Geography Professor Don Friend to Spend Sabbatical Year Serving with USAID Office of Global Climate Change
Mankato, Minn. – Minnesota State University, Mankato Professor Don Friend has been selected as a Jefferson Science Fellow by the National Academy of Sciences and will spend a year on duty in Washington, D.C., serving as a senior science advisor in the United States Agency for International Development Office of Global Climate Change.
According to its website, USAID is the world’s premier international development agency leading humanitarian efforts to save lives, reduce poverty, strengthen democratic governance and help people progress beyond assistance.
Friend is one of only eleven selected across the nation as a Jefferson Science Fellow in 2019.
While on sabbatical from the University, Friend’s duties will involve substantial international travel. Friend said he expects that he will work on water supply and water security issues in the developing world.
“It is an honor to serve our country at USAID where I will help others around the world prepare for a future that includes increasing stress from changing weather and climate,” said Friend.
NOTE TO EDITORS: To learn more about Friend’s sabbatical as a Jefferson Science Fellow, contact Don Friend by email at donald.friend@mnsu.edu. Friend will be departing Mankato on Friday, June 7.
Friend is the faculty chair of Minnesota State Mankato’s Department of Geography. The University’s College of Social and Behavioral Sciences named Friend a “Distinguished Professor” in April. In the spring of 2018, the Mountain Geography Specialty Group of the American Association of Geographers honored Friend with the Barry Bishop Distinguished Career Award.
A link to more details on Friend’s numerous professional honors and accomplishments is available on his University faculty Web page.
Minnesota State Mankato’s Department of Geography is part of the University’s College of Social and Behavioral Sciences.
Minnesota State Mankato, a comprehensive university with 14,227 students, is part of the Minnesota State system, which includes 30 colleges and seven universities.
