Khara Grieger
Assistant Professor
Extension Specialist
Environmental Health & Risk Assessment
Education
Ph.D. in Environmental Engineering, Technical University of Denmark
M.Sc. in Environmental Engineering, Technical University of Denmark
M.S. in Plant Biology and Ecology, Michigan State University
B.Sc. in Zoology from Michigan State University
Background
Dr. Khara Grieger is currently an Assistant Professor and Extension Specialist in Environmental Health & Risk Assessment. Her research focuses on best practices for risk assessment, risk management, and stakeholder engagement related to the governing of emerging risks and new technologies. For example, she is currently the Project Director for a USDA/NIFA-funded grant that investigates the societal implications of nanomaterials used in food and agricultural sectors. She is also the PI of a grant that aims to grow the field of risk science in the Research Triangle Park area of NC, through funding provided by the Society for Risk Analysis. Further, she is a Co-PI in a NC State-funded GRIP4PSI grant that develops new technologies for use in the sweetpotato industry in North Carolina (Williams = PI) in which she leads the stakeholder engagement efforts, and Co-PI on a NSF-funded grant that focuses on governance of climate management technologies (Borsuk = PI). She is also involved in the NSF-funded Research Triangle Nanotechnology Network (RTNN) housed at NC State University (Jones = PI), a member of the Center for Human Health and Environment (Smart = PI), and Executive Committee Member in the Genetic Engineering and Society (GES) Center at NC State. In addition to research, Dr. Grieger also serves as an external advisory board member for a large European project focused on risk governance (RiskGONE), is the US Co-Chair for a US-EU Risk Management & Control Community of Research (COR) focused on nanomaterial risks, and an External Advisory Board member for the Town of Cary, NC.
Prior to joining Applied Ecology, she served as a Senior Research Scholar in the GES Center from March 2019 through June 2020. She also was a Senior Environmental Research Scientist at RTI International in the Health and Environmental Risk Analysis program (2012-2019), a Duke University Scholar (2017-2018), and Adjunct Professor at Meredith College (2014).
Grants & Projects
- Grieger, K.D. (PI). Interdisciplinary Approaches to Evaluate Societal Implications and Foster Sustainability of Genetic Engineering and Nanotechnology in Food and Agriculture. USDA/NIFA. Funded, $649,515. January 2022-January 2026
- Grieger, K.D. (Co-PI). Biotechnology Risk Assessment Grant Program Conference grant. USDA/NIFA. Funded, $25,000 (PI = Barnhill-Dilling). September 2020-September 2022.
- Grieger, K.D. (Co-PI). Cultivating A Resilient Workforce By Integrating A Culturally Competent Community of Scholarship & Data Science in Food & Agricultural Research. USDA/NIFA. Funded, $238,500 (PI = Jones, D.). 2021-2023.
- Grieger, K.D. (PI). Social Implication and Best Practices for Responsible Innovation of Nanotechnology in Food and Agriculture. USDA/NIFA. Funded, $499,856. July 2019-January 2022.
- Grieger, K.D. (PI). Society for Risk Analysis Strategic Plant Initiative. SRA. Funded, $20,000. September 2019 – February 2022 Grieger, K.D. (Co-PI).
- Improving Crop Productivity and Value Through Heterogeneous Data Integration, Analytics, and Decision Support Platforms. Game-Changing Research Incentive Program. NC State University. Funded, $550,000 (Williams = PI). February 2020 – June 2023.
- Grieger, K.D. (team member). Implications of Solar Radiation Management for Strategic Behavior and Climate Governance. NSF. Funded, $565,872 (PI=Borsuk). April 2020-March 2023.
- Grieger, K.D. (team member). Research Triangle Nanotechnology Network. NSF. Funded $5.5M (Jones = PI). 2014-2020.
- Grieger, K.D. (Co-PI). Game-Changing Research Incentive Program. NC State University – RTI International. Funded, $650,000 (Jones = PI). 2016-2019
Awards
- 2021, Goodnight Early Career Innovator Award, NC State
- 2018, Research Triangle Nanotechnology Network (RTNN) Collaborative Award
- 2018, HOT paper selection for Environmental Science: Nano
- 2017, American Society of Civil Engineers State-of-the-Art Civil Engineering Award
- 2013-2017, Highly Published Author Award, RTI International
- 2014, 2017, Highly Cited Author Award, RTI International
- 2014, Professional Development Award, RTI International
- 2013, Early Career Award, RTI International
- 2011, Best Young Scientist Prize, Integ-Risk and Society for Risk Analysis
Publications
- What are stakeholder views and needs for achieving phosphorus sustainability?, Environment Systems and Decisions (2024)
- Creating an alternative future for Earth’s phosphorus cycle in the Anthropocene via eco-prospecting, eco-mining, and eco-refining, Treatise on Geochemistry (2023)
- Development and application of screening-level risk analysis for emerging materials, Sustainable Materials and Technologies (2023)
- Ensuring Sustainable Novel Plant Biotechnologies Requires Formalized Research and Assessment Programs, ACS AGRICULTURAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY (2023)
- Guide to Understanding and Addressing PFAS in our Communities (2023)
- Identifying sustainability assessment parameters for genetically engineered agrifoods, PLANTS PEOPLE PLANET (2023)
- Let’s Talk About Risk: A Guide to Identifying, Assessing, Managing, and Communicating Risk (2023)
- Phosphorus sustainability through coordinated stakeholder engagement: a perspective, Environment Systems and Decisions (2023)
- Phytoextraction of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) by weeds: Effect of PFAS physicochemical properties and plant physiological traits, Journal of Hazardous Materials (2023)
- Reflections on COP15, Genetic Engineering and Society Center (2023)