Affiliated Faculty
ESPP affiliated faculty and researchers come from 12 colleges and 40 departments. All are welcome to join: contact espp@msu.edu.
For new faculty members, we've provided a guide to funding, collaboration, and quality of life resources at MSU. Check it out here.
Learn about other ESPP Faculty Awards, Appointments, and Accomplishments |
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Soji O. Adelaja
Department: Agricultural, Food, and Resource Economics
E-mail: adelaja@msu.edu
Web site: http://www.aec.msu.edu/faculty/adelaja.htm
Dr. Soji Adelaja is the John A. Hannah Distinguished Professor in Land Policy and Director of MSU's Land Policy Program. He is professor in the MSU Departments of Agricultural, Food and Resource Economics; and Community, Agriculture, Recreation and Resource Studies; and the School of Planning Design and Construction.
Dr. Adelaja is an eclectic scholar and team-builder whose research and outreach programs span a variety of areas, including the areas of land use, land policy, renewable energy (including wind power, metropolitan growth strategies, place science, prosperity science, New Economy growth modeling, political economy modeling and regional prosperity strategies in the New Economy. He is best known for his work in land use policy, agricultural and food policy at the urban fringe, asset-based economic development and emerging issues in the New Economy. His international work is focused largely on asset-based economic development strategies and economic placemaking for prosperity. A committed land grant scholar, his work has impacted on public policy in a variety of areas and he advises many leaders at the local, state, national and international levels.
Recent headlines
- ESPP affiliates garner honors!
- Pointing Motown toward the new green economy
- ESPP affiliates answer the "big questions" in Spartan Sagas
- Great Lakes Restoration Initiative grants announced
Evangelyn C. Alocilja
Department: Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering
E-mail: alocilja@egr.msu.edu
Web site: http://www.egr.msu.edu/~alocilja
Our goal is to protect lives through point-of-care field-operable nanostructured biosensors for the rapid diagnosis of infectious disease agents which are of concern to public health, homeland defense, food supply chain, and economic infrastructures. Complementary to these nano-devices are anti-counterfeiting detection systems for product authentication, serialization, and tamper-evidency.
The biosensor designs we are currently working on include electrochemical and optical sensing platforms using antibodies, DNA fragments, and biomimetic receptors as the biological sensing elements. Rapid detection of pathogens has potential for minimizing the deadly organisms from being passed on up the food chain and preventing their transfer from the source to the table. Beneficiaries of the technologies are the consumers, food industries, farm industries, tourism, and the homeland. Direct benefits to Michigan and the United States include a safer food supply, cleaner water system, a healthier population, and more energetic work force. Such benefits will translate to a better society, economy, and environment.
Recent headlines
Soren Anderson
Department: Economics; Agricultural, Food and Resource Economics
E-mail: sta@msu.edu
Web site: http://econ.msu.edu/faculty/anderson/index.php
Soren Anderson is an Assistant Professor at MSU. He holds appointments in the Department of Economics and the Department of Agricultural, Food, and Resource Economics. His research spans a broad range of topics in energy and environmental economics with a current focus on automobile fuel-economy standards, consumer preferences for biofuels, gasoline demand, and ethanol markets. He has previously served on the staff of the President's Council of Economic Advisers and at Resources for the Future. Soren holds a Ph.D. in economics from the University of Michigan and a bachelor's degree in economics and mathematics from Macalester College in St. Paul, Minnesota.
Recent headlines
Jeffrey A. Andresen
Department: Geography
E-mail: andresen@msu.edu
Web site: http://www.geo.msu.edu/faculty/andresen.html
Jeff Andresen is an associate professor of meteorology/climatology in the Department of Geography and the State Climatologist for Michigan. He obtained a Bachelor of Science degree from Northern Illinois University in the field of meteorology, and M.S. and Ph.D. degrees from Purdue University in the field of agricultural meteorology/climatology. Dr. Andresen currently serves as director of the Michigan Climatological Resources Program, co-director of the Enviro-weather system, which supports agricultural pest, production, and natural resource management decision-making across Michigan, and administrator of the Michigan Automated Weather Network (MAWN), a network of automated weather stations designed to provide quality, detailed weather data to the state's agricultural industry over the Internet. The primary focus of Andresen's research has been the influence of weather and climate on agriculture, especially within Michigan and the Great Lakes Region. Current and past themes include; climatological trends and potential impacts, water use for agricultural irrigation, impacts associated with potential future changes in climate, weather and risk management in agricultural production systems, influence of land use changes on regional climate, winter hardiness and mortality of crops and insects, and the measurement and use of weather data for determination of plant disease risk.
Recent headlines
- Current State: The future of Michigan's climate
- On the Rise MSU researchers offer input on up-and-down weather in state
- WhadayaKnow? What’s the difference between climate and weather?
- Hard freeze hurts Michigan cherry crop
Rafael Auras
Department: Packaging
E-mail: aurasraf@msu.edu
Web site: https://www.msu.edu/~aurasraf/index.html
Our research group interest is directed towards:
- the creation of new sustainable packaging. We are focusing on the development of new biobased polymer blends and composites, and their modifications.
- the design of new active packaging systems.
- the evaluation of the end of life scenario of different packaging systems. We consider different end of life scenarios such as composting and recycling, and evaluate the environmental footprint of packaging systems using state of the art laboratory techniques and tools such as life cycle assessment and systemic sustainability analysis.
Recent headlines
- There’s no containing MSU’s School of Packaging
- Michigan AgBio Research report showcases environmental research
- Faculty honored
- McCright and Auras Awarded Lilly Fellowships
Mark L. Axelrod
Department: Fisheries and Wildlife, James Madison College
E-mail: axelrod3@msu.edu
Web site: http://jmc.msu.edu/contact/show.php?id=90
Teaching interests in international relations and environmental policy, international political economy, South Asia. Research interests in international law and politics, environmental law and politics, Indian trade and environmental politics, comparative foreign policy, and effects of democratic institutions on environmental outcomes.
Recent headlines
- Model explores sustainable groundwater management between Turkey and Syria
- Center for Water Sciences publishes "Splash," launches blog
Jon F. Bartholic
Department: Institute of Water Research
E-mail: bartholi@msu.edu
Web site: http://www.hydra.iwr.msu.edu/iwr/cv/vita.asp?ID=1
Jon Bartholic is Director of the Institute of Water Research and Professor in the Departments of Community, Agriculture, Recreation and Resource Studies and Crop and Soil Sciences. The Institute team works closely with local, county, state, regional, and federal government agencies and organizations focusing on water quality and land use in determining susceptible groundwater contamination areas and utilization of appropriate land use practices.
He has and continues to work closely with MSU colleagues on water quality and quantity issues, and land use and whole-farm planning from a watershed perspective. Most recently he has been working with others to develop an accessible integrated environmental information Web-based system including remote sensing and GIS technologies to aid users in making sound environmental, resource, and land use decisions.
Recent headlines
- WhadayaKnow? How can we improve water quality in the Great Lakes?
- MSU Institute of Water Research: Finding global water management solutions locally
- Michigan AgBio Research report showcases environmental research
- Michigan Water Withdrawal Assessment Tool honored with awards
Bruno Basso
Department: Geological Sciences
E-mail: basso@msu.edu
Web site: http://www.glg.msu.edu/people/basso.html
Bruno Basso's research deals mainly with water, carbon, nitrogen cycling and modeling in agro-ecosystems, and spatial analysis of crop yield. Basso's modeling research has focused on extending soil-crop-atmosphere models to spatial domains at the field scale, and in particular on developing, testing, and deploying SALUS, a next-generation process-based model that integrates crop productivity with water, carbon, and nutrient fluxes in a spatially explicit manner. Through this research, it has been possible to integrate the effects of topography and soil properties on soil water balance, and thereby partition surface vs. subsurface flows in different landscape positions. This has important value for better understanding and predicting nitrogen conservation patterns in cropped landscapes as well as soil carbon change - and has led to important insights for the likely effects of climate change on carbon and water footprints of future cropping systems, as noted in recent publications.
Recent headlines
Janice A. Beecher
Department: Institute of Public Utilities
E-mail: beecher@msu.edu
Web site: http://ipu.msu.edu/about/staff.php
James R. Bence
Department: Fisheries and Wildlife
E-mail: bence@msu.edu
Web site: http://www.fw.msu.edu/~bence/
My position is part of the Partnership for Ecosystem Research and Management. My research is in the general area of quantitative fisheries with an emphasis on Great Lakes applications. Recent work has focussed on evaluation of age-structured stock assesment methods and use of simulation models to evaluate different harvest policies and other management choices. My work has covered a broad range of topics including environmental impact assessments, bioenergetics applications, stock assessments and policy analyses for specific Great Lakes stocks, general assessment of methods, sea lamprey control/management, and population dynamics theory and modeling. I teach a graduate course in fish population dynamics.
John C. Besley
Department: Advertising and Public Relations
E-mail: jbesley@msu.edu
Web site: http://cas.msu.edu/about-the-college/contact-us/faculty-and-staff-directory/297-john-besley
Ravi Bhavnani
Department: Political Science
E-mail: bhavnani@msu.edu
Web site: http://peacejustice.msu.edu/faculty
Recent headlines
George W. Bird
Department: Entomology
E-mail: birdg@msu.edu
Web site: http://www.ent.msu.edu/Directory/Facultypages/bird/tabid/133/Default.aspx
Dr. Bird is emeritus professor of nematology in the Department of Entomology. His research and academic instruction programs are focused on an ecosystem approach to Michigan agriculture and soil biology: with special reference to soil quality and nematode community structure. Dr. Bird participates in undergraduate and graduate education and numerous outreach programs throughout Michigan, U.S.A and Central Asia. As the former Director of the USDA Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program and Coordinator of the MSU Integrated Pest Management Program, he has experience interacting with numerous agriculture and science initiatives. He serves on the Board of Directors of the Rodale Institute and the Michigan Organic Food and Farm Alliance Board.
Recent headlines
Stephen A. Boyd
Department: Crop & Soil Sciences
E-mail: boyds@msu.edu
Web site: http://cit.msu.edu/faculty/boyd.html
Dr. Boyd's research is in the broad areas of environmental chemistry and microbiology. He studies the movement of organics in soil; microbial and catalytic degradation; sorption and degradation of organic contaminants, pesticides and metals in soils and sediments; and the remediation of contaminated soils, subsoils, and sediments.
Dr. Boyd's research program addresses use of chemically modified clays for sorption and/or catalytic degradation of organic contaminants and heavy metals. He also examines the interactions of organic toxicants with organic phases in soils, and with clays. One goal is the development of soil modification technologies to prevent migration of organic contaminants. He looks at the biodegradation of xenobiotics; and the bioavailability of organic contaminants to pollutant-degrading bacteria.
Henry Brimmer
Department: Advertising, Public Relations, and Retailing
E-mail: hbrimmer@msu.edu
Web site: http://cas.msu.edu/modules.php?name=Contacts&op=details&id=215&type=U&department_id=0&position_id=0
Henry Brimmer has been a graphic designer and educator for the past 25 years. He currently teaches graphic design through the College of Communication Arts & Sciences. He came to MSU a year ago from San Francisco via Utah and Illinois, and wishes to involve his students in projects related to environmental issues. Currently his students are working on projects for the student organic farm.
Daniel A. Bronstein
Department: Community, Agriculture, Recreation & Resource Studies
E-mail: bronstei@msu.edu
Web site: http://www.carrs.msu.edu/Main/People/faculty%20bios%5Cbronstei.asp
Daniel Bronstein’s interests are in the area of environmental policy and law. He is active in such areas as standard setting for hazardous chemicals (through MSU’s Institute for Environmental Toxicology), impact assessment and health. In recent years he has become involved in evaluating major dam projects in foreign countries (Three Gorges, Sardar Sarovar) and, through that work, has become interested in issues of sustainable development and ecotourism.
Lars Brudvig
Department: Plant Biology
E-mail: brudvig@msu.edu
Web site: http://brudviglab.plantbiology.msu.edu/
I am a community ecologist interested the consequences of anthropogenic change for plant biodiversity and the prospects for its restoration. My research bridges basic and applied ecology – I seek both the fundamental mechanisms underlying plant community patterns across time and space and the translation of this understanding into better restoration and land management. Much of my work is based around large, landscape ecology and restoration experiments. I work in a variety of ecosystems, ranging from Midwestern prairies, savannas, and woodlands, to pine forests in the Southeast, and with topics including: community assembly, habitat fragmentation, fire ecology, plant-animal interactions, landscape corridors, ecosystem ecology, and land-use legacies.
Recent headlines
- ESPP affiliates shine in ecology journals
- Brudvig part of long-term species movement study to improve conservation practices
- Community ecology, adoption of new farming practices, and biofuels' effects on greenhouse gases
Douglas D. Buhler
Department: Michigan Agricultural Experiment Station
E-mail: buhler@msu.edu
Web site: http://agbioresearch.msu.edu/staff.html#buhler
My research is centered on the development of integrated, ecologically-based weed management systems that reduce herbicide use and protect the natural resource base. This goal is approached through 1) determination of the influence of management practices and site characteristics on weed population dynamics and the weed seed bank in the soil, 2) assessment of the interactions between weed population dynamics and effectiveness of cultural and chemical weed control practices, and 3) evaluation and development of decision support systems for integrated weed management with emphasis on weed emergence dynamics.
Recent headlines
Steven J. Bursian
Department: Animal Science
E-mail: bursian@msu.edu
Web site: http://www.ans.msu.edu/ans/department_faculty_staff/507/dr._steven_bursian
David J. Campbell
Department: Geography
E-mail: djc@msu.edu
Web site: http://www.geo.msu.edu/faculty/campbell.html
Recent headlines
Kendra S. Cheruvelil
Department: Lyman Briggs College and Fisheries & Wildlife
E-mail: ksc@msu.edu
Web site: http://www.fw.msu.edu/~ksc/
I am a landscape limnologist who works collaboratively to examine the roles that disturbance (human and natural), spatial scale, and heterogeneity have on lake biology and chemistry. I address questions that advance scientific understanding and are directly applicable to aquatic ecosystem management and conservation. In addition, my research explicitly includes the economic and social factors that both impact lakes and drive their management and conservation. My main areas of interest include examining the role of a) aquatic plants (native and alien) and their management in lake foodwebs and b) the landscape in structuring lake biology and chemistry. My students, collaborators, and I use a variety of approaches to conduct our research, such as lake field surveys, mesocosm experiments, and statistical modeling (e.g. multi-level modeling).
Recent headlines
- Environmental researchers win university awards
- MSU professor launches new field of water research
- Research makes lake and stream conservation more effective
- Environmental Faculty Fellows chosen
Sophan Steven Chhin
Department: Department of Forestry
E-mail: chhin@msu.edu
Web site: https://www.msu.edu/~chhin/
Karen Chou
Department: Animal Science
E-mail: chouk@msu.edu
Web site: http://www.ans.msu.edu/ans/department_faculty_staff/507/dr._karen_chou
Dr. Chou's major interest of research is environmental toxicology, with an emphasis on regulatory pathways that control the reproductive functions in mammalian species. Her research team examines the impact of environmental pollutants on reproductive and developmental health in human and animals. She has discovered new control mechanisms of the onset of sperm fertilizing ability and provided evidences for acceleration of aging-related testicular degeneration after early-life exposure to the Great Lakes contaminant and estrogenic compounds.
Peter O. Cookingham
Department: Turfgrass Information Center (MSU Libraries)
E-mail: cooking1@msu.edu
Web site: http://tic.msu.edu/staff.html
Pete Cookingham is currently the Project Director of the Turfgrass Information Center (TIC) within the MSU Libraries. TIC produces the Turfgrass Information File (TGIF) an online resource supporting turf science and culture (see tic.msu.edu). Prior to his arrival at MSU, his academic and work life were in recreation and park administration, including 3 years with the Peace Corps in Lesotho, Southern Africa; although his MS is in Library & Information Science from the University of Illinois. Some ongoing interests include communicating across the research/management gap; information access to underserved (and underorganized) literatures within applied natural resource disciplines, and why your lawn is bigger than mine.
Thomas G. Coon
Department: Michigan State University Extension
E-mail: coont@msu.edu
Web site: http://www.msue.msu.edu/portal/default.cfm?pageset_id=25744&page_id=25758&msue_portal_id=25643
My research interests focus on the interactions within aquatic ecosystems – physical and biological – that influence population dynamics of fish. I have worked in a variety of aquatic systems, ranging from small headwater streams to large rivers and from southern impounded rivers to the Great Lakes and coral reefs. Most recently, I have investigated the influence of stream dynamics on early life history of migratory salmonids in Lake Michigan and the influence of coastal wetland dynamics on early life history of fishes in Lake Huron.
Evelyne Cudel
Department: Philosophy
E-mail: cudel@msu.edu
Web site: http://www.philosophy.msu.edu/people/faculty/evelyne-cudel/
Alison M. Cupples
Department: Civil & Environmental Engineering
E-mail: cupplesa@egr.msu.edu
Web site: http://www.egr.msu.edu/~cupplesa/
Microbial degradation of soil and water contaminants. Dehalogenation of the groundwater contaminants tetrachloroethene and trichloroethene and their reductive dechlorination products, cis-dichloroethene and vinyl chloride. The development and use of molecular methods to identify and quantify the microorganisms responsible for environmental contaminants. Fate of pharmaceuticals during wastewater treatment and land application of biosolids.
Recent headlines
- Microbiology adds new dimension to environmental water research
- ESPP affiliates win Distinguished Professor title, Lilly Fellowship
- Students and Faculty Taking Action
- Engineers Strive to Provide Clean Water for All
Bruce Dale
Department: Chemical Engineering & Materials Science
E-mail: bdale@egr.msu.edu
Web site: http://www.egr.msu.edu/people/profile/bdale
Professor Dale's research and professional interests lie at the intersection of chemical engineering and the life sciences. Specifically, he is interested in the environmentally sustainable conversion of plant matter to industrial products- fuels, chemicals and materials- while meeting human and animal needs for food and feed. He led a National Research Council report entitled "Biobased Industrial Products: Research and Commercialization Priorities" which was published in May 2000. Dr. Dale has authored over 100 refereed journal papers and is an active consultant to industry. He holds thirteen U. S. and foreign patents.
Recent headlines
- MSU biofuels expert makes list of Top 100 people in bioenergy
- 2011 Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center (GLBRC) report
- Mild weather may chill maple syrup season
- Do biofuels reduce greenhouse gases?
Frank B. Dazzo
Department: Microbiology & Molecular Genetics, Crop & Soil Sciences
E-mail: dazzo@msu.edu
Web site: http://mmg.msu.edu/86.html
Jim Detjen
Department: Journalism
E-mail: detjen@msu.edu
Web site: http://cas.msu.edu/modules.php?name=Contacts&op=details&id=126&type=U&department_id=0&position_id=0
Jim Detjen, Director of the Knight Center for Environmental Journalism in the School of Journalism, holds the Knight Chair in Journalism in the College of Communication Arts and Sciences. The Knight Center trains journalists in the United States and around the world to write about environmental and science issues. Professor Detjen conducts research on environmental journalism in the United States and other countries. The Knight Center runs a week-long training institute on Great Lakes environmental issues for American and Canadian journalists every other June. The Knight Center has also organized or participated in training workshops for environmental journalists in multiple other countries. The Knight Center publishes EJ, a magazine; a web site; runs listservs for environmental journalists in Mexico and the United States; publishes the Great Lakes Echo, about the Great Lakes environment; and produces handbooks and resources for environmental journalists.
Recent headlines
- Spotlight video: Jim Detjen, Knight Center for Environmental Journalism
- Michigan United Conservation Clubs honors Jim Detjen as “Conservation Communicator of the Year”
- Professor Jim Detjen receives Ralph H. Smuckler Award
Tom (Thomas) M. Dietz
Department: Sociology, Environmental Science and Policy Program
E-mail: tdietz@msu.edu
Web site: http://sociology.msu.edu/faculty/profile/dietz-thomas/
Thomas Dietz is a Professor of Sociology and Environmental Science and Policy and Assistant Vice President for Environmental Research at Michigan State University. He holds a Ph.D. in Ecology from the University of California, Davis, and a Bachelor of General Studies from Kent State University. At MSU he was Founding Director of the Environmental Science and Policy Program and Associate Dean in the Colleges of Social Science, Agriculture and Natural Resources and Natural Science Dr. Dietz is a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and has been awarded the Sustainability Science Award of the Ecological Society of America, the Distinguished Contribution Award of the American Sociological Association Section on Environment, Technology and Society, and the Outstanding Publication Award, also from the American Sociological Association Section on Environment, Technology and Society and the Gerald R. Young Book Award from the Society for Human Ecology. At the National Research Council he has served as chair of the U.S. National Research Council Committee on Human Dimensions of Global Change and the Panel on Public Participation in Environmental Assessment and Decision Making, and currently is Vice Chair of the Panel on Advancing the Science of Climate Change of the America's Climate Choices study. Dr. Dietz has also served as Secretary of Section K (Social, Economic, and Political Sciences) of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and is the former President of the Society for Human Ecology. He has co-authored or co-edited eleven books and more than 100 papers and book chapters. His current research examines the human driving forces of environmental change, environmental values and the interplay between science and democracy in environmental issues. Dr. Dietz is an active participant in the Ecological and Cultural Change Studies Group at MSU.
Recent headlines
- Population and climate change report published
- New book examines climate change in the Great Lakes Region
- Thinking outside sustainability’s box with art and science
- Keeping climate change on regional agendas despite public apathy
Tracy A. Dobson
Department: Fisheries & Wildlife
E-mail: dobson@msu.edu
Web site: http://www.fw.msu.edu/~dobson/
Co-management of natural resources in Malawi Tribal treaty fishing rights in the Great Lakes bordering Michigan; Tribal treaty rights to exploit inland resources in Michigan; Great Lakes women conservationists; Institutional and policy frameworks of the Great Lakes Basin.
Erin Dreelin
Department: Center for Water Sciences
E-mail: dreelin@msu.edu
Web site: http://cws.msu.edu/about_us/people.html
Dr. Dreelin received her PhD in Ecology from the University of Georgia in 2004. Her research focuses on sustainable development and innovative stormwater management practices to protect aquatic ecosystems. Dr. Dreelin’s work also has a strong emphasis on outreach. She works with local governments to revise building codes in order to improve land development practices and to encourage low impact development and Smart Growth techniques.
Recent headlines
- New MSU Global Water Initiative
- MSU researchers working with DNRE on Great Lakes Restoration Initiative grants
- Center for Water Sciences publishes "Splash," launches blog
- MSU water fellows follow outline water quality protection needs to joint House, Senate Committee
Lawrence T. Drzal
Department: Chemical Engineering & Materials Science
E-mail: drzal@egr.msu.edu
Web site: http://www.chems.msu.edu/people/profile/drzal
Professor Drzal's research is directed at exploring materials and processes that are efficient, useful for structural applications and environmentally friendly. This includes materials, interfaces and processing that are centered on both petroleum based and biobased polymers; inorganic and biobased reinforcements, nanoreinforcements and processes to fabricate them into composite materials. One area of research underpinning all of these activities is research into the fundamentals of adhesion. Some potential process technologies under active investigation are ultraviolet light, microwave, electron beam and powder processing. Major research is being undertaken to develop biobased, sustainable, structural biocomposites that can replace petroleum based structural composites. This includes new biobased biofiber reinforcements from plants, bioplastics from plant chemicals, and new methods for processing biocomposites with high reinforcement contents and surface treatments for optimization of biocomposite properties.
Recent headlines
- ESPP affiliates featured on Greening of the Great Lakes
- Scientists making solar more efficient (With video)
- Nanocomposite developed at MSU could help automakers meet fuel efficiency standards
- Area to get bio boost
Diane Ebert-May
Department: Plant Biology
E-mail: ebertmay@msu.edu
Web site: http://www.plantbiology.msu.edu/faculty/faculty-research/diane-ebert-may/
As a plant ecologist, I conduct long-term ecological research (LTER) on alpine tundra plant communities on Niwot Ridge, Colorado. My interest in the complex interactions occurring in alpine plant communities in response to global change combined with my commitment to undergraduate biology education, lead to the expansion of my research program to include questions about the teaching and learning of biology. The research our group pursues requires linking the concepts and processes of biology to theories and processes of cognitive science with emphasis on how students construct understanding of the discipline. We use the methods of discipline-based science research that allow for investigating course and curriculum development, assessment, and pedagogy.
Recent headlines
- Ebert-May recognized for skills in science education
- Environmental researchers win university awards
- MSU professor named among professors of the year
- Ebert-May Lands $2 Million NSF Grant to Make Postdocs Better Teachers
Kyle T. Evered
Department: Geography
E-mail: ktevered@msu.edu
Web site: http://www.geo.msu.edu/faculty/evered.html
Kyle Evered's research interests involve political ecologies and environmental histories found in Eurasia. Some of his recent projects have dealt with: small-scale farmers, their ecologies, and their views regarding potential impacts of Turkey becoming part of the European Union; the ecologies and geopolitics of poppy production in Eurasia, past and present; and, challenges for wetland conservation and local ecologies amid pressures for development.
Wesley Everman
Department: Crop and Soil Sciences
E-mail: everman@msu.edu
Web site: http://www.css.msu.edu/People.cfm
Recent headlines
Anne E. Ferguson
Department: Anthropology
E-mail: fergus12@msu.edu
Web site: http://anthropology.msu.edu/blog/people/fergus12/
Anne Ferguson, Professor and Director of the Women and International Development Program, does research and teaching in the areas of development studies, gender, agricultural and environmental change, and medical anthropology. In the mid-1980s Dr. Ferguson shifted her research focus to Southern Africa where she has studied development initiatives in the areas of agriculture, fisheries, and water sector reform. Her research in Malawi centers on the gendered social construction of agricultural technology and natural resource management programs and policies. Dr. Ferguson has studied the social and cultural factors which underpin the maintenance of crop bio-diversity, examining how these factors shape agricultural technology improvement programs. She also has examined the social impacts of fisheries policies in Malawi. Currently, her research centers on the gender dimensions of Malawi’s new water reform policies. Much of Dr. Ferguson’s research has been carried out in collaboration with colleagues at MSU and at the University of Malawi. Her research has been supported by the McArthur Foundation, the Social Science Research Council, Rockefeller Foundation, and USAID. In 2000, she received a Fulbright Hays Faculty Research Abroad Program grant to study the gender dimensions of Malawi’s and Zimbabwe’s water reforms.
Dr. Ferguson is one of the co-founders of the Gender, Justice and Environmental Change Graduate Specialization. Dr. Ferguson teaches gender studies courses with a focus on agriculture, environment and development.
Recent headlines
- MSU partnership to develop African ecosystem services
- MSU-Malawi partnership on ecosystem services is awarded USAID grant
Matt Ferkany
Department: Teacher Education
E-mail: ferkany@msu.edu
Web site: http://education.msu.edu/search/Formview.aspx?email=ferkany@msu.edu
Matt Ferkany is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Teacher Education. Obtaining a Ph.D. in Philosophy at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, his work focuses on virtue, well-being, environmental ethics, and civic and moral education. He is currently working on a project (with Kyle Powys Whyte) funded by the Spender Foundation articulating and defending a normative ideal for environmental ethics and education in primary and secondary schools. His work is published in journals such as Environmental Values, Ethics, Policy, and Environment, Journal of Agriculture and Environmental Ethics, Journal of Philosophy of Education, and the Southern Journal of Philosophy. He is co-chair elect of the Sustainability Education special interest group of the North American Association for Environmental Education.
Recent headlines
Scott D. Fitzgerald
Department: Pathobiology & Diagnostic Investigation
E-mail: fitzgerald@dcpah.msu.edu
Web site: http://www.pathobiology.msu.edu/people/fitzgerald.html
I am an anatomic veterinary pathologist with 15 years experience in infectious disease, toxicology and comparative pathology. I have board certification by both the American College of Veterinary Pathologists, and the American College of Poultry Veterinarians. My expertise spans most of the animal kingdom (fish, reptiles, amphibians, birds, mammals). Experience with experimental studies in animals has included a variety of species: domestic birds (chickens, turkeys, pheasants), wild birds (crows, starlings, pigeons, mallard ducks), fish (goldfish, medaka, carp, minnows), and laboratory and wild mammals (mice, rats, voles, opossums, rabbits, mink, dogs, cats). I have worked with animal models for both viruses and bacteria, and studied toxicants including man-made organic compounds, heavy metals, plant and fungal toxins. Organ systems of special interest include the respiratory, lymphoid and urinary systems. I have conducted many animal studies involving Bio-Safety Level III agents at the University Research Containment Facility. Through my appointment in the Diagnostic Center for Population and Animal Health (DCPAH) I have extensive experience with infectious disease diagnosis in food animals, companion animals and wildlife. I serve as the leader of the Diagnostic Laboratory’s surveillance programs for Tuberculosis in Wildlife and Salmonid Diseases, and collaborate on the West Nile Virus and Chronic Wasting Disease surveillance programs. My interest in animal disease extends to the population and ecosystem levels, and I am particularly interested in zoonotic and emerging diseases.
Pennie G. Foster-Fishman
Department: Psychology
E-mail: fosterfi@msu.edu
Web site: http://psychology.msu.edu/Faculty/FacultyMember.aspx?netid=fosterfi
Pennie G. Foster-Fishman is an associate professor in the Department of Psychology at Michigan State University. She received her Ph.D. in organizational/community psychology from the University of Illinois at Chicago. Her research interests primarily emphasize organizational and community development and change, particularly those processes that can improve how services can better meet the needs of children, youth, and families. Toward this end, she has investigated human service delivery reform, multiple stakeholder collaboration, coalition development, community organizing, and resident empowerment as vehicles for change. She has also worked with a variety of human service delivery and not-for-profit organizations, working to improve their organizational operations, their work environment, and the efficacy of their service delivery. She has also worked with a variety of community-based coalitions, aiming to improve their collaborative processes and outcomes. Foster-Fishman has recently organized a Faculty Learning Community on the Scholarship of Engagement at Michigan State University. This Learning Community hopes to promote the understanding and valuing of university/community collaboration and community-based scholarly endeavors. Currently, she is leading a longitudinal evaluation of a comprehensive community initiative intended to promote individual, family, neighborhood, and community well-being.
Russell D. Freed
Department: Crop & Soil Sciences
E-mail: freed@msu.edu
Web site: http://www.msu.edu/~freed
My research looks at the role of agriculture in international development. I have extensive experience in international research management, design and evaluation. I also have a plant-breeding program in oats and canola. My research utilizes genetics to reduce pesticide use in our food system.
Doug Gage
Department: Bioeconomy Network
E-mail: gage@msu.edu
Doug Gage is the Director of the Michigan State University BioEconomy Network in the Office of the Vice President for Research and Graduate Studies. This organization was established to coordinate MSU’s diverse assets in basic science, technology development, economic analysis, policy, education and outreach to pursue new federal and corporate research opportunities, and to influence the development of the local, regional and national bioeconomy. He has primary responsibility for bioenergy and bioeconomy issues related to research and serves as the primary administrative point of contact for the Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center, the major DOE-funded project with the University of Wisconsin to develop next generation biofuels. Previously, Gage served on the faculty of the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from 1990-2002. His research focused on metabolic engineering of plant biochemical pathways related to water stress adaptation.
Recent headlines
- Bio-industry says it can boost agricultural economy
- Bio-industry says it can boost agricultural economy
Stephen P. Gasteyer
Department: Sociology
E-mail: gasteyer@msu.edu
Web site: http://sociology.msu.edu/faculty/profile/gasteyer-stephen/
Stephen Gasteyer, assistant professor of Sociology, researches the structures and processes that influence community level access to critical natural resources and capacity to manage those resources. His work currently looks at:
- The role of coalitions, social networks and social capital in the protecting water quality;
- Community capitals, coalitions, and the development of sustainable food systems;
- The factors that impact the capacity of communities to implement and manage water and wastewater infrastructure systems;
- The role of advocacy coalitions and social networks in water management and the development of coupled hydrologic, economic, and social network models for understanding of surface water-groundwater interactions for protection of instream flows.
His research focuses on the US, Middle East and West Africa.
Stephen received a BA from Earlham College in 1987, and a Ph.D. in Sociology from Iowa State University in 2001.
Recent headlines
- Minorities pay more for water and sewer
- Shaping the future of the High Plains water supply
- New issue of Futures highlights “research to energize Michigan’s economic development”
- Center for Water Sciences publishes "Splash," launches blog
Carole E. Gibbs
Department: Criminal Justice and Fisheries & Wildlife
E-mail: gibbsca1@msu.edu
Web site: http://www.conservationcriminology.msu.edu/people/gibbs.php
Dr. Gibbs is an Assistant Professor at Michigan State University with a joint appointment in the School of Criminal Justice and the Department of Fisheries and Wildlife. Her research foci include corporate environmental performance; international trade in electronic waste; carbon trading and related fraud; environmental justice; lead exposure; and neighborhoods and crime.
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Lynne G. Goldstein
Department: Anthropology
E-mail: lynneg@msu.edu
Web site: http://anthropology.msu.edu/blog/people/lynneg/
Lynne Goldstein is an archaeologist who has focused the majority of her research on Wisconsin and the Great Lakes region. She has worked extensively with Native American tribes in Wisconsin and elsewhere, and in addition to a regionally based, environmentally focused research program in Southeastern Wisconsin, Goldstein has examined late prehistoric societies and their mortuary practices. Her work on mortuary analysis has included both prehistoric and historic sites, Native American and European. She has done extensive, collaborative work with geologists on landscape use and change over time, as well as projects focused on the geomorphology of specific sites.
Recent headlines
- Hands-on hunt: Anthropology students dig up past at Michigan State University
- Archaeologists find ancient dune on campus (With video)
Meredith L. Gore
Department: Fisheries and Wildlife, School of Criminal Justice
E-mail: gorem@msu.edu
Web site: http://www.fw.msu.edu/~gorem
I joined MSU’s Department of Fisheries & Wildlife and School of Criminal Justice in January 2008. My formal training is in the human dimensions of wildlife management, and environment and resource policy. My research interests focus on public perceptions of wildlife and environmental risk, human-wildlife conflict, community-based natural resource management, human dimensions of natural resource management, conservation criminology, and program evaluation.
Selected research projects include:
- Risk perception, vulnerability, and compliance behavior associated with human-wildlife conflict in Namibia
- Moral commitments about genetically rescuing Isle Royale’s wolf population
- Conservation implications of seeking risk information about diving with white sharks
- Values, norms, and risks associated with bovine tuberculosis in Michigan and Minnesota
Recent headlines
- Sharks: bad creatures or bad image?
- Most Michigan residents value wolves
- Diving deep to understand health, environmental risk communications
- Most Michiganders like having wolves in their home state
Jeffrey T. Grabill
Department: Writing, Rhetoric & American Cultures
E-mail: grabill@msu.edu
Web site: http://wrac.msu.edu/person/grabill/
My research focuses on how to communicate with diverse audiences with respect to technical and scientific issues. In disciplinary terms, I work at the intersection of professional and technical writing, rhetorical theory, and literacy theory. I am interested in the literate and technological practices of citizens, users, workers, students, and other such people within complex institutional contexts. These interests have necessitated a concern with issues of public policy and the rather “mundane” procedures that lead to public policy, such as decision making about risk and health, the activities of citizen groups, and the plans of local communities and governments. My current work focuses on the ways in which information technologies are used (or not) to aid inquiry, decision making, and citizen action. This work deals with the design and use of information technologies as well as the rhetorical strategies non-expert audiences use to communicate in public contexts.
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Sue C. Grady
Department: Geography
E-mail: gradys@msu.edu
Web site: http://www.geo.msu.edu/faculty/grady.html
The focus of my research is medical (health) geography, human ecology, spatial epidemiology, and health disparity research. I utilize geographic information system applications and multilevel modeling to conduct exposure and health assessments. I am currently focusing on estimating spatial/geographic variations in adverse birth outcomes with respect to demographic, socioeconomic and environmental risk factors. I have a Master of Public Health degree in International Health and an interest in epidemiologic and health transition theory and policy and planning implications.
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Matthew Grieshop
Department: Entomology
E-mail: grieshop@msu.edu
Web site: http://www.ent.msu.edu/Directory/Facultypages/grieshop/tabid/144/Default.aspx
I joined the MSU department of Entomology in October of 2007 as the new Organic Pest Management faculty member. My responsibilities include research (50%), extension (25%), and teaching (25%) in the areas of organic agriculture and pest management. Although I am housed in Entomology I also have a strong interest in the management of weeds and pathogens and have several ongoing projects exploring how plant, insect, and pathogen pests interact with each other or with specific pest management tactics. My appointment is especially broad in that I am not restricted to a specific commodity group (i.e. fruit, field crops, vegetables, animal science, floriculture, etc.), rather my area of emphasis is on pest management issues in organic agriculture. The overall goal of my research and extension efforts are to develop, refine, and deliver pest management technologies that minimize off farm inputs while preserving farm economic sustainability.
Recent headlines
- Stink bug threatens Michigan crops
- Stink bug invasion set to strike Michigan
- Michigan State University researcher spearheads orchard system of the future
- MSU nets three grants, totaling more than $5 million, for specialty crop research
Robert J. Griffore
Department: Family & Child Ecology
E-mail: griffore@msu.edu
Web site: http://families.msu.edu/FacultyBrowser.aspx?CategoryID=48
Some recent and current interests in the realm of scholarship and research include:
- Publication of a book on human ecology from a general systems point of view
- The ecology of bovine tuberculosis in Michigan – with special focus on Michigan farm families and on Michigan veterinarians
- Children's environmental health
- Preschool children's knowledge of the natural environment
- The school as an ecosystem and associated issues related to learning environments in the Detroit Public Schools
Richard E. Groop
Department: Geography
E-mail: groop@msu.edu
Web site: http://www.geo.msu.edu/faculty/Groop/Groop.html
Conducts research on applications of geographic information systems, computer map design, and income and migration in Michigan and the United States.
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Kay (Katherine) L. Gross
Department: Plant Biology and Kellogg Biological Station
E-mail: kgross@kbs.msu.edu
Web site: http://www.kbs.msu.edu/faculty/gross/
I am broadly interested in the causes and consequences of species diversity in plant communities, particularly grasslands. My current research focuses on how variation in soil resources influences species diversity and composition, particularly in grasslands. We currently have ongoing two large field experiments in native grassland in SW Michigan …I am also interested in the determinants and consequences of diversity in agricultural ecosystems. As a co-PI on the KBS LTER project I have been monitoring the long-term effects of different crop management systems on the diversity and composition of weed communities in row crops. …The LTER work combined with my research on native grasslands has given me a greater appreciation of the challenges inherent in restoring native species in degraded grassland. My students and I have begun to work with local resource managers to develop experimental approaches that can guide the restoration and management of native grasslands in this area.
Recent headlines
- Researchers to use NSF grant to develop better scientists
- MSU Initiative to Support Women in Science
- Greenpeace Cites MSU Agricultural Research
- Kay Gross receives Ecological Society of America's Distinguished Service Citation
Geoffrey Habron
Department: Fisheries and Wildlife and Sociology
E-mail: habrong@msu.edu
Web site: http://www.msu.edu/~habrong
Adaptive Approaches to Democratic Resource Management Inquiry; Community-based Adaptive Watershed Management (community-based conservation, adaptive management, watershed management, ecosystem management); whole systems thinking and practice; participatory action research and learning; integration of social and ecological factors in natural resource management; geographic information systems.
Recent headlines
- MSU sustainability students learn first hand about recycling
- Sustainability specialization receives education improvement grant
- Community-based research improves fish consumption safety
- Sustainability specialization for undergraduates begins in 2010
Stephen K. Hamilton
Department: Zoology
E-mail: hamilton@kbs.msu.edu
Web site: http://www.kbs.msu.edu/faculty/hamilton/
My principal research interests involve ecosystem ecology and biogeochemistry, with particular attention to aquatic environments and the movement of water through landscapes. I am especially interested in running waters, wetlands and floodplains. I also like to consider ecosystem processes at the landscape or watershed scale, and I prefer to do research that contributes to our understanding of environmental problems or improves our ability to manage ecosystems.
I am presently devoting much of my time to the study of various aspects of aquatic ecosystems in southern Michigan, including wetlands, streams, lakes, and watersheds. I also work on tropical ecosystems in South America and dryland river ecosystems in Australia.
Recent headlines
- EPA: Tar sands pipelines should be held to different standards
- EPA Worries Dilbit Pipeline Spill Still Threatens Kalamazoo River
- Is there something missing in the latest plan to cleanup the Kalamazoo River oil spill?
- Al Jazeera publishes in-depth feature on Kalamazoo River oil spill
Jay R. Harman
Department: Geography
E-mail: harman@msu.edu
Web site: http://www.geo.msu.edu/faculty/harman.html
I am interested in environmental ethics, with lesser emphases in climatology, plant geography of North America, and utilization of plant nectar sources by honeybees.
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Craig K. Harris
Department: Sociology
E-mail: harrisc@msu.edu
Web site: http://www.msu.edu/~harrisc/
My background is in environmental sociology and sociological human ecology. Much of my research has focused on the social dimensions of the relationships between agriculture and the environment (especially pest management and fertility management), and on the social dimensions of the relationships between fisheries and the environment (especially fisheries management and technological change). I have also studied the linkages between energy and society, and the social dimensions of bovine tuberculosis. In my work on these various topics, I use a multilevel approach that looks at the interactions among the social psychology of human actors, the dynamics of communities and organizations, and the macro-level processes of culture and governance. As much as possible, I study reciprocal systemic interactions between social factors and elements at different scales of the biophysical environment.
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Syed A. Hashsham
Department: Civil & Environmental Engineering
E-mail: hashsham@egr.msu.edu
Web site: http://www.egr.msu.edu/~hashsham/
Dr. Hashsham's research focuses on three closely related areas: i) understanding how complex microbial communities work, ii) development of parallel detection tools and low cost hand-held devices for gene-based diagnostics, and iii) development/evaluation of processes relevant to environmental biotechnology. Current projects focus on the development of hand-held gene analyzer, DNA biochips for parallel screening of pathogens, and approaches to enhance detection limit (e.g., using single photon detectors) and sample concentration and processing. Dr. Hashsham is also interested in developing mathematical tools to describe the behavior of mixed microbial communities.
Recent headlines
- U.S. Sen. Carl Levin visits MSU researchers involved with Great Lakes Restoration Initiative
- MSU receives research grants for lakes
- MSU earns EPA grants to fight high-risk invasive species
- Environmental researchers win university awards
Daniel B. Hayes
Department: Fisheries and Wildlife
E-mail: hayesdan@msu.edu
Web site: http://www.fw.msu.edu/~hayesdan/
My primary research interest is to determine how fish habitat affects their population dynamics. By linking population dynamics with habitat, I hope to help fishery managers in their goal of sustaining valuable fisheries. In addition to this, I am also interested in the impact of fishing on fish populations, as well as the general ecology of fishes. To accomplish these interests, I generally take a mathematical modeling or statistical approach to problem solving. I also try to take advantage of opportunities to do whole-system manipulations as I feel this is one of the best ways to understand ecosystem functioning.
Recent headlines
- The PERM paradigm: Relationships matter
- Dispatches from the bottom of the world:Journey to Antarctica
Robert Hitchcock
Department: Geography
E-mail: hitchc16@msu.edu
Web site: http://www.globalchange.msu.edu/rhitchcock.html
John P. Hoehn
Department: Agricultural, Food, and Resource Economics
E-mail: hoehn@msu.edu
Web site: http://aec.msu.edu/faculty/hoehn.htm
John Hoehn’s teaching and research activities address the benefit-cost analysis of environmental improvements; methods for valuing non-market goods; improved institutions for protecting, managing, and using environmental resources; and the economics of ecological resources. He teaches core courses in the departmental and university-wide graduate programs in environmental and resource economics. Recent research projects include estimating the demands for water quality improvements in Michigan’s lakes and rivers; evaluating improved institutions and methods for ecosystem restoration; assessing the economic values of coastal wetlands; estimating willingness to pay for municipal water and wastewater services; and evaluating the economic alternatives for controlling hazardous wastes and toxic residues.
Richard D. Horan
Department: Agricultural, Food, and Resource Economics
E-mail: horan@msu.edu
Web site: http://aec.msu.edu/faculty/horan.htm
Rick teaches natural resource economics. His research interests are in the areas of environmental and natural resource economics management and policy design. In particular, he concentrates on understanding feedbacks between economic and ecological systems and how these affect management opportunities.
Specific interests include:
- Bioeconomics
- Management of endangered and threatened species and ecosystems
- The co-evolution of economic and ecological systems
- Prevention and control of invasive alien species
- Infectious disease in wildlife
- Agricultural pollution and conservation
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Phil H. Howard
Department: Community, Agriculture, Recreation & Resource Studies
E-mail: howardp@msu.edu
Web site: http://www.msu.edu/~howardp/
My research focuses on investigating the relationships between food, agriculture and public health, as well as assisting communities to characterize and respond to changes in the food system. My current projects focus on:
- Consolidation in the food system, particularly in the rapidly growing organic sector
- 'Food environments' and their potential influence on obesity and hypertension
- National consumer interest in 'ecolabels' as a potential strategy for improving the livelihoods of small- and medium-scale farms.
Recent headlines
- Mapping food deserts
- Michigan AgBio Research report showcases environmental research
- Monsanto's losing bet on GM sugar beets has bitter repercussions
- "Pseudovariety" and the beverage market
Zachary Y. Huang
Department: Entomology
E-mail: bees@msu.edu
Web site: http://www.ent.msu.edu/Directory/Facultypages/huang/tabid/148/Default.aspx
Almost anything related to honey bees interests Huang. Current research topics include: effect of Nosema apis on worker behavior and physiology, reproductive biology of Varroa mites, cloning the sodium channel genes of the Varroa mite to determine if mutation of this gene is responsible for mite resistance to Apistan (in collaboration with Ke Dong), effect of transgenic pollen on health of honey bees and as possible agents for pest control, and the role of melatonin in regulating social behavior in honey bee workers. He is the webmaster of a popular web site on bees, cyberbee.msu.edu and teaches two courses (Insect Physiology and Apiculture and Pollination). He recently invented a new device for Varroa mite control and a patent was granted to MSU.
Recent headlines
- Promiscuous queen bees maintain genetic diversity
- Project GREEEN announces $2 million in new grants
- With honey bee populations falling, agriculture industry should take note
- Feeling the sting: Honey producers try to get back on their feet
Richard C. Hula
Department: Political Science
E-mail: rhula@msu.edu
Web site: http://polisci.msu.edu/index.php/people/faculty/item/faculty/richard-hula
My research focuses on broad issues of urban politics and public policy. I initially became interested in environmental policy as brownfields redevelopment was increasingly presented as a strategy for urban revitalization. My focus has since expanded on other brownfield issues including:
- The process of bureaucratic change with respect to agency goals (public health to economic development)
- The role of citizen involvement in redevelopment planning and implementation
- Social justice issues in environmental policy
- The interaction of "hard science" and environmental policy (particularly with respect to site standards)
David W. Hyndman
Department: Geological Sciences
E-mail: hyndman@msu.edu
Web site: http://geology.msu.edu/people/hyndman.html
Our research explores the physical and chemical processes that influence groundwater flow and solute transport, and the factors that affect seismic and electromagnetic wave propagation. We combine multiple independent geophysical and hydrologic datasets through three-dimensional numerical simulations to estimate aquifer properties with high resolution. The influence of these properties on groundwater flow, solute transport, and bioremediation of organic contaminants is also an active area of research in our group. We also explore the influence of climate and land use changes on the flux of water and solutes through regional watersheds, and the influence of these factors on ecological health.
Recent headlines
- Fracking the future
- GLISA awards annual research funding to MSU climate change projects
- MSU president's report features environmental science
- Water research plays a growing role in MSU geological sciences
Dana M. Infante
Department: Fisheries and Wildlife
E-mail: infanted@msu.edu
Web site: http://www.msu.edu/~infanted
I am interested in understanding the influence of landscape features and processes on aquatic organisms and quantifying the mechanisms by which that influence occurs. My experience examining hierarchical relationships between landscape factors and stream ecosystem variables includes the study of indirect landscape controls on Michigan fish assemblages through effects on stream channel shape as well as a comprehensive study of landscape effects on fish and macroinvertebrates through multiple measures of habitat in stream catchments of southeast Michigan. I am interested in questions of spatial variability (i.e., do mechanisms vary with scale, by region?), and in the applicability of different analytical techniques for addressing these questions. Because successful protection and management of aquatic systems requires an understanding of mechanisms of impairment, I have a broad goal of performing research that benefits management while ensuring sustainability.
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Nan E. Johnson
Department: Sociology
E-mail: johnsonn@msu.edu
Web site: http://sociology.msu.edu/njohnson.html
Nan E. Johnson holds a joint appointment in the Department of Sociology, where she teaches Social Demography, and in the Agricultural Experiment Station, where she conducts research. Her research intersects Demography, Gerontology, and Rural Sociology. Her work explores differences between rural and urban elders in the social production of disability and its remediation through assistive technology and personal help.
Mike (Michael) L. Jones
Department: Fisheries and Wildlife
E-mail: jonesm30@msu.edu
Web site: http://glpd.fw.msu.edu/Mike/
Recent headlines
- Netting results to overcome fish production and protection challenges
- Michigan AgBio Research report showcases environmental research
- Fisheries and Wildlife leadership transition
- Jones Part of $1.8 Million Department of Defense Grant
Satish Joshi
Department: Agricultural, Food, and Resource Economics
E-mail: satish@msu.edu
Web site: http://aec.msu.edu/faculty/joshi.htm
My research interests are mainly in corporate environmental management, and economic and environmental analyses of emerging bio-fuel, bio-fiber and bio-plastic industries. My current funded research projects include:
- Developing life cycle environmental impact analysis tools for engineering design and watershed management
- Developing methods for estimating hidden costs of environmental regulations not identified by firm accounting systems
- Analyzing the role of information in improving firm profitability and stock market returns
- Analyzing the impacts of the ban on MTBE, renewable fuel standards and new ozone standards on corn-ethanol demand and Michigan agriculture
- Economic and environmental assessment of lignocellulosic ethanol as a transportation fuel
- Life cycle analysis of natural fiber composites and bioplastics
Raymond Jussaume
Department: Sociology
E-mail: jussaume@msu.edu
Andrey Kalinichev
Department: Chemistry
E-mail: kalinich@chemistry.msu.edu
Web site: http://www.emn.fr/z-subatech/kalinich/
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Linda Kalof
Department: Sociology
E-mail: lkalof@msu.edu
Web site: http://sociology.msu.edu/lkalof.html
Linda Kalof is Professor of Sociology, a Fellow of the Oxford Centre for Animal Ethics and founder of the Michigan State University’s interdisciplinary graduate specialization in Animal Studies: Humanities & Social Science Perspectives.
Dr. Kalof studies the cultural representations of humans and other animals and the links between culture and nature. She has published more than 35 articles and book chapters and nine books including A Cultural History of the Human Body in the Middle Ages (Berg 2010), A Cultural History of the Human Body in the Renaissance (Berg 2010), Introduction to Social Statistics (Wiley/Blackwell, 2009), Essentials of Social Research (McGraw-Hill 2008), Looking at Animals in Human History (University of Chicago/Reaktion 2007), A Cultural History of Animals in Antiquity (Berg 2007),The Animals Reader (Berg 2007),The Earthscan Reader in Environmental Values (Earthscan 2005), and Evaluating Social Science Research (Oxford University Press 1996).
Recent headlines
- Book on human-animal relationship published
- Animal portraits provide new context for human connection
- Creature consciousness
- Kalof’s Animal Volumes Win Book Award
Norbert E. Kaminski
Department: Pharmacology & Toxicology
E-mail: kamins11@msu.edu
Web site: http://www.phmtox.msu.edu/people/faculty.html
Norbert Kaminski’s research interests are in the areas of immunopharmacology and immunotoxicology. Currently, he has several ongoing research projects, each of which is focused on identifying the mechanisms by which specific agents alter normal responses of the immune system. One major research focus is to elucidate the molecular mechanism by which biologically active compounds derived from the Cannabis sativa plant, termed cannabinoids, and cannabinoid-like endogenous molecules alter T lymphocyte function. A second research emphasis is to elucidate the molecular mechanism by which halogenated aromatic hydrocarbons, including dioxins and polychlorinated biphenyls, alter B lymphocyte function. A third major research focus is to elucidate the immunological mechanisms involved in chemical- and protein-mediated allergic airway disease. The overarching research focus is to develop a better understanding of the alterations in signal transduction and gene expression induced by immunotoxicants compromising immune competence.
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Michael Kaplowitz
Department: Community, Agriculture, Recreation & Resource Studies
E-mail: kaplowit@msu.edu
Web site: http://www.msu.edu/~kaplowit/
Michael D. Kaplowitz has published more than two books, five book chapters, and 20 peer-reviewed articles in journals including American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Duke Environmental Law and Policy Forum, Ecological Economics, Journal of the American Water Resources Association, and the Journal of Environmental Planning & Management. Kaplowitz is PI or co-PI on more than $2 million of research grants in the areas of ecosystem valuation, watershed management, and land use. His current research includes a nationwide examination of wetland mitigation banking, a study of economic values of Great Lakes coastal wetland ecosystems, an investigation of the nation’s transfer of development rights programs, and some watershed-level studies of best management practices.
Stan Kaplowitz
Department: Sociology
E-mail: kaplowi1@msu.edu
Web site: http://sociology.msu.edu/faculty/profile/kaplowitz-stan/
Recent headlines
- 2011-2012 Sustainability Seed Grant Winners
- Calling for climate change research
- Scientists develop more effective method of predicting lead-poisoning risk
Eva Kassens
Department: School of Planning, Design, and Construction and Global Urban Studies Program
E-mail: ekn@msu.edu
Web site: http://sites.google.com/site/ekassens/
Eva Kassens is an Assistant Professor of Urban and Transport Planning in the School of Planning, Design, and Construction (SPDC). She holds a joint appointment with the Global Urban Studies Program (GUSP). Her research centers on sustainability and large scale urban planning projects that are triggered by global forces, including climate change. Interests include transport planning for extreme events, urban planning and policy during rapid urban change processes, international planning, disaster prevention and recovery, and emergency preparedness.
Eva was born in Germany and has lived in Sydney, London, Barcelona, Lausanne, Athens, and Boston. She graduated in 2009 from MIT with a Ph.D. in Urban Planning (Department of Urban Planning and Studies) and a S.M. in Transportation (Civil and Environmental Engineering). She also received her degree (Diplom-Ingenieur) from the Universität Karlsruhe (TH) in Business Engineering.
Recent headlines
- Planning for environmental disasters: Eva Kassens
- Michigan's high-speed train plan: On track or derailed?
James J. Kells
Department: Crop and Soil Sciences
E-mail: kells@msu.edu
Web site: http://www.css.msu.edu/People.cfm
John M. Kerr
Department: Community, Agriculture, Recreation & Resource Studies
E-mail: jkerr@msu.edu
Web site: http://www.carrs.msu.edu/faculty/viewPage.php?netID=jkerr
John Kerr received his PhD in applied economics in 1990 at the Food Research Institute, Stanford University. Before joining the faculty at MSU in 1999 he worked at the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) in Hyderabad, India, and the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) in Washington, DC.
His research interests are in international agricultural development and natural resource management. Focal areas of his research have been on adoption of agricultural technology and natural resource conservation practices, collective action and property rights related to natural resource management, and the interaction of these things with rural poverty in developing countries. He has lived in and conducted research in India, Mexico, and Egypt, and conducted short term research in many other countries as well.
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David D. Kim
Department: Linguistics and Germanic, Slavic, Asian and African Languages
E-mail: ddkim@msu.edu
Web site: http://linglang.msu.edu/people/faculty/david-kim/
In addition to being appointed in the Department of Linguistics and Germanic, Slavic, Asian and African Languages, David D. Kim belongs to the Core Faculty of the Global Studies Program in the Arts and Humanities, as well as the Peace and Justice Studies Specialization in the College of Social Science. Professor Kim’s interest in environmental studies has emerged from specializing in colonial writings and postcolonial theories, focusing on literary imagination and nature writing, ecological imagery and environmental film. He is particularly interested in comparative approaches to the environment between the U.S. and Germany.
Chris A. Klausmeier
Department: Plant Biology
E-mail: klausme1@msu.edu
Web site: http://www.kbs.msu.edu/people/faculty/klausmeier/index.php
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Daniel B. Kramer
Department: Fisheries & Wildlife
E-mail: dbk@msu.edu
Web site: https://www.msu.edu/~dbk/index.htm
I have a joint appointment between James Madison College and the Department of Fisheries and Wildlife. My research examines the social, economic and policy aspects of the conservation of biodiversity. Recently, I have researched the role of social capital in the stewardship activities of lake associations. I have also used simulation models to study the effects of variations in fishermen behavior on coral reef ecosystems. Currently I am examining the conservation implications of the connection of a dozen small, isolated communities long the Caribbean coast of Nicaragua. In Michigan, I am studying the processes of residential development near protected areas. Details of my current research are here. My teaching interests include domestic and international environmental policy, sustainable development, globalization and the environment, the social economic, and policy aspects of conservation biology, game theory, and quantitative methods.
Recent headlines
- Environmental researchers win university awards
- The PERM paradigm: Relationships matter
- Awards for international environmental work
- Do protected areas increase development of adjacent lands?
Douglas A. Landis
Department: Entomology
E-mail: landisd@msu.edu
Web site: http://www.ent.msu.edu/Directory/Facultypages/landis/tabid/153/Default.aspx
I am interested in the application of ecological theory to problems of importance in entomology and natural resource management. Together with my students, I attempt to understand the influence of landscape structure on insect ecology and management, particularly in regard to biological control of insects and weeds. I hope to use these insights to aid in the design of sustainable landscapes that promote arthropod-mediated ecosystem services such as pollination and pest suppression. I am also interested in the invasive species ecology and management, and in the conservation and restoration of rare species and communities.
Recent headlines
- Journal shines spotlight on long-term ecological research
- Landscape change leads to increased insecticide use in the Midwest
- Seeking a win-win for agriculture and the environment
- Invasive species scourge to some, revenue to others
Maria Knight Lapinski
Department: Communication and Michigan Agricultural Experiment Station
E-mail: lapinsk3@msu.edu
Web site: https://www.msu.edu/~lapinsk3/Maria_Lapinski/Welcome.html
Maria Knight Lapinski is joint-appointed as an Associate Professor in the Department of Communication and the Michigan Agricultural Experiment Station. She is currently serving as the Associate Dean for Research for the College of Communication Arts and Sciences. Dr. Lapinski received her doctorate in 2000 from MSU and her Master’s of Arts from University of Hawaii, Manoa.
Her research examines the impact of messages and social-psychological factors on health and environmental risk behaviors with a focus on culturally-based differences and similarities. To this end, Dr. Lapinski has conducted collaborative research projects with her students and colleagues in a number of countries in Asia, the Pacific Rim, Central America, and Africa.
Recent headlines
- Diving deep to understand health, environmental risk communications
- Taking a risk: shark diving and conservation
- Faculty win accolades
John J. LaPres
Department: Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
E-mail: lapres@msu.edu
Web site: http://www.bch.msu.edu/faculty/lapres.htm
John LaPres’ research is focused on the PAS superfamily of proteins and their role in toxicity. Specifically, he is interested in the signaling of dioxins and PCBs through the aryl hydrocarbon receptor and the role cofactors play in this toxic pathway. His secondary interests lie in the role hypoxia inducible factors (HIFs) play in tumor growth, angiogenesis and metal induced toxicity and transformation. His laboratory is focusing on characterizing the gene expression profiles of various cell lines and tissues following treatment to environmentally important metals, including nickel, cadmium and chromium. This approach has given us extensive experience in the production, application and analysis of cDNA microarrays. Our toxicogenomic studies will focus on critically evaluating identified genes for their role in metal induced toxicity.
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Grahame J. Larson
Department: Geological Sciences
E-mail: larsong@msu.edu
Web site: http://www.msu.edu/~larsong/
My research interests include glacial hydrology and Quaternary geology. With respect to glacial hydrology I am involved in defining the origin and pathway of subglacial discharge associated with temperate glaciers. This generally involves quantifying discharge from the terminus of a glacier and separating flow components using isotopic characteristics of the discharge. My interests in Quaternary geology include sedimentology of glaciogenic deposits that occur along the margin of modern glaciers as well as those left behind by icesheets that once covered the Great Lakes basin. This often includes studying the micromorphology of the deposits. Current projects involve working at the Matanuska Glacier in southern Alaska with a team of researchers from Lehigh University, Penn State University, Augustana College and the U.S. Army Cold Regions Research Laboratory. Of particular concern to the team is the origin of basal ice and debris bands that occur near the glacier terminus. Also of interest is defining flow components of meltwater discharge from the glacier and investigating the micromorphologic characteristics of glaciogenic sediments near the glacier margin.
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Jennifer Lau
Department: Kellogg Biological Station and Plant Biology
E-mail: jenlau@msu.edu
Web site: http://www.kbs.msu.edu/faculty/lau/
My research bridges community ecology and evolutionary biology to explore how plants interact with both the biotic and abiotic environment and how they respond simultaneously to multiple selective pressures. Much of my work uses environmental perturbations, such as biological invasions and climate change, as tools to study how abiotic and biotic selective agents affect the population biology of native species, species interactions, and the evolution of plant populations. I am particularly interested in studying indirect effects that occur when changes in the biotic or abiotic environment alter interactions between community members.
Recent and current projects include:
- Effects of global change on plant evolution.
- Native responses to novel community members.
- Biotic and abiotic factors interact to limit plant distributions.
Recent headlines
- Researchers to use NSF grant to develop better scientists
- NSF Gives $630 Thousand to MSU For Invasive Plant Studies
- Genetic influences on invasive plant species probed with NSF support
- Faculty Win Prizes for Research on Insects, Plant Populations
Larry A. Leefers
Department: Forestry
E-mail: leefers@msu.edu
Web site: http://www.for.msu.edu/pages/faculty/leefers_l.html
I conduct research on natural resources valuation--focusing mostly now on hedonic pricing (effects of different natural resource attributes on property values), natural resource accounting, risk analysis (focus on jack pine budworm mostly), and spatial/temporal harvest scheduling based on economics, ecological characteristics and landscape ecology concepts.
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Jay Lennon
Department: Kellogg Biological Station and Microbiology and Molecular Genetics
E-mail: lennonja@msu.edu
Web site: http://www.kbs.msu.edu/faculty/lennon/
Microorganisms are the most abundant and diverse life forms on Earth. They attain high population densities, have fast reproductive rates, and evolve rapidly to changes in their environment. Moreover, microbes carry out important functions, including nutrient cycling, trace gas flux, and carbon sequestration, which are important for the stability of natural and managed ecosystems.
My lab studies the ecology and evolution of microbial communities. We are interested in the biotic and abiotic factors that generate and maintain microbial biodiversity. In turn, we seek to understand the implications of microbial diversity for ecosystem functioning. We conduct research in terrestrial and aquatic habitats, and use a variety of tools including molecular biology, simulation modeling, laboratory experiments, field surveys, and whole ecosystem manipulations in natural and managed ecosystems.
Recent headlines
- ESPP affiliates shine in ecology journals
- The undead may influence biodiversity, greenhouse gas emissions
- Oil spill cleanup workers include many very, very small ones
- Dormant microbes promote diversity, serve environment
Richard Lenski
Department: Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Zoology, and Crop and Soil Sciences
E-mail: lenski@msu.edu
Web site: http://myxo.css.msu.edu/index.html
The main focus of research in my lab is on experimental evolution. Evolution is usually investigated using the comparative method or by studying fossils. Our approach is to watch evolution, as it happens, during experiments that are replicated and performed under defined conditions. Studying "evolution in action" requires either a time machine (which we don't have) or else organisms that replicate, mutate, and evolve quickly, so that we can observe phenotypic and genetic changes across many generations. In our research, we perform experiments with two different fast-evolving systems: bacteria (especially E. coli) and "digital organisms" (self-replicating computer programs).
Recent headlines
- Experiments That Keep Going and Going and Going
- Queen of Spades key to new evolutionary hypothesis
- Yeast experiment hints at a faster evolution from single cells
- In the race of life, better an adaptable tortoise than a fit hare
Shu-Guang Li
Department: Civil and Environmental Engineering
E-mail: lishug@egr.msu.edu
Web site: http://www.egr.msu.edu/~lishug/
Dr. Li and his research team are investigating better ways to analyze and model flow and contaminant transport in complex groundwater systems. Dr. Li is particularly interested in the effects of heterogeneity, scale interactions, uncertainty propagation, interactions with surface water, and integrated tools that can adapt to complex field conditions across multiple spatial and temporal scales.
Recent headlines
Moms Against "Cooties" campaign launched to keep children healthier by promoting daycare disinfection- Michigan initiates statewide groundwater modeling
- Engineers Strive to Provide Clean Water for All
- New Civil and Environmental Engineering Site Showcases Water Work
Hui Li
Department: Crop and Soil Sciences
E-mail: lihui@msu.edu
Web site: http://cit.msu.edu/faculty/Li.html
Dr. Li's research is in the area of environmental fate and transport of organic contaminants especially for those containing complex chemical structures. Specifically, he is interested in:
- Environmental occurrence and fate of emerging contaminants
- Interaction of pharmaceuticals/organic contaminants/pesticides with soils and soil components
- Plant uptake of organic contaminants
- Environmental remediation technology
- Soil fertility and nutrient cycling
Julie Libarkin
Department: Geological Sciences, Division of Science and Mathematics Education
E-mail: libarkin@msu.edu
Web site: https://www.msu.edu/~libarkin
Recent headlines
- Doctoral student recognized for understanding how people learn from visualizations
- Researchers display work to Congress
- ESPP Student Profile: Bob Drost
- 'Geocognition' lab improves how students learn about Earth
Arika Ligmann-Zielinska
Department: Geography
E-mail: ligmannz@msu.edu
Web site: http://www.msu.edu/~ligmannz
My research interests encompass a broad range of modeling approaches that capture the dynamic relationship between human decision making and land use change. The philosophical approach to modeling that I employ is rather unorthodox and focuses on exploring generative 'computational laboratories' rather than predicting future growth scenarios based on fine-tuned elaborate models. My research has focused on GIS-coupled modeling for spatial decision support systems and in particular:
- Generating land use alternatives with multiobjective land use allocation
- Exploring land use alternatives with spatial agent-based simulation
- Modeling choices - designing algorithms for spatial option exploration, spatial choice, and sensitivity analysis of spatial decision making.
Recent headlines
Elena G. Litchman
Department: Zoology
E-mail: litchman@kbs.msu.edu
Web site: http://www.kbs.msu.edu/faculty/litchman/
Research interests include aquatic ecology; community ecology; phytoplankton ecology, physiology and evolution; global change and harmful algal blooms. I am interested in how the interplay of biotic and abiotic factors structures phytoplankton communities in both freshwater and marine environments. Currently our lab focuses on the following questions:
- effects of temporal and spatial heterogeneity on phytoplankton communities
- ecological traits, trade-offs and community structure
- broad patterns in plankton diversity and trait distributions
- global change and harmful algal blooms
- invasive microbes
- nitrogen-fixers in phytoplankton communities
- Lake Baikal (planktonic food web structure)
Recent headlines
- Litchman goes to Siberia to study global change
- Litchman and Lee honored by President Obama with award
- Invisible invasive species
- Michigan State collaboration spawns robotic fish to monitor water quality (With video)
Jianguo (Jack) Liu
Department: Center for Systems Integration & Sustainability
E-mail: jliu@panda.msu.edu
Web site: http://csis.msu.edu/people/jianguo-liu
Jianguo (Jack) Liu is a human-environment scientist and sustainability scholar. He is the Rachel Carson Chair in Sustainability and University Distinguished Professor in the Department of Fisheries and Wildlife.
Dr. Liu is particularly keen to connect seemingly unconnected issues (e.g., divorce and environmental sustainability). His broad research interests include household-environment interactions, complexity of coupled human and natural systems (CHANS), sustainability science, China’s environment, and globalization. He takes a holistic approach to addressing complex human-environmental challenges through systems integration (i.e., integrating multiple disciplines such as ecology and social sciences). Dr. Liu’s projects include studying the complex interactions among people, panda habitat, and policies in China; and the International Network of Research on Coupled Human and Natural Systems (CHANS-Net).
Recent headlines
- Lessons from China's environmental front
- Climate Change Threatens Pandas' Bamboo Food, Study Suggests
- Divorce: The Second-Hand Smoke of Climate Change?
- Big city life may make residents lean toward green, study says
David T. Long
Department: Geological Sciences
E-mail: long@msu.edu
Web site: http://geology.msu.edu/people/long.html
Research interests are:
- Finding solutions to environmental and ecosystem health issues.
- Geochemical, isotopic, and microbiological controls on the evolution of water.
- Understanding biogeochemical cycles at watershed and regional scales using sediment chronologies.
Recent headlines
- Grants will help Great Lakes region adapt to climate change
- Water research plays a growing role in MSU geological sciences
- Faculty honored
- Students and Faculty Taking Action
Scott T. Loveridge
Department: Agricultural, Food, and Resource Economics
E-mail: loverid2@msu.edu
Web site: http://aec.msu.edu/faculty/loveridge.htm
Recent headlines
- Loveridge named director of rural development center
- Study of climate’s effects on global industries (With Video)
- MSU to Lead Rural Development in the Midwest
William A. Lovis
Department: Anthropology
E-mail: lovis@msu.edu
Web site: http://anthropology.msu.edu/blog/people/lovis/
My research involves the coupling between human and natural systems. In particular, I undertake work on responses of past human systems to Holocene paleoenvironmental changes in the Great Lakes and in England/Western Europe from 10000 BP to the onset of industrialization. I have been collaborating in multidisciplinary frameworks designed to assess the relationship between hunter/gatherer and early horticultural systems and changes in climate, vegetation, and landscape. These collaborations involve anthropology, geology, geography, and botany. I am currently engaged in macroscale synthetic work in both the Saginaw Valley of Michigan and northern Yorkshire.
Recent headlines
- Inter-disciplinary Effort Yields New Data on Lake Michigan Coastal Dunes and Archaeology
- Archaeologists explore ancient farming in state
- Study highlights fragility of Lake Michigan dunes
Lifeng Luo
Department: Geography
E-mail: lluo@msu.edu
Web site: http://www.msu.edu/~lluo
I am an assistant professor in the Department of Geography at Michigan State University. I joined the faculty in August 2009.
My research interests are primarily in the field of hydroclimatology, a multidisciplinary field with strong links to hydrology, climate science, water resources, and even ecology. More specifically, I am interested in understanding how the land and atmosphere interact through hydrologic processes and how this interaction affects the variability and predictability of the climate system at different spatial and temporal scales. Understanding the processes that govern land-atmosphere interactions, developing the ability to predict the variation in the hydrological processes, and determining their usefulness for resource management are the fundamental science priorities of my research.
Recent headlines
- Luo awarded for collaborative research on droughts, floods
- MSU becomes University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR) affiliate
Frank Lupi
Department: Agricultural, Food, and Resource Economics
E-mail: lupi@msu.edu
Web site: http://www.msu.edu/~lupi
Frank has a joint appointment in the Agricultural Economics and Fisheries and Wildlife Departments. He is a member of the Partnership for Ecosystem Research and Management. His recent research focuses on modeling Michigan fish and wildlife resource demand and value. Current projects address resource management issues in Michigan and the Great Lakes including the valuation of wetland services; benefit-cost analysis of hydropower streamflow mandates; potential damages of aquatic nuisance species; and public preferences for deer populations.
Recent headlines
David P. Lusch
Department: Geography
E-mail: lusch@msu.edu
Web site: http://www.geo.msu.edu/faculty/lusch.html
- Applications of remote sensing and/or geographic information systems to problem-solving in agriculture, natural resources, and human health
- Meso-scale hydrogeology for aquifer vulnerability assessments and community ground-water protection planning
- Mapping Land Use/Land Cover and its change
- Spatial analysis of landform/soil/vegetation relationships
- Glacial geomorphology of Michigan
- Ecoregion mapping and management especially the nexus of landscape ecology, cultural ecology, and political ecology
Recent headlines
- Ottawa County will spend $33,000 to study water quality issues
- Project tackles thorny invader
- Sessions Will Shed Light on Water Withdrawal Rules
Carolyn M. Malmstrom
Department: Plant Biology
E-mail: carolynm@msu.edu
Web site: http://plantbiology.msu.edu/faculty/faculty-research/carolyn-malmstrom/
My lab studies ecosystem and landscape dynamics. We are particularly interested in understanding how ecosystems respond to perturbations, such as changes in disturbance regimes or the introduction of exotic species. We use the best technology from a range of disciplines to solve problems and advance our work. Current projects incorporate molecular approaches with field work and spatial tools such as GPS, GIS, and remote sensing. We work closely with land managers and conservation agencies when designing our projects to ensure that our work not only makes important contributions to basic science questions but also advances understanding in areas of significant interest to society as a whole.
Several current emphases are:
- Understanding the influence of plant viruses on natural communities. Plant viruses are potent ecological agents that have been long overlooked.
- Understanding the influence of managed disturbances (prescribed fire, rotational grazing) and native grass restoration on grassland productivity and the control of noxious rangeland weeds.
Recent headlines
- Avoiding virus dangers in 'domesticating' wild plants for biofuel use
- MSU nets $2.9 million from USDA to further biofuel research
- Ecology Course Mixes Methods to Explain Climate
Shannon D. Manning
Department: Micorbiology and Molecular Genetics
E-mail: Shannon.Manning@ht.msu.edu
Shannon Manning, Ph.D., M.P.H., a molecular biologist and epidemiologist, is an Assistant Professor at Michigan State University (MSU). She is mainly interested in the application of Research Fellow in the Emerging Infectious Diseases program funded through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Association of Public Health Laboratories. Through molecular biology, population genetic, and phylogenetic methods to answer questions about the pathogenesis, emergence, virulence, evolution, and transmission of food- and water-borne pathogens, such as Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC). After earning a M.P.H. and Ph.D. in molecular epidemiology in 1998 and 2001 from the University of Michigan, she worked as a this fellowship, she was placed at the Michigan Department of Community Health (MDCH), Bureau of Laboratories for two years working on the characterization of STEC isolates from patients in Michigan. Dr. Manning came to MSU in 2004 as a Research Assistant Professor working jointly with Dr. Thomas Whittam and Dr. H. Dele Davies. She joined the faculty in the Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics at Michigan State University (MSU) in October 2010.
Recent headlines
Phanikumar S. Mantha
Department: Civil & Environmental Engineering
E-mail: phani@egr.msu.edu
Web site: http://www.egr.msu.edu/~phani
Research interests in our group generally involve water quality and quantity issues. Recent research addressed questions involving the fate and transport of chemical and biological agents in different hydrologic units in the Great Lakes region (watersheds, rivers and streams, lakes and groundwater). A common unifying thread in all our activities is the development and application of coupled (physical-chemical-biological) models and integration of laboratory and field-scale observations with modeling. Often the goal is to learn about key processes and parameters and how they change across scales or with time.
Projects include:
- Near-shore Hydrodynamics and Transport in Lake Michigan
- 3D Reactive Transport Modeling of Carbon Tetrachloride Biodegradation at the Schoolcraft, MI Site
- Experimental and Numerical Studies of Non-Darcy Flow and Transport in Porous Media
- Modeling Hydrodynamics and Transport in the Red Cedar River, MSU
Recent headlines
- Large-scale simulation of water and contaminants in the Great Lakes
- Engineers Strive to Provide Clean Water for All
- New Civil and Environmental Engineering Site Showcases Water Work
Sandra Marquart-Pyatt
Department: Sociology and Environmental Science and Policy Program
E-mail: s.marquartpyatt@usu.edu
Web site: http://sociology.msu.edu/faculty/profile/marquart-pyatt-sandra/
Recent headlines
- Calling for climate change research
- It's time to take a unified approach toward measuring sustainability
- Environmental Faculty Fellows chosen
Susan J. Masten
Department: Civil & Environmental Engineering
E-mail: masten@msu.edu
Web site: http://www.egr.msu.edu/cee/people/masten.html
Professor Masten’s research involves the use of chemical oxidants for the remediation of soils, water, and leachates contaminated with hazardous organic chemicals. Her research is presently focused on the in-situ use of gaseous ozone to oxidize residual contaminants in saturated soils using ozone sparging and in unsaturated soils using soil venting. Dr. Masten is also very interested in evaluating the toxicity of the by-products of chemical oxidation processes. Work has focused on the ozonation and chlorination of several pesticides and on the PAHs. Professor Masten is also involved in a project to use ozone in combination with fixed film biological treatment for the control of disinfection-byproducts formed from the ozonation of waters containing humic substances. She is also working in the area of the control of odors from livestock wastes and in the inactivation of Cryptos poridium parvum in drinking waters.
Recent headlines
- New environmental engineering major set to take off in fall
- Innovative water purification techniques more efficient, cost less
- Office of Campus Sustainability awards seed grants
- Engineers Strive to Provide Clean Water for All
William McConnell
Department: Fisheries & Wildlife
E-mail: mcconn64@msu.edu
Web site: http://csis.msu.edu/people/bill-mcconnell
Recent headlines
- Building a sustainable future: MSU leads global effort to study link between people, planet
- Environment at MSU: Coupled human and natural systems
Aaron M. McCright
Department: Sociology
E-mail: mccright@msu.edu
Web site: http://lymanbriggs.msu.edu/faculty/bios/user.cfm?UserID=25
Aaron M. McCright (Ph.D., Washington State University) holds a joint academic appointment in Lyman Briggs College and the Department of Sociology. Most of his research spans the fields of environmental sociology, political sociology/social movements, and sociology of science and technology. His intellectual agenda is to enhance our sociological understanding of how political, social, and scientific dynamics influence society’s capacity for recognizing and dealing with environmental degradation and technological risks. This has led him to investigate (a) the political dynamics and public understanding of climate change; (b) social movement identity and ideology for the environmental movement and beyond; (c) our sociological understanding of societal risk; (d) the influence of globalization forces on environmental management in formerly remote communities; and (e) the dynamics of scientific practices at tropical field stations. Dr. McCright is most well known for his work to sociologically explain the political dynamics and public understanding of climate science and policy in the United States.
Recent headlines
- U.S. sociologist tracks the politics of climate change
- Why conservative white males are more likely to be climate skeptics
- The American 'allergy' to global warming: Why?
- Calling for climate change research
Deborah G. McCullough
Department: Entomology
E-mail: mccullo6@msue.msu.edu
Web site: http://www.ent.msu.edu/Directory/Facultypages/mccullough/tabid/156/Default.aspx
Dr. McCullough has an active research, extension and teaching program in forest entomology. She works closely with state and federal agencies, foresters, Christmas tree growers and property owners on issues related to forest insects and forest health. Dr. McCullough's research addresses the impacts and contributing factors associated with damaging forest insect populations and the development of long-term management strategies to conserve or enhance forest health. Research interests include invasive forest insect ecology, impacts and management; dynamics of forest insect populations; silvicultural and biological control of forest insect pests; and effects of disturbance on forest insect communities.
Recent headlines
- Ash trees continue to hurt from beetle
- In a smackdown, who wins? Emerald ash borer or beech scale?
- U.S. deploys wasps to slow outbreak of Emerald Ash Borers
- Global trade brings in unwanted pest that threaten our nation's trees
Edmund F. McGarrell
Department: Criminal Justice
E-mail: mcgarrell@msu.edu
Web site: http://www.cj.msu.edu/people/
Edmund F. McGarrell is Director and Professor of the School of Criminal Justice at MSU. McGarrell also co-chairs MSU's multi-disciplinary research initiative on Risk, Values, and Decisions. His research interests are in the area of communities and crime....Through his roles as academic liaison to the Environmental Crimes Committee of the EPA-International Association of Chiefs of Police as well as with MSU's Risk Initiative, he is working to build a research and education program in Conservation Criminology. Specifically, he is collaborating with faculty in the Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, School of Criminal Justice, and the Environmental Science and Policy Program to examine the nature and scope of environmental crime and the systems of compliance and enforcement in natural resource protection and management. This includes building data systems related to environmental crime and human-made threats to natural resources, community policing models applied to resource protection, and international illicit markets and the associated threats to natural resources. An initial project done in collaboration with Interpol's Pollution Crimes Committee involves a study of the international trade in electronic waste.
Recent headlines
Laurie K. Medina
Department: Anthropology
E-mail: medina@msu.edu
Web site: http://anthropology.msu.edu/blog/people/medina/
Laurie Medina pursues research that integrates issues in economic development, environmentalism, collective identity formation, and social movements. Her research on agricultural development in Belize links the construction and mobilization of collective identities to negotiations over development priorities and agendas. Her work on ecotourism in Belize focuses on efforts to combine economic development with conservation goals.
With funding from the MacArthur Foundation, Dr. Medina’s current project explores the complex negotiations involved in implementing ecotourism in several Mopan Maya villages in the tropical forests of southern Belize. The creation of protected areas in southern Belize and the promotion of tourism to those protected areas have incorporated residents of nearby villages into debates over environmentalist and development agendas that are simultaneously local and global in scope. Maya villagers negotiate with government officials, international development donors, tourists, national and international environmentalist NGOs, and transnational indigenous rights organizations over a range of questions: What are the goals of development and conservation, and how might they be achieved? What rights and resources should local communities enjoy? How should village residents be integrated into ecotourism? What kinds of power are exercised by the diverse stakeholders involved in ecotourism, and how does power structure their participation in planning and policy making? The project also explores negotiations among village residents themselves, over issues such as the gendered impact of ecotourism, the ways that inequalities among villagers enable or limit participation in ecotourism, and representations of Maya culture in tourism. Since contests over the concepts of ‘environment’ and ‘development’ in southern Belize are linked to Maya struggles for land and autonomy, the research also explores Maya communities’ efforts to mobilize alliances with pan-Indian and environmentalist NGOs to pursue claims to land.
Haddish Melakeberhan
Department: Horticulture
E-mail: melakebe@msu.edu
Web site: http://www.hrt.msu.edu/haddish-melakeberhan
Richard W. Merritt
Department: Entomology
E-mail: merrittr@msu.edu
Web site: https://www.msu.edu/user/merrittr/
Dr. Merritt's major research interests focus on the feeding ecology, animal microbial interactions, population dynamics, and influence of environmental factors on immature aquatic insects, especially the Diptera. His most recent research has concentrated on the ecology of an emerging disease, Buruli Ulcer, in Africa which involves insects, biomonitoring of streams and rivers, the effects of pollutants on aquatic ecosystems, and the role of marine-derived nutrients (salmon carcasses) on aquatic insect communities in Alaskan streams. He also is involved in the field of Forensic Entomology, and assists police departments in crime scene investigations involving insects. He has co-edited three editions of a textbook entitled, "An Introduction to the Aquatic Insects of North America", and, a book entitled, "Black Flies: Ecology, Population Management, and Annotated World List." Dr. Merritt received the MSU Distinguished Faculty Award in 2004 and the North American Benthological Society's Award of Excellence in Research in 2007.
Recent headlines
- Warm March weather could bring early insects, fly anglers
- ESPP affiliates win Distinguished Professor title, Lilly Fellowship
- You haven't lived in Michigan until you've been pestered by blackflies
- Ecology: A world without mosquitoes
Joseph (Joe) P. Messina
Department: Geography, Center for Global Change and Earth Observations
E-mail: jpm@msu.edu
Web site: http://www.geo.msu.edu/faculty/messina.html
Recent headlines
- MSU plan would control deadly tsetse fly
- Solving the sleeping sickness 'mystery'
- Prevent Malaria by Netting Mosquitoes
- Researchers try to control sleeping sickness in Africa
Jessica R. Miesel
Department: Department of Forestry
E-mail: mieselje@msu.edu
Kelly F. Millenbah
Department: Fisheries & Wildlife
E-mail: millenba@msu.edu
Web site: http://www.fw.msu.edu/~millenba
Kelly F. Millenbah is Associate Dean of Lyman Briggs College and Associate Professor in the Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, where she served as Director of Academic Programs from 2007-2010 and has been active in the STEPPS (Science, Technology, the Environment, and Public Policy) specialization, which is jointly organized by LBC, James Madison College and Fisheries and Wildlife. From 2004-2007, she was the Associate Director of the Environmental Science and Policy Program. Her research program focuses on the conservation and management of disturbed and damaged ecosystems with implications toward unexploited and protected species (i.e., threatened and endangered species), more broadly termed restoration ecology. She has established herself as a scholar on teaching and learning, in part as an outgrowth of her participation in the Lilly Teaching Fellows program. Millenbah has worked to involve students in international experience. She has led study abroad courses to Kenya, Australia and South Africa.
Recent headlines
- Faculty propose reconciliation of hunting with animal welfare ethics
- Law Enforcement and Science Join Forces at MSU’s Environmental Crime Conference
- Millenbah wins Outstanding Faculty Woman Award
Jade Mitchell
Department: Biosystems & Agricultural Engineering
E-mail: jade@msu.edu
Web site: http://www.egr.msu.edu/people/profile/jade
Georgina Montgomery
Department: History and Lyman Briggs College
E-mail: montg165@msu.edu
Web site: http://lymanbriggs.msu.edu/faculty/bios/user.cfm?UserID=72
Georgina Montgomery received her PhD in the History of Science and Technology from the University of Minnesota in 2005. After teaching for two years at Montana State University, Dr. Montgomery joined Lyman Briggs College (75% appointment) and History (25% appointment) in the fall of 2008. Her research focuses on the history of field science, particularly the development of field methods and sites within primatology and animal behavior studies. Primatology is a transnational science and thus her research also analyzes issues concerning race, gender and globalization. She is an award-winning educator with teaching awards from the University of Minnesota and the Humane Society of the United States. She has taught LBC 332: Technology and Culture and LBC 133: Introduction to the History, Philosophy and Sociology of Science. Dr. Montgomery also teaches Hist 110: Animal Histories in the Department of History. Her courses explore fundamental and often controversial topics in science and society and integrate experiential learning whenever possible. For example, her animal histories course includes field trips to animal-related places on and off campus.
Recent headlines
- Book on human-animal relationship published
- Animals + humans: conference examines link across species
Nathan Moore
Department: Geography
E-mail: moorena@msu.edu
Web site: http://www.geo.msu.edu/faculty/moore.html
Current research:
- China. With colleagues at Zhejiang University (ZJU) I am working to combine remote sensing, climate modeling, hydrology, and crop modeling to develop estimates of crop yield, water quality, and land cover/land use change (LCLUC). In addition, with colleagues at MSU, I am researching impacts of land use change in urban environments on climate in China.
- East Africa. I am modeling and projecting climate trends and variability in Eastern Africa as part of the Climate-Land Interactions Project (CLIP) at Michigan State University. I am employing a variety of GIS tools and remote sensing data to compare model results with observed temperature, rainfall, and other variables.
- The Amazon. I am exploring the range of uncertainty in Amazonian land-climate interactions by explicitly simulating 50 different "worst case scenario" landscapes and 50 "best case scenario" landscapes.
- Experimental Design. I am also interested in experimental design and how choices in the structure of an experiment can influence the range of possible outcomes.
Recent headlines
- Researchers help African farmers cope with climate change
- Shaping the future of the High Plains water supply
- MSU becomes University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR) affiliate
- MSU researchers study climate change, food production in East Africa
Noga Morag-Levine
Department: College of Law
E-mail: moraglev@law.msu.edu
Web site: http://www.law.msu.edu/faculty_staff/profile.php?prof=372
Noga Morag-Levine studies regulatory politics with an eye to the role of legal traditions and cross-national influences in shaping policy instruments. She is the author of Chasing the Wind: Regulating Air Pollution in the Common Law State (Princeton University Press, 2003). Her current work focuses on the place of common law ideology—defined in opposition to continental administrative paradigms—in Anglo-American regulatory history and policy. Her recent writings explore this issue within a broad legal-historical framework and with reference to specific controversies, including emissions trading, the status of the precautionary principle in regulatory regimes, and Supreme Court citations to foreign precedents.
Cheryl Murphy
Department: Fisheries and Wildlife
E-mail: camurphy@msu.edu
Web site: http://www.fw.msu.edu/people/faculty.php
The main question that motivates my work is how information translates across different scales. Using fish as a model organism, I strive to synthesize information collected on individuals and use this information to answer questions at a higher level of organization such as, how do changes in the physiological processes occurring within an individual translate to behavioral changes and ecologically relevant endpoints, how do short term phenotypic changes in life history traits alter long term genetic change, and how do anthropogenic influences such as contaminants impact such relationships and affect populations or communities of fish?
Recent headlines
- That which doesn't kill perch makes them stronger. Or does it?
- Great Lakes Restoration Initiative grants announced
Amirpouyan Nejadhashemi
Department: Biosystems; Crop and Soil Sciences
E-mail: pouyan@msu.edu
Web site: http://www.egr.msu.edu/age/pouyan.html
Dr. Nejadhashemi received his doctorate degree from the University of Maryland. He is currently working as an Assistant Professor of Water Resources Engineering at MSU. His research interests are focused on the description, analysis and prevention of non-point source pollution at laboratory, field, watershed and regional scales. Specific interests are in watershed/water quality modeling and analysis, surface water-groundwater interactions, artificial intelligence (AI), geographic information system (GIS), decision support tools, and object-oriented programming.
His current projects include:
- Developing Decision Support System for Analyzing Sedimentation Reduction Strategies for Tuttle Creek Lake
- Developing Nutrient, Sediment, Flow and Temperature Estimates for Fish Community Condition Prediction Across the Agricultural Regions of Michigan and Wisconsin
- Water Quantity and Water Quality Effects of BMPs Implementation in Urban Areas
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Michael P. Nelson
Department: Lyman Briggs School and Fisheries & Wildlife
E-mail: mpnelson@msu.edu
Web site: http://lymanbriggs.msu.edu/faculty/bios/user.cfm?UserID=26
Michael P. Nelson holds a joint appointment as an associate professor of environmental ethics and philosophy in the Lyman Briggs College, the Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, and the Department of Philosophy. In addition to many essays and articles, he is the co-author or co-editor of four books in and around the area of environmental philosophy: The Great New Wilderness Debate (1998), The Wilderness Debate Rages On: Continuing the Great New Wilderness Debate (2008), and American Indian Environmental Ethics: An Ojibwa Case Study (2004), all with J. Baird Callicott, and For All Time: Our Obligation to the Future, forthcoming with Kathleen Dean Moore. Nelson is also environmental philosopher of the Isle Royale Wolf-Moose Project -- the longest continuous study of a predator-prey relationship in the world -- and spends part of each summer working with the animal ecologists on the island. He is currently at work on a book focused on the history and philosophical implications of the project. He is the co-creator and co-director of the Conservation Ethics Group, an environmental ethics and problem solving consultancy group. Nelson's research and teaching focus is environmental ethics and philosophy: from the concept of wilderness to topics in the philosophy of ecology, from hunting ethics to theories of environmental education, from topics in wildlife ecology and conservation biology to questions about science and advocacy. Nelson holds a Ph.D. in philosophy from Lancaster University, England.
Recent headlines
- Living with Michigan's wolves
- Politicians urged to consider moral perspectives on climate change
- Toward an ethical understanding of the environment
- Making interdisciplinarity possible (column)
Sarah Nicholls
Department: Community, Agriculture, Recreation and Resources Studies and Geography
E-mail: nicho210@msu.edu
Web site: http://www.carrs.msu.edu/faculty/viewPage.php?netID=nicho210
Sarah Nicholls is an Associate Professor with a joint appointment between the Departments of Community, Agriculture, Recreation & Resource Studies (CARRS, 75%) and Geography (25%). She received her B.Sc. (Hons) in Geography from University College London, and her M.S. and Ph.D. in Recreation, Park & Tourism Sciences from Texas A&M University.
Sarah's interests focus on two main areas:
- International tourism, planning and development, with a special emphasis on tourism on islands and in small nation states
- Urban park issues, including the accessibility and equity of urban park distributions, and the impacts of green spaces on surrounding property values.
More specific interests and areas of expertise include interactions between tourism and climate change; agri-tourism; and applications of GPS and GIS in parks, recreation, and tourism.
Recent headlines
- Professor to oversee creation of Michigan tourism plan
- GLISA awards annual research funding to MSU climate change projects
- Alumni magazine highlights sustainability work
Patricia E. Norris
Department: Agricultural, Food, and Resource Economics and Community, Agriculture, Recreation and Resource Studies
E-mail: norrisp@msu.edu
Web site: http://www.aec.msu.edu/faculty/norris.htm
Pat Norris is the Guyers-Seevers Chair in Natural Resource Conservation at Michigan State University. She has conducted research and developed outreach programs addressing issues in soil conservation, water quality, groundwater management, wetland policy, land markets, land use conflicts and farmland preservation. In her extension work, she has focused largely upon natural resource policy issues, working with private resource owners, local governments, and state and federal agencies as they address the needs for and impacts of institutional change. In addition, her teaching responsibilities have included courses in natural resource economics, environmental economics, ecological economics, environmental science, and agricultural policy.
Professional Interests:
- Economics of natural resource conservation
- Incentive-based natural resource conservation and environmental policy
- Conservation education
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William J. Northcott
Department: Biosystems & Agricultural Engineering
E-mail: northco2@msu.edu
Web site: http://www.egr.msu.edu/age/northcott.html
William Northcott's interests include watershed hydrology, agricultural drainage, non-point source pollution, and Geographic Information Systems. Current projects include (a) Determining the Impact of Geology; Climate and Management Practices on the Sustainability of Irrigation for Corn Product; (b) Restoring Great Lakes Basin Waters Through the Use of Conservation Credits and a Water Balance Analysis; and (c) Evaluation of an Innovative Filter Mound Technology for Treatment and Disposal of Dairy Milkhouse Wastewater.
Michael O'Rourke
Department: Department of Philosophy
E-mail: orourk51@msu.edu
Web site: http://www.igert.org/profiles/3436
Recent headlines
Jennifer M. Olson
Department: Telecommunications, Information Studies & the Media
E-mail: olsonjj@msu.edu
Web site: http://tc.msu.edu/users/jennifer-olson
Jennifer Olson is interested in the interaction between changes in the environment and society. Understanding the causes of environmental trends and how they affect society leads to important policy implications from the national to the international level, and she regularly works with policy makers, United Nations officials and others to develop effective methods of communicating science results. Research topics that she has focused on include the socioeconomic causes of land degradation, the effects of environmental change on human health, the interaction between land use and climate change, and the impacts of land use change on biodiversity. Jennifer has over fifteen years of living and working experience in Africa. She is the currently the leader of the land use change component and manager of a NSF project, "An Integrated Analysis of Regional Land-Climate Interactions in East Africa", and will play a similar leadership role in a new NSF project, "Dynamic Interactions among People, Livestock, and Savanna Ecosystems under Climate Change." In addition, she leads a team of medical, natural and social scientists in a health-environment initiative, "Impacts of climate and land use change on emerging human and livestock diseases in East Africa."
Recent headlines
- Researchers help African farmers cope with climate change
- Magazine highlights MSU researchers' work on climate change, food and agriculture issues in Africa, Asia
- Africa: Finding the food crops of the future
- MSU researchers study climate change, food production in East Africa
Nathaniel E. Ostrom
Department: Zoology
E-mail: ostromn@msu.edu
Web site: http://www.zoology.msu.edu/all-faculty/nathaniel-e-ostrom.html
Nathaniel E. Ostrom is a professor in Zoology and co-director of the Biogeochemistry Environmental Research Initiative. His research focuses on the application of stable isotopes and other approaches for understanding the biogeochemical cycling of carbon and nitrogen in a variety of ecosystems. Current research projects include:
- Understanding novel nitrogen cycling pathways in Lake Vida, Antarctica
- The impact of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill on hypoxia in the northern Gulf of Mexico
- Application of the isotopomers of nitrous oxide to evaluate the origins of this greenhouse gas
- Instrument development to enable real time and in situ stable isotope measurements
Recent headlines
- Seabird bones reveal changes in open-ocean food chain
- Hearty organisms discovered in bitter-cold Antarctic brine
- Dead zone in gulf linked to ethanol production
- Gulf oil spill could widen, worsen ‘dead zone’
Peggy H. Ostrom
Department: Zoology
E-mail: ostrom@msu.edu
Web site: http://www.zoology.msu.edu/all-faculty/peggy-h-ostrom.html
My primary research interests are in the fields of biogeochemistry and organic geochemistry. Recent research has focused on the application of stable isotopes to a wide variety of ecosystem problems including the understanding the influence of marine derived nutrients during salmon migrations on terrestrial ecosystems and in the evaluation of the microbial origins of nitrous oxide in terrestrial landscapes. My research also focuses on evaluating the origin of organic matter in fossil bones that involves the sequencing of amino acid in the bone protein osteocalcinin. This information can be used to understand evolutionary relationships in ancient organisms over a time frame that exceeds DNA preservation.
Recent headlines
- Seabird bones reveal changes in open-ocean food chain
- Understanding Hawaiian Petrels through Stable Isotopes
- Peggy Ostrom Researches Hawaiian Petrel Using Lava Tubes
- Dinosaur mummy found; has intact skin, tissue
Donald Penner
Department: Crop & Soil Sciences
E-mail: pennerd@msu.edu
Web site: http://css.msu.edu/People.cfm
Donald Penner is recognized internationally as a leader in the field of weed and herbicide physiology. He is a preeminent researcher and mentor of graduate students in weed science. Penner joined the faculty of the Department of Crop and Soil Sciences in 1967. He has taught a graduate course on herbicide action and metabolism since 1969 and has chaired the departmental graduate programs committee for three separate terms. He has been active in curriculum development and has served as a major professor for over 30 graduate students. His research activities include weed physiology, herbicide action and fate, herbicide resistance in crops and weeds, and foliar absorption of herbicides. He has published more than 200 papers in scientific journals, co-authored a book, and written numerous book chapters. Penner was presented the Weed Science Society of America Outstanding Research Award in 1987, the Fellow Award in 1993, and the Outstanding Teaching Award in 1997. In 1994, he was awarded the Senior Faculty Meritorious Research Award by the MSU Chapter of Sigma Xi. Penner became a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in 1996.
Harry Perlstadt
Department: Sociology
E-mail: perlstad@msu.edu
Web site: http://www.msu.edu/~perlstad/
Harry Perlstadt, Ph.D. (University of Chicago, sociology), M.P.H. (University of Michigan, health planning & administration), has more than 25 years experience in evaluation of health and community programs. He is currently working on a project to improve screening for high blood lead levels funded by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and on an evaluation of national environmental health action plans in Europe for World Health Organization (WHO). He has published on the topic of citizen participation in health planning. He is active in the American Public Health Association, currently serving as chair of its Science Board and co-chair of its Joint Policy Committee.
Recent headlines
Thomas J. Pinnavaia
Department: Chemistry
E-mail: pinnavai@cem.msu.edu
Web site: http://www.cem.msu.edu/~pinnweb/
The remediation of industrial waste streams and contaminated aquifers often is limited by the performance properties of available materials for adsorbing or converting the contaminant components. Mixtures of contaminants, especially mixtures of organic and inorganic pollutants, are particularly problematic, because different chemistries are generally required to address each component. Our current NIEHS – funded program is intended to design nanostructured oxides with exception reactivity and specificity for use in advanced remediation schemes. Our aim is to achieve materials with reactivities and specificities that surpass the performance properties of conventional oxides, ion exchange resins and activated carbons. Our studies will lead to improved abiotic approaches to water purification. The targeted contaminants include chlorinated hydrocarbons as well as cationic and anionic forms of metals that are both superfund contaminants and members of the top 20 EPA hazardous substances (e.g., arsenic, lead, mercury, cadmium, and chromium). The basic chemistries we are developing should be applicable to the removal of inorganics from point-of-use drinking water as well as from industrial waste streams.
Helen P. Pollard
Department: Anthropology
E-mail: pollardh@msu.edu
Web site: http://anthropology.msu.edu/blog/people/pollardh/
Helen Perlstein Pollard has carried out archaeologial and ethnohistoric research in western Mexico since 1970. Her research and teaching deals with two broad issues: human ecology and the emergence and evolution of social, political and economic inequality. Within the context of human ecology she focuses on (1) human adaptation to environmental fluctuation and (2) the impact of humans on the environment in the context of the emergence and development of prehistoric states and empires. Her studies of prehistoric states focus on the emergence and evolution of social stratification, political centralization, and the political economies of archaic states and empires. Specifically, her research deals with central and west Mexico, especially Michoacán and the Purepecha\Tarascans, and the development of social theory in archaeology to understand the evolution of inequality by class, ethnicity, and gender.
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William Porter
Department: Fisheries and Wildlife
E-mail: porterw@anr.msu.edu
Web site: http://www.fw.msu.edu/~porterw/index.htm
Recent headlines
- The Fiscal Cliff & MSU's FRIB project
- Bill Porter builds bridges to wildlife conservation leadership and policy
- Deer baiting ban could be lifted
- Pros, cons of resuming deer baiting in Michigan debated
David Poulson
Department: Journalism
E-mail: poulson@msu.edu
Web site: http://ej.msu.edu/faculty-staff.php
David Poulson is the associate director of the Knight Center for Environmental Journalism at MSU. He teaches environmental, investigative and computer-assisted reporting to graduate and undergraduate students. He also organizes and teaches workshops that help professional reporters better cover the environment. Those efforts include the center’s Great Lakes Environmental Journalism Training Institute for journalists working in the region’s states and provinces. He also organizes a separate national boot camp with the Society of Environmental Journalists for reporters new to covering the environment. In August 2008 he led a dozen reporters on a trip to Alaska to study and write about climate change. At MSU he also researches and experiments with alternative media forms including an environmental news aggregator and a citizen journalism effort that won national recognition from the Knight-Batten awards for innovations in journalism.
He came to MSU in 2003 after a 21-year career as a newspaper reporter and editor, mostly covering the environment. He enjoys running, bicycling, teaching, camping, reading, writing, listening to jazz and playing it rather badly on the piano. He and his wife, Kris, have three children.
Recent headlines
- Journalism evolution hurts environmental debate over Michigan business deregulation
- Echoes of grit and humor
- MSU researchers working with DNRE on Great Lakes Restoration Initiative grants
- Climate change education partnership strengthens connections in the Great Lakes
Wendy Powers
Department: Animal Science, Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering
E-mail: wpowers@msu.edu
Web site: http://www.ans.msu.edu/ans/department_faculty_staff/507/dr._wendy_powers
Dr. Wendy Powers is a professor and Director of Environmental Stewardship for Animal Agriculture in the Departments of Animal Science and Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering at MSU. She joined the faculty at MSU in November 2006 after being on faculty at Iowa State University for just under 10 years.
As director, Dr. Powers coordinates environmental activities related to animal agriculture for the college. Wendy's primary research focus is on diet modification to alter odor and gaseous emissions and manure nutrient excretion working in a multispecies capacity. Extension efforts are currently focused on implementation of management practices to reduce environmental impact and addressing the concerns of rural citizens by improving understanding and communication.
Recent headlines
- Animal Agriculture Initiative awards research dollars for 2010-11
- Leaders chosen for MSU Extension institutes
- Affiliates Win Funding to Improve Animal Agriculture
Dennis B. Propst
Department: Forestry
E-mail: propst@msu.edu
Web site: http://www.for.msu.edu/pages/faculty/propst_d.html
Dennis Propst’s research interests include human/natural resource interaction, public participation in park and protected areas policy and management, the economic impacts of recreation and tourism. His expertise is in the human dimensions of natural resource management and planning, outdoor recreation, social science research methodology and statistical analysis. Along with his Ph.D. in forestry, he holds minors in statistics and social psychology. He has 20-plus years of experience in the application of multivariate statistical procedures and social science research designs to park, outdoor recreation and natural resource-related research problems.
Recent headlines
Jiaguo Qi
Department: Geography
E-mail: qi@msu.edu
Web site: http://www.globalchange.msu.edu/qi.html
Jiaguo Qi is Director of the Center for Global Change and Earth Observations, and Professor at MSU's Department of Geography. Dr. Qi also serves as a Project Scientist for NASA's MAIRS (Monsoon Asia Integrated Regional Studies) program. His research focuses on two areas: 1) Integrating biophysical and social processes and methods in understanding land use and land cover change and 2) Transforming data into information and knowledge.
Understanding the coupling of nature and human systems is important in global change research. The interactions between biophysical and social processes are intrinsically coupled but largely unknowns. To better understand the responses/feedbacks of the two coupled processes, Dr. Qi's research endeavor focuses on two fronts: 1) development of methodologies to quantify the linkages between them, and 2) development of geospatial tools to allow a quantification of spatio-temporal patterns and processes resulting from complex interactions between human and natural systems. Through research projects funded by different agencies including NASA, NSF, USDA, USAID, etc., he strives to use case studies in different parts of the world to understand the nature of the coupled nature-human systems. The geographic area of his research is global; with projects in North America, Southeast Asia, East Asia, Central Asia, East and West Africa, South America, and Australia. His recent research attempts to integrate environmental and social sciences to investigate the consequences of the socioeconomic reform on land degradation in China and climate change impact on human systems in East Africa.
Recent headlines
- Battling harmful algal blooms
- Great Lakes Restoration Initiative grants announced
- Researchers: China should take more effective approach to improve environment
- ESPP affiliate edits book on ecological restoration in China
Gemma Reguera
Department: Microbiology & Molecular Genetics
E-mail: reguera@msu.edu
Web site: http://mmg.msu.edu/124.html
Gemma Reguera was named assistant professor of microbiology and molecular genetics and crop and soil sciences in August of 2006. Her research focuses on the adaptive responses of microbes to their natural environment, and she uses this information to find new biotechnology applications for microbial processes. Her lab is currently studying how the bacterium Geobacter sulfurreducens colonizes surfaces and lives as biofilms and how to genetically engineer Geobacter biofilms for applications in bioremediation of radioactive and toxic metal contaminants, nanotechnology and bioenergy.
From 2002 to 2006, Reguera was a postdoctoral research associate at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst, and from 2001 to 2002, she was a postdoctoral research fellow at Harvard Medical School. Before that, she held research associate and assistant positions at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst and the University of Oviedo in Spain. Reguera received a doctorate and a master's degree in microbiology from the University of Massachusetts-Amherst in 2001 and 1994, respectively, and a doctorate and a bachelor's degree in biology from the University of Oviedo, in 2001 and 1992, respectively.
Recent headlines
- All female team trains microbes to clean up nuclear waste
- Microbes generate electricity while cleaning up nuclear waste
- Bacteria form electric circuits?
- Latest issue of Futures highlights "new research frontiers."
Dawn Marie Reinhold
Department: Biosystems & Agricultural Engineering
E-mail: reinho17@msu.edu
Web site: http://www.msu.edu/~reinho17
Dawn Reinhold is an assistant professor in Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering. Her research group aims to advance use of plant-based ecological systems to address water quality issues, including pollution of waters by agricultural runoff, stormwater runoff, urban and agricultural wastewaters, and hazardous wastes. Research focuses on plant-based ecosystems, such as wetlands, filter strips, best management practices, and phytoremediation, and on how plants affect the fate of pollutants. Dawn received her doctorate in Environmental Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology in 2007 and her bachelor's degree in Biological and Agricultural Engineering from Kansas State University in 2002.
Recent headlines
- Tax credit extension & more uses for treated sewage
- Using plants to protect water and health
- MSU student team wins first place in national competition
- Project GREEEN announces $2 million in new grants
Jeffrey M. Riedinger
Department: International Studies & Programs
E-mail: riedinge@msu.edu
Web site: http://www.isp.msu.edu/faculty/bios.htm
Jeffrey Riedinger is Dean, International Studies and Programs; and Professor, Department of Community, Agriculture, Recreation, and Resource Studies.
As a comparative political scientist, Riedinger has a developing area focus, with special emphasis on Southeast and East Asia. His work applies theories of political economy and state-society relations to problems of economic development. Riedinger is particularly interested in the way that political liberalization and democratization reforms affect the distribution of economic assets such as land, and in the role of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in the formulation and implementation of development policies. Thematically, Riedinger's work focuses on the political economy of redistributive agrarian reform, the role of NGOs in shaping and implementing agricultural and environmental policy, sustainable agriculture and natural resource management, and the legal rights of indigenous populations.
Shawn J. Riley
Department: Fisheries & Wildlife
E-mail: rileysh2@msu.edu
Web site: http://www.fw.msu.edu/~rileysh2
Dr. Riley's research activities are in discovery and integration of human and environmental dimensions of wildlife management. Current projects include: human dimensions of wildlife health management in the US; human-wildlife interactions and how stakeholders perceive interactions as impacts; how individuals and communities develop capacity for living with wildlife; antecedents to compliance with wildlife policies and regulations; perceptions of hunting in Swedish wildlife management; and, factors affecting agency capacity for managing fish and wildlife in North America.
Shawn's outreach efforts focus on improving wildlife management through: building capacity within resource agencies to make effective, sustainable decisions; professional development for agency personnel; program evaluation; and diffusion of techniques to integrate human and environmental dimensions of management.
Recent headlines
- The PERM paradigm: Relationships matter
- Partnership for Ecosystem Research and Management (PERM) key to understanding Michigan's wildlife resources
- Basis for North American wildlife conservation assessed
Louie Rivers
Department: Criminal Justice, Environmental Science and Policy Program
E-mail: riversl@msu.edu
Web site: http://www.conservationcriminology.msu.edu/people/rivers.php
Louie Rivers studies diverse aspects of risk. He comes to MSU from two years of working on program management at the National Science Foundation. His graduate education was at Ohio State, where he earned a master's degree in natural resources with a focus on environmental education, and a doctorate in risk perception and decision making, especially among minorities and in an environmental context. Rivers joins Dr. Carole Gibbs and Dr. Meredith Gore in teaching three online courses that constitute a master's certificate in conservation criminology: environmental risk perception and decision making; international environmental risk; and corporate environmental risk. He is continuing research on the perception by black farmers in the South of risks associated with microbial contaminants in food.
Recent headlines
- New ESPP course promotes interdisciplinary research, teamwork
- Environmental Faculty Fellows chosen
- Economic Downturn Bears Out Research by Arvai, Rivers
Phil (G. Philip) Robertson
Department: Crop & Soil Sciences
E-mail: robertson@kbs.msu.edu
Web site: http://www.kbs.msu.edu/people/faculty/robertson
Phil Robertson is University Distinguished Professor of Ecosystem Science in the Department of Crop and Soil Sciences. Since 1988 he has directed the NSF Long-Term Ecological Research (LTER) Program in Agricultural Ecology at the W.K. Kellogg Biological Station
Dr. Robertson's research interests include the biogeochemistry and ecology of field crop ecosystems, including biofuel systems, and in particular nitrogen and carbon dynamics, greenhouse gas fluxes, and the functional significance of microbial diversity in these systems. His undergraduate teaching includes Agricultural Ecology, Biogeochemistry, and Soil Biology courses.
Recent headlines
- Journal shines spotlight on long-term ecological research
- 2011 Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center (GLBRC) report
- MSU receives grant to study effects of cover crops on greenhouse gas emissions
- Farm Bureau upset that science kit for students contains left-wing book with misinformation about modern farming
Joan B. Rose
Department: Fisheries & Wildlife, Crop & Soil Sciences and Micro/Molecular Genetics
E-mail: rosejo@msu.edu
Web site: http://www.fw.msu.edu/~rosejo/JoanRose.htm
At MSU, Dr. Joan Rose serves as the Homer Nowlin Chair in Water Research, the Co-Director of the Center for Advancing Microbial Risk Assessment (CAMRA) and the Director of the Center for Water Sciences (CWS).
Dr. Rose is an international expert in water microbiology, water quality and public health safety. She has been involved in the investigation of numerous waterborne outbreaks world-wide. Her work has examined new molecular methods for waterborne pathogens and zoonotic agents such as Cryptosporidium and enteric viruses and source tracking techniques. She has been involved in the study of water supplies, water used for food production, and coastal environments as well as drinking water treatment, wastewater treatment, reclaimed water and water reuse. She specifically interested in microbial pathogen transport in coastal systems and risks to recreational waters. She has been involved in the study of climate factors on water quality. Dr. Rose has been involved in the development of quantitative microbial risk assessment (QMRA) frameworks, methods and data sets and considered one of the international experts in this evolving arena.
Recent headlines
- Thousands of failed septic tanks across the state threaten Michigan's waters
- Experts discuss health of Great Lakes beaches
- Measuring Great Lakes water quality today and a century ago
- Joan Rose appointed to serve on Great Lakes Advisory Board
Robert A. Roth
Department: Pharmacology & Toxicology
E-mail: rothr@msu.edu
Web site: http://www.phmtox.msu.edu/people/faculty/rothprint.htm
Researchers in my laboratory are interested in inflammation as a determinant of susceptibility to the toxic effects of drugs and other chemical agents. All of us experience episodes of inflammation. We are interested in how modest inflammation can make individuals particularly sensitive to toxic chemicals. We have found that a small dose of endotoxin that is without effect by itself markedly enhances the hepatotoxic effects of aflatoxin B1, as well as other toxic agents that occur in our food or environment. Thus, endotoxin exposure or underlying inflammation from other causes may be an important determinant of sensitivity of people and animals to toxic chemicals. Our team is working to characterize this inflammation-induced augmentation of toxicity and to explore the cellular and molecular mechanisms that underlie it.
Recent headlines
- MSU nets $2.9 million from USDA to further biofuel research
- Michigan AgBio Research report showcases environmental research
Brian M. Roth
Department: Fisheries & Wildlife
E-mail: rothbri@msu.edu
Web site: http://www.fw.msu.edu/people/faculty.php
My research interests are in interactions between native and non-native species that can lead to alternative configurations of aquatic biota and in spatially-explicit modeling methodologies. I also plan to investigate how fish movements differ on both small and large spatial and temporal scales and how to integrate this information in spatially-explicit models that can be used to inform management strategies that depend on assumptions of movement, or lack thereof.
Recent headlines
- Angler turns love of fishing into profession, tackling research on walleye, Asian carp
- Center for Water Sciences publishes "Splash," launches blog
- Feds pass on surest solution to halt Great Lakes invasion
- More Great Lakes invaders predicted
David Rothstein
Department: Forestry
E-mail: rothste2@msu.edu
Web site: http://www.for.msu.edu/pages/faculty/rothstein_d.html
The goal of my research program is to develop a mechanistic understanding of processes driving the biogeochemical cycling of carbon and nutrients in both natural and managed forests. In particular, I am interested in studying feedbacks within the plant-soil system that control both the availability of nutrients in soil, and losses of nutrients from ecosystems. This work involves research at a wide range of scales: from the quantification of ecosystem-level fluxes of carbon and nutrients to the study of plant and microbial metabolism.
Current research projects include:
- Organic N Cycling in Temperate Deciduous Forests
- Wildfire, Harvesting and Biogeochemistry of Michigan Jack Pine Forests
- Land Use-Land Cover Change and Regional C Storage in the Upper Yangtze River Basin
- Sustainable fertility management in Michigan Christmas tree plantations
Recent headlines
- MSU nets $2.9 million from USDA to further biofuel research
- Michigan AgBio Research report showcases environmental research
- Researchers: China should take more effective approach to improve environment
- ESPP affiliate edits book on ecological restoration in China
Brad Rowe
Department: Horticulture
E-mail: rowed@msu.edu
Web site: http://www.hrt.msu.edu/brad-rowe/pg2
Brad Rowe directs the green roof research program at MSU. The program was initiated during 2000 in collaboration with Ford Motor Company to advise them on the design and installation of their 10.4 acre green roof in Dearborn, to further our knowledge regarding green roof applications, and to address the issues of environmental stewardship. The objectives of our ongoing research are to evaluate plant species, propagation and establishment methods, plant succession, carbon sequestration potential, water and nutrient requirements, water quality and quantity of stormwater runoff, and energy consumption. Numerous experiments are currently being conducted on the roof of the Plant and Soil Sciences Building (PSSB), on the roof of the Communication Arts Building (CAB), in the Plant Science Greenhouses (PSG), and on 48 roof platforms at the Horticulture Teaching and Research Center (HTRC) at MSU. The research team is composed of collaborators from various departments across campus including Plant Biology, Geography, Biosystems Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, and Building Construction Management.
Recent headlines
- Faculty conversations: Brad Rowe
- Brad Rowe: Green roofs provide economic and environmental benefits
- Michigan AgBio Research report showcases environmental research
- Green roofs are starting to sprout in American cities
Wilson K. Rumbeiha
Department: Pathobiology & Diagnostic Investigation
E-mail: rumbeiha@msu.edu
Web site: http://pathobiology.msu.edu/people/rumbeiha.html
Understanding mechanisms of environmental toxicants in wildlife at animal and ecosystem level and utilization of this knowledge in treatment modalities of intoxications and conservation. Understanding mechanisms of toxicity using modern techniques such as functional genomics and utilization of this knowledge in developing diagnostic tests and treatment modalities of intoxications in animals.
Recent headlines
- As Easter approaches, cat owners should watch out for Easter lilies
- Pet Food Scare in USA Had a Precursor
Steven I. Safferman
Department: Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering
E-mail: safferma@msu.edu
Web site: http://www.egr.msu.edu/age/safferman.html
My holistic research approach is to consider “waste” as a resource to be returned to beneficial function within the watershed. Included are nutrients, compost, bioenergy, and water. Such an approach needs to be comprehensive. It involves science, engineering, economics, and policy. Partnerships between Universities, stakeholders, and government agencies are critical. General research topics that I am exploring center around innovative animal waste management strategies for large and small producers, biological, chemical and physical treatment technologies for nitrogen and phosphorus control, passive nutrient, low-tech treatment systems for storm drains, the use of compost originating from agricultural waste in storm water best management practices, innovative physical and chemical processes for on-site wastewater treatment technologies, and industrial assessments to minimize water use and wastewater production.
Recent headlines
- MSU student team wins first place in national competition
- Renewing resources with waste management research
- Michigan AgBio Research report showcases environmental research
- MSU looks into turning leftover food into electricity
Gene R. Safir
Department: Plant Pathology
E-mail: safir@msu.edu
Web site: http://www.plantpathology.msu.edu/SafirGene/tabid/104/Default.aspx
Kelly K. Salchow
Department: Art & Art History
E-mail: salchow@msu.edu
Web site: http://www.art.msu.edu/?page_id=84
My work currently explores environmental issues through typographic, photographic and volumetric integration.
Graphic design fundamentally relies on the sense of sight through the creative process. But the sense of touch is naturally awakened when volumetric challenges are folded into a process. This enlightening direction has informed my awareness of materiality and tactility as creative, influential, and expressive opportunities parallel to considering type and image as open paths to experimentation.
When developing my own content, I repeatedly focus on concepts of sustainability. Graphic design can be used for the purpose of representation, information and/or persuasion. Given the power of a message, I attempt to contribute to society through creative participation. I hope my work demonstrates a span of alternatives in creative, dimensional and environmental realms.
Beyond exploring ecological ideology, I also implement such practices, and enfold them into classroom lessons for the sake of cultivating our future design practitioners.
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Orlando Sarnelle
Department: Fisheries & Wildlife
E-mail: sarnelle@msu.edu
Web site: http://www.fw.msu.edu/~sarnelle/
I am a limnologist and ecologist with relatively broad interests. A major theme in my research has been to understand the roles that interactions among aquatic populations (primarily phytoplankton and zooplankton) play in population and community dynamics within lakes. I am also interested in how these interactions impact the overall functioning of aquatic ecosystems. The approach that I take to questions relies very heavily on field experimentation, and I am very interested in assessing how well such experiments inform us about processes in nature.
Selected projects:
- Interactions between Daphnia and cyanobacteria in eutrophic lakes
- Zebra mussels and toxic algal blooms in lakes- We are investigating the link between zebra mussel invasion and the incidence and severity of blue-green algal blooms in Michigan lakes.
- High Sierra Experimental Lakes- We are examining how the removal of an exotic predator influences population, community and ecosystem dynamics at the whole-lake scale.
- Meta-analysis- I have been part of a working group sponsored by the National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis examining issues regarding the application of meta-analysis to ecological questions.
Randall Schaetzl
Department: Geography
E-mail: soils@msu.edu
Web site: http://www.geo.msu.edu/schaetzl/index2.html
I study soils, landforms and biota in the context of environmental change. Specifically, I study the spatial interactions and process linkages among soil/surficial physical systems (including eolian systems) and (i) geomorphology, (ii) climate and hydrology, and/or (iii) biota.
I work on research topics related to soil gemorphology and geography, pedogenic processes, soil genesis and soil water, and plant geography. Much of my past work has centered on the processes of podzolization and lessivage (clay translocation). Currently, I am most involved in mapping and explaining loess deposits in Wisconsin and Michigan.
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Douglas W. Schemske
Department: Plant Biology
E-mail: schem@msu.edu
Web site: http://plantbiology.msu.edu/faculty/faculty-research/doug-schemske/
Recent headlines
- ESPP affiliates shine in ecology journals
- Biofuel grasslands better for birds than ethanol staple corn
- Biological control may curb garlic mustard’s regional spread
- Faculty win accolades
Laura Schmitt Olabisi
Department: Community, Agriculture, Recreation and Resource Studies; Environmental Science and Policy Program
E-mail: schmi420@msu.edu
Web site: http://www.carrs.msu.edu/faculty/viewPage.php?netID=schmi420
I am a quantitative modeler exploring the dependence of human economies and societies on material and energy flows provided by natural systems. I work with system dynamics, geographic and statistical models to ask questions about some of the most important threats to the sustainability of complex human and natural systems. My past and present research has addressed soil erosion, population growth, greenhouse gas emissions, water sustainability, and land use change, for example. I'm also interested in using participatory techniques to integrate knowledge streams from natural scientists, social scientists, policymakers, and local experts. Combining the learning generated through these participatory processes with the insights quantitative modeling can provide-all in the service of promoting sustainable development and adaptive capacity-will be a key focus of my future research.
Recent headlines
- GLISA awards annual research funding to MSU climate change projects
- New ESPP course promotes interdisciplinary research, teamwork
- Philippines journal, part 1
- Environmental Faculty Fellows chosen
Gerhardus Schultink
Department: Community, Agriculture, Recreation & Resource Studies
E-mail: schultin@msu.edu
Web site: http://www.carrs.msu.edu/faculty/viewPage.php?netID=schultin
Professor Schultink conducts research and teaches international resource development, comparative environmental policy, land use and environmental planning and environmental impact assessment at the Department of Community, Agriculture, Recreation and Resource Studies. He also served as the Associate Director of the Land Policy Institute with responsibilities for international land use planning, policy and development studies. His extensive publication record reflects more than 30 years experience in natural resource surveys, sector and impact assessment, land use planning, rural economic development and policy analysis. He has provided international and domestic consultancies for private sector firms, government agencies, such as USAID, the USDA, as well as international organizations, such as FAO, UNDP and the World Bank, and numerous country governments. Currently he directs various land tenure, administration and development projects.
He has worked with the Fulbright Foundation to establish an Environmental Protection Center in Thailand, with the Japanese Science Foundation and various Japanese universities on regional and agricultural planning issues, and with European universities on academic program reviews in the environmental and life sciences.
Mark J. Scriber
Department: Entomology
E-mail: scriber@msu.edu
Web site: http://www.ent.msu.edu/Directory/Facultypages/scriber/tabid/170/Default.aspx
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Susan E.M. Selke
Department: Packaging
E-mail: sselke@msu.edu
Web site: http://www.packaging.msu.edu/packaging/faculty/dr10
Broad research interests within the general area of packaging and the environment. Research activities include plastics recycling, biodegradable plastics, plastic/natural fiber composites, and lifecycle assessment. Specific examples include understanding the role of uncertainty in lifecycle analysis, use of microcellular foaming to improve the performance of HDPE/PP blends and composites of those blends with wood fibers; modeling the migration of contaminants in recycled plastic through a functional barrier of virgin plastic and into a food or beverage product; performance of bio-based and petrochemical-based biodegradable plastics; microcellular foaming of a biodegradable polyester; and incorporation of zeolites into a biodegradable plastic to provide active packaging functionality.
Recent headlines
- Environmental researchers win university awards
- FTC: General green claims don't wash
- Packaging Students’ Glass Recycling Video Earns Cash, Laughs
- Paper for Pricey Plastic?
Thomas D. Sharkey
Department: Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
E-mail: tsharkey@msu.edu
Web site: http://www.bch.msu.edu/faculty/sharkey.htm
My lab studies the interactions between the biosphere and atmosphere with emphasis on the biochemical and biophysical processes that control gas exchange. We have several projects on photosynthetic responses to carbon dioxide, emphasizing elevated carbon dioxide because this will continue to increase in the atmosphere. A second major area of research is the emission of isoprene from many trees, especially oaks and poplars. This hydrocarbon helps trees tolerate high leaf temperature caused by sunlight but when NOx pollution is present, isoprene from trees can lead to ozone formation. Our work is focused on the biochemical and molecular regulation of the rate of isoprene emission, as well as the evolution of this trait.
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Robert Shupp
Department: Agricultural, Food, and Resource Economics
E-mail: shupprob@anr.msu.edu
Web site: https://www.msu.edu/~shupprob/
Cynthia S. Simmons
Department: Geography
E-mail: simmo108@msu.edu
Web site: http://www.geo.msu.edu/faculty/simmons.html
I identify myself as a human geographer whose research program addresses the interaction of economic development and environmental policy in Less Developed Countries. I am especially interested in the social consequences of these interactions, and much of my current work examines agrarian reform and land conflict in the Brazilian Amazon. Although this part of the world has attracted much of my attention, given the importance of the Amazon basin to biogeochemical cycles and biodiversity, I have also conducted comparative research on forest management practices of indigenous and non-indigenous farmers in the Republic of Panama, and have engaged in cross-national studies examining economic development, urbanization, and sustainability in China, India, and the United States.
The conceptual lens for my research is derived primarily from a political economy approach. In particular, I focus attention on the manner in which social processes interact across a multiplicity of scales (i.e, individual, local, regional, national, global), and the impact these interactions have on local environments and social conditions.
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David L. Skole
Department: Forestry
E-mail: skole@msu.edu
Web site: http://www.for.msu.edu/pages/faculty/skole_d.html
David L. Skole is Professor of Forestry at Michigan State University. He has more than 25 years experience with research on the global carbon cycle and climate change. He was instrumental in constructing the first numerical global carbon model, and has been spearheading the integration of satellite based remote sensing into carbon accounting models. He was formally recognized for his climate change research as an official member of the United Nation's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change that shared the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize. He is now active in the emerging carbon financial markets and applications of his research to carbon sequestration and climate change mitigation projects in developing countries.
He has been active in developing methods for carbon offsets under cap and trade carbon regulations. He is a member of the Chicago Climate Exchange (CCX), and serves as a member of its Offsets and Forestry Committees. He is also Chair of a Technical Advisory Committee of the CCX on small holder agriculture procedures. Dr. Skole is past chair of the National Science Foundation Advisory Committee on Environmental Research and Education. He is a member of several committees of the National Academies including Geographic Sciences Committee and the Committee on Geographical Foundations of Agenda 21 that lead to US State Department recommendations at the World Summit on Sustainable Development. He served as a member of the Committee to Review the US Climate Change Science Program and several other Academies committees related to environment and climate.
Recent headlines
- MSU is helping India manage forests, reduce greenhouse gasses
- Carbon2Markets program honored for five years of outstanding research
- ESPP affiliates featured on Greening of the Great Lakes
- Skole to Help Protect Planet and Poor with Carbon Count
Thomas M. Smith
Department: Institute of Agricultural Technology
E-mail: smitht48@msu.edu
Web site: http://iat.msu.edu/iat/contact_us
Thomas M. Smith is a specialist with the Institute of Agricultural Technology (IAT). His major responsibilities are developing and enhancing Community College Partnerships to collaboratively offer IAT Certificate programs at the local level. Part of this effort includes developing new program areas to meet the specific social, economic and educational needs of the local community. Tom is interested in developing collaborations with other MSU faculty to help develop new credit and non-credit training and educational programs that meet the broad mission of IAT and address specific community needs, both in Michigan and beyond. He is also interested in a diverse range of applied research activities that further these interests.
He brings business experience to his position at MSU, having owned and operated businesses in the green industry and technology transfer for over 25 years. Tom holds a BS and MS in Crop & Soil Science - Turfgrass Management from MSU.
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Alvin J.M. Smucker
Department: Crop & Soil Sciences
E-mail: smucker@msu.edu
Web site: http://www.msu.edu/~smucker
Focus on soil biophysics. Research projects underway are:
- Terrestrial sequestration of carbon (C)
- Plant C contributions to the formation and function of soil aggregation processes
- Demographics of plant root systems
- Nutrient flux in soil profiles and soil aggregates
Recent headlines
- New water-saving technology nearly doubles harvests
- New water-saving technology nearly doubles harvests
- Faculty honored
- MSU Faculty Study E. coli Transport Through Soil
Patricia A. Soranno
Department: Fisheries and Wildlife
E-mail: soranno@msu.edu
Web site: http://www.fw.msu.edu/~soranno/
Recent headlines
- Patricia Soranno: Studying how humans interact with freshwater systems
- MSU professor launches new field of water research
- Research makes lake and stream conservation more effective
- Building a better student discussion
Ajit K. Srivastava
Department: Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering
E-mail: srivasta@egr.msu.edu
Web site: http://www.egr.msu.edu/age/srivastava.html
Research Interests:
- Machinery Systems for Food Production and Processing
- Dimensional Analysis and Similitude
- Bioenergy / Supply Chain of Feedstock
One current project is analysis and modeling of woody biomass supply chain for bioenergy. A project is also underway to convert turkey litter to energy via direct combustion; this will involve redesigning the burner, pelletizing turkey litter, studying gas emissions, and heating a greenhouse.
Recent headlines
- MSU receives money to aid global development
- MSU creating Global Center for Food Systems
- Anaergia selected by Michigan State University for largest college campus-based renewable energy biogas plant in the U.S.
- Srivastava lands elite fellowship
Daniel P. Steel
Department: Philosophy
E-mail: steel@msu.edu
Web site: http://www.msu.edu/~steel
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Jan (Robert) Stevenson
Department: Zoology
E-mail: rjstev@msu.edu
Web site: http://www.msu.edu/~rjstev/
I employ my technical expertise in algal taxonomy and ecology to test ecological theory and to develop approaches for solving environmental problems. I am particularly interested in how ecological systems respond to environmental change. I also work with federal and state officials to develop protocols for ecological assessment. Working with resource managers and policy makers often stimulates new directions for my research. Most of my projects use field observations, experiments, and modeling to better understand the effects of natural and human factors on algae and the role of algae in aquatic ecosystems. Field studies are used to identify interesting patterns in nature that may indicate an environmental problem or an interesting natural phenomenon. Manipulative experiments in artificial streams and mesocosms are used to confirm cause-effect relationships. I use models to scale our observations up to better understand cause-effect relations among natural and anthropogenic factors and ecological conditions.
Recent headlines
- Researchers receive grant to fight harmful algal blooms
- Battling harmful algal blooms
- Great Lakes Restoration Initiative grants announced
- Environment at MSU: Water
Jon Sticklen
Department: Computer Science and Engineering
E-mail: sticklen@msu.edu
Web site: http://www.egr.msu.edu/~sticklen/
I serve as the Director of the Center for Engineering Education Research at MSU. CEER@MSU was created in June, 2009, with a mandate to expand engineering education research in our College, to engage more faculty in education research, and to work collaboratively with colleagues in other Colleges who are researching issues in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education - the STEM areas.
My early research career focused on knowledge-based systems (aka "expert systems"), a subfield of artificial intelligence. Applications developed were across a broad range of domains including applied research in diagnostics for high performance aircraft, qualitative modeling of landscape level architectures, intelligent tutoring systems support of university level instruction, and expert systems support for design and fabrication of structures made from polymer composites. More recently, for the last decade I have pursued engineering education research focused on early engineering.
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John Stone
Department: Center for the Study of Standards in Society (CS3)
E-mail: jvstone@msu.edu
Web site: http://cs3.msu.edu/people/profile/stone-john/
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Diana Stuart
Department: Sociology; Kellogg Biological Station
E-mail: dstuart@msu.edu
Web site: http://www.kbs.msu.edu/people/faculty/diana-stuart
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Nathan Swenson
Department: Plant Biology
E-mail: swensonn@msu.edu
Web site: http://www.msu.edu/~swensonn
Nathan G. Swenson, Ph.D. (University of Arizona) is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Plant Biology. His central focus is on plant functional ecology and evolution. A major aim is to understand how the evolution of plant function influences ecological interactions and vice versa. More specific research directions include:
- Community Ecology of Tropical and Temperate Forests From a Functional and Phylogenetic Perspective
- Functional and Phylogenetic Investigations of Species Diversity Gradients and Anomalies
- The Evolution of Plant Functional Diversity
- The Geography of Plant Form and Function
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Scott M. Swinton
Department: Agricultural, Food, and Resource Economics
E-mail: swintons@msu.edu
Web site: http://aec.msu.edu/faculty/swinton.htm
Scott Swinton teaches agricultural production economics and ecological economics. His economic research focuses on agriculture as a managed ecosystem, focusing on management and policy analysis for enhanced ecosystem services. He concentrates on problems involving crop pest and nutrient management, precision agriculture, resource conservation, and management of risks to human health and income. Besides his work on U.S. farming, he is engaged in research on agricultural and natural resource management in Latin America and Africa.
Professional Interests:
- Design of incentives to induce adoption of environmentally beneficial farming technologies
- Valuation of ecosystem services linked to agriculture
- Design of sustainable bioenergy production systems
- Spatial data analysis methods
- Environmental economic impact analysis
- Assessment of alternative pest and nutrient management policies and practices
Recent headlines
- Creating a viable market for ecosystem services
- Convincing farmers to grow biofuel crops may be difficult
- Diagnosing the enemy (in forum on “Invasion of the superweeds”)
- Right now, corn is most profitable cellulosic biofuel crop in Michigan, research says
Matt Syal
Department: Construction Management Program, School of Planning, Design, and Construction
E-mail: syalm@msu.edu
Web site: http://www.egr.msu.edu/~syalm
Research interests in sustainable construction management:
- Impact of LEED® Projects on Contractors, Construction Managers and Sub Contractors
- Sustainable / Green Guidelines in the U.S. and India
- Sustainable Planning, Design and Construction at MSU
- Health Impacts and Life Cycle Analysis of Green Homes and Buildings
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Bruno Takahashi
Department: School of Journalism
E-mail: btakahas@msu.edu
Volodymyr V. Tarabara
Department: Civil and Environmental Engineering
E-mail: tarabara@msu.edu
Web site: http://www.egr.msu.edu/cee/people/tarabara.html
Dr. Tarabara's research focuses on fundamental aspects of membrane-based separation processes applied to water treatment and quality control. Behavior and use of nanoparticles in membrane separation systems is of especial interest.
Current externally funded research projects include:
- NSF PIRE: New generation synthetic membranes - Nanotechnology for drinking water safety
- NSF NIRT: Self-cleaning ceremic membranes for the removal of natural and synthetic nanomaterials from drinking water using hybrid ozonation-nanofiltration
- EPA STAR: On-chip PCR, nanoparticles, and virulence/marker genes for simultaneous detection of 20 waterborne pathogens
- NSF I/UCRC and MI Swaco: Crossflow filtration hydrocyclone for the separation of oil-in-water emulsions
Recent headlines
- Water Environment Research Foundation presents Tarabara with major award for water research
- New hydrocyclone separates water, oil more efficiently
- Faculty honored
- Affiliates awarded fellowships for teaching excellence
William W. Taylor
Department: Fisheries & Wildlife
E-mail: taylorw@msu.edu
Web site: http://www.fw.msu.edu/~taylorw/research.htm
Recent headlines
- Michigan researchers to lead food security study
- Time to let science drive Great Lakes policy on Asian carp
- Taylor Fellowship will send PhD student to Australia to study
- MSU team honored for work to save fish habitat
Brian J. Teppen
Department: Crop & Soil Sciences
E-mail: teppen@msu.edu
Web site: http://www.msu.edu/~teppen/
In building an understanding of molecular behavior within environmental systems, emerging technologies in condensed-phase molecular modeling are proving useful for a) constraining the interpretations of spectroscopic and diffraction data, b) stimulating new hypotheses and new approaches to experimentation, and c) performing truly predictive simulations of properties not amenable to experiment. Molecular modeling tools have traditionally been tailored toward proteins and other biochemical organic systems, but I have worked toward expanding their application to environmentally relevant systems such as soil minerals and aqueous species at colloid-solution interfaces. My research has focused on the development, validation, and application of both classical- and quantum-physics molecular models for aqueous solutions, chemical contaminants, and the colloidal materials that control adsorption and chemical speciation in soils, sediments, and groundwaters. I have been the focal point of a diverse team (physical chemists, soil chemists, geophysicists, and environmental engineers) that develops and validates such models, then applies them to simulations of practical systems. A strength of our developmental work is frequent validation of our models using diverse spectroscopic, diffraction, and thermodynamic data. My goals are to develop robust models for the most important environmental colloids and to use the models to accurately predict a greater variety of kinetic and thermodynamic information.
Paul B. Thompson
Department: Philosophy; Community, Agriculture, Recreation and Resource Studies; Agricultural, Food, and Resource Economic
E-mail: thomp649@msu.edu
Web site: http://www.aec.msu.edu/faculty/thompson.htm
Paul Thompson is W. K. Kellogg Chair in Agricultural, Food and Community Ethics. His research and teaching issues cover the full range of environmental philosophy but are especially focused on three themes:
- The assessment, management and communication of environmental risks
- Ethical issues associated with genetic engineering of microbes, plants and non-human animals
- The philosophy of agriculture, including sustainability and agrarianism
He also works on broad issues in the philosophy of technology, and has recently undertaken a program of research on "technological commodification," which has grown out of his work on the ethics of genetic transformation.
Recent headlines
- The new look of NIMBYism
- Philosophers put their minds to expanding their role in public affairs
- Genetically engineered salmon: If they build it, will we eat it?
- MSU faculty, students at 'green economy' policy conference
Laurie G. Thorp
Department: Residential Initiative on the Study of the Environment (RISE) Program
E-mail: thorpl@msu.edu
Web site: http://naturalscience.msu.edu/students/rise/
Laurie Thorp directs the Residential Initiative on the Study of the Environment (RISE) program. RISE is an undergraduate academic specialization serving the colleges of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Communication Arts and Sciences, Engineering, Natural Science and Social Sciences. She is also associate director of MSU's new undergraduate Sustainability Specialization. She is interested in alternative business models for the food system and is co-advisor for the MSU Student Organic Farm.
Recent headlines
- Bananas to biogas: Campus closing food waste loop
- Philosophers put their minds to expanding their role in public affairs
- Sustainability specialization receives education improvement grant
- Pasturing pigs: MSU organic farm benefits swine, students, researchers
James M. Tiedje
Department: Crop & Soil Sciences, Microbiology and Molecular Genetics
E-mail: tiedjej@msu.edu
Web site: http://www.cme.msu.edu/tiedjelab/jtiedje.shtml
Dr. Tiedje is University Distinguished Professor of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, and of Crop and Soil Sciences, and is Director of the Center for Microbial Ecology at Michigan State University. His research focuses on microbial ecology, physiology and diversity, especially regarding the nitrogen cycle, biodegradation of environmental pollutants and use of molecular methods to understand microbial community structure and function. His group has discovered several microbes that live by halorespiration on chlorinated solvents and is using genomics to better understand ecological functions, endemism and niche adaptation. He has served as Editor-in-Chief of Applied and Environmental Microbiology and Editor of Microbial and Molecular Biology Reviews. He has over 350 refereed papers including seven in Science and Nature. He shared the 1992 Finley Prize of UNESCO for research contributions in microbiology of international significance, is Fellow of the AAAS (The American Association for the Advancement of Science), the American Academy of Microbiology, and the Soil Science Society of America, and is a member of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences.
Recent headlines
- Going hog wild: Weaning antibiotic-resistant bugs out of pork
- Study provides new insights into antibiotics and pig feeds
- Invention analyzes plant diseases without leaving the field
- Faculty honored
James E. Trosko
Department: Pediatrics & Human Development
E-mail: james.trosko@ht.msu.edu
Web site: http://www.iet.msu.edu/Faculty/Trosko.html
The Trosko lab focuses on the mechanisms of carcinogenesis and mutagenesis. His initial research involved the study of radiation-induced mammalian mutagenesis. This led to the discovery of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) repair in normal human cells and the lack of DNA repair and increased mutagenesis in the cancer-prone xeroderma pigmentosum syndrome. Later work with the tumor promoter, phorbolester, he discovered that the inhibition by tumor-promoting chemicals, oncogenes and growth factors were related to the mechanism of tumor promotion by their shared ability to modulate gap junction function. His team then developed several in vitro assays to detect chemical modulators of gap junctional intercellular communication (GJIC) (e.g., metabolic cooperation assays; fluorescent recovery after photobleaching; scrape loading dye transfer, etc.) Later they found that modulation of GJIC was related to chemical induced teratogenesis, reproductive dysfunction and neurotoxicity. Most recently, his group has demonstrated that normal human epithelial stem cells could be isolated from kidney tissues and breast tissues. In addition, anti-tumor chemicals, as well as tumor suppressor genes appear to up-regulate GJIC in a manner opposite to tumor promoters and oncogenes. He has recently discovered biomarkers for adult human stem cells that has provided strong evidence for the "stem cell theory" of cancer.
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E. Michael Unsworth
Department: Collections Management
E-mail: unsworth@mail.lib.msu.edu
Web site: http://staff.lib.msu.edu/unsworth/
My primary research is the import of solid waste from the Canadian Province of Ontario into Michigan.
Brad L. Upham
Department: Pediatrics & Human Development
E-mail: upham@msu.edu
Web site: http://www.iet.msu.edu/Faculty/Upham.html
My research projects involve determining the cellular mechanisms by which nutrition, oxidative stress, and environmental and food-borne contaminants affect cell proliferative, differentiation and apoptotic processes that ultimately cumulates into states of human diseases such as cancer. Studies on cellular mechanisms focus primarily on how intracellular signal transduction pathways and gap junctional intercellular communication collaboratively orchestrate the epigenetic expression of genes in stem cell model systems. Bioassays of gap junctional intercellular communication are also used to estimate the risk of epigenetic toxicity of environmental toxicants in the design of engineered environmental remediation systems.
Gerald Urquhart
Department: Lyman Briggs College
E-mail: urquhart@msu.edu
Web site: https://www.msu.edu/~urquhart/
Recent headlines
- Face Time: Dr. Gerald Urquhart
- Collaring endangered Baird's tapirs to help them survive
- MSU Researchers Study Globalization with NSF Grant
Remke L. Van Dam
Department: Geological Sciences
E-mail: rvd@msu.edu
Web site: http://www.msu.edu/~rvd/
My research interests are in the application and improvement of near-surface geophysical methods for hydrological and engineering problems, sedimentology and stratigraphy, issues of environmental change, and characterization of soils.
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Thomas A. Vogel
Department: Geological Sciences
E-mail: vogel@msu.edu
Web site: http://www.msu.edu/~vogel
Volcanic hazards and related topics are important aspects of environment science and policy in countries with volcanoes, and we have an active group here at MSU working on this problem. One of my interests in the past few years (in Central America and the Philippines) is to promote the development and application of measures to minimize loss of life and property caused by volcanic eruptions, landslides, mudflows, lahars, etc. What types of volcanic hazards do local residents face and where can they go to avoid dangers? These questions are difficult to answer because there are many types of volcanic eruptions, which produce different types of volcanic hazards. Most of our work has been with the most dangerous of all volcanic eruptions - ash flows. We are working on these types of eruptions in Costa Rica, Nicaragua and the Philippines, and we are currently involved in drilling an active volcano at Unzen Japan to evaluate how these eruptions occur. Our current research in the Philippines involves documenting past ash-flow eruptions in the metropolitan Manila area. We are currently working with the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology; and the National Institute of Geological Sciences on this problem. Some of our colleagues are involved in remote sensing, especially of volcanic hazards due to volcanic ash, gas and aerosol clouds. The remote sensing methods can be used for science and hazard mitigation.
Tom Voice
Department: Civil & Environmental Engineering
E-mail: voice@msu.edu
Web site: http://www.egr.msu.edu/cee/people/voice.html
Recent headlines
- New MSU Global Water Initiative
- Will oil ever be completely cleaned up?
- Green and clueless
- Engineers Strive to Provide Clean Water for All
Igor Vojnovic
Department: Geography
E-mail: vojnovic@msu.edu
Web site: http://www.geo.msu.edu/faculty/vojnovic.html
Research interests are in the areas of environmental and social justice, with a particular focus on how theories of equity apply to urban form and natural environments. The approach to the research on urban form involves social, environmental, and economic assessments of the interrelationship between the built environment and human activity patterns. The analysis is multidisciplinary, and ranges from how economic incentives distort urban and natural environments to design criteria in city building.
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Robert T. Walker
Department: Geography
E-mail: rwalker@msu.edu
Web site: http://www.geo.msu.edu/walker/index2b.html
I am an economic geographer who provides theoretical descriptions of land-use and land-cover change processes wherever they occur. My special interest is in accounting for the spatial articulation of such changes, what an ecologist might refer to as landscape evolution. The main objective of my research is to develop theoretical frameworks, not to conduct regional case studies. Economic geography (including regional science) possesses models and paradigms of great potential utility in studies of land-use and land-cover change, but to date they have been little utilized. I see my work as establishing a link between a set of traditional models and an issue of growing global concern. Because economic geography doesn’t always possess the “right” model for the issue at hand, I borrow from economics, anthropology, and sociology to frame some of my work, given its focus on behavior at the level of individual land managers.
Recent headlines
- Scholar heads into heart of the Amazon
- Walker travels to China to help steer new college of Global Change
- Amazon conservation policy working in Brazil, MSU-led study finds
- Amazon Deforestation: Earth's Heart and Lungs Dismembered
Joanne M. Westphal
Department: Landscape Architecture, School of Planning, Design, and Construction
E-mail: westphal@msu.edu
Web site: http://www.spdc.msu.edu/SPDC/Landscape_Architecture_Faculty
Dr. Westphal is a landscape architect and practicing licensed physician. She is a Fellow in both the American Society of Landscape Architects and the Council of Educators in Landscape Architecture. As a faculty member in SPDC, she focuses on issues of health in the built environment, therapeutic site design, context-sensitive design, and research methodology. Her work includes the evaluation of construction standards to promote human wellness; the efficacy of design to complement medical treatment protocols in hospitals and nursing homes; the examination of communities to promote active living throughout the seasons; and the need for place identification, resource sustainability and open space/green corridor protection in the American landscape.
Research interests encompass two broad areas of the environment: 1) factors that affect human health in the built environment, and 2) issues affecting regional landscape identity, sustainability, and resource protection. Current work focuses on assessment strategies to document the health benefits of gardens and open space to patient and non-patient groups as a part of "evidence-based design", including the use of virtual reality, functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), "intended outcomes measures", and post-occupancy evaluation. In terms of land use, current work evaluates standards & criteria for site sustainability; performance standards for steep green roof systems (i.e., micro-climate effects, stormwater management, thermal conductivity, and urban wildlife/habitat potential); and seasonal factors affecting walking & biking in cold climate communities.
Recent headlines
- Green walls taking root in green building design
- Therapeutic environmental design aims to help patients with Alzheimer's disease
Kyle Powys Whyte
Department: Philosophy
E-mail: kwhyte@msu.edu
Web site: http://www.philosophy.msu.edu/index.php?cID=202
Kyle Powys Whyte is an Assistant Professor of Philosophy and affiliated faculty at the Center for the Study of Standards in Society (CS3), the Peace and Justice Studies Specialization, and the American Indian Studies Program. He is an enrolled member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation in Shawnee, Oklahoma. Dr. Whyte writes on issues in environmental justice, the philosophies of science and technology, and American Indian philosophy. His articles are published in journals such as Synthese, Agricultural & Environmental Ethics, Knowledge, Technology & Policy, Ethics, Place & Environment, Continental Philosophy Review, Environmental Philosophy, Philosophy & Technology, Public Integrity, and Rural Social Sciences, and his research has been funded by the National Science Foundation, Spencer Foundation, and National Endowment for the Humanities. He is a member of the American Philosophical Association Committee on Public Philosophy, Michigan Environmental and Natural Resources Governance Program, and Michigan Environmental Justice Working Group, and is a 2009 recipient of the K. Patricia Cross Future Leaders Award from the Association of American Colleges & Universities.
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David S. Wiley
Department: Sociology
E-mail: wiley@msu.edu
Web site: http://sociology.msu.edu/dwiley.html
Julie A. Winkler
Department: Geography
E-mail: winkler@msu.edu
Web site: http://www.geo.msu.edu/faculty/winkler.html
My primary research interests are:
- Synoptic climatology
- Regional climate variability and change
Synoptic climatology is concerned with understanding the linkages between the occurrence of weather phenomena and atmospheric circulation at all scales. My work has focused on the central United States and includes research on heavy precipitation events, diurnal variations in the characteristics of lightning flashes, the mesoscale structure of midlatitude cyclones, and the climatology of low-level jets. In terms of climate change research, I have evaluated the output of Global Climate Models (GCMs) in light of the potential application to regional climate change studies, developed downscaling methodologies for the construction of local/regional climate scenarios, and proposed methods for estimating the uncertainty surrounding estimates of climate change at the regional scale. I have also studied the potential impacts of climate change on specialized agriculture in the Great Lakes region.
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- Michigan climate change initiative nets $4.2 million federal grant
- MSU becomes University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR) affiliate
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Antoinette M.G.A. WinklerPrins
Department: Geography
E-mail: antoinet@msu.edu
Web site: http://www.msu.edu/~antoinet
My research interests sit at the intersection of human and physical geography. My training at the undergraduate level was in urban geography, but at the Ph.D. level gravitated more toward physical, especially soil geography and geomorphology. My minor was soil science (pedology). I describe myself as a cultural/ political/historical ecologist working on issues of landscape transformation in the Brazilian Amazon. I am most interested in how people have and continue to transform their landscapes as they continually adapt and adjust both themselves and their environment to changing socio-economic circumstances.
Examples of research projects:
- local environmental knowledge, especially soil and agronomic knowledge, and how it can inform sustainable development strategies (in Brazil, Mexico, Kenya, Michigan);
- urban agriculture in Amazonia, especially the social networks that urban garden products sustain; related are garden agro-diversity, re-conceptualization of the household as a multi-loci unit;
- Amazonian dark-earth formation in homegardens;
- floodplain sedimentation and lake formation in the Amazon River;
- environmental history of Amazon floodplain forests and land-use;
- social and cultural impacts of outmigration in Central Mexico.
Scott R. Winterstein
Department: Fisheries & Wildlife
E-mail: winterst@msu.edu
Web site: http://www.fw.msu.edu/people/faculty.php
Scott R. Winterstein teaches graduate and undergraduate courses in the areas of wildlife population dynamics and management and wildlife biometry. His research focuses on the development and assessment of techniques to estimate population parameters of wild vertebrate populations. For the past seven years he has been involved in work related to the control of infectious diseases of wild and domestic animals. The wildlife disease research has focused on relating the behavior of white-tailed deer to short and long-term human-induced environmental changes and how these behavioral/environmental interactions impact the movement of diseases through the landscape.
Warren W. Wood
Department: Geological Sciences
E-mail: wwwood@msu.edu
Web site: http://www.glg.msu.edu/people/wood.html
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Irene Xagoraraki
Department: Civil and Environmental Engineering
E-mail: xagorara@egr.msu.edu
Web site: http://www.egr.msu.edu/cee/people/xagoraraki.html
Irene Xagoraraki earned her Ph.D. (2001) and MS (1995) in civil and environmental engineering from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and her BS degree (1993) from the University of the Aegean in Greece. Before coming to MSU she held a postdoctoral position at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Her research interests include drinking water safety, public health, and water quality engineering, with a particular focus on the detection, removal and inactivation of emerging biological and chemical contaminants in drinking water. Her recent research includes: occurrence of waterborne viruses in natural waters, fate of pharmaceuticals in water utilities, disinfection of enteric viruses in groundwater systems; inactivation of cyanobacterial toxins by chlorine, emerging pathogen removal in conventional water treatment processes, and coagulation and sedimentation of cryptosporidium parvum. The focus of her teaching is on water quality engineering.
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- Great Lakes Restoration Initiative grants announced
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- Xagoraraki develops innovative ways to understand and improve water safety
- Engineers Strive to Provide Clean Water for All
Catherine H. Yansa
Department: Geography
E-mail: yansa@msu.edu
Web site: http://www.geo.msu.edu/faculty/yansa.html
My research focuses on reconstructing past environments in north-central North America since the last glacial maximum (over the last ~20,000 years) by studying plant fossils (pollen and plant macrofossils) preserved in lake sediments. The objectives and implications of my research are:
- to document past responses of plants to climate changes at various temporal and spatial scales and use these as analogs for potential responses of plants to predicted global warming; and
- to interpret the landscape contexts for prehistoric Native American occupations to explore long-term human-environment interactions
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Runsheng Yin
Department: Forestry
E-mail: yinr@msu.edu
Web site: http://www.for.msu.edu/pages/faculty/yin_r.html
Dr. Yin's research interests fall into two broad areas - international forestry and forest business management. Included in the former are the impact of economic reform on forestry development, sustainable forest management, agroforestry and plantation forestry, forest products trade. Included in the latter are timberland ownership and forest investment, efficiency and productivity measurement of the wood products industry, timber market dynamics, decision making under uncertainty. Funded by the NSF and the USDA, his recent research has engaged in assessing the impacts of China's ecological restoration programs, developing a market modeling system for China's forest sector, and investigating the forest tenure reform in China. In addition to many book chapters, he has published over 40 peer-reviewed articles in such journals as World Development, Forest Science, Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, and Canadian journal of Forest Research. He teaches Forestry in International Development and Economics of Renewable Resources.
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Wei Zhang
Department: Crop and Soil Sciences
E-mail: weizhang@msu.edu
Wei Zhang is an assistant professor in the Department of Crop and Soil Sciences. He is broadly interested in the quality and sustainability of soil and water resources, with emphasis on the movement of water, solutes (e.g., nutrients, agrochemicals, and environmental toxics), and fine particles such as microorganisms, abiotic colloids, and engineered nanomaterials in natural and engineered systems, particularly in unsaturated soils. The overarching goal of his research activities is to promote protection of soil and water resources and sustainable agricultural production through understanding of fundamental transport processes and scientifically-sound management practices.
Prior to joining MSU, he held a prestigious National Research Council Research Associateship hosted by USEPA. Wei received his Ph.D. degree in Environmental Engineering from Cornell University in 2010, his MS degree in Biosystems Engineering from Oklahoma State University in 2006, and his bachelor’s degree in Environmental Chemistry from Nanjing University in 2000.
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Jinhua Zhao
Department: Economics; Agricultural, Food, and Resource Economics
E-mail: jzhao@msu.edu
Web site: http://econ.msu.edu/faculty/zhao/index.php
Jinhua is the director of ESPP and holds appointments in the Department of Economics and the Department of Agricultural, Food and Resource Economics. He was a co-editor of the Journal of Environmental Economics and Management (2005-07) and is on the editorial council of JEEM and the Review of Development Economics.
Research interests include: Natural resource and environmental economics, applied micro theory, global climate change, energy economics, trade and environment, real option theory, technology adoption, dynamic decision making.
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- MSU scientists suggest how countries can cooperate on climate
- ESPP hosts bioeconomy symposium
- Shaping the future of the High Plains water supply
- MSU economist tapped for national environmental policy committee
Shiyan (Sharon) Zhong
Department: Geography
E-mail: zhongs@msu.edu
Web site: http://www.geo.msu.edu/faculty/zhong.html
Recent headlines
- Shaping the future of the High Plains water supply
- MSU becomes University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR) affiliate
Leo C. Zulu
Department: Geography
E-mail: zulu@msu.edu
Web site: http://www.geo.msu.edu/faculty/zulu.html
Dr. Zulu's research interests include political ecology, environment and development, community-based natural resources management in rural Africa, deforestation, food security, socio-spatial, temporal and biophysical processes of land use and land cover change in Africa and the techniques that permit their examination including Remote Sensing and Geographic Information Systems, and vulnerability and adaptation of rural communities in southern Africa to climate change.
