Northland College Staff
Staff are the busy bees of Northland College. Click below to view
individual profiles and to learn more about our incredible administrative community.
Randy Lehr
Title: Bro Professor of Sustainable Regional Development
Office Location: CSE 232
Phone: (715) 682-1261
Email: rlehr@northland.edu
Education
- Ph.D., Water Resources Science, University of Minnesota
- M.S., Water Resources Science, University of Minnesota
- B.S., Biology, Winona State University
Profile
I have spent most of my life on and around the water. I grew up on the Mississippi River in Minnesota (just outside the Twin Cities). As an undergrad, I fell in love with fly-fishing and was lucky enough to find a student research job assessing the health of trout streams in southeastern MN and exploring the backwaters of the Mississippi River. In grad school, my interest in fish turned into a dissertation that focused on the use of fish physiology (e.g., protein production and gene expression) to predict the exposure and effect of chemical contaminants (mostly environmental estrogens) in coastal wetlands throughout the Great Lakes. After grad school, my interest in fish and water quality led to a job teaching at a small college in Washington State where I was able to work on Pacific salmon, watershed and estuary restoration throughout the Olympic peninsula and in coastal Ecuador. Ultimately, the lack of snow and abundance of rain (go figure li! ving adjacent to a rain forest) brought me back to the Midwest, and after two years working as a water resource manager to promote the sustainable use of water resources in MN, I made my way to Northland.
At Northland, my position focuses on integrating student learning (mostly through applied projects) with research and outreach that supports sustainable development and ecosystem management throughout the upper Midwest. I split my time between the natural resources program and Sigurd Olson Environmental Institute teaching courses in ecological restoration, integrated ecosystem management, and stream and watershed ecology and directing our Integrated Ecosystem Science program.
Research
My research is broadly related to the assessment and restoration of aquatic ecosystems. My current research focuses on: (1) assessing the ecological exposure and effect of emerging chemical contaminants (particularly endocrine disrupting chemicals); and (2) the development and implementation of long-term water quality monitoring and ecological modeling programs to support the restoration of lakes, streams and wetlands. Most of my research is collaborative and interdisciplinary and I am currently working on projects that partner with scientists and natural resource professionals form the Chequamegon Bay Area Partnership in northern Wisconsin, University of Florida, University of Minnesota, Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, Three Rivers Park District and the Elm Creek Watershed Management Commission.
Current Projects
Using cDNA Microarrays to Assess Potential Ecological Impacts of Perfluorinated Chemicals (PFCs) in Select Lakes throughout the Twin Cities Metro Area. Project partners: Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, University of Florida and Three Rivers Park District
Development of a Multi-parameter, Watershed-wide Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) Estimate for the Elm Creek Watershed. Project partners: Three Rivers Park District, Minnesota Pollution Control Agency and the Elm Creek Watershed Management Commission
Development of a Phosphorus Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) Estimate for Lake Sarah, Hennepin County, MN. Project partners: Three Rivers Park District, Minnesota Pollution Control Agency and Pioneer-Sarah Creek Watershed Management Organization
Promoting Sustainable Ecosystem Management in the Chequamegon Bay Area through Long-term Strategic Planning. Project partners: Chequamegon Bay Area Partnership and Wisconsin Coastal Management Program
