We are excited to announce that Thomas Parr has joined the Great Lakes/Northern Forest Cooperative Ecosystem as our new Research Coordinator. We are indebted to Erin Williams, who held this position for more than seven years, and is now focusing on coordinating another major Great Lakes program.
Parr is based at the University of Minnesota campus in Saint Paul, where he will assist with cooperative research and the development of future federal career experiences.
Prior to this position, Parr was the Network Coordinator for the Great Lakes Inventory and Monitoring program. An ecosystem ecologist by training, he has investigated how landcover, hydrology, biology, and chemistry interact in watersheds to shape their structure and function, and the ecosystem services we derive from them. Parr holds a PhD in Biology from the University of Maine and master’s degrees in public affairs and environmental science from Indiana University.
Originally from the Twin Ports area, Parr is intimately familiar with the waters and woods of the upper Midwest and northeast. He is excited to continue working with parks, NPS staff, superintendents, and partners in his new role to support all stages of developing projects that prepare your parks’ watersheds for the challenges that lie ahead.
If you find yourself on the U of M campus in Saint Paul, please stop by 303E Green Hall to say hello and chat with Parr about cooperative research!