FAMU prof joins elite ecological research team

FAMU Professor Larry Robinson was a just teenager when Motown's Marvin Gaye released his 1971 “Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology).” But nonetheless, he’s dedicated his academic career to confronting the tough issues of pollution, endangered species, and global warming raised in the classic song.

Most recently, Robinson was selected to be one of just 16 scientists and engineers to serve a three-year term as a founding member of the National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON) Science Technology Education Advisory Committee (STEAC).

NEON, which is sponsored by the National Science Foundation, serves as a “sentinel system” for environmental change across the United States. Its focuses include: climate change, soil characteristics, and air and water quality.

STEAC is NEON’s primary technical advisory committee and will provide strategic guidance on the planning, construction and operations of NEON and advice on emerging science issues.

“I feel extremely fortunate to be selected to serve on STEAC and to be able to provide input on what might very well become one of the most important investments our nation will make in the understanding of ecological issues over the next several decades,” Robinson said.

Robinson is a professor of Environmental Sciences. During the course of his FAMU career, he has also served as director of the Environmental Sciences Institute, provost, and acting CEO.

Read more at NEON’s official site here.

Here’s an RN tribute to Dr. Robinson and the importance of his work:

Also see: Robinson named interim president