Social Sciences graduate student Emma Schwaiger (IAH) and Civil and Environmental Engineering graduate student Ankita Mandleia (EEP) will present “An Interdisciplinary Approach to Understand Pollution: PCBs in Torch Lake,” which describes some aspects of their work (with professor Carol MacLennan, et al.) on the Torch Lake project– that seeks to document the historic mine production of copper and PCB waste. The presentation will be held Friday, March 28, at 4 p.m., in AOB 201.
Susanna Peters, a lecturer in law and society in Michigan Tech’s Department of Social Sciences, has been appointed the University’s new ombuds officer. Her appointment takes effect on April 15.
The ombuds officer provides informal conflict mediation services for faculty, staff and students, to help them resolve conflicts fairly and informally before initiating any formal grievance procedure. The Ombuds Office operates independently and confidentially.
Starting April 15, faculty, students and staff who would like to contact the Ombuds Office can email speters@mtu.edu or call at 7-2391 to set up an appointment.
Emma Norman (SS) will present for the Social Sciences Colloquia Series, “The Power of Water Renegotiating the Columbia River Treaty,” Friday, March 21, 2014, from 4:00 – 5:30 pm in AOB 201.
From Tech Today.
Green Film Series to present “Gasland” — part of World Water Day observance at Michigan Tech
The Green Film Series at Michigan Tech will present the film Gasland as part of several events scheduled on campus to observe World Water Day.
This 100-minute documentary will be shown from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Thursday, March 20, in the Atrium and G002, Hesterberg Hall, in the Michigan Tech Forestry building. It will be followed by a discussion facilitated by Richelle Winkler, Michigan Tech assistant professor of sociology and demography. Coffee and dessert will be served. (Please bring your own mug.)
The event is free and open to the public; a $3 donation is suggested.
World Water Day events are sponsored by Michigan Tech Center for Water and Society, Sustainable Futures Institute, Lake Superior Stewardship Initiative, Keweenaw Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, Keweenaw Land Trust, Great Lakes Research Center, Michigan Tech Dept. of Visual and Performing Arts, and Finlandia University. A grant/partial funding has been provided by the Consortium of Universities for the Advancement of Hydrologic Science, Inc. (CUAHSI)
Read more at Keweenaw Now.
Guy Meadows (GLRC) and Carol MacLennan (SS) have received $199,406 from the Michigan Department of Technology, Management and Budget and Environmental Quality, for a research project titled ” Source Identification of PCBs in Torch Lake.”
From Tech Today.
Audrey Mayer will be joining the Staff Council at their regular monthly meeting on Thursday, March 20, 2014, to engage in a discussion about work-life balance issues at Michigan Tech.
Read more at Tech Today.
A Peace Corps information session will be held Thursday, March 20, at 6 p.m., in MUB Alumni Lounge B. Peace Corps Volunteers are making a difference all over the world in the areas of education, health and the environment. Stop by this information session to learn more about the benefits of service and how you can live, work and learn overseas after graduation.
From Tech Today.
Graduate Student Government Travel Grant Award Winners for Spring 2014
Travel grants for spring 2014 have been awarded. Among the Presenting Travel Grants ($ 250) recipients are social sciences graduate students Mayra O. Sanchez Gonzalez and Ronesha Strozier.
The full list of graduate recipients can be accessed online.
Travel grants are awards that help subsidize cost of attending and presenting at conferences. These awards are sponsored by the Graduate Student Government (GSG) and the Graduate School. For more information on travel grants, please visit the webpage.
Should you have any questions, contact the GSG treasurer Jennifer Winikus (jawiniku@mtu.edu).
From Tech Today.
The Cliff Mine Archeology Project Blog
Site Description—Part 1
What was (and is now) the ‘Function/Use’ of the Cliff?
The Classification of the Cliff Property
Temporal Boundaries
First Things First: Defining Boundaries
What is the National Register of Historic Places?
The blog is back. Happy 2014!
Payments to Upstream Landowners to Protect Water Downstream: How Well is that Working
Two researchers from Michigan Technological University have joined with natural and social scientists from three other universities and the US Forest Service to study the impact of Mexico’s water payment program.
“Our findings will help governments, non-governmental organizations, the World Bank and others who might promote programs like these to design their programs to be as effective as possible,” said Alex Mayer, professor of civil and environmental engineering at Michigan Tech and co-principal investigator (PI) on Tech’s part of the research.
The project is highly interdisciplinary, Mayer added. That’s why his co-PI is Kathleen Halvorsen, a professor of natural resource policy at Michigan Tech.
“We want to know what the landowners and the communities downstream from them know about watersheds and pollution,” Halvorsen explained.
Read more at Michigan Tech News, by Jennifer Donovan.