VICKSBURG, Miss. – U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) Environmental Laboratory (EL) Research Biologist Dr. Thomas Fredette recently received the first Engineering With Nature (EWN) Leadership Award for his five-year contributions to the EWN program and his dedication to promoting the principles and practices of EWN.
Dr. Todd Bridges, ERDC-EL senior research scientist and EWN program manager, presented the award to Fredette at the USACE Buffalo District’s (LRB) collaborative meeting, noting the award was created to recognize outstanding EWN proponents who provide their time and expertise to advance EWN throughout the Corps.
“LRB and Galveston District are recognized as the EWN ‘proving grounds.’ LRB has been actively working on EWN demonstration projects with Dr. Fredette and others on benthic habitat development at the Cleveland, Ohio, breakwater and common tern nesting habitat development at the Ashtabula, Ohio, breakwater,” Bridges said.
Through collaborative processes, the USACE EWN program supports more sustainable practices, projects and outcomes by intentionally aligning natural and engineering methods to efficiently and sustainably deliver economic, environmental and social benefits. Bridges said, “Tom has been a highly valuable team member in our national effort. He’s led research projects, tool development, and EWN project teams who have matched ERDC and district scientists and engineers together in very productive collaborations. Tom is truly an EWN leader.”
Fredette began his career as a marine scientist with the Virginia Institute of Marine Science on assignment to EL in November 1983. Later he moved to the USACE New England District, where he served as program manager of Disposal Area Monitoring System (DAMOS) until August 2009. Fredette returned to ERDC-EL as a research biologist and is a technical advisory member of the U.S. delegation to the London Convention Scientific Group. He earned a bachelor’s in marine biology from Southeastern Massachusetts University (now UMass-Dartmouth) in 1977, and his master’s and doctorate in marine science from The College of William and Mary, Virginia Institute of Marine Science in 1980 and 1983, respectively.
“Working on and developing the EWN program has been a team effort. I’m very appreciative of the honor and accept it for all of those who have helped to foster this initiative toward more sustainable projects,” Fredette said.
For more information, visit http://el.erdc.usace.army.mil/ewn/.