RPI expands use of the Darrin Fresh Water Institute

The Darrin Fresh Water Institute (DFWI) has started to transition into a platform for multidisciplinary education and research, where undergraduate and graduate students, faculty members and researchers can learn.

Now, even more people from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute can enjoy what DFWI has to offer.

“Since its foundation, the DFWI has grown from a field station on Lake George to a major research platform, and this transition acknowledges that growth and enables that broader impact,” Jonathan Dordick, vice president for research and a professor of chemical and biological engineering, said.

The goal is to create more collaboration so that scientists can develop solutions to the challenges of energy security, biotechnology, sustainable development and human health that the world faces today.

With the DFWI, people will be able to study the long-term effects of acid rain for fresh water habitats; the biota of Adirondack ponds, lakes, and streams; and the natural chemistry of the world.

“I think we’re going to see more people — faculty and students from across the Institute, as well as researchers from other organizations — participating in research that draws upon the DFWI,” Dordick said. “The DFWI hosts a dynamic range of sponsored research in our Institute wide signature thrust in Energy, Environment and Smart Systems, and we can expect to see rapid growth in this thrust area.”