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N.C. Plant Sciences Initiative

Khara Grieger

KG
Khara Grieger Headshot

Department of Applied Ecology

Assistant Professor, Environmental Health and Risk Assessment

NC State Extension

3124 Plant Sciences Building

Bio

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

Selected Publications

Merck, A.W., Grieger, K., Cuchiara, M., Kuzma, J. 2022. What Role Does Regulation Play in Responsible Innovation of Nanotechnology in Food and Agriculture? Insights and Framings from U.S. Stakeholders. Bulletin of Science, Technology & Society, https://doi.org/10.1177/02704676221102066

Grieger, K., Cummings, C.L. 2022. Informing Environmental Health and Risk Priorities through Local Outreach and Extension. Environment Systems and Decisions, https://doi.org/10.1007/s10669-022-09864-0

Zhi, Y., Lu., H., Grieger, K., Munoz, G., Wei, L., Wang, X., He, Q., Qian, S. 2022. Bioaccumulation and translocation of 6:2 fluorotelomer sulfonate, GenX, and perfluoroalkyl acids by urban spontaneous plants. ACS ES&T Engineering, https://doi.org/10.1021/acsestengg.1c00423.

Gao, J., Huang, Y., Zhi, Y., Yao, J., Wang, F., Yang, W., Han, L., Lin, D., He, Q., Bing,W., Grieger, K. 2022. Assessing the impacts of urbanization on stream ecosystem functioning: litter decomposition and nutrient uptake in forest and hyper-eutrophic stream. Ecological Indicators, 138: 108859: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolind.2022.108859.

Grieger, K., Merck, A., Kuzma, K. 2022. Formulating best practices for responsible innovation of nano-agrifoods through stakeholder insights and reflection. Journal of Responsible Technology, 10: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jrt.2022.100030.

Baun, A., Hansen, S.F. Grieger, K. 2022. Chapter 15: Environmental risk assessment of emerging contaminants – The case of nanomaterials. In: Advances in Toxicology and Risk Assessment of Nanomaterials and Emerging Contaminants. Springer Nature, edited by Liang-Hong Guo and Monika Mortimer, Singapore, Springer, 2022, pp. 349-371. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-16-9116-4.

Grieger, K., Zarate, S., Barnhill-Dilling, S.K., Hunt, S., Jones, D., Kuzma, J. 2022. Fostering Responsible Innovation through Stakeholder Engagement: Case Study of North Carolina Sweetpotato Stakeholders. Sustainability, 14, 2274: https://doi.org/10.3390/su14042274.

Ruzante, J. M., Shumaker, E. T., Holt, S., Mayer, S., Kokotovich, A., Cuchiara, M., Binder, A. R., Kuzma, J., and Grieger, K. 2022. Eliciting Stakeholder Perceptions Using a Novel Online Engagement Platform: A Case Study on Nano-Agrifoods. RTI Press Publication No. OP- 0071-2201. Research Triangle Park, NC: RTI Press. https:// doi .org/ 10 .3768/ rtipress .2022.op .0071 .2201

Kokotovich, A., Kuzma, J., Cummings, C., Grieger, K. 2021. Responsible innovation definitions, practices, and motivations from nanotechnology researchers in food and agriculture. NanoEthics, https://doi.org/10.1007/s11569-021-00404-9

Grieger, K., Merck, A., Cuchiara, M., Binder, A., Kokotovich, A., Cummings, C., Kuzma, J. 2021. Responsible Innovation of Nano-Agrifoods: Insights and Views from U.S. Stakeholders. NanoImpact, 24, 100365: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.impact.2021.100365

Grieger, K., Isigonis, P., Franken, R., Wigger, H., Bossa, N., Janer, G., Rycroft, T., Kennedy, A., Hansen, S.F. 2021. Chapter 5: Risk Screening Tools for Engineering Nanomaterials. IN: Ethics in Nanotechnology: Social Sciences and Philosophical Aspects, edited by Marcel Van de Voorde and Gunjan Jeswani, Berlin, Boston: De Gruyter, 2021, pp. 89-108. https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110719932-005

Zhi, Y., Call, D., Grieger, K., Duckworth, O., Jones, J.L., Knappe, D. 2021. Influence of Natural Organic Matter and pH on Phosphate Removal by and Lanthanum Release from Lanthanum-Modified Bentonite. Water Research; https://doi.org/10.1016/j.watres.2021.117399

Cummings, C.L., Kuzma, J., Kokotovich, A., Glas, D., Grieger, K. 2021. Barriers to responsible innovation of nanotechnology applications in food and agriculture: A study of US experts and developers. NanoImpact; https://doi.org/10.1016/j.impact.2021.100326

Kuiken, T., Barrangou, R., Grieger, K. 2021. (Broken) Promises of Sustainable Food and Ag through New Biotechnologies: The CRISPR Case. The CRISPR Journal, 4(1): 25-31. Available: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33570455/#affiliation-2

Doydora, S., Gatiboni, L., Grieger, K., Hesterberg, D., Jones, J., McLamore, E., Peters, R., Sozzani, R., Van den Broeck, L., Duckworth O. 2021. Accessing Legacy Phosphorus in Soil. Soil Systems, 4(74): doi:10.3390/soilsystems4040074.

Kuzma, J., Grieger, K. 2020. Community-led governance for gene-edited crops. Science, 370(6519):916-918.

Zhi, Y., Zhang, C., Hjorth, R., Baun, A., Duckworth, O., Call, D., Knappe, D., Jones, J., Grieger, K. Emerging Lanthanum (III)-containing Materials for Phosphate Removal from Water: A Review towards Future Developments. Environment International, 145: 106115.

Huang, Y., Li, W., Gao, J., Wang, F., Yang, W., Han, L., Lin, D., Min, B., Zhi, Y., Grieger, K., Yao, J. Effect of microplastics on ecosystem function: Microbial nitrogen removal mediated by benthic macroinvertebrates. Science of the Total Environment, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.14213

Saia, S., Nelson, N., Huseth, A., Grieger, K, Reich, B., Transitioning Machine Learning from Theory to Practice in Natural Resource Management. Ecological Modeling, 435: 109257.

Kuzma, J., Grieger, K.D., Cummings, C.L., Brown, Z. S. 2020. Pandemics Call for Systems Approaches to Research and Funding. Issues in Science and Technology, May 4, 2020. Available: https://issues.org/pandemics-call-for-systems-approaches/

Grieger, K., Jones, J.L., Hansen, S.F., Hendren, C.O., Jensen, K.A., Kuzma, J., Baun, A. 2019. What are the Key Best Practices from Nanomaterial Risk Analysis That May Be Relevant for Other Emerging Technologies? Nature Nanotechnology, 14, 998–1001, doi:10.1038/s41565-019-0572-1.

Porcari, A., Borsella, E., Benighaus, C., Grieger, K., Isigonis, P., Chakravarty, S., Kines, P., Jensen, K.A. 2019. From Risk Perception to Risk Governance in Nanotechnology: A Multi-Stakeholder Study. Journal of Nanoparticle Research, 21(11), 1-19.

Grieger, K., Felgenhauer, T., Renn, O., Wiener, J., Borsuk. 2019. Emerging Risk Governance for Stratospheric Aerosol Injection as a Climate Management Technology. Environmental System and Decisions, 39(4), 371-382.

Isigonis, P., Hristozov, D., Benighaus, C., Giubilato, E., Grieger, K., Pizzol, L., Semenzin, E., Linkov, I., Zabeo, A., Marcomini, A. 2019. Risk Governance of Nanomaterials: Review of Criteria and Tools for Risk Communication, Evaluation, and Mitigation. Nanomaterials, 9(696), doi:10.3390/nano9050696

Mortensen, N.P., Johnson, L., Grieger, K., Fennell, T.R. 2019. Biological Interactions between Nanomaterials and Placental Development and Function Following Oral Exposure. Reproductive Toxicology, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.reprotox.2019.08.016.

Grieger, K., Bossa, N., Levis, J., von Borries, K., Strader, P., Cuchicara, M., Hendren, C.O., Hansen, S.F., Jones, J. 2018. Application and Testing of Risk Screening Tools for Nanomaterial Risk Analysis. Environmental Science: Nano, 5:1844-1858.

Hjorth, R., Holden, P.A., Hansen, S.F., Colman, B.P., Grieger, K., Hendren, C.O. 2017. The Role of Alternative Testing Strategies in Environmental Risk Assessment of Engineered Nanomaterials. Environmental Science: Nano, 4:292-301

Publications

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CV

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Education

Ph.D. Environmental Engineering Technical University of Denmark

M.Sc. Environmental Engineering Technical University of Denmark

M.S. Plant Biology and Ecology Michigan State University

B.Sc. Zoology Michigan State University

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