Systems Theory of Climate Change

Dr. Ashwin Vaidya is a Professor of Mathematics and Physics and the Chairperson of the Department of Mathematics at Montclair State University. Prior to his arrival at Montclair State University in 2009, he worked at Carnegie Mellon University, Florida State University and the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. His research lies in the area of Fluid Mechanics and Complex Systems theory and he teaches undergraduate and graduate courses ranging from the Calculus sequence to Differential Equations and Mathematical Modeling. He is the director of the Complex Fluids Laboratory at Montclair State University where his team conducts experiments on various aspects of fluid and aerodynamics and work on related mathematical problems. Dr. Vaidya's scholarship also covers problems in non-equilibrium thermodynamics, biophysics and issues related to education with a focus on making 'creativity' a central part of math and science education.

Dr. Neeraj Vedwan is an Associate Professor in the Department of Anthropology at Montclair State University. His academic field of expertise falls broadly in the area of environmental anthropology. Specifically, his research is focused on climate change, water resources management, environmental perceptions, and the linkages between consumerism and environmental values and behavior. He has carried out fieldwork in India and in the US on the impact of climate change on agricultural livelihoods and decision-making in water resources management. Dr Vedwan has also served as a consultant and reviewer for several projects funded by the European Commission, including a multi-country project on fostering green innovation and sustainable cities in the EU and a EU-India water purification technology transfer initiative that built formal relationships between Indian and European universities to facilitate technology sharing. Overall, Dr Vedwan's research and teaching efforts are aimed at bridging the people-policy gap in environmental policy and practice.