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Mark Edward Borsuk

James L. and Elizabeth M. Vincent Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Civil and Environmental Engineering
Box 90287, 166 Hudson Hall, Durham, NC 27708
166 Hudson Hall, Box 90287, Durham, NC 27708

Overview


Mark Borsuk’s research concerns the development and application of mathematical models for integrating scientific information on natural, technical, and social systems. He is a widely-cited expert in Bayesian network modeling with regular application to environmental and human health regulation and decision making. He is also the originator of novel approaches to climate change assessment, combining risk analysis, game theory, and agent-based modeling. Borsuk’s highly collaborative research has been funded by NSF, EPA, NIH, NIEHS and USFS, and he has authored or co-authored 75 peer-reviewed journal publications and 6 book chapters.

Borsuk received the Chauncey Starr Distinguished Young Risk Analyst Award from the Society for Risk Analysis in 2013 and the Early Career Research Excellence Award from the International Environmental Modelling and Software Society in 2008. Before joining the Duke faculty, Dr. Borsuk was a member of the Dartmouth College faculty for 10 years where he held an appointment in the Thayer School of Engineering. Dr. Borsuk received a B.S.E. in Civil Engineering and Operations Research from Princeton University, an M.S. in Statistics and Decision Sciences from Duke University, and a Ph.D. in Environmental Science and Policy from Duke University. He did his post-doctoral training in the Department of Systems Analysis, Integrated Assessment, and Modelling (SIAM) at the Swiss Federal Institute for Aquatic Science and Technology (EAWAG), where he advanced to head of the Decision Analysis and Integrated Assessment group.

As part of his appointment at Duke, Dr. Borsuk directs a new interdisciplinary research and teaching initiative in risk, uncertainty, optimization and decision-making.

Current Appointments & Affiliations


James L. and Elizabeth M. Vincent Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering · 2023 - Present Civil and Environmental Engineering, Pratt School of Engineering
Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering · 2021 - Present Civil and Environmental Engineering, Pratt School of Engineering
Co-Director of the Center on Risk in the Duke Initiative for Science & Society · 2018 - Present Duke Science & Society, University Initiatives & Academic Support Units
Associate of the Duke Initiative for Science & Society · 2019 - Present Duke Science & Society, University Initiatives & Academic Support Units

In the News


Published September 23, 2025
Four Selected as Provost Faculty Fellows for 2025-26
Published June 6, 2025
A Season of Hurricanes and Wildfires Is Upon Us. Are We Prepared?
Published October 25, 2024
Individuals and Groups Collect 19 Climate and Sustainability Awards

View All News

Recent Publications


Local land-use decisions drive losses in river biological integrity to 2099: Using machine learning to disentangle interacting drivers of ecological change in policy forecasts

Journal Article Meteorological Applications · January 1, 2025 Climate and land-use/land-cover (LULC) change each threaten the health of rivers. Rising temperatures, changes in rainfall and runoff, and other perturbations, will all impact rivers' physical, biological, and chemical characteristics over the next century ... Full text Cite

Multi-Risk Governance of Solar Radiation Modification

Journal Article European Journal of Risk Regulation · 2025 Link to item Cite
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Recent Grants


IUCRC Phase I Duke University: Center for Innovation in Risk-analysis for Climate Adaption and Decision-making (CIRCAD)

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by National Science Foundation · 2025 - 2030

Model-based Tracking and Integrated Valuation of Ecosystem Services (MoTIVES) for Military Base Land-Use and Land-Management Decisions

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by Strategic Environmental Research & Development Program · 2022 - 2027

Bayesian Enhancement of Flood Risk Management Depth-Damage Modeling

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by Army Corps of Engineers · 2025 - 2026

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Education, Training & Certifications


Duke University · 2001 M.S.
Duke University · 2001 Ph.D.
Princeton University · 1995 B.S.E.

External Links


Borsuk Lab