Our Team
Forest Isbell
Forest Isbell is an associate professor in the Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior at the University of Minnesota. He is the director of the MnDRIVE Environment program, which supports collaborations between university researchers and Minnesota industry to enhance quality of life and economic vitality in Minnesota and beyond. From 2015 to 2022, he was the associate director of Cedar Creek Ecosystem Science Reserve, which is one of the most active biological field research stations in the world. Prior to that time, he held an endowed faculty position at the University of Georgia.
Dr. Isbell’s research considers how human activities are changing biodiversity, and how changes in biodiversity cause changes in ecosystem functioning, stability, and services. He has published more than 100 scientific journal articles, including more than a dozen papers published in Nature, Science, and PNAS. He is recognized by Clarivate as one of the most highly cited researchers worldwide in the areas of ecology and the environment. He recently co-authored expert information documents for the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity’s Global Biodiversity Framework. He was also a lead author on multiple reports by the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services.
Forest Isbell, PhD
Director
512 Ecology Building
1987 Upper Buford Circle
Saint Paul, MN 55108
isbell@umn.edu
Jeff Standish
Jeff Standish is the Associate Director for MnDRIVE Environment, where he is responsible for managing the units day to day operations. This includes events, funding programs, and the overall research engagement strategy. Jeff’s decades of experience is grounded in research and project management, stakeholder engagement, program development and management, and strategic problem-solving and innovation. His work over the past decade has focused on the public/private partnerships space, and has offered a range of additional opportunities for MnDRIVE Environment, where our work in environmental remediation intersects with sustainability and circular economy efforts. Jeff previously served as the Industry Liaison for MnDRIVE Environment, and as the Corporate Sustainability Lead for UMN’s Institute on the Environment.
Jeff Standish, PhD
Michael Winikoff
Michael Winikoff is the Communications Director for the MnDRIVE initiative Advancing Industry, Conserving our Environment and the BioTechnology Institute, where he oversees print and digital media.