Weekly Update (03/23/2026)
ESPP News and Announcements
The Fate of the Earth Symposium is this week on Thursday and Friday at the Union.
Register here free to attend.
This event invites students, faculty, staff, and partners to engage with the complexity of sustainability and the messy, collaborative work of turning vision into action. Leveraging the power of partnerships and the campus as a living lab, the summit explores how research, community partnerships, operations, and innovation collide, creating space for unexpected insights and practical solutions for sustainability. Event highlights:
Day 1: Big Ideas & Action
- Plenary sessions featuring the untold, complicated stories of sustainability in action and inspiring speakers who challenge us to think differently. Keynote delivered by Alessandra Carreon, Chief Climate Officer, Office of Climate & Energy Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, & Energy
- Concurrent sessions on Energy, Food, Natural Resources, and Circular Economy blending research and applied insights, operational perspectives and external voices
- An interactive afternoon exploring the work of the Sustainability Systems Think Tank, charged with developing MSU’s sustainability framework, and how participants can shape the next phase of this effort.
- Reception at Beggar’s Banquet at 4 PM. RSVP today to attend.
Day 2: Generation Green – Supporting Students in Leading for Change
- Panels on careers in sustainability from the perspective of recent graduates and seasoned professionals
- Be Spartan Green Challenge: Student competition focusing on solutions for reducing waste on campus
- Lunch keynote delivered by Marcene Mitchell, Senior Vice President of Climate Change, World Wildlife Fund
- Optional sustainability tours (open to all, pre-registration required)
Seminars, Workshops, and Other Events
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Dr. Dani Jones from Cooperative Institute for Great Lakes Research (CIGLR) will talk about quantitative approaches to observing system design (including OSEs, OSSEs, adjoint-based uncertainty methods, correlation-based optimization, and emerging machine learning tools) and discusses their application from Antarctic field campaigns to buoy placement in the Great Lakes.
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Decarbonizing the energy system has the potential to generate substantial air quality and health co-benefits. However, the magnitude and distribution of these benefits depend strongly on the technology choices and their interactions with the socioeconomic system. Important questions remain about how health impacts are distributed across regions and demographic groups. In this talk, Dr. Wei Peng from Princeton University will present her group’s work focused on developing integrated energy–air pollution–health modeling frameworks to evaluate the health effects of decarbonization.
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AI: Revolution and Responsibility | 5:00 PM, April 16, 2026 | WKAR Studio
MSU College of Communication Arts and Sciences and College of Law invite you to join a timely conversation exploring how Artificial Intelligence is reshaping the media and creator economy — and the legal frameworks evolving alongside it.
Scholarships, Fellowships, and Funding Opportunities
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Great Lakes Blue Tech Challenge | Deadline: March 27, 2026
The Great Lakes Blue Tech Challenge is a competition for entrepreneurs, startups, and student-led ventures tackling freshwater challenges like water quality, PFAS, microplastics, and marine infrastructure. The top award includes $30,000 in seed funding, along with mentorship and access to a growing Great Lakes freshwater innovation ecosystem.
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Community-Engaged Research Fellows Program | Deadline: April 10, 2026
The Community-Engaged Research Fellows Program offers a yearlong, cohort-based, faculty and academic staff development opportunity for up to four early- and mid-career faculty and four academic staff to strengthen their community-engaged research (CER) skills, develop CER projects in partnership with communities, and produce scholarly products. Fellows will receive a $2,500 stipend and up to $2,000 for CER project costs.
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Scholarship of Teaching and Learning Fellowship Program | Deadline: April 10, 2026
Ph.D. students selected for this 12-month fellowship will collaborate with a Lyman Briggs College faculty member on a research project focused on undergraduate teaching and learning. Research topics may include developing and assessing curricular innovations such as inquiry-based labs, interdisciplinary teaching, science ethics, teaching with case studies, and strategies to improve retention and success of diverse STEM students.
Job and Training Opportunities
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ICPSR 2026 Summer Program Registration now open
Featuring 90+ classes ranging from introductory statistics and data analysis to advanced training in cutting-edge and specialized methodological techniques, the ICPSR Summer Program is the ideal place to learn something new, or something that needs a little refresher. See registration page for more information!
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International Course on Environmental Science and Climate Action: A global-South Perspective
One of the key Asia Hub partners, BRAC University’s Centre for Climate Change and Environmental Research (C3ER), has designed an international course focusing on a global south perspective. While many students will be from Bangladesh, they’re also opening the course (for free!) to MSU students. It is a fully virtual course and will provide students with an excellent opportunity to learn from experts in the global south. Click here to apply now.