Thomas J. Baerwald

Thomas J. Baerwald

Thomas J. Baerwald is a Senior Science Advisor in the Division of Behavioral and Cognitive Sciences at the National Science Foundation in Arlington, Virginia. In that capacity, he fulfills two major sets of responsibility. He is one of two program directors for the Geography and Regional Science Program. He also is the Coordinator for Environmental Social and Behavioral Science Activities, assisting in the conduct of multidisciplinary efforts that engage social and behavioral scientists in the studies of interactions among human and natural systems. For the last three years, Baerwald has been a Co-Coordinator of the NSF Biocomplexity in the Environment special competition on the Dynamics of Coupled Natural and Human Systems, and he has served as a member of the NSF Working Group on Environmental Research and Education.

Baerwald has worked at NSF for more than 14 years, serving as Geography and Regional Science Program Director, Acting Director of the Division for Social and Economic Sciences, Coordinator for NSF Global Change Research Activities, and Deputy Assistant Director for the Geosciences. Prior to his service at NSF, Baerwald established and directed the Geography Department at the Science Museum of Minnesota in St. Paul. He has taught as an adjunct faculty member at the University of Minnesota and Macalester College, and he is co-author of a secondary school world regional geography textbook.

Baerwald earned a B.A. in geography and history from Valparaiso University and both M.A. and Ph.D. degrees in geography at the University of Minnesota. Back in "the good old days" when he conducted basic research of his own, Baerwald specialized in studies of contemporary metropolitan development processes and urban transportation.

Baerwald has been elected as a Fellow of the American Academy for the Advancement of Science. He has received Distinguished Service Honors from the Association of American Geographers and an Alumni Achievement Award from Valparaiso University. In 2001, he received a Director's Superior Accomplishment Award from the National Science Foundation.

November 2002