Valparaiso University Wins $50K Land Restoration Grant

Valparaiso University researchers won a $50,000 grant from the Renewable Natural Resources Foundation to study how restoration efforts affect an agricultural site east of Chesterton. The university is one of seven teams nationwide selected for the funding.

Dr. Katelyn Barber, assistant professor of geography, meteorology and environmental science, leads the project with Dr. Christopher Phillips, visiting assistant professor of meteorology, and Dr. Jon-Paul McCool, associate professor of geography. They are partnering with the Shirley Hines Land Trust.

The team will install soil sensors at multiple levels, shallow groundwater monitoring wells to test for nitrates and water quality, and two ten-meter atmospheric towers to measure wind and other conditions. The grant funds equipment, an internship program, student researchers, and a staff meteorologist.

"Getting this data helps us strategize with what type of intervention is best to promote sustainability," Phillips said.

McCool said the research will help determine when restoration is effective and when other solutions work better. "When we've got environmental concerns, restoration can be a solution, but it can be challenging to know exactly how effective certain restorations are likely to be," he said.

Students will join the project in fall 2026 for field research and data analysis. The grant includes funding for research publication and conference presentations.

The project is part of Valparaiso University's broader sustainability work. Barber is also participating in the Department of Energy Visiting Faculty Program investigating a local ozone spike. The Princeton Review named the university to its Top Green Colleges list for 2026.