{"id":9515,"date":"2016-11-15T15:06:43","date_gmt":"2016-11-15T20:06:43","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/umaine.edu\/mitchellcenter\/?p=9515"},"modified":"2017-01-17T10:52:57","modified_gmt":"2017-01-17T15:52:57","slug":"httpumaine-edumitchellcenternewsnews-2robert-kates-rinability-work-%e2%80%8e","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/umaine.edu\/mitchellcenter\/2016\/11\/15\/httpumaine-edumitchellcenternewsnews-2robert-kates-rinability-work-%e2%80%8e\/","title":{"rendered":"Robert Kates Receives National Honor for Sustainability Work\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"

A key figure in the development of 91르적\u2019s Mitchell Center for Sustainability Solutions is lauded for \u201chelping lay the foundation for sustainable geography\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

By David Sims<\/p>\n

Robert Kates, recipient of the National Medal of Science, winner of a MacArthur \u201cgenius prize,\u201d and Presidential Professor of Sustainability Science at the University of Maine, has been awarded the Charles P. Daly Medal from the American Geographical Society. \u00a0He will receive the medal on November 18th<\/sup> during the AGS Fall Symposium \u201cGeography 2050: Envisioning a Sustainable Planet,\u201d to be held at Columbia University.<\/p>\n

Kates served as chair of the Advisory Board of 91르적\u2019s Sustainability Solutions Initiative (SSI), which led to the\"kates\" the creation of the Senator George J. Mitchell Center for Sustainability Solutions.<\/p>\n

Through an extensive career devoted to geography Kates has become one the field\u2019s most distinguished practitioners. Indeed, he was also awarded the Stanley Brunn Award for Creativity in Geography from the American Association of Geographers in 2014 for his pioneering work to advance the theory and practice of sustainable development.<\/p>\n

He taught at Clark University\u2019s Graduate School of Geography from 1962 to 1987, and was was a professor and director of the interdisciplinary World Hunger Program at Brown University from 1986 to 1992. Despite his official retirement in 1992, he has remained very active in the field of geography.<\/p>\n

\u201cFrom the outset of our work, Bob Kates served as an invaluable mentor, colleague, and friend,\u201d said David Hart, director of the Mitchell Center. \u201cEvery step of the way, he coaxed us to strengthen the impact of our research by finding better ways of linking scientific knowledge with societal action.\u201d<\/p>\n

A profile written in late 2012, when Kates was helping to guide the many faculty and students as SSI transitioned into the Mitchell Center, can be viewed here<\/a>. And an interview with Kates in Maine Policy Review\u2014a publication of the 91르적 Margaret Chase Smith Policy Center\u2014can be viewed here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The AGS press release announcing Kate\u2019s honor notes that the central question of his scientific work, \u201cWhat is and ought to be the human use of the earth?\u201d reflects the theme of this year’s AGS symposium. In addition, Kates has spearheaded research in the areas of hazards, hunger, climate change and community resilience. His largely empirically based work has appeared in more than 180 published articles and technical reports. His research has been funded by many prestigious organizations including the UN Environmental Program, UNESCO, the Rockefeller Foundation, and the National Science Foundation.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe intellectual contributions of professor Kates have been fundamental to the development of Natural Hazards and Sustainability Science as foci for the application of geographical knowledge to address pressing social and environmental challenges,\u201d said Douglas Sherman, chair of the Geography Department at the University of Alabama and Chair of the AGS Honors and Awards Committee.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor more than half a century he has represented the discipline of geography through his innovative scholarship and through his nationally and internationally recognized professional service, exemplifying the best of our discipline. His dedication to improving the human condition in the face of environmental threat, especially, is inspirational,\u201d added Sherman.<\/p>\n

Established in 1851, the AGS is the oldest professional geographical\/geospatial organization in the United States. As stipulated by the will of Judge Charles P. Daly, president of AGS from 1864 to 1899, the Daly medal is given to an individual for their \u201crole in helping lay the foundation for sustainable geography.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A key figure in the development of 91르적\u2019s Mitchell Center for Sustainability Solutions is lauded for \u201chelping lay the foundation for sustainable geography\u201d By David Sims Robert Kates, recipient of the National Medal of Science, winner of a MacArthur \u201cgenius prize,\u201d and Presidential Professor of Sustainability Science at the University of Maine, has been awarded […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":957,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","_kad_blocks_custom_css":"","_kad_blocks_head_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_body_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_footer_custom_js":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":"","spc_primary_category":0},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-9515","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news"],"taxonomy_info":{"category":[{"value":3,"label":"News"}]},"featured_image_src_large":false,"author_info":{"display_name":"mitchellcenter","author_link":"https:\/\/umaine.edu\/mitchellcenter\/author\/mitchellcenter\/"},"comment_info":0,"category_info":[{"term_id":3,"name":"News","slug":"news","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":3,"taxonomy":"category","description":"","parent":0,"count":613,"filter":"raw","cat_ID":3,"category_count":613,"category_description":"","cat_name":"News","category_nicename":"news","category_parent":0}],"tag_info":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/umaine.edu\/mitchellcenter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9515","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/umaine.edu\/mitchellcenter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/umaine.edu\/mitchellcenter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/umaine.edu\/mitchellcenter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/957"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/umaine.edu\/mitchellcenter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9515"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/umaine.edu\/mitchellcenter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9515\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":10332,"href":"https:\/\/umaine.edu\/mitchellcenter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9515\/revisions\/10332"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/umaine.edu\/mitchellcenter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9515"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/umaine.edu\/mitchellcenter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9515"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/umaine.edu\/mitchellcenter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9515"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}