Aarhus University (AU)
Aarhus University (AU) aims to provide research and education of the highest international quality, and strong partnerships with our society. AU has strong impact and influence across the entire spectrum of disciplines, locally, nationally, and globally.
AU ranks among the top 100 of >17.000 universities worldwide in several international rankings.
Role in the project
Aarhus University will contribute to SYBERAC from two different departments, The Department of Environmental Science (ENVS), and The Social Ecological Systems Simulation (SESS) Centre at the Department of Ecoscience.
The contributions of AU are split between WP1, 2 and 3:
WP1 (stakeholder engagement) will be led by Dr. James Henty Williams (SESS).WP2 (case studies) will include input on environmental chemistry and fate of pollutants, provided by Prof. Dr. Kai Bester (ENVS).
WP3 (modelling) will include input on ecological modelling provided by Prof. Dr. Christopher John Topping (SESS).
People involved
Christopher John Topping
Leads the Social-Ecological Systems Simulation (SESS) Centre at AU. Transdisciplinary systems modelling incl. arthropods, birds, mammals, and systems approaches to agricultural and landscape modelling. The originator of the Animal Landscape and Man Simulation System (ALMaSS) used for policy studies and to drive many scientific research projects. Works with implementing scientifically based agricultural and environmental policy at national and EU levels via modelling.
Natasha Mølgaard
Kai Bester
Leads the Center for Advanced Water Purification at the Department for Environmental Science/Section for Environmental Chemistry. KB is educated chemist and focusses on the input, fate and processes relevant for organic micropollutants. KB has conducted multiple studies on the fate of organic micropollutants in sludge, and sludge post processing before being amended to agricultural soils. KB has also conducted multiple studies on the fate of pesticides and other compounds in agricultural soils.
Social science research assistant and SESS Centre. Supporting social science developments in collaboration with James H. Williams. Assists on national and European level projects. Experienced in conducting interviews (structured / semi-structured and non-structured), participant observations, facilitating workshops, stakeholder engagement, and multi-actor analysis.
Sophie Lennartz
Postdoc in the Environmental Chemistry and Toxicology section at ENVS. Background in environmental sciences focusing on the transport, fate and exposure of organic contaminants in support of terrestrial risk assessment. Specific interest in the interactions between chemicals and microorganisms and new risk assessment approaches. Within SYBERAC she contributes to the Danish case study on the fate and risks of emerging contaminants entering farmland via secondary fertilizers.
James Henty Williams
SESS Centre member and social scientist. Leading or contributing to social science and humanities activities of several national and European level projects. Establishing a multi-actor forum (expert and practitioner groups) and co-development processes. Specialised in research and application of theoretical concepts in decision-making processes for natural resource management. Particular areas of interest are adaptive management, decision modelling, multi-actor engagement and social learning.
Liyan Xie
Ecological modelling research assistant at the SESS Centre with an ecotoxicology background. Contributing to environmental risk assessment of chemicals and ecological modelling on soil organisms. Supporting in applying pesticide fate model, developing and applying species models in the ALMaSS context. Within the SYBERAC project, I will focus on developing scenarios input for investigate the effect of sludge and how organic farming practices influence biodiversity at landscape level.
Peet Thomsen
Ecological modelling research assistant at the SESS Centre supporting species modelling. Experience spans the entire spectrum of species model development, calibration, and validation with a significant focus on aphid modelling. Supporting project planning, desk research and data analysis. Experience in developing and applying species models in the ALMaSS context, including developing scenario input.