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Relying upon sophisticated science and the experiences of communities
Research is filled with innovations and novel inventions that will never reach the broader community. For this reason, the relationship between scientists and community members has become necessary; when communities share their needs with science and scientists try to meet those needs with their research, the probability of developing materials or processes that will impact the community grows exponentially. Dr. Joseph Gardella, SUNY Distinguished Professor and John and Frances Larkin Professor of Chemistry at the University at Buffalo, SUNY, conducts research with a clear purpose to benefit communities. He and his team work closely on community-based research in environmental science with affected communities in Western New York in addition to developing engineering solutions for the future. Despite the diversity of his projects, each of them are motivated by concrete problems and communication with affected communities. Therefore, Dr. Gardella’s group is making strides in each of their research areas that are likely to have a long lasting impact on the people they aim to serve.
All of Dr. Gardella’s work depends on collaborative teams. For instance, his work with tissue engineering relies on a holistic team of surgeons, researchers, imaging specialists in medicine and engineering, materials chemists, and clinicians. In this way, whether his project is based in academia or the community, he is continually asking whether the impact will be overarching. In fact, when working on a basic research question, Dr. Gardella explains that often he will “throw an idea out” if a community member or clinician doesn’t feel that implementation is possible. This humble approach to science and community-needs for the last twenty years has lead to impact-centered research with applications that are affecting patients, clinicians, and generations of STEM learners.
Current research includes:
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Tissue Engineering: As people age, wound healing becomes more challenging; additionally, for patients that are bed-ridden or patients with diabetes, it is a challenge to avoid bed sores and skin sores that can become chronic wounds. Dr. Gardella engineers the surface chemistry of tissues’ materials for wound healing of chronic wounds. By developing the science of materials for controlled release of proteins for wound healing, he and his team hope to design new devices for chronic skin wounds and burns.
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K - 12 Outreach: Dr. Gardella works to translate science and STEM research in K-12 classrooms and is especially focused on high-needs urban schools in his adopted hometown of Buffalo. As a research scientist, a parent, and an engaged member of his community, he is incredibly motivated to inspire children towards an interest in the STEM disciplines.
- Environmental Policy: Dr. Gardella and his team are developing methods to characterize chemical toxins and then map the environmental distributions in air and soil in order for communities to decide how to remediate or cleanup legacy sites such as brownfields in urban communities. His on-going work in environmental methodologies is continuously being applied to public policy decisions.
Bio
Dr. Gardella is the oldest of five children and had parents that were incredibly dedicated teachers. Between his father and mother, they committed 85 years to educating children. In fact, his mother was so dedicated to both her family and her students that she earned a masters degree while caring for her children. In this way, he was personally inspired by his parents and hopes to make a difference in not only science but also in the education of young children in the STEM disciplines.
In 1975, Dr. Joseph Gardella’s longstanding interest in research began. As an undergraduate researcher, in an environmental chemistry lab, he started working in water pollution problems. As he started thinking about graduate school, he knew that he wanted to continue to work in environmental work. After earning his Ph.D., he accepted a professorship position in Buffalo where pollution was a great challenge for the community and he felt he could make an impact on the people of Buffalo. After a short time as a professor, he was assigned to teach an environmental class and redesigned it to a place that included a great emphasis on service-learning. This opportunity drove Dr. Gardella towards community engagement and he has never looked back.
Dr. Gardella’s research and outreach in the community has given him notable significance in the national and international community. In fact, he has been invited around the country to consult for environmental and pollution challenges. Additionally, he spent a year as a fellow at the Regional Policy Institute in Buffalo focusing on public policy and therefore, has the tools to develop policies that are informed by empirical research. Therefore, his research, motivated by translating work into solving real problems that affect the human condition, has successfully become a part of various fields including environmental science, engineering, biomedical research, and electronic materials.
In the last ten years, Dr. Gardella has extended his work in the community to engagement with K through 12 students. He is using his role as a scientist in the community and a parent to improve STEM education for Buffalo public schools.
In his free time, aside from research, Dr. Gardella enjoys spending time with his children. Additionally, in an effort to understand the world his parents grew up in, he began reading 20th century histories and biographies. His interests in history have since expanded and brought him all around the world from the middle of Belgium where the Battle of the Bulge was fought to exploring the homes of family members from past generations. When not traveling abroad, he also spends much of his time promoting advocacy for individuals with disabilities and serving on the local boards for non-profits.
Website: www.acsu.buffalo.edu/~gardella