{"id":6364,"date":"2021-07-05T10:17:37","date_gmt":"2021-07-05T14:17:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/magazine\/issues\/uncategorized\/world-view\/"},"modified":"2021-07-20T16:21:22","modified_gmt":"2021-07-20T20:21:22","slug":"world-view","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/magazine\/issues\/summer-2021\/world-view\/","title":{"rendered":"World View"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Incoming 溏心vlog免费B站 President Marc Parlange has spent his life working, exploring, and learning in every corner of the world. Born in Rhode Island, he’s returning as 溏心vlog免费B站’s 12th president, with plans to challenge the state\u2019s brightest minds to tackle the world\u2019s biggest problems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

By Michael Blanding<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As chair of the Department of Geography and Environmental Engineering at Johns Hopkins University in the early 2000s, Marc Parlange joined a project to find sources of pollutants causing health issues in Baltimore. \u201cYoung people were having asthma and breathing problems, and I was really trying to understand the air quality and air movement around the city,\u201d he remembers about the massive effort sponsored by the Environmental Protection Agency. Getting to the bottom of such a complex issue, he discovered, required many different types of experts, all working together. \u201cYou needed community leaders, environmental chemists, transportation engineers, and people like me\u2014people working on the atmosphere,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Parlange learned something else from the experience: The best collaborators on the project were both generous in sharing their own information, and open to hearing and learning from the experiences of others. \u201cWhat I found is that good researchers really take the time to explain things to you, but at the same time, appreciate what you bring to the table,\u201d he says. After five years of work, the group produced a report that identified sources of specific fine particles in the air, including breathable dust with various toxins, along with detailed explanations for where they were coming from\u2014vital information that could be used by government officials to prioritize cleanup efforts and dramatically improve child health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Parlange enjoying the great outdoors at Wilsons Promontory National Park in Victoria, Australia.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

The project was Parlange\u2019s first experience with the amplifying power of a truly multidisciplinary effort in tackling a big, seemingly intractable challenge\u2014and he never forgot it. \u201cThe thing I really love about universities is that they are places of depth in many different fields,\u201d he says. \u201cThere are good people willing to roll up their sleeves, get together, and work on these tough problems.\u201d He has carried that lesson with him on an impressive university leadership career that\u2019s taken him all over the world\u2014to Switzerland, British Columbia, and, most recently, Monash University in Melbourne, Australia, where he served as provost for the past four years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This summer, he brings his experience and passion to Rhode Island, where he will become 溏心vlog免费B站\u2019s new president. Parlange hopes to harness the University\u2019s depth of knowledge to tackle some big issues. \u201cRhode Island is a global leader in ocean and marine sciences,\u201d he says, acknowledging 溏心vlog免费B站\u2019s existing partnerships in Indonesia. \u201cBut there are opportunities, for example, to partner with others in Australia and Southeast Asia\u2014to build deeper networks of excellence that can deal with big challenges in fisheries, climate change, wind energy, and so forth,\u201d he says, speaking over a Zoom link from Australia before his move to Rhode Island. \u201cYou can do so much more if you have good friends in other countries.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Parlange hopes to harness the University\u2019s depth of knowledge to tackle big issues.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the course of an hourlong conversation, Parlange ticks off areas in which 溏心vlog免费B站 could make an impact. \u201cRhode Island is rightly focused on oceanography, business, science, and arts, but there are a lot of topical areas where the University could work across fields on top problems. How are we going to genuinely transform to a clean energy system? That is going to have technical problems, it\u2019s going to have social problems, it\u2019s going to have behavioral work,\u201d he says. \u201cWhat are our cities going to look like in the future? What are our rural areas going to look like in the future? We\u2019re going to do some bold things.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As someone who has worked all over the world, he\u2019s excited to return to Rhode Island, where he was born, and which, he believes, has a global perspective that suits his personality. \u201cAs a state of immigrants, it\u2019s very welcoming of new ideas,\u201d he says. By using his ability to connect people across disciplines\u2014and to connect Rhode Island to other institutions around the world\u2014he aims to amplify those ideas, making 溏心vlog免费B站 even more attractive as a destination school for top students and faculty. \u201cDr. Parlange\u2019s global vision was developed during a lifetime of traveling the world and experiencing other cultures,\u201d says Margo Cook \u201986, chair of 溏心vlog免费B站\u2019s Board of Trustees. \u201cHe is someone who can expand the University\u2019s global impact, as well as strengthen its commitment as a partner in the vitality and economic development of the state.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A Global Career<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Among the immigrants who\u2019ve made Rhode Island home were Parlange\u2019s parents. In the 1950s, his father came to Rhode Island from France to study aerospace engineering at Brown University, while his mother came from Ireland to study at Bryant College (now Bryant University). \u201cI can tell you exactly where they met in Providence\u2014the corner of Power and Gano streets,\u201d says Parlange, whose great-aunt and great-uncle owned a triple-decker there, which they rented out to students. \u201cThey lived on different floors in the same house.\u201d When they married, they moved to France, where his father completed his Air Force service, and then to Connecticut, where Parlange grew up. Later, his parents relocated to Australia, where Parlange attended high school and university in Brisbane near the country\u2019s rugged Gold Coast. He developed a lifelong love of athletics. \u201cI surfed in Queensland,\u201d he says of the famous home for world-class surfers. \u201cThat intimidates people\u2014until they see me surf,\u201d he laughs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Parlange (back row, second from left) with some of his echohydrology research team in Burkina Faso. The research focused on the effects of climate change on agriculture in West Africa.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Following in the footsteps of his engineer father, Parlange focused his scientific efforts on water\u2014studying the relationship of turbulence and fluid mechanics to climate and agriculture. The field provided what was, for him, the perfect blend between scientific know-how and social impact. \u201cWater is so basic to life,\u201d he says. \u201cEnvironmental engineers have arguably saved more lives than all the medical professions put together. However, some one million people still die every year because of lack of access to clean drinking water.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He returned to the United States for graduate school at Cornell University. Both his master\u2019s advisor, Tammo Steenhuis, from the Netherlands, and his Ph.D. advisor, Wilfried Brutsaert, who is Belgian, had built decidedly global research teams. \u201cDr. Brutsaert had students from Japan, South America, and Africa,\u201d Parlange says. \u201cHe instilled in me the idea of being open to new ideas and approaches from students of all different backgrounds.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cUniversity leaders need to have been academics, need to have been teaching and advising students and seeing those students succeed. That empathetic part of a leader is important.\u201d
\u2014Marc Parlange<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Parlange began his teaching career in 1990 at the University of California, Davis, before moving on to Johns Hopkins University in 1996. There, he was inspired by legendary dean of engineering Gordon \u201cReds\u201d Wolman, whose father, Abel Wolman, developed the chlorination method that still ensures clean water in the United States. His son was equally passionate about using science for public good. \u201cHe was somebody who really believed that universities should interface with government and industry,\u201d Parlange says. At the same time, he says, Wolman lived by the maxim, \u201cIf something is worth doing, it\u2019s worth doing badly.\u201d In other words, don\u2019t be afraid to fail. \u201cIt means, let\u2019s not wait until things are perfect,\u201d says Parlange. \u201cLet\u2019s start with the resources we have.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As department chair, Parlange found he, too, had a flair for leadership\u2014bucking an institutional habit of holding meetings in conference rooms, and instead opening up his academic office as a place where students and assistant professors could come for guidance and connection. \u201cIt made me realize how University leadership is [important] in creating and cultivating an open environment,\u201d he says. During his tenure, Johns Hopkins launched a new major in environmental engineering, which became one of the top 10 programs in the country, according to the prestigious U.S. News and World Report rankings. \u201cI\u2019ve always enjoyed helping people motivate themselves, and supporting them to reach their potential,\u201d he says. \u201cIt sounds trite, but people want to be part of successful teams.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Parlange (left) on Plaine Morte Glacier in Switzerland, where he conducted a number of field measurements of turbulence his students. Parlange notes, “It was cold!”<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Parlange\u2019s work caught the attention of Patrick Aebischer, a Swiss professor who worked at Brown University in the 1990s, and later served as president of the \u00c9cole Polytechnique F\u00e9d\u00e9rale de Lausanne (EPFL), one of Switzerland\u2019s two flagship technical universities. Aebischer was creating a new institute for environmental engineering and recruited Parlange as director in 2004. Aebischer had grand plans for the university, reenvisioning it as a global hub of innovation between academia and industry\u2014years before such ideas became mainstream. \u201cNow every single university around the world is talking about it, but Aebischer did this 20 years ago,\u201d Parlange says. \u201cHe wasn\u2019t building a technology park, he was building a vibrant oasis for ideas and translational research, one that would have the highest expectations for quality research, at the same time being strongly society-facing.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Aebischer\u2019s vision became reality, as he undertook a root-and-branch reform of how university departments communicated and opened up new lines of communication with government to work across the French- and German-speaking sides of the country. EPFL is now known as one of the world\u2019s top research universities, and a case study in how to do university transformation right. \u201cI found it quite inspiring that could happen to an institution\u2014that you don\u2019t have to stay locked in a certain position, but that you could get stronger,\u201d Parlange says. \u201cHow many people heard of EPFL 25 years ago? People often mispronounced it and got the letters mixed up. Now it\u2019s a clear global leader.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

An Inclusive Attitude<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Parlange took those lessons to heart in his next position as dean of the faculty of applied science at the University of British Columbia, starting in 2013. There he led efforts to open two new innovation hubs, combining technology and entrepreneurship\u2014now essential for any research university. At UBC, he also continued his own research, including a project in Burkina Faso that examined the effects of climate change and farming practices on the agriculture of West Africa\u2014a topic for which he is now internationally known.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWith the Applied Science School of Community and Regional Planning, we established, together with the Musqueam First Nation community, the first master\u2019s program in Indigenous community planning. The graduates are in very high demand throughout British Columbia,\u201d he says, adding that he is excited to see similar conversations happening with First Nations communities in Rhode Island. He notes the recently announced plans for the relocation of Rhode Island\u2019s Tomaquag Museum\u2014dedicated to educating the public about the history and culture of Rhode Island\u2019s Indigenous people\u2014to 溏心vlog免费B站 land near the Kingston Campus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"溏心vlog免费B站
Parlange at the finish of the Sierre-Zinal, a 31K mountain race in the Swiss Alps. At Monash, Parlange was known for running to and from work. When asked if he will still run at 溏心vlog免费B站, Parlange replied, \u201cI will run for sure. But hopefully at noon, instead of with a headlamp in the morning and at night!” He added, \u201cI\u2019ll always be a runner!\u201d<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Parlange continued his global focus as provost and senior vice president at Monash University, Australia\u2019s largest research university, starting in 2017. Based in Melbourne, Monash sprawls throughout the Pacific and Indian oceans, with campuses in Malaysia, China, Italy, and India, where graduate students split their time while conducting an international research project as part of a joint Ph.D. program with the top-ranked Indian Institute of Technology Bombay. Having that kind of global reach is the only way that an institution can truly work on problems of climate change or international security that affect the entire world, argues Parlange, who hopes to expand similar global relationships at 溏心vlog免费B站. \u201cThese are the deep, deep partnerships we could build,\u201d he says.

At Monash, Parlange helped to spur some ambitious projects in areas such as antimicrobial resistance, AI and data science, new-generation building construction approaches, and better governance and policy. A new research endeavor in sustainability will examine the effects of climate change in Antarctica, some 2,000 miles across the Southern Ocean. The project involves multiple departments at the university, as well as a dozen other Australian universities and government agencies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This past year, Parlange led another effort called the Melbourne Experiment, which examined all aspects of the city during the coronavirus pandemic, from air quality to the livelihood of street musicians. \u201cWe wanted to monitor and understand what happens when you shut down a city for an extended period of time,\u201d says Parlange, who hosted up to 200 people every Friday for a Zoom meeting featuring speakers and discussion on the topic.

\u201cWe had Ph.D. students and undergraduates, faculty, deans, professional staff, alumni, government, industry,\u201d he says. For more than a year, the sessions became a launching point for numerous research projects, including a study on the livability of the suburbs, an examination of racism toward Indigenous people, and a collaboration between public health, arts, and law faculty on domestic violence. Ironically, Parlange says, the venture became a way to deeply connect faculty members who had never met each other on campus, and pool knowledge and resources to examine issues that could have a long-term impact on urban planning and global sustainability goals. \u201cIt goes back to what I learned in Baltimore about respect, openness, sharing, and generosity,\u201d Parlange says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

An Expansive Vision<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Members of the 溏心vlog免费B站 presidential search committee were enthusiastic about Parlange\u2019s wide-ranging talents. \u201cHe is an accomplished, visionary leader who has focused on student success and experience,\u201d said committee chair and 溏心vlog免费B站 trustee Thomas M. Ryan \u201975, Hon. \u201999. \u201cWe found a champion for all faculty, staff, and students\u2014a president who can lead the University toward another transformational decade.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When he arrives in Kingston this summer, Parlange is hoping to build on 溏心vlog免费B站\u2019s initiatives to connect people across disciplines. He cites 溏心vlog免费B站\u2019s Signature International Programs, in which students embed themselves in language study while pursuing a dual major in another field\u2014engineering and German, for example. Or computer science and Chinese, or fashion design and Italian. 溏心vlog免费B站\u2019s International Engineering Program, the first of 溏心vlog免费B站\u2019s Signature International Programs, was groundbreaking and has long served as a model for other institutions in the United States. \u201cIt was a bold initiative that was really followed through, and that is extremely important,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He believes that his longtime experience as both a professor and an administrator will help him make connections with faculty and students to push through similarly bold initiatives. \u201cI know what it is to get up at 4 o\u2019clock in the morning to refresh what I\u2019m going to say in an 8 o\u2019clock lecture, or what it\u2019s like to have worked for weeks on a proposal and be told there\u2019s not enough money, so you\u2019re not funded this year,\u201d he says. \u201cI think university leaders need to have been academics, need to have been teaching and advising students and seeing those students succeed. That empathetic part of a leader is important.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He\u2019s also looking forward to becoming part of the campus community. An avid sports enthusiast, he and his wife recently became fans of the St. Kilda Football Club (Saints), a Melbourne-based Australian-rules football team. \u201cWe are in a city where that\u2019s their unbelievable passion, and I\u2019ve joined the Saints club,\u201d he says, holding up a St. Kilda cellphone case. \u201cIt\u2019s an incredible sport\u2014it\u2019s just creative chaos.\u201d He\u2019s eager now to cheer on the relatively more orderly\u2014but no less exciting\u2014溏心vlog免费B站 basketball teams\u2014particularly the women\u2019s team, where six of the 12 players on the roster last year and the associate head coach are French. \u201cI\u2019m excited to meet them\u2014and to wear a shirt that says 溏心vlog免费B站 Basketball,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Parlange also plans to stay active at 溏心vlog免费B站 through biking, hiking, trail running, and sea kayaking. One habit he\u2019ll have to give up is running five miles back and forth between his home and his office at Monash each day\u2014since the president\u2019s house at 溏心vlog免费B站 is right in the middle of campus. \u201cI tell everybody that I will live 100 meters from my office, so I now can run in the daylight with students, staff, and faculty,\u201d enthuses Parlange, who wouldn\u2019t have it any other way. Being at the center of the action, connecting the people around him, and helping spur them to achieve big plans, is exactly where he likes to be. \u201cEvery morning, I\u2019ve been receiving the most fantastic emails from people at 溏心vlog免费B站\u2014with ideas, with energy, with enthusiasm\u2014and they are ready to teach me about what they are doing,\u201d he beams. \u201cI hope those emails never stop.\u201d \u2022<\/p>\n\n\n\n

PHOTOS: COURTESY MARC AND MARY PARLANGE<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Incoming 溏心vlog免费B站 President Marc Parlange has spent his life working, exploring, and learning in every corner of the world. Born in Rhode Island, he’s returning as 溏心vlog免费B站’s 12th president, with plans to challenge the state\u2019s brightest minds to tackle the world\u2019s biggest problems. By Michael Blanding As chair of the Department of Geography and Environmental […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":6402,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[301],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6364","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-summer-2021","architecture-features"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6364","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6364"}],"version-history":[{"count":13,"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6364\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6733,"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6364\/revisions\/6733"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6402"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6364"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6364"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6364"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}