Research Award of Excellence

Award Winner: Dr. Brad Rowe, Associate Professor, Michigan State University

“I am honored to be recognized by my peers in the green roof world and grateful to my graduate students, research colleagues and industry cooperators who support green roof research”

Dr. Brad Rowe is well known among Green Roofs for Healthy Cities (GRHC) members as the founding chair of the GRHC Research Committee. However, he is also one of the original leaders of green roof research in North America having lectured on the subject of green roofing since its inception in the U.S. To date, he has raised over $1 million in grant money at Michigan State University (MSU), half of which has been specifically for green roof study. Highlights of Brad’s work include collaborating with the Ford Motor Company on what is currently the world’s largest green roof, a 10.4 acre green roof on the Rouge Assembly Plant in Dearborn, Michigan, as well as being asked to present his findings on green roofs to members of Congress in Washington, DC in March 2005.

Brad received his Ph.D. in Horticultural Science from North Carolina State University and joined the faculty at Michigan State University in 1997. He has directed the MSU green roof research program since its inception in 2000 and teaches several courses at MSU in landscape horticulture including a course in Sustainable Landscape Practices that addresses such topics as green roofs and green walls. He has mentored four graduate students that worked on green roofs, two of whom are working in the green roof field.

Despite Brad’s demanding teaching load, he has still managed to build a high-profile green roof research program at MSU that inspires professors, graduate students, and undergraduates to consistently inquire about conducting research with him. Over the years, his scientific research has been reviewed and supported by his department, as well as those in other universities and in different fields of study. Brad’s publications are numerous and cross the scientific spectrum, ranging from “Assessment of heat-expanded slate and fertility requirements in green roof substrates. (HortTechnology 16(3)) to “Landscape plant material, size, and design sophistication increase perceived home value” (Journal of Environmental Horticulture 23(3)).

In the past ten years, Brad has 165 publications ranging from chapters in books to trade journal articles. A third of these have pertained to green roofs including eleven papers in refereed scientific journals, seven abstracts, and ten papers in proceedings from learned professional organizations such as GRHC. The Michigan State University Green Roof Research website (www.hrt.msu.edu/greenroof) also received 25,000 hits during 2007.

Brad has tirelessly presented his research to scientific colleagues, industry personnel, and the general public. His research team has received widespread public attention with coverage in Newsweek, Business Week, Time, National Geographic, Forbes, The New York Times, and other local media outlets. He is also a very personable scientist, taking time to give tours of his own Michigan State University green roofs, as well as give talks to other organizations about the benefits of green roofs. Some of these tours and talks are high profile (the Governor of Michigan), while some are not (Master Gardeners, guest lecturing in undergraduate classes). He also takes the time to be actively involved in the field of horticulture, outside of green roofing. He is active in the Michigan horticulture industry, and readily volunteers for many public outreach events. At home, Brad maintains an acre of fruit trees, blueberries, raspberries, grapes, and vegetables and has installed a green roof on his dog house, gaining national televised recognition!

Brad is an outstanding researcher and green roof advocate. His work’s impact has ranged across different cultures and scientific disciplines and he has shared his knowledge of green roofs with people from undergraduates to Members of Congress. Brad has not only contributed to the quality and success of the green roof industry in North America, but has inspired others to do likewise.