Weekly Update (11/11/2024)

ESPP Announcements

We are pleased to announce that the following faculty members will serve on the Graduate Program Council (GPC) this year:

moran-emilio-profile.jpgMoran to continue energy convergence work in the Brazilian Amazon through new C.S. Mott Foundation grant

With additional funding from a recent $200,000 grant from the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation, Michigan State University John A. Hannah Distinguished Professor Emilio Moran and team, including Co-Principal Investigator Maria Claudia Lopez with the MSU Department of Community Sustainability will continue working with Brazilian partners on innovative and transformative methods to deliver electricity to off-grid Amazonian communities, where energy is often too expensive or unreliable. It is estimated that about one million people in the Brazilian Amazon lack access to the national electrical grid and are thereby limited in fundamental ways by this. Read More

Course Announcements

  • GEO 871: Physical Geography: Climate Change and Impacts on Ecosystems

    This seminar offered by Dr. Jiquan Chen, is designed to familiarize students with the physical foundations of climate change and variability, its direct and indirect impacts on ecosystems and societies, and the actions necessary for adaptation and mitigation. Students are encouraged to lead discussions on key topics. This seminar class will feature guest lectures from national leaders involved in IPCC, the U.S. Global Change Research Program, the National Academy of Sciences, and other networks advancing awareness, education, and science. A field trip to the Kellogg Biological Station in April will offer firsthand experience with local ecosystem experiments, observational stations, and key findings. Reading materials will be drawn from the literature and jointly selected by both students and the instructor, ensuring alignments with students’ interests while encompassing both classical texts and the latest developments in the field.

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Seminars, Workshops, and Other Events

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  • MSU Climate Cafe | 4 PM November 21, 2024 and December 2, 2024

    Do you feel overwhelmed by the environmental crises? Worry about biodiversity loss? Feel anger towards the slow pace of climate action? Or maybe you are awe-inspired by technological advances and local action that make a difference?

    The Graduate School’s Office of Wellbeing is hosting a series of Climate Cafés - safe spaces to express and process emotions around climate change and environmental crises more broadly. Trained facilitators will guide a small group conversation, allowing all reactions that come up to be expressed in a safe space. The primary purpose of these spaces is emotional expression and processing, not solutions/ actions to take because sometimes, in order to know how best to move forward, we need to process how we feel.For those interested in learning about actions that can be taken, we will also be offering a follow-up session on climate action in February. Details will be shared at a later date with participants of the Climate Cafés. Space is limited, so please register if you want to attend. There will be two in-person and two virtual sessions, one of each this semester, and one of each early in the new year. There will be hot cocoa and tea at the in-person sessions. RSVP for the November and December sessions here.

  • 4th annual Health & Risk Communication Day of Innovation and Insights |Friday, November 15, 2024

    You are invited to the Michigan State University Health & Risk Communication Day of Innovation and Insights on Friday, November 15th, 2024. This is a day to bring people together to hear about new innovations and insights in health and risk communication and network with others interested the field - a perfect opportunity for professional development and learning something new. It is designed for people who work (either outside or inside of the academy) in the health, risk, environment or science fields and appropriate for people across disciplines who are interested in communication and how it shapes our decisions.

Scholarships, Fellowships, and Funding Opportunities

  • Scholarship from Michigan Scholarships in Conservation Program |Deadline November 6, 2024

    From ESPP alumnus Zach Curtis: The Michigan Chapter of the Soil and Water Conservation Society (miSWCS) offers a $750 Scholarship to eligible applicants through the Michigan Scholarships in Conservation Program for the Fall 2024 - Spring 2025 Academic Year. Scholarships are awarded to encourage qualified students to enter the field of natural resources conservation, and to prepare them for related careers through an organized program of study at an institution of higher education offering training in appropriate disciplines. Awards will be based on interest in conservation, scholastic ability, and participation in conservation activities.

  • Graduate Assistantship Opportunities in Residence Education & Housing Services

    Residence Education and Housing Services at Michigan State University is excited to announce openings for Graduate Assistantships for the 2025-2026 academic year. These positions offer an incredible chance for students to develop professional skills while making a meaningful impact on the residential student experience during a transformative time in the lives of students.

    To provide more information about available positions during the 2025-26 year and the application process, we are offering two information sessions:

Weekly Update