The annual Conservation Ecology Seminar Series begins Jan. 18, ushering in 13 talks from scientist around the country. The seminar series is organized by the Conservation Ecology field of study at the School of Natural Resources and Environment. The lectures are Fridays from 3-4 p.m. in Room 1028. They are open to the public and followed by a question-and-answer session with the speakers; no registration is required.
Adorning the brick walls of Sara Adlerstein’s office are two large canvases she painted in dark earth tones, reminiscent of rustic cave paintings. "I have gone through a journey to understand how the natural sciences and art complement each other,” says Adlerstein, a research scientist at the School of Natural Resources and Environment. Receiving her first Master of Science degree in Chile, Adlerstein initially was unsure what type of degree to pursue. “I’m somebody who is in love with too many things. I applied to programs for journalism, biology and visual arts but I decided to study biology and do art on my own,” says Adlerstein, whose artwork primarily consists of oil paintings with vibrant colors, sharp edges and thick textures.
A new $9 million University of Michigan Great Lakes research and education center will guide efforts to protect and restore the world’s largest group of freshwater lakes by reducing toxic contamination, combating invasive species, protecting wildlife habitat and promoting coastal health. With a $4.5 million, three-year grant from the Fred A. and Barbara M. Erb Family Foundation, the new University of Michigan Water Center will provide a solid scientific framework for more efficient and effective Great Lakes restoration.
Each September, as the promise of a new academic year unfolds, the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology invites high-performing students from underrepresented minorities to experience U-M graduate programs. The Fall Recruitment Partnership gives students an idea of what it’s like to be a graduate student in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and the School of Natural Resources and Environment. The initiative began in 2007, originally supported by a grant from the National Center for Institutional Diversity to Professors John Vandermeer (EEB) and Ivette Perfecto (SNRE). The Rackham Graduate School now funds the program.
Sara Adlerstein, an associate research scientist at the University of Michigan, uses quantitative modeling to investigate ecosystems. But she also embraces art as a way to reflect on nature.
Rebecca Williams of The Environment Report interviewed SNRE Professor Don Scavia about the future of the Great Lakes. Scavia, who also directs the Graham Environmental Sustainability Institute, is part of the U-M team participating with 20 other U.S. and Canadian universities. They are joining forces to propose a set of long-term research and policy priorities to help protect and restore the Great Lakes and to train the next generation of scientists, attorneys, planners and policy specialists who will study them.
Great Lakes Integrated Sciences and Assessments is hosting a fall symposium Oct. 30. The Symposium will be in the Rackham Amphitheater on the fourth floor of the Rackham Building, 915 E. Washington St., Ann Arbor. From 1:30-2:45 p.m., there will be an overview of GLISA and its funded research projects. At 3 p.m., authors from the National Climate Assessment Midwest Technical Input Team will summarize climate trends and anticipated impacts of climate change in the Great Lakes region.
Climate change is expected to increase the frequency of intense spring rain storms in the Great Lakes region throughout this century and will likely add to the number of harmful algal blooms and "dead zones" in Lake Erie, unless additional conservation actions are taken, according to a University of Michigan aquatic ecologist. Climate models suggest that the number of intense spring rain storms in the region could double by the end of the century, contributing to an overall 30 to 40 percent increase in spring precipitation, said Donald Scavia, director of the U-M’s Graham Sustainability Institute.
The School of Natural Resources and Environment is seeking applicants for a full”time, nine”month faculty position in sustainable food systems. SNRE’s mission is to contribute to the protection of the Earth’s resources and the achievement of a sustainable society.
A researcher measures the productivity of algae in a stream as part of a research project published in the June 7 edition of the journal Nature.