People
Leadership and Staff
Matthew Huber
Director
Professor of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences
huberm@purdue.edu
Matt’s research focuses on past, present and future climate, the mechanisms that govern climate, and the different forms that climates can take on Earth and other planets. Most of his work so far has concentrated on the issue of how ‘stuff’ (e.g. passive tracers, water vapor, heat) goes from the tropics toward the Poles, and specifically with an emphasis on how these processes operated during the past greenhouse climate of the Eocene. Huber received his PhD in Earth Sciences from the University of California Santa Cruz and was an assistant professor at the Niels Bohr Institute at the University of Copenhagen before joining Purdue in 2002.
Lynne Dahmen
Senior Managing Director
ldahmen@purdue.edu
Lynne Dahmen has worked with research faculty at Purdue University since joining the university in 2008. At the Institute, she manages the implementation of services and new initiatives, and works with research teams to develop strategic communication. She comes to ISF most recently from the Center for Brain-inspired Computing, a large research effort led by Purdue, where she served as the Administrative Director. Before that, she worked for the Office of the Executive VP for Research and Partnerships, where she spent over nine years engaging with faculty across campus on developing research grants and providing training on the skills involved in writing them. She also has taught courses in the School of Languages and Cultures at Purdue and previously at Al Akhawayn University in Ifrane, Morocco and at Indiana University, Bloomington, where she earned her PhD in Comparative Literature. She has expertise in supporting team science and brings experience in faculty coordination, project management, training and communication.
Kelli Dawson
Lead Administrative Assistant
dawson91@purdue.edu
Kelli joined the Institute for a Sustainable Future as the Lead Administrative Assistant in June of 2022. Prior to her current role she was the Administrative Assistant for the Purdue Honors College. She has her B.S. in Liberal Studies from Purdue University Global and is currently working to obtain her Masters in Educational Psychology from Purdue University Global. She is a member of the Alpha Beta Kappa Honor Society and the Autism Speaks Organization.
Karan Hustedt-Warren
Senior Operations Manager
khustedt@purdue.edu
Karan joined the Institute for a Sustainable Future in February of 2023. Prior to joining the ISF, Karan was the operations manager for the Department of Political Science at Purdue. Before that, she worked as a clinical coordinator and service provider for a state funded social service agency. She holds a master's degree in sociology from Purdue and extensive experience in planning, organization, and management.
Lauren Wetterau
Communication Intern
lwettera@purdue.edu
Lauren has been a Communication Intern with the Institute for a Sustainable Future since the summer of 2021. She is a senior at Purdue double majoring in Wildlife and Communication, and hopes to become a Certified Wildlife Biologist working to conserve and manage endangered species habitats.