Social Sciences Newsblog

In Print

Published May 18, 2020

Shan Zhou co-authored the article, “Collaboration mitigates barriers of utility ownership on policy adoption: evidence from the United States”, published in the Journal of Environmental Planning and Management.

This paper offers an answer to the question: “To what extent does collaboration between utilities and local governments influence energy policy adoption?” Cross-sectional data from the United States–focused Integrated City Sustainability Database (ICSD) are used to investigate the degree that specific city attributes and state policy influence the creation of city-scale energy policy.

In Print

Published May 6, 2020

Adam Wellstead (SS) is a co-author on a paper recently published in Global Health Research Policy 5, 19 (2020) online titled Where is the policy? A bibliometric analysis of the state of policy research on medical tourism.

This article gauges the scope and evolution of policy thinking in medical tourism research through a bibliometric review of published academic literature, to establish the extent to which researchers apply public policy theories and frameworks in their investigation of medical tourism, or consider the policy imperatives of their work.
Virani, A., Wellstead, A.M. & Howlett, M. 2020

Commencement Celebration

Published May 4, 2020

By Christine Flood

On Friday, May 1st the Department of Social Sciences held a virtual commencement celebration honoring its 2019-20 graduates.

2020 Department of Social Sciences Graduation Celebration

“We are marking an important milestone in the lives of our graduates. Graduates, you are ending one phase of your formal education and beginning a new phase of your lives.”
Hugh Gorman, Department Chair, Social Sciences

Speakers

President Richard Koubek
Dean David Hemmer
Dr. Mayra Sanchez Morgan
Ph.D. Candidate Will Lytle
Professor Emerita Dr. Carol A. Maclennan

Professor Mark Rhodes provided a musical interlude “Theme from Star Trek Voyager” on trumpet and recent anthropology graduate, Charles Fugate read the poem “In April” by Rainer Maria Rilke. Undergraduate awards were presented and the names of our graduates were read. The musical closing was provided by the Pep Band and Blizzard.

Congratulations to all. We wish you continued success.

“You persevered, and along the way you made a lasting imprint on our campus community.”
Rick Koubek, President

Musical Interlude provided by Professor Mark Rhodes

Social Sciences Graduates 2019-2020

Doctor of Philsophy

Erin Burkett, Environmental and Energy Policy, PhD
Brent J. Burns, Environmental and Energy Policy, PhD
Mayra Sanchez Morgan, Environmental and Energy Policy, PhD
Andrew Mueller, Industrial Heritage and Archaeology, PhD

Master of Science

Karuna Rana, Environmental and Energy Policy, MS
Sun Van Nguyen, Environmental and Energy Policy, MS
Michael Levi Ryan, Environmental and Energy Policy, MS
Azat Turegeldin, Environmental and Energy Policy, MS
Robert John Zupko, Environmental and Energy Policy, MS
Tyler D. Allen, Industrial Heritage and Archaeology, MS
Brendan J. Doucet, Industrial Heritage and Archaeology, MS
Josef Thomas Iwanicki, Industrial Heritage and Archaeology, MS

Bachelor of Science

Charles R. Fugate, BS Anthropology
Bridget E. Quesnell, BS Anthropology
Trenton X. Woodcox, BS Social Sciences -Law and Society
Jessica M. Berryman, BS Social Sciences -Law and Society
Catherine A. Carra, BS Social Sciences -Education
Jason D. Sutherland, BS Social Sciences-Education

Undergraduate Awards

Outstanding Senior Award

Jessica Berryman and Charles Fugate

Undergraduate Research Awards

Alannah M Woodring and Lynette S Webber

Community-Based Research Prize

Angela Gutierrez and Timothy Stone

Departmental Scholar 2020

Timothy Stone

Dean David Hemmer addresses the graduates

In Print

Published May 1, 2020

By Christine Flood

Professor Shan Zhou and Professor Emeritus Barry D. Solomon published a paper, “Do renewable portfolio standards in the United States stunt renewable electricity development beyond mandatory targets?” in Energy Policy. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0301421520301336

Solar for the People

Published May 1, 2020

By Heather Powers

L’Anse is the third community in the Upper Peninsula to install a community solar array. The community partnered with Michigan Tech’s Alternative Energy Enterprise team and Department of Social Sciences faculty and students, as well as WPPI Energy and WUPPDR, to make the project a reality.

Read the full story on mtu.edu/news

Local Student Succeeds at National Science Competition with Mentoring from Michigan Tech

Published April 27, 2020

By Christine Flood

Siona Beaudoin, a junior at Lake Linden-Hubbell High School, spent the past year working on a research project with Tara Bal (CFRES) Angie Carter, Social Sciences (SS). Her project focus was on the invasive fruit fly Spotted Wing Drosophila, Drosophila suzukii (SWD) and the public’s knowledge of SWD, along with their berry picking/foraging practices.

She presented her research at the Wisconsin, Upper Peninsula of Michigan Regional Junior Science and Humanities Symposium in February and qualified for the national symposium.

Recently, she virtually defended her research in the Life Sciences Poster Competition at the National Junior Science and Humanities Symposium where she was awarded third place. Beaudoin is currently summarizing the research to be published with Bal and Carter.

In Print

Published April 23, 2020

By Christine Flood

Adam Wellstead published again! Globalization and Health (2020)– “The north-south policy divide in transnational healthcare: a comparative review of policy research on medical tourism” by A. Virani, A. Wellstead and M. Howlett. Open access. https://bit.ly/3cHwR6m

Rhodes Elected to CGSG Board

Published April 23, 2020

Mark Rhodes has been elected to the Executive Board of the Cultural Geography Specialty Group (CGSG). As the seventh largest of the 76 American Association of Geographers specialty groups, CGSG provides a network for its 500+ members while also organizing symposia, sponsored-sessions, marquee speakers and socials, granting awards and elevating the spatially of cultural perspectives throughout the humanities, sciences, and social sciences. Rhodes will serve a two-year term as Nominations Director.

Social Sciences Undergraduate Awards Announced

Published April 23, 2020

By Christine Flood

The Department of Social Sciences announced its 2019-20 Undergraduate Research Awards.

Outstanding Senior Award: Jessica Berryman and Charles Fugate
Community-Base Research Prize: Angela Gutierrez and Timothy Stone
Undergraduate Research Award: Alannah M. Woodring and Lynette S Webber

The students will be recognized at the Department of Social Sciences Class of 2019-20 Virtual Commencement Celebration on May 1. Congratulations for these extraordinary achievements.

In Print

Published April 22, 2020

Alumnus Brad Barnett (EEP PhD), Adam Wellstead, and Michael Howlett (Simon Fraser University) published a paper in the journal Energy Research and Social Science titled The evolution of Wisconsin’s woody biofuel policy: Policy layering and dismantling through dilution.

This paper examines the intersection between changing goals, actors and institutions in designing Wisconsin’s woody biopower policy mix.
Barnett, Wellstead, & Howlett