I am delighted to announce that Bonnie Keeler, PhD, has been named the new director of the Water Resources Center (WRC) following a nationwide search. She will officially join the WRC on January 7, 2026. In the meantime, Joel Larson will serve as interim co-director alongside Jeff Peterson, who will continue part-time in this role after transitioning back to his faculty position in the Department of Applied Economics. Together, they will ensure a smooth transition.
Bonnie currently is an associate professor at the University of Minnesota Humphrey School of Public Affairs, where she shares the Charles M. Denny Endowed Chair in Science, Technology, and Environmental Policy, and is co-director of the Center for Science, Technology, and Environmental Policy. While Bonnie will lead the WRC in a full-time capacity, she also will hold a faculty appointment in the Department of Forest Resources, which will serve as her tenure home.
Prior to joining the Humphrey School in 2018, Bonnie was a program director and lead scientist for the Natural Capital Project (NatCap) at the U of M Institute on the Environment. She has served on numerous state and federal advisory boards and has led dozens of external grants including large interdisciplinary networks comprised of national and international academics, scholars, and practitioners. Bonnie is an expert in water resources science and management with a focus on environmental justice, community engaged scholarship, and the evaluation of water quality programs and policies.
A native Minnesotan, Bonnie earned both her PhD and her MS at the U of M Twin Cities. She received a BA in biology from the Colorado College.
As WRC director, Bonnie will continue to drive the execution of the WRC 2024-2028 Strategic Plan and advance the WRC’s mission to address current and emerging water challenges through collaborative research, education, and engagement in Minnesota and beyond. We are fortunate to have someone with her extensive experience, expertise, and passion in this important role.
I also want to express my thanks to Jeff Peterson, who did an outstanding job leading the WRC for more than nine years. During his tenure, the WRC grew exponentially and added a number of successful new programs. Under his leadership, he positioned the WRC well for further growth and success, and both CFANS and Extension are pleased to continue to be supportive partners. In addition, I’d like to thank Joel Larson, who has graciously been serving as a WRC co-director alongside Jeff.
I’m also grateful to the search committee for their diligence during and investment in the hiring process:
- Brent Williams (Chair), Department Head, Soil, Water and Climate
- Adam Birr, Executive Director and CEO, Minnesota Corn Growers Association
- Anna Cates, Assistant Professor and Extension Specialist, Soil, Water and Climate
- Chanlan Chun, Associate Professor; Co-director of Graduate Studies, WRC; Swenson College of Science and Engineering — U of M Duluth, and Natural Resources Research Institute (NRRI)
- Tracy Fallon, former Water Resources Science (WRS) Graduate Program Coordinator, WRC
- Gretchen Hansen, Associate Professor, Fisheries Ecology, Fisheries, Wildlife and Conservation Biology
- Joel Larson, Associate Director, Extension Program Leader - Water, WRC
- Gary Sands, Professor, Bioproducts and Biosystems Engineering
- Lian Shen, Director, St. Anthony Falls Laboratory; Professor, Mechanical Engineering, College of Science and Engineering