Colorado State University Partners With New Zealand On Environmental Research
On May 27, 1999, Colorado State University (Fort Collins, CO; 970-491-6308) will sign an agreement with the National Institute for Water and Atmospheric Research (Auckland, New Zealand) to develop solutions for environmental problems. The agreement will encourage faculty, students, and administrators to collaborate on research and outreach projects. It will also increase the exchange of information and personnel between the two institutions.
About The Agreement
Joint Research History
About The Agreement (Back to Top)
"This agreement recognizes an active relationship between the National Institute for Water and Atmospheric Research and Colorado State while also providing an opportunity to expand the relationship in the future," says Robert Ward, director of the Colorado Water Resources Research Institute at Colorado State. "The agreement enhances opportunities for top-level researchers from the two institutions to find solutions for environmental challenges common to both countries."
A five-year international memorandum of understanding will be signed in a ceremony attended by researchers from both institutions. Colorado State Provost Lauren Crabtree, Colorado State Interim Vice Provost for International Programs Alicia Cook, New Zealand Ambassador to the US Jim Bolger, and the CEO of the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research Paul Hargreaves will also attend the ceremony.
In another joint effort, Colorado State has launched a student exchange program with Lincoln University at Christchurch, New Zealand.
Joint Research History (Back to Top)
Colorado State researchers have collaborated with New Zealand scientists for many years. The collaboration has occurred in areas including water quality monitoring, environmental statistics, fish toxicology, modeling, and forest hydrology.
Before the signing ceremony, New Zealand officials will tour the Colorado State research laboratories, where joint research is being conducted. Current collaborative research efforts include a project on fish toxicology supervised by Will Clements, Colorado State professor of fishery and wildlife biology, and Chris Hickey, scientist with the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research laboratory (Hamilton, New Zealand).
In another project that has lasted 13 years, Jim Loftis, Colorado State professor in the chemical and bioresource engineering department, and Graham McBride of New Zealand's National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research, have researched the proper use of statistical methods to convert water quality data into usable information.
The National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research focuses on the sustainable management of New Zealand's atmospheric, marine, and freshwater systems and associated resources. The institute operates with its own board of directors; the New Zealand government holds its shares. With a staff of 600, the institute has annual revenue of $60 million derived from commercial enterprise and competitive research grants. The institute has research campuses across New Zealand in Auckland, Hamilton, Wellington, Nelson, Christchurch, and Lauder.
For more information, call Robert Ward at Colorado State University at 970-491-6308, or e-mail rcw@lamar.colostate.edu.