Social Sciences Newsblog

Invited Paper for Mary Durfee

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EU Arctic Conference 2015On Friday, May 29, 2015, Associate Professor Mary Durfee (SS) gave an invited paper, The EU in the Arctic: Where will it live? at a conference on the EU in the Arctic held in Dundee, Scotland.

From Tech Today.

The European Union and the Arctic (2015 EU-Arctic Conference)

This conference will bring together academics and practitioners from relevant disciplines such as international law, international relations, political science and marine biology, NGOs, representatives from EU institutions and international organisations to discuss the EU’s potential contribution to enhance Arctic governance. A roadmap for increasing the effectiveness of the EU’s action in the Arctic will be drawn at the end of the conference.

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Pan American Researchers Gather in Houghton

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PIRE Researchers
PIRE Researchers

VIEW THE BIOMASS PIRE FLICKR PHOTO GALLERY

About 40 biofuel and bioenergy researchers from many countries in the Pan American region (from Argentina to Canada) will attend a workshop hosted by the Sustainable Futures Institute at Michigan Tech Wednesday, June 3, 2015, through Friday, June 5, 2015.

The goals of the workshop are to develop a research roadmap report (RRR) with diverse international perspectives and to recommend priority areas for future research. The RRR will be disseminated to funding agencies such as the National Science Foundation, Department of Energy and other federal research sponsors in the United States and their equivalents in other Pan American countries, as well as to industry and the general public.

This is the final workshop in the NSF-funded project “RCN-SEES: A Research Coordination Network on Pan American Biofuel and Bioenergy Sustainability“. The project is directed by David Shonnard (ChE) and with co-investigators Barry Solomon (SS), Kathy Halvorsen (SS), Sam Sweitz (SS) and Robert Handler (SF I).

From Tech Today, by David Shonnard.

PIRE-Group-Outdoor

Bioenergy Across the Americas

The work is part of the Partnerships for International Research and Education (PIRE), funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF). Kathy Halvorsen, a professor of natural resource policy at Michigan Tech, helps lead the PIRE research group, which is highly interdisciplinary.

“As we move forward with the project spanning six countries, I am always thinking about how are we going to be able to answer our research questions,” Halvorsen says, adding the project spans social, natural and engineering sciences. “We have to think about how we do our research so we can compare and integrate our data across the countries and disciplines.”

Read more and listen to audio at Michigan Tech News, by Allison Mills.

Biomass bridge
Vital aspect in achieving energy sustainability

Barry Solomon, a Tech professor on the PIRE team, noted that Brazil introduced the flex-fuel car engines now seen across the U.S. that can burn both high-ethanol and low-ethanol gas blends, and that bio-based ethanol has been a major boon to an economy that’s contributed to steady growth in recent years.

“The U.S. talks about energy independence, but it’s not (independent),” he said. “Brazil essentially is.”

Read more at the Mining Gazette, by Dan Roblee (subscription required).

Woody
U.P. bioelectric effort can follow Wisconsin’s lead

Regardless of the questions yet to be answered, Solomon said he sees biomass as an important part of the U.P.’s electric generation future.

“Biomass should be a part of things here,” he said. “There’s not a massive demand, but it’s far better to get rid of coal. … I think we need a combination of biomass and wind power.”

Read more at the Mining Gazette, by Dan Roblee (subscription required).

MICHIGAN TECH HOSTS FOREST BIOENERGY RESEARCHERS

A project this large can be unwieldy, so Halvorsen works with subgroup and country team leaders to effectively pursue their interdisciplinary research in bioenergy. Studying bioenergy naturally builds off multiple disciplines and goes beyond just the global biofuels discussion.

Read more at Technology Century, by Matt Roush.

Bioenergy across the Americas

In some ways, the PIRE research is like bioenergy yoga, looking at the best ways to build both flexibility and strength to move gracefully through changing climates and economic markets. From small plantations to spanning continents, the PIRE research seeks sustainability and resiliency using the insight of many disciplines.

Read more at ECN Magazine, by Allison Mills.

MICHIGAN TECH LEADS ON BIOENERGY

Sounds of Research

Michigan Tech has uploaded audio recordings of conversations with various researchers involved in the project — check out their Soundcloud account if you’re interested in hearing them.

Read more at Science Around Michigan.

MTU bioenergy: teaching the world

The U.P. is leading the effort to not just preserve natural resources, but to put them to work. The work is part of the partnerships for international research and education through the National Science Foundation.

Watch the video at UP Matters, by Esther Kwon.

UP Matters Pan American UP Matters Pan American UP Matters Pan American UP Matters Pan American

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Gina Stevens Recognized for 25 Years of Service

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Gina Stevens
Gina Stevens

Michigan Tech Employee Service Recognition Event

On Wednesday, May 6th, 2015, faculty and staff members, along with their guests, gathered at the Memorial Union Ballroom for an awards dinner recognizing 25, 30, 35, and 40 years of service to Michigan Tech.

Among those recognized for 25 years of service was Social Sciences Departmental Coordinator Gina Stevens.

Read more at Tech Today.

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Henquinet Published in the Journal of Applied Volcanology

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Kari Henquinet
Kari Henquinet

From Tech Today:

Luke J. Bowman and Kari B. Henquinet (SS) published an article “Disaster Risk Reduction and Resettlement Efforts at San Vicente (Chichontepec) Volcano, El Salvador: Toward Understanding Social and Geophysical Vulnerability” in the Journal of Applied Volcanology. Bowman is a PhD candidate in the Department of Geological and Mining Engineering and Sciences and Henquinet is the Peace Corps Master’s International Director and a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Social Sciences.

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Research Team Meeting Brings in International Researchers

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Kathleen Halvorsen
Kathy Halvorsen

From Tech Today:

by Allison Mills

Researchers across the Americas look to forests for power, transportation, fuel and heat. This weekend and into next week, more than 80 researchers from Brazil, Argentina, Canada, Mexico, Uruguay and the US will meet in Houghton to research bioenergy. The work is part of the Partnerships for International Research and Education (PIRE) through the National Science Foundation.

Kathy Halvorsen (SFRES) is leading the research team meeting. She says bioenergy goes beyond just the biofuels discussion and finding alternative fuel for cars. “This a research team studying how we can help to slow climate change and ensure local energy security,” she says. “We also look to minimize the negative impacts of energy choices and maximize benefits.”

In the PIRE research team meeting, Halvorsen will help lead interdisciplinary discussions and research concerning the socio-economic impacts of different forest bioenergy sources. The results and groundwork, however, require the focused efforts of more than a hundred people.

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