Don Wilhite
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Hi, I’m Don Wilhite, director and professor at the School of Natural Resources. I became director of SNR on August 1, 2007.
A member of the UNL faculty since 1977, I am also associated with the Applied Climate Science specialization and the human dimensions specialization. My areas of interest include drought preparedness, mitigation and policy, climate and drought monitoring, climate impact assessment, and the development of climate-based decision support tools.
Prior to becoming director of SNR, I was founder and director of the National Drought Mitigation Center. Throughout my career, I have worked with many federal and state agencies on climate and drought-related issues. I have also worked in many foreign countries and with numerous international organizations, including several agencies of the United Nations. Most of this work has been associated with the development and implementation of integrated drought monitoring programs and risk-based drought preparedness strategies and policies.
As director of the School of Natural Resources (SNR) at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, I am leading a group of very talented faculty from many disciplines that is developing one of the nation’s leading natural resources education, research, and outreach programs. Our expertise spans Applied Ecology, Applied Climate Science, Geography/GIScience, Geology and Soils, Human Dimensions, and Water. One of the major challenges is the integration of these fields of study in addressing a wide range of natural resource and environmental issues currently facing Nebraska, the Great Plains, the nation, and the world. SNR is building a truly global program of education, outreach, and research.
An excellent example of a complex environmental problem facing all nations is the issue of global climate change. Working together in an interdisciplinary fashion, incorporating input from stakeholders, SNR will help develop strategies that will enable Nebraska and the global community to adapt to and mitigate some of the current and projected impacts of climate change. I am currently leading a campus-wide initiative at UNL on climate change. This initiative provides a tremendous opportunity for our campus to bolster its efforts in climate change research and education.
Located on the eastern edge of the Great Plains, Nebraska is part of a large, fragile ecosystem that will be affected dramatically by projected changes in temperature and precipitation. The School’s faculty and staff are working to understand this complex environmental issue and address its far-reaching impacts. Our undergraduate and graduate students have the benefit of learning from some of the most talented scientists in the nation. Upon graduation, they are positioned to become leaders in natural resources and environmental management, education, and policy.
Please continue to examine the SNR website for more detailed information on our vision, mission, and programs.
Key Research Publications
- Iglesias, A., A. Cancelliere, F. Cubillo, L. Garrote, and D. Wilhite, eds. Coping with Drought Risk in Agriculture and Water Supply Systems: Drought Management and Policy Development in the Mediterranean. Springer Publishers, Dordrecht, The Netherlands. (in press)
- Wilhite, D.A. 2008. The Role of Monitoring as a Component of Preparedness Planning: Delivery of Information and Decision Support Tools. In: Iglesias, A., A. Cancelliere, F. Cubillo, L. Garrote, and D. Wilhite, eds. Coping with Drought Risk in Agriculture and Water Supply Systems: Drought Management and Policy Development in the Mediterranean. Springer Publishers, Dordrecht, The Netherlands. (in press)
- C.L. Knutson and D.A. Wilhite. 2008. New Developments and Opportunities for Drought Risk Reduction in Asia. In: P.K. Low (ed.), Global Change and Sustainable Development: Asia-Pacific Perspectives. Cambridge University Press: Cambridge, England. (in press)
- M. Dubrovsky, M.D. Svoboda, M. Trnka, M.J. Hayes, D.A. Wilhite, Z. Zalud, P. Hlavinka. 2008. Application of Relative Drought Indices in Assessing Climate Change Impacts on Drought Conditions in Czechia. Theoretical and Applied Climatology (in press), Springer.
- Wilhite, D.A., M. Svoboda, and M.J. Hayes. 2007. Understanding the Complex Impacts of Drought: A Key to Enhancing Drought Mitigation and Preparedness. J. of Water Resources Management 5: 763.774.
- Wilhite, D.A. 2005 Drought and Water Crises: Science, Technology and Management Issues. CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL.
- Botterill, L. C. and D.A. Wilhite (eds). 2004. From Disaster Response to Risk Management: Australia's National Drought Policy. Springer. Dordrecht, The Netherlands.
- Wilhite, D.A., 2003. Drought Policy and Preparedness: International Experiences and Future Directions, in Drought: People, Policy, and Place (L. Botterill and M. Fisher, eds.), Melbourne, Australia: CSIRO Publishing.
- Wilhite, D.A., 2002. Combating Drought through Preparedness. Natural Resources Forum 26: 275-285.
- Wilhite, D.A., 2001. Moving beyond Crisis Management, Forum for Applied Research and Public Policy 16(1):20-28. Special issue (invited).
- Wilhite, D.A., 2000. Drought: A Global Assessment (editor). Natural Hazards and Disasters Series, Routledge Publishers, London.
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| Potential Advising for Graduate Program |
Master of Science with a Specialization in
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| Course Number | Course Title | Day | Time | Cross Listings |
| NRES 999 | Doctoral Dissertation | ARR | ARR | None |
| SNR Faculties | Applied Climate Science, Human Dimensions |
| Areas of Interest | Drought, Mitigation, Planning, and Policy, Climate Assessment and Impacts, Climatology, Human dimensions of natural resources |
| Notable Website | http://drought.unl.edu/ |
| Notable Website | http://drought.unl.edu/dm |
| Notable website | http://drought.unl.edu/kids/ |
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