Tag: Forest Ecology and Management

New theses and dissertations available in the Library

The Graduate School is pleased to announce new theses and dissertations are now available in the J.R. van Pelt and Opie Library from the following programs:

  • Applied Ecology
  • Applied Natural Resource Economics
  • Biological Sciences
  • Chemical Engineering
  • Civil Engineering
  • Electrical Engineering
  • Environmental Engineering
  • Forest Ecology and Management
  • Forest Science
  • Geophysics
  • Materials Science and Engineering
  • Mechanical Engineering
  • Mechanical Engineering-Engineering Mechanics
  • Physics
  • Rhetoric and Technical Communication

US Department of Energy Computational Sciences Graduate Fellowships

U.S. Department of Energy Computational Sciences Graduate Fellowships

The U.S. Department of Energy provides funding for students in their first or second year of graduate study in the fields of physical, engineering, computers, mathematics and life sciences. The fellowships are renewable up to four years. Students receive about $31,000 a year, as well as a $1,000 annual academic allowance for travel, research activities and attending conferences. Some students may also get matched funds for computer support up to $2,475.

New theses and dissertations available in the Library

The Graduate School is pleased to announce new theses and dissertations are now available in the J.R. van Pelt and Opie Library from the following programs:

  • Chemical Engineering
  • Chemistry
  • Civil Engineering
  • Electrical Engineering
  • Environmental Engineering
  • Forest Ecology and Management
  • Geological Engineering
  • Geology
  • Geophysics
  • Industrial Archaeology
  • Mathematical Sciences
  • Mechanical Engineering
  • Mechanical Engineering-Engineering Mechanics

World Water Day: Michigan Tech Helps Make a Difference

World Water Day was recently observed at Michigan Tech with a variety of events including a poster session.  Several graduate students were honored with awards including:

  • Ellis Adams, Environmental Policy
  • Jessica Billings, Environmental Engineering Science
  • Aleta Daniels, Forest Ecology and Managements
  • Jonathan Ebel, Biological Sciences
  • Danielle Haak, Biological Sciences
  • Laura Kangas, Applied Ecology
  • Mariah Maggio, Environmental Policy

Read more about the events and see photographs of the award recipients online.

Peace Corps Master’s International Volunteers Try Changing the World–One Step at a Time

When graduate students Kristina Denison, Callie Bertsch and Michelle Cisz left the wooded hills of the Michigan Tech campus to serve as Peace Corps volunteers, they headed to countries that couldn’t be more diverse: Zambia, Bulgaria and Paraguay. But the lessons they learned in Michigan Tech’s Peace Corps Master’s International (PCMI) program were remarkably similar.

“I was going to Africa to change the world,” says Denison, who spent three years in Zambia, a landlocked little country in southern Africa, between Zimbabwe and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. “I learned that you have to count the small steps, to be satisfied with planting a seed.”

Bertsch expected to bring “some great innovation” to the village of Gurmen in Bulgaria. But she soon realized she was having her greatest impact in a more subjective arena: people’s attitudes. “We’re so glad you came to live with us because you’re not at all like we thought Americans were,” the Bulgarian villagers kept telling her.

Halfway around the world, in the small South American country of Paraguay, Cisz was busy readjusting her expectations too. “I had big goals, but I had to take small steps,” she says. “It was a very humbling experience.”

All three women are working toward their Master of Science in Forest Ecology and Management. They wanted to travel, to serve and to learn by doing–the Michigan Tech way–so they joined a program that lets graduate students combine course work with volunteer service overseas in the Peace Corps. With eight PCMI programs in four different colleges and schools, Michigan Tech has more active Peace Corps volunteers than any other university in the nation.

See Tech Today for the complete news story.

Wildlife Conservation Award

The Safari Club International (SCI) Michigan Involvement Committee (MIC) is a non-profit corporation composed of representatives of each of the Michigan chapters of SCI.  The Committee coordinates collaboration between SCI, its Michigan chapters, and the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR); provides scholarships and grants to graduate students; and supports other wildlife conservation and education activities deemed appropriate by the organization.

The Award

Goal: To preserve and perpetuate the right to hunt and the commitment to conservation within the wildlife profession and potential future leaders of the DNR.

Purpose: To provide financial assistance to a graduate student, preferably one working on a DNR-funded university research project associated with the preservation of hunting.

Fund Financing: A minimum annual fund of $3,000 has been established by SCI MIC to finance the grant program.  Additional grants may be awarded if funding is available.  Grant amounts may vary depending upon the number of awards and the fund balance.

Award Duration: The grant will be available for use for one year between September 1 and August 31 of the next year.  An award recipient can compete for additional grants in subsequent years with other applicants.  If invited by participating chapters, each selected student will be required to visit the chapter at least once during the year of the award.

How to Apply

To Be Eligible:

1)    Student must be accepted or enrolled in a Wildlife or related discipline graduate program at a college or university in Michigan.

2)    Must be planning a career in the Wildlife Management field.

3)    Student must be familiar with hunting, hunting ethics, the role of hunting in wildlife management, and hunting’s role in society.

4)    If enrolled in a MS or MA program, it must be a thesis-based degree.

Application: There is no separate application form.  Please send a resume which outlines your background, along with three reference letters from individuals knowledgeable of your field skills and experience.  Include your name and graduate institution where enrolled on all materials submitted.  In addition, in 500 words or less, provide a response to the questions:  “Twenty years from now, what should the elements of wildlife management be, and what role do you see yourself playing in this profession?”

Selection Process: An SCI MIC committee will review application materials and select finalists.  A subcommittee will interview finalists and select the award recipient(s) by September 1, 2011.

Send all materials, by June 15, 2011 to Paul Royce, SCI-Lakeshore  Chapter, 9881 84th Avenue, Zeeland, Michigan  49464

Seventh Annual Student Research Forum Seeks Applicants

The Ecosystem Science Center, Biotechnology Research Center and School of Forest Resources and Environmental Science invites graduate students conducting research related to ecology, the environment or biotechnology to submit titles and abstracts for poster presentation at the seventh annual ESC/BRC Student Research Forum.

New this year, undergraduate researchers who are advised by BRC or ESC members are also welcome to participate in a separate division.

The forum will be held on the afternoon of Friday, March 25, in the atrium of the Noblet. Abstracts are due electronically by noon, Friday, Feb. 25, to esc@mtu.edu.

The forum allows graduate and undergraduate students an opportunity to present their research to peers and faculty. This will provide a valuable experience for students preparing for poster sessions at regional or national meetings, give students well-deserved recognition for their work and serve as an excellent setting for students to showcase new results and see what others are doing.

We invite student participants to present their research findings as a research poster. Students are welcome to present advanced or preliminary research (proposals or preliminary data). Prizes will include one grand prize and up to four merit awards for each center. Each student may present only one paper but may be included as a coauthor on others. For details, see http://ecosystem.mtu.edu/2011%20guidelines.pdf.

For questions, contact Jill Fisher (SFRES) at 487-3564 or jhfisher@mtu.edu.

Published in Tech Today.

Research Associateship Programs

The mission of the NRC Research Associateship Programs (RAP) is to promote excellence in scientific and technological research conducted by the U. S. government through the administration of programs offering graduate, postdoctoral, and senior level research opportunities at sponsoring federal laboratories and affiliated institutions.

In these programs, prospective applicants select a research project or projects from among the large group of opportunities listed on this website.  Prior to completing an application, prospective applicants should contact the proposed Research Adviser to assure that funding will be available if their application is recommended by NRC panels.  Once mutual interest is established between a prospective applicant and a Research Adviser, an application is submitted through the NRC WebRap system.  Reviews are conducted four times each year and review results are available approximately 6-8 weeks following the application deadline.

There are four review cycles annually. Deadlines for 2011 are:

February 1

May 1

August 1

November 1

Click here for more information: http://sites.nationalacademies.org/pga/rap/

George L. Disborough Trout Unlimited Research Grant

Scholarship Information

The research grant was established by the Kalamazoo Valley Chapter of Trout Unlimited (KVCTU) for the purpose of recognizing and supporting studies of trout habitat or other projects consistent with the goals and objectives of Trout Unlimited. KVCTU’s goals are to preserve wild rivers, clean up polluted waters, maintain early warning Water Quality Surveillance programs, educate the public through workshops and seminars, and speak for the concerns of all anglers and conservationists.

Eligibility Criteria

The grant will be awarded based on the merit of the proposed project and not on the financial need of the applicant. The project must be consistent with the mission of Trout Unlimited (see below) and take place in North America. The recipient must be a U.S. Citizen or a Permanent Resident Alien and a graduate student at an accredited college or university. Normally, the grant will be for one year. However, it is possible that the grantee may apply again providing the applicant is able to demonstrate the merit of another grant to the Advisory Committee and the Kalamazoo Community Foundation Board of Trustees.

The mission of the Kalamazoo Valley Chapter of Trout Unlimited is to preserve, protect and enhance cold-water resources. The Chapter’s goals are to preserve wild rivers, clean up polluted waters, maintain early warning Water Quality Surveillance programs, educate the public through workshops and seminars and speak for the concerns of all anglers and conservationists. In addition, members of Trout Unlimited monitor pollution and fight environmental abuse, work with state government agencies for better water resource management and work with congress and federal government agencies for the protection and wise management of America’s fishing waters.

Application Requirements

The following must be submitted to the Kalamazoo Community Foundation:

One copy of the application.

One copy of your research grant proposal that includes a description of your research project and addresses the following:

1. The location of your project.
2. The subject of your project.
3. The goal of your project.
4. The method(s) you will use to complete your project.
5. The unique talents or special abilities, if any, that will be required of you in order to complete
this project.

A description of anticipated project costs.

An explanation of why you believe you deserve this research grant.

One letter of recommendation from an individual who supports your application for a research grant.

Award

Varies

Deadline

February 15