13 November, 2017
New appointment for lake and freshwater science
The University of Waikato has appointed a new Bay of Plenty Regional Council Chair in Lake and Freshwater Science.
He’s Dr Troy Baisden, who will take up the professorship on 14 November, leaving his current position at GNS Science.
“My particular interest is to provide New Zealand with the ‘big-picture’ understanding required to manage our most
important environmental issues, with a focus on water quality, climate change mitigation and climate impacts,” says Dr
Baisden.
“The science behind the management of the Rotorua Lakes has been seen as national and international success. I look
forward to building on that,” he says.
“The next steps for improving water quality are well-matched to my experience, which runs from soils into water. I’m
confident the tools I’ve been developing at GNS Science will help the community find further steps to improve water
quality, while we begin to assess risks from climate change.”
Dr Baisden says his career has closely tracked the efforts of environmental science to address big issues. “My first
project looked at acid rain, just as government and industry agreed on solutions to this issue in North America and
Europe, and a global treaty tackled ozone depletion. Those successes provide a model we can apply to climate change and
water quality, but today’s issues are harder because solutions need commitment from communities rather than just a few
big companies.”
He says he was attracted to the professorship and Chair appointment because the relationship between the Bay of Plenty
region and university is well designed to seek solutions to big environmental problems, where the stakes and uncertainty
are both very high because they’re such large catchments.
Regional Council Chairman Doug Leeder says the Council, the community and iwi look forward to working with someone of Dr
Baisden’s calibre with the expertise to continue the great work that has been undertaken in the past 15 years.
“His work in isotope monitoring will enhance our understanding of nutrient and water flows in the terrestrial
environment and the interaction with fresh water. This is a key component of the Rotorua Te Arawa Lakes Programme in
confirming land use change targets.”
The Chair position was established in 2002 and is funded by the Regional Council.
“We pride ourselves on delivering actions and interventions to improve water quality that are based on a solid
foundation of science,” says Mr Leeder. “The relationship with the University of Waikato, a world leader in fresh water
science research, and the appointment of an independent Chair is integral to that commitment.”
Dr Baisden grew up deeply connected to tidal waterways in rural Maryland, USA and completed his PhD at the University
California, Berkeley. He has been in New Zealand since 2001, working at Landcare Research before moving to GNS Science.
In addition, Dr Baisden has been appointed a Principal Investigator with Te Pūnaha Matatini Centre of Research
Excellence to lead a project that develops tools to detect where and when climate change may push ecosystems and
agriculture toward tipping points.
He has 15 years of leadership experience on national research programmes and has served on a number of leadership teams
co-ordinating climate change research nationally. He also has an effective presence on social media for academic and
community communication.
Dr Baisden is no stranger to the University of Waikato, having supervised PhD students in both soil and freshwater
research.
University Deputy Vice-Chancellor Research Professor Bruce Clarkson says the university is delighted to have attracted
an appointee of Dr Baisden’s calibre. “We look forward to fully reconnecting with our Bay of Plenty sponsors and
stakeholders. Over time, we will have additional positions that Troy will be in a position to appoint suitably qualified
scientists and post-grad students to complement his own expertise.”
The Rotorua Te Arawa Lakes Programme is a partnership with Rotorua Lakes Council, Te Arawa Lakes Trust and Bay of Plenty
Regional Council with funding from Ministry for the Environment. The partner organisations work together to protect and
restore water quality in 12 Rotorua lakes for the enjoyment and use of present and future generations.