MSU Faculty in the News Archive 2006
Professor Joseph Arvai Recipient of Chauncey Starr Award
ESPP
12/15/2006
Congratulations to Dr. Joe Arvai, winner of the Society for Risk Analysis' 2006 Chauncey Starr Award! Named for one of the founders of the application of risk analysis to environmental and technology policy, the award is given each year to recognize an outstanding young risk analyst... More >>
Keeping Research Abroad Alive
ESPP
12/15/2006
Faculty and graduate students interested in implementing collaborative international development research and projects around the globe should stop by the Office of International Development (OID) in the International Center. OID helps build links between MSU's various colleges and departments, combining the strengths of MSU's faculty and students with those of colleagues around the world... More >>
Get MORE out of your experience at MSU. Spend a semester away at the Kellogg Biological Station, (KBS).
ESPP
12/15/2006
The focused environment of the Kellogg Biological Station encourages you to develop your interests in the natural world to the utmost. A typical day might include a part-time job in one of the research labs, working on a project for a local conservation group, time at the computer analyzing data for a class paper, a hike through a local marsh for ecology class, a canoe paddle on Gull Lake or a weekly soccer match to unwind at the end of the day, and then dinner with a local conservation professional. Students live in suite style dorms overlooking Gull Lake, which include a student lounge and fitness room... More >>
MSU Hosts International Symposium on Climate Change
ESPP
11/20/2006
This March, ESPP will host an international symposium on climate change. The conference, titled Climate Change in the Great Lakes Region: Decision Making Under Uncertainty, will be held in the Kellogg Conference Center on March 15 and 16, 2007, and is free to the public. ESPP welcomes researchers, policy makers, and other Great Lakes region stakeholders to attend... More >>
ESPP Students Win Best Student Poster Award
ESPP
11/20/2006
Congratulations to Michigan State University students Nicole Lamp, Alexandra Felix and Rebecca Christoffel on winning Best Student Poster Award at the 13th annual conference of The Wildlife Society! The Wildlife Society, whose conference was held in Anchorage, Ala., is an international non-profit scientific and educational association dedicated to excellence in wildlife stewardship through science and education. Lamp presented the poster at the conference this past September... More >>
Graduate Student Studies New Shade of Green in Apparel Industry
ESPP
11/20/2006
“It’s hip to be green,” says Kim Hiller Connell, a doctoral student and teaching assistant in the apparel and textile design program at Michigan State University. Hiller Connell is currently researching sustainable development within the apparel and textiles industry, and is focusing specifically on the environmental side of sustainable development...
More >>
New Faculty Spotlight: Daniel Jaffee
ESPP
11/20/2006
ESPP welcomes new faculty member Daniel Jaffee. Dr. Jaffee joined MSU in the fall of 2006 as an assistant professor in the sociology department and currently teaches classes at the undergraduate and graduate levels in the areas of environment, development, food and agriculture, and globalization... More >>
Mason doghouse cutting edge in conservation
Lansing State Journal
11/19/2006
When Brad Rowe planted a green roof on top of his dogs' house three years ago, he wasn't sure what was going to pop up. Then, a while ago, NBC called - they wanted an interview and a close-up of his 4-inch thick "living roof." Rowe, an associate professor of horticulture at Michigan State University, and his dogs, Cooper and Finnegan, are now awaiting their moment of fame. (Photo by Courtesy photo)
Dr. Joe Arvai wins Chauncey Starr Award of the Society for Risk Analysis
ESPP
11/17/2006
Dr. Joe Arvai, who has a joint appointment in CARRS and ESPP, has won the Chauncey Starr Award of the Society for Risk Analysis. The award, named after one of the founders of the application of risk analysis to enviornmental and technology policy, is given each year to recognize an outstanding young risk analyst.
MSU goes greener in joining Chicago Climate Exchange
MSU Newsroom
11/14/2006
Michigan State University has taken another step toward being a "greener" place: MSU has joined the Chicago Climate Exchange as another step in reducing greenhouse gas emissions....
New Faculty Spotlight: Birnur Buzcu-Guven
ESPP
11/13/2006
ESPP welcomes new faculty member Birnur Buzcu-Guven, an assistant professor in the Civil and Environmental Engineering department. Originally from Turkey, Buzcu-Guven majored in mathematics and received her master's degree in environmental science before moving to Texas to attend Rice University. During that time, she obtained a second master's degree and a Ph.D. in environmental engineering... More >>
MSU First University to Join Sustainable Packaging Coalition
ESPP
11/13/2006
Michigan State University's School of Packaging (SOP) recently became a member of the Sustainable Packaging Coalition (SPC), an organization that prides itself on bringing a "cradle to cradle" system to the packaging industry... More >>
STAR Fellowship Deadline is November 28
ESPP
11/06/2006
The purpose of the fellowship program is to encourage promising students to obtain advanced degrees and pursue careers in an environmental field. The program has proven to be beneficial to both the public and private sectors by providing a steady stream of well-trained environmental specialists. Application advice >>
MSU Professor's Research on Mercury Emissions in Wetlands Receives Media Coverage
ESPP
10/25/2006
The presence of mercury in humans and animals has gotten a lot of attention lately and the concern is certainly understandable. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), exposure to mercury at any age level can harm the brain, heart, kidneys, lungs, and immune system.
However, research done by Dr. Merritt Turetsky, assistant professor of Wetland Ecology at Michigan State University, recently added another twist to the mercury issue. Her research suggests that a surprising ecosystem-peat accumulating wetlands in northern regions- could present a dangerous ticking time bomb for mercury. More >>
Science paper set priorities for ecosystem research
ESPP
10/13/2006
A massive research agenda is needed for improved management of ecosystem services to support sustainable and equitable growth in human well-being. That's the conclusion that team members came to after evaluating the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment, an international work program designed to meet the needs of decision makers and the public for scientific information concerning the consequences of and options for responding to ecosystem change. More >>
The full paper can be found on the web at: http://www.environment.msu.edu/MA_Research_Priorities.pdf [179 KB, pdf]
Michigan's Environmental Portal: A New One-Stop Resource
ESPP
10/05/2006
Michigan State University's Environmental Science and Policy Program is pleased to announce the launch of Michigan Environmental Portal, an environmental information page now available at http://www.environment.msu.edu/mep/. The portal is a conglomerate of environmental resources available at MSU and in the Michigan region. It provides an array of services useful to anyone interested in the environment.
Office of Campus Sustainability Links MSU Researchers to Campus Operations and Surrounding Community
09/12/2006
MSU students and faculty interested in an application for their environmental research should make one of their first stops to the Office of Campus Sustainability, located at 106 Olds Hall. There they'll find Director Terry Link, a very convenient person to have around when doing research on an environmental issue. More >>
EJ Magazine Launches New Site
09/12/2006
Michigan State University's Environmental Journalism Magazine is now available on the Internet at www.ejmagazine.com. EJ Magazine, a publication devoted entirely to environmental issues, is one of the only student-produced magazines in the country. It covers up-and-coming environmental issues with stories written by the next generation of environmental journalists. EJ has been published since 2003, but this is the first time its full contents have been made available online, so readers can download articles or print them out in PDF format.
In addition to article postings, the website also contains updates on the latest happening in MSU's Knight Center for Environmental Journalism, letters from the editor and director, and links to websites helpful to journalists and others who care about the environment.
Mercury Rising
TIME
09/03/2006
Environmental poisons never play by the rules. Just when you think you've got them figured out and rounded up, they give you the slip. Get the lead out of gasoline, and it comes at you through aging pipes. Bury waste and toxins in landfills, and they seep into groundwater. Mercury, at least, we thought we understood. For all its toxic power, as long as we avoided certain kinds of fish in which contamination levels were particularly high, we'd be fine. And not even everyone had to be careful, just children and women of childbearing age.... More >>
Burning Wetlands Unleash Sequestered Mercury in Wake of Climate Change
newsroom.msu.edu
08/22/2006
As wildfires grow in number and strength worldwide, they are unleashing mercury that has polluted wetlands in the north since at least the dawn of the Industrial Revolution.
ESPP Student wins National Academies Fellowship
08/08/2006
MSU Ph.D. student Rachel Shwom has been awarded a U.S. National Academies of Science Christen Mirzayan Science and Technology Policy Graduate Fellowship. Ms. Shwom is a Ph.D. student in Sociology and is a member of the first cohort of students in the Environmental Science and Policy doctoral specialization... More >>
Program Works Toward Greener Golf Courses
Great Lakes Radio Consortium
07/14/2006
Golf courses are among the biggest water users in the country, and they use a lot of pesticides and fertilizers that could end up in waterways. The potential for pollution is growing as golf becomes more popular around the world. But thousands of golf courses are working to become certified as environmentally-friendly.
ESPP
faculty member Steve Hamilton's wetland research featured in Science news article
Science
07/07/2006
Which wetlands are important enough to protect?
That's the question the U.S. Supreme Court
put to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers last
week when it ruled on two Michigan cases
involving wetlands that property owners wanted
to develop. The answer, which will require the
corps to define more precisely its jurisdiction
under the Clean Water Act, will have ramifications
for wetlands across the country.
Even tiny wetlands, like those in headwaters and along small streams, can have a large cumulative impact, studies have shown. A weak current is better than larger streams at trapping silt that would otherwise degrade habitat for salmon and other fish. A slow flow also means that microbes have more time to convert excess fertilizer and prevent downstream algal blooms. In an experimental study published last September in the Journal of Environmental Quality, Stefanie Whitmire and Stephen Hamilton of Michigan State University, Hickory Corners, showed that small wetlands in southwestern Michigan were responsible for half of the nitrate removal in the watershed. These benef its diminish when the wetlands are degraded, scientists say.
ESPP
faculty members contribute to State News story on global warming
The State News
06/23/2006
The issues of global warming and climate change and their causes remain hotly contested, even in spite of the evidence presented by people like (Al) Gore and Tom Dietz, director of the Environmental Science & Policy program at MSU.
ESPP faculty member elected to National Academy of Sciences
MSU Newsroom
05/04/2006
Richard Lenski, John A. Hannah Distinguished Professor of microbial ecology, has been elected to the prestigious National Academy of Sciences.
Lenski is among 72 new members and 18 foreign associates from 16 countries who were elected to the academy in recognition for their distinguished and continuing achievements in original research.
MSU Researchers Receive Guggenheim Fellowship Awards
04/06/2006
Prof. Jianguo (Jack) Liu and Dr. Kay Holekamp of Michigan State University each have been awarded a 2006 Guggenheim Fellowship Award. Prof. Jack Liu received a Guggenheim Fellowship to support his work on "People, pandas, and policies." Prof. Kay Holekamp was awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship to support her
research on "Development of role-reversed sex differences in behavior
and morphology." They are among 187 Fellowship winners that include artists, scholars, and scientists selected from almost 3,000 applicants for awards totaling $7,500,000. Guggenheim Fellows are appointed on the basis of distinguished achievement in the past and exceptional promise for future accomplishment.
Prof. Syal and the CM program recipient of the 2006 AGC Klinger Research Award
03/28/2006
The Associated General Contractors of America has awarded Prof. Matt Syal and the CM program the 2006 Klinger research award. As part of the award, Prof. Syal will investigate changes to CM techniques and practices for LEED (green) projects.
ESPP Associate Director Millenbah Wins Award
03/27/2006
Associate Director Kelly Millenbah has been awarded the 2006 Outstanding Faculty Woman Award, presented by the Faculty-Professional Women's Association (FPWA). The FPWA is an organization on campus that promotes awareness of MSU women and workplace equality and recognizes achievements of MSU women faculty and staff. Dr. Millenbah will be presented with her award at an awards banquet in April.
Professor Jim Detjen receives Ralph H. Smuckler Award
03/24/2006
Jim Detjen received the Ralph H. Smuckler Award for Advancing International Studies and Programs on March 29 at the 16th annual International Awards ceremony in room 303 of the International Center.
ESPP is pleased to announce the 2006 Doctoral Recruiting Fellows
03/10/2006
The goal of these fellowships is to attract the strongest possible cohort of students to pursue doctoral education focused on the environment.
- Victoria Campbell-Arvai (CARRS)
- Angela Hackel (SOC)
- Jason Karl (FW)
- Mamta Vardhan (CARRS)
Since its inception, ESPP Recruiting Fellowships have provided financial assistance to students in the following departments: Community, Agriculture, Recreation and Resource Studies, Economics, Fisheries and Wildlife, Geography, Philosophy, Sociology and Zoology.
Learn more about the ESPP Doctoral Specialization
Research sheds new light on health dangers of nanoparticles
Michigan Radio
02/24/2006
The nose, usually the first line of defense against inhaled airborne particles that could damage the lungs, may itself be susceptible to the dangers of extremely small particles, called nanoparticles, which are less than 100 nanometers in size. One nanometer is one-billionth of a meter...
Student's study abroad experience an amazing adventure
MSU Today
02/24/2006
Emily Young, an MSU student, writes about her experience in MSU's Environmental Studies Study Abroad Program in Costa Rica...
ESPP Director Interviewed on Risk Research
Michigan Radio
02/23/2006
ESPP Director Thomas Dietz was interviewed on Michigan Public Radio about how to make comparisons about risks. Dietz helped organize a session at the American Association for the Advancement of Science meetings in St. Louis on climate change and terrorism to examine what can be learned from comparing societal responses to these two very different kinds of risk. The interview can be heard at: http://www.michiganradio.org/ram/20060223DIETZ.ram (requires Real Player)
Dietz, Ed McGarrell of the School of Criminal Justice and Anthony Wojcik of Computer Science are developing an initiative with the support of Vice President Gray to develop work on comparative risk at MSU.
Rural Lands Provide Ecosystem Services
Earth & Sky
02/21/2006
When you look at a farm or a ranch, you might think to yourself, that's where corn or dairy products come from. But Scott Swinton - agricultural economist from Michigan State University - sees more. He knows that agricultural lands filter air and water - store greenhouse gases - and provide habitat for wild plants and animals.
ESPP active at AAAS
02/13/2006
ESPP faculty and students have organized three sessions at this year's AAAS meeting and are presenting 7 papers or posters. View MSU's Mini-Program
Plants become green Mr. Clean to combat toxic messes
02/13/2006
The next big way to clean up toxic sites may be coaxing plants to become janitors, a Michigan State University scientist says. Clayton Rugh, an assistant professor of crop and soil sciences, explains that phytoremediation - using plants to remove contaminants from the soil - is evolving.
