serving on this board offers a unique opportunity,” said Basso, MSU Foundation Professor in the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences (EES) in the College of Natural Science and a W. K. Kellogg Biological Station faculty member. “Interacting with upstanding scientists from different disciplines leads to stimulating discussions and new ideas. The board brings completely different suites of knowledge and tools and visions, and these different perspectives help expand thinking about what's possible.”
Prior to his appointment to the BANR, Basso has supported NASEM’s efforts through several activities, including chairing, planning and speaking at several workshops on the development of a dynamic soil information system, the health impacts of nitrogen and carbon markets.
“Only scientists held in very high esteem are chosen for appointment to this board,” said Jeffrey Freymueller, Endowed Chair for Geology of the Solid Earth and EES interim department chair, who was enthusiastic about Basso’s appointment. “Bruno is one of the world’s leading ecosystems scientists, and he will help the board give good advice to federal and state agencies, or to others who bring issues forward to the National Academies. His selection is another sign of the growing strength and influence of our department.”
Basso is an internationally renowned expert in crop modeling and land use sustainability. His research integrates diverse disciplines such as biophysics, climatology, hydrology, genetics, agronomy and soil science to understand the spatial and temporal variabilities of crop yield and environmental outcomes in agricultural systems. With a focus on sustainable row crop production, Basso is harnessing advanced UAV technology and predictive process-based models to quantify the impact of current and future climate, soil, genetics and management on crop yield and ecosystem services.
For a list of current NASEM Board of Agriculture and Natural Resources members, visit https://bit.ly/3M8VKdG.
Banner image: The National Academies Board of Agriculture and Natural Resources addresses issues related to the production of food, fiber, and fuel and the stewardship of the natural resources that support those activities.
