Shaleen Jain – Mitchell Center Leadership Council
Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Shaleen Jain is professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering, and cooperating professor at the Climate Change Institute and the School of Policy and International Affairs. Jain has been a faculty fellow at the Senator George J. Mitchell Center for Sustainability Solutions since 2014.
Jain’s research looks at the intersection of water and climate change in both built and natural environments. He studies all aspects of water, from its role as a resource in ecosystems, industries, and communities, to the hazards of extreme events like flooding. Jain connects the engineering elements of water to the biology and chemistry of aquatic ecosystems to the social and cultural impacts of water recreation and access. Jain has conducted research on the impact of typhoons on dams, the impacts of winter weather on road salt usage across Maine, climate variability impacts on ice out seasonalities in Maine lakes and more. His research aims to inform the management and stewardship of water resources to secure access to water for future generations.
Jain’s interest in water sustainability stemmed from growing up and studying civil engineering in India, where he saw firsthand how the variability of water resources, from monsoons to droughts, can impact social and environmental wellbeing. As a postdoctoral researcher at NOAA and the University of Colorado Boulder, he worked on an integrative water assessment initiative, which studied the societal vulnerabilities to climate variability and climate change, specifically with respect to the reliability of water supply. The initiative brought together experts in climate, hydrology, ecology, law, and policy, which exposed Jain to the interdisciplinary nature of water issues in an academic setting.
Since joining UMaine in 2006, Jain has been committed to working in highly interdisciplinary groups, and brings that willingness to the Mitchell Center Leadership Council. Jain played many leadership roles in the $20 million grant from the National Science Foundation that launched UMaine’s Sustainability Solutions Initiative in 2009, which led to the creation of the Mitchell Center for Sustainability Solutions in 2014. He is hoping to further interdisciplinary teaching and research at UMaine, especially around climate change resilience and solutions. He sees the Mitchell Center as one of the earliest and most unique sustainability centers in the country.
In addition to the Mitchell Center Leadership Council, Jain teaches classes ranging from an undergraduate introduction to civil engineering course, surface and groundwater hydrology, to graduate seminars in physical hydrology and water resources sustainability. He also conducts outreach to high schools throughout the state to promote educational opportunities in STEM disciplines, and serves as the program director for the Northern New England Junior Science and Humanities Symposium.