Dr. David Lodge is the founder and Director of the University of Notre Dame Environmental Change Initiative (ND-ECI), which focuses on the interrelated problems of invasive species, land use, and climate change, and their synergistic impacts on water resources. ND-ECI provides solutions that minimize the trade-offs between human welfare and environmental health where trade-offs are unavoidable, and seeks to discover win-win solutions where they are possible. One of the world’s leading experts on aquatic invasive species, Dr. Lodge has extensive research experience on a wide variety of vectors of invasive species, including ships, boats, canals, and commerce in life food, pets and plants. He and his numerous collaborators have studied Eurasian watermilfoil, rusty crayfish, zebra and quagga mussels, and Asian carp and many other species. Lodge has published more than 180 scientific papers, and has edited two books. Dr. Lodge’s research focuses on ecological forecasting to better inform environmental risk assessment, policy development, and natural resource management. On numerous occasions Lodge has testified before the U.S. Congress, and has also served as an expert witness in federal court. He served as the first chair of the U.S. government’s national Invasive Species Advisory Committee in 2000-01, led research on freshwater biodiversity as part of the United Nations’ Millennium Ecosystem Assessment in 2000-05, and led an expert subcommittee providing advice to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on reducing invasions from the ballast water of ships in 2010-11. He is a member of the scientific advisory boards of NOAA and the International Joint Commission. Dr. Lodge has a long history of collaborating with economists, historians, theologians, and philosophers, and has extensive experience partnering with outside organizations such as The Nature Conservancy to help translate and transfer his scientific work to the public policy arena. As a Rhodes Scholar, Dr. Lodge received his doctoral degree from the University of Oxford, and has been on the faculty at Notre Dame for over 28 years.

Department of State Profile

Office of Ocean and Polar Affairs
Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs

Dr. David Lodge serves as a Senior Science Advisor on international dimensions of invasive species policy, representing DOS on interagency groups including the National Invasive Species Council, and the Aquatic Nuisance Species Task Force. In the context of the Arctic Council’s working group on Conservation of Flora and Fauna, Lodge is working to advance invasive species policies and practices during the US chairmanship of the Arctic Council. In addition, Lodge represents the US Water Partnership in the Great Lakes to Great Lakes Initiative, and collaborates with the DOS’s Office of Conservation and Water to promote scientific and policy exchange between the North American and African Great Lakes.