Alabama is blessed with an abundance of natural resources. Such abundance in the face of looming global scarcity—particularly for water and energy—demands that we take the steps necessary to manage our natural resources with an eye toward conservation and optimal use.
As a land-grant university, Auburn University is uniquely positioned to address these challenges. To that end, former President Dr. Ed Richardson established the Natural Resources Management & Development Institute in late 2006 so that a broad array of water and energy expertise could be brought to bear on behalf of our state and region.
The Natural Resources Management & Development Institute is home to the Center for Bioenergy and Bioproducts and the Water Resources Center. Also residing within the Institute is the Advanced Semiconductors Materials Research Program—an iniative which adds a critical energy conservation element to the activities already taking place in the Natural Resources Management and Development Institute.