Social Sciences Newsblog

Dyble Receives Award for Best Public Works Article

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Louise Nelson Dyble, former assistant professor of social sciences, has received the American Public Works Association (APWA) Michael Robinson Award for her article “Tolls and Control: the Chicago Skyway and the Pennsylvania Turnpike.”

The award is presented by APWA’s Public Works Historical Society and recognizes the best essay or article published on a public works historical topic. Dyble’s article, published in 2012 in the Journal of Planning History, provides a historical perspective on two high-profile toll roads: the Pennsylvania Turnpike, operated by an independent public authority, and the Chicago Skyway, originally built and managed by the City of Chicago.

Dyble notes that great public works have resulted from cooperation among governments, and that the lack of cooperation is one of our society’s greatest obstacles. “Embattled cities, balkanized regions and dysfunctional states can’t support the infrastructure systems that we need,” she said.

Dyble is a member of the Public Works Historical Society’s Board of Trustees and is pursuing a law degree at the University of California, Berkeley.

From Tech Today.

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Scarlett Recognized by Utah Division of State History

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Tim Scarlett TEDx 2013
Tim Scarlett

Associate Professor Tim Scarlett (SS) was recognized by the Utah Division of State History for his archeological work with Utah’s early pottery. He won one of five awards for outstanding contribution in history. The 2013 awards were presented at the Utah State History Conference earlier this month.

Scarlett “has promoted history and historical archeology in Utah, bringing to light Utah’s unique early pottery,” the Division of State History said in a news release about the awards. “His studies, excavations and publications have brought Utah pottery to an international audience. His work led to the first formal exhibition of early-pioneer ceramics and pottery at the Frontier Homestead Museum in Cedar City, Utah. He involves the public in innovative ways in discovery and has had an incalculable influence in training students to continue the work.”

The organization also presented awards for articles and books about Utah history.

From Tech Today.

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Mary Durfee on Syria

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Mary Durfee on Syria
Mary Durfee on Syria

Do college students know about Syria?

Foreign policy professors at Michigan Tech said although school has only been in session for a few days, they’re already teaching on it.

“Carefully,” said American Foreign Policy professor Mary Durfee, when asked how she brings up the topic. “America’s split on this. One of our military history professors said he polled his class. Sixty percent were opposed; that’s very much like the national average.”

Read more at Upper Michigans Source, by Sarah Blakely.

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Halvorsen on Bioenergy

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Bioenergy Must Be Sustainable

The National Science Foundation is funding a Research Coordination Network (RCN) to help researchers, policymakers, industry leaders and others investigate the effects of mass biofuel production on human communities and natural systems. The Sustainable Futures Institute (SFI) manages the RCN program at Michigan Tech.

Partnerships for Research and Education (PIRE) is another NSF-funded project that grew out of RCN. PIRE,’s lead researcher is Kathleen Halvorsen, a professor of natural resource policy at Michigan Tech. The PIRE team is studying impacts from bioenergy production in Brazil, Canada, Mexico, the U.S. and Argentina.

“We’re working to fill the research gaps in bioenergy production so we can maximize the benefits and minimize the negative impacts,” Halvorsen explains. “Another thing we want to do is improve policy in these countries to support the research and development of bioenergy.”

Read more at Laboratory Equipment.

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