Chris Gough isn’t afraid of heights, and his work has taken him to the treetops – literally. The ecologist and Virginia Commonwealth University School of Life Sciences and Sustainability professor has spent his career researching how forests and wetlands absorb and release greenhouse gases from the atmosphere.

Gough’s work has often taken him to the top of towering metal research platforms, and now, he plans to take the VCU Rice Rivers Center to new heights as well. Gough, Ph.D., was recently named the executive director of the university’s Charles City County field station along the James River, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year.

Much of Gough’s research has taken place at the Rice Rivers Center, which is the field station for the School of Life Sciences and Sustainability within the College of Humanities and Sciences. There, he uses data from the station’s flux tower to study how the center’s forests and marshes interact with the atmosphere, react to disturbances and respond to climate change. He is also passionate about integrating the arts and sciences, and has spent many years working with scientific illustrators and multimedia artists to bring science to life.

Gough, who has taught at VCU since 2008, brings over 20 years of research experience at the University of Michigan Biological Station to his new role, and he will continue to supervise undergraduate and graduate students.

VCU News spoke with Gough about the Rice Rivers Center’s first 25 years and his plans for its next chapter. Read the full interview at news.vcu.edu.