Dr. Saxena Promoted to Associate with Tenure

𝐄𝐱𝐩𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐌𝐲 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐤 𝐨𝐧 𝐒𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐅𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐌𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐒𝐨𝐥𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐆𝐥𝐨𝐛𝐚𝐥 𝐒𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲  𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐬

I happy and excited to share that I have been promoted with tenure to Associate Professor at the Northern Arizona University School of Forestry.

Today, I remember my advisor Chadwick Dearing Oliver's words, "Alark, keep your head down and do good work". This has been my mantra for the last six years. 

This milestone is a profound honor, made possible by the guidance and support from mentors, colleagues, and family (Alder Keleman Saxena).

I am humbled by the official consensus between the university leadership and the six anonymous external reviewers, which highlighted:

- 𝐒𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐲 𝐈𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐭: Dr. Saxena's research is "of high caliber" and "insightful, integrative, and innovative," bringing "distinction to the School of Forestry, CEFNS, and the broader NAU community."

-𝐆𝐥𝐨𝐛𝐚𝐥 𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐲: Dr. Saxena is increasingly seen as an "authority on the forests of South Asia," and on forestry issues related to Indigenous Nations in the American Southwest.

-𝐄𝐱𝐜𝐞𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐆𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐬𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩: Dr. Saxena's grant activity is "outstanding," including prestigious awards from the NSF, Swedish, and Norwegian Research Councils.

-𝐓𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐄𝐱𝐜𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞: Dr. Saxena's "passion for student success is evident," having "consistently received strongly positive evaluations from students" who appreciate the "inclusive environment" and "discussion-led approach" in the classroom.

-𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 & 𝐒𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐜𝐞: Dr. Saxena's contributions were recognized as "broad and impactful," from being selected as a Provost Leadership Fellow to leveraging his international network to mentor non-profits on forest restoration and nature-based solutions.

At heart I am a problem_solver who uses systems thinking and critical thinking to solve sustainability challenges. My core contribution has been to approach forests and communities as complex_adaptive_systems, an interdisciplinary framework that opens up new ways of integrating human_dimensions into forest management and conservation_science. 

Moving forward, my applied research will focus on solving the complex natural resource management challenges through resilience and transformation. From a science perspective, I am excited to push the boundaries on integrating human dimensions in ecological modeling. 

With this new platform, I am excited to expand this mission—to continue mentoring the next generation and to deepen my collaboration with international organizations, foundations, and partners dedicated to creating tangible, on-the-ground impact.