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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 Duke 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

Recent News Items


Published September 29, 2026
News You Can Use: Preparing for El Niño and Other Climate Challenges
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?

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Recent Scholarly Works


Ecosystem technology (ecotech): Harnessing natural processes to address global challenges.

Journal article Science advances · May 2026 Over the past 80 years, biotechnology has advanced agriculture, health care, and economic development by harnessing biological processes from the organism inward, i.e., from the organ system to the molecular scale. Today's global challenges, including biod ... Full text Cite

A Standardized Definition of Rapid Evidence Assessment for Environmental Applications

Journal article Conservation Letters · January 1, 2026 Evidence assessment—identifying, evaluating, and synthesizing data and findings from previous studies—is important to inform environmental decision-making but can be slow and resource intensive. Users seeking efficiency have developed multiple definitions ... Full text 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 - 2031

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 - 2027

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Education


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

External Links


Borsuk Lab