Edward Brzostek, associate professor of biology in the Eberly College of Arts and Sciences, has been named the Benedum Distinguished Scholar in recognition of the high caliber of his research and scholarly activity in the category of biosciences and health sciences.
The Benedum Distinguished Scholars awards, funded by the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation, are awarded annually to faculty engaged in “creative research” in as many as four categories: behavioral and social sciences, biosciences and health sciences, humanities and the arts, and physical sciences and technology.
This year, one exceptional scholar was selected among the four categories.
“This year’s Benedum Distinguished Scholar is a truly exceptional researcher and scholar in his field,” Interim Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Paul Kreider said. “Through his scholarship and ground-breaking discoveries, Professor Brzostek is changing the world and making a positive impact on our society and culture. He serves as an inspiration to his colleagues, students and the entire WVU community.”
Brzostek is recognized for his research that creatively integrates biological, environmental and earth sciences to understand ecosystem response to global change. Specifically, he has helped illuminate how natural ecosystems in West Virginia forests have responded to and often mitigate the negative environmental impacts of a legacy of acid rain exposure generated by coal-fired power plants that had no emissions controls for sulfur and nitrogen.
Brzostek’s work contributes to our understanding of how acid rain has impacted the ability of forests to remove carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere and continue to provide clean water by shifting the focus of the issue to the plant-microbe-soil dynamic occurring below ground among mycorrhizal fungal and free-living microbes living near the tree roots.
By studying the responses of West Virginia forests to human pollution, Brzostek established that nitrogen deposits shift plant roots’ interactions with soil microbes underground and that it is this interaction that serves as the dominant mechanism controlling responses to acid rain. Understanding these mechanisms provides society with the tools necessary to ensure natural and agricultural systems sequester as much carbon as possible and maximize the efficacy of nature-based climate change solutions.
Brzostek has an impressive research record with 39 publications in top high-impact journals in his field since arriving at WVU and over 6,000 citations in scientific literature.
In addition, he has acquired more than $3.5 million dollars in external funding, worked with 10 graduate students and/or postdoctoral scholars and has supported 16 undergraduate research students and 21 undergraduate interns.
As a Benedum Distinguished Scholar, Brzostek will receive a $5,000 professional development honorarium. He will be recognized at an awards ceremony April 16 at Blaney House.