List of Master's Projects

Students will have the opportunity gain key insight into how environmental data is measured and tracked at a global multinational corporation, engage with diverse internal and external Amcor stakeholders including a variety of employees, and gain comprehensive understanding of the food, beverage, and pharmaceutical
packaging industry and exposure to the decision-making process in a global corporation.

Planning and development of nature preserves and nature centers provides for a very large range of career benefits. This project can be approached from many angles, and will benefit from an integrated approach that reflects the ideal methodology for private and academic consultation. Particular knowledge includes (but is definitely not limited to) community and population ecology, aquatic biology, interpretive design, project management, resource management, facility management, sustainable development, etc… The skills and experience learned here will be of direct benefit to academic departments, companies and consulting firms that seek to undertake similar tasks. Additional career opportunities include the opportunity to work with experts in multiple fields.

Students involved with this project will gain content expertise in the areas of agricultural supply chains, sourcing, compliance and quality management, social and environmental metrics, and sustainable consumer products. They will also be exposed to the manufacturing, marketing, sales and distribution components of a successful consumer brand, and will potentially have networking opportunities within consumer packaged goods and food retail industries.

This project includes numerous professional career development benefits. Students will gain experience in incorporating various, wide-ranging goals into cohesive programming. Students will need to utilize existing wisdom and research, as well as explore creative solutions to create their master plan. They will gain experience in one or more research methodologies, and have the opportunity to present findings and recommendations to leadership at Kalamazoo College. These recommendations will be incorporated into the establishment of the Center for Environmental Stewardship, through which they will affect numerous Kalamazoo College students and faculty members, as well as Kalamazoo community members.

TVCDC interacts on an ongoing basis with numerous city, private, and institutional organizations that will offer researchers significant professional career development benefits.The primary points of contact on this project are:

• Mac Farr, Executive Director of The Villages CDC
• Alessandra Carreon, PE, LEED AP, The Villages CDC board member (Product Environmental Engineer at Ford in Sustainability and Vehicle Environmental Matters, Co-Owner of PizzaPlex L3C in Detroit, board member of EcoWorks and the West Village Neighborhood Association)

Participation in a project of this scope will prepare students for a range of climate-related careers, from climate research to environmental policy and governance, which involve complex issues, multiple goals, limited resources and planning in the context of global climate change. Students will work under the direct supervision of a member of the UNFCCC Secretariat. In addition, students may expect engagement with a variety of stakeholders and will partner with one or several secondary client organization (see possible list on p1) working directly on climate change issues in the Seychelles.

Students may expect to build on a range of skills from quantitative and qualitative, research and report writing, communication and awareness raising, to policy and planning. Team members will complete this project with a thorough and in-depth understanding of climate change issues and the barriers to climate change adaptation. In addition, there may be a possibility of students attending and presenting their findings at the international climate conference held in Bonn, Germany, in May (Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice (SBSTA), and/or at the annual Conference of the Parties (COP) held in November. This would provide the students with professional networking opportunities and the chance to experience first-hand how climate research is used and presented to inform policy. If the project proves successful, there may be further opportunities for students to present the outcomes of their work at additional meetings and conferences under the NWP.

Students will have the opportunity to develop environmental management, geo-spatial analysis, policy analysis, environmental plan development, and social data collection and analysis skills. Students will also have opportunities to interact with federal and state natural resource agencies and environmental organizations that work in the field of forest restoration and natural hazard mitigation. Students will develop a webinar to share findings, which will provide valuable skills in science communication and environmental media. Students will also have opportunities for presenting the project findings at professional meetings and co-authoring a publishable journal article.

This project combines active research and data collection with public policy education and advocacy. Students will interact with diverse constituencies including academics, public officials, government regulators, and tribal and community leaders (see above for specific groups). The project may advance best-practices, evolving science, and important public policy goals and public trust principles and provide students with practical, hands-on opportunities to improve the stewardship and oversight of the Great Lakes.

• This project will place the student team into the center of a real-world regional planning and management situation.
• Students will gain knowledge of biophysical processes and evaluation methods for blue carbon, groundwater resources and salmon support systems.
• Students will develop skills and familiarity with decision-making processes, conceptual frameworks, and stakeholder engagement, for future work in research, management, restoration, consulting, and education.
• KBNERR has a very active research programs, and students will have the opportunity to engage with researchers and graduate students from several different institutions, as well as KBNERR staff.  This will provide valuable networking and learning opportunities. 

Students will gain experience in compiling and summarizing site-specific natural history data and producing a natural areas management plan. This experience is directly transferable to natural areas management planning and conservation planning for government and non-profit conservation agencies or for work for consulting firms doing such planning.

Project participants will be exposed to numerous professional development opportunities through collaborative research and formal training sessions with specialists from our partner organizations including Crossroads
Research Center, Stewards of the Land Farmer Cooperative, Midwest Permaculture, and Local Food Shift. In addition, there will be opportunities to work with partner governmental institutions including the City of
Mackinac Island, the State of Michigan DNR & MDARD, Mackinac State Historic Parks, USDA FNS & NIFA, and Hiawatha National Forest. These relationships will enable distinguishing expansion of professional
networks.

These partnerships will also provide potential to greatly increase expertise in myriad areas relevant to careers in sustainability and the environment: sustainable systems concepts such as systems thinking, design frameworks,
and appropriate technology; justice issues such as food security and equal access; engagement techniques including creative outreach and event promotion; policy topics including governance, strategy, analysis, and
negotiation; and collaborative skills such as co-learning, coordination, and mediation.

Students will also have ongoing opportunity to present research findings and represent the group at conferences
and meetings including Michigan Local Food Council Network meetings, various partner university and state extension conferences, and the National Farm to School Conference.

• Exposure to multiple dimensions of environmental restoration, waterfront development, community revitalization, and conservation planning.
• Interaction with leaders in a variety of professions drawing from a diverse array of educational backgrounds and areas of expertise.
• Integration of multiple sources of information from diverse dimensions to focus on a complex socio-economic, political and environmental challenge.
• Introduction to the application of multiple disciplines in real-world professions in contemporary contexts.
• Networking with federal, state and regional agencies as well as leaders in the AOC communities.
• Opportunities to present both in local forums and professional conferences.

• Understand the material issues of leading industries in emerging markets.
• Develop a network and interact with institutional investors, regulators, and other parties (environmental regulating agencies).
• Gain management consulting expertise.
• Develop ability to work and lead in cross-cultural scenarios.
• Improve communicational skill in a second language (Spanish).
• Improve communicational skill through interaction with top executives (e.g Conduct ideation and scenario analysis workshops, etc)
• Develop and gain expertise understanding and analyzing the interaction and dependencies between sustainability and the capital markets.

• Research design and implementation
• Communication design
• Project management
• Evaluation design and implementation
• Expertise in organic waste management
• Contacts in NYC non-profits and governmental groups
• Opportunity to present work at a wide number of conferences
• Potential for publishable research

Team Size: 3 or 4 students

This is a great opportunity for a systems thinking approach to problem-solving, which is useful for any professional ambition.  There are several conferences about development in Africa, and the students will also find resources in other academic and professional realms where these types of efforts are and have been made.  So there will be plenty of knowledge to tap into.  This is also a great opportunity to learn the extent and limitations of renewable energy sources on a small scale, urban infrastructure, social dynamics and acceptance of new technologies and processes, developing world experience and economic and environmental analysis.

• An understanding of technical, institutional, and economic aspects power systems in the context of renewable energy expansion
• Opportunities to make contacts and network with IRENA as well as the possibility to work with policy makers and practitioners from particular member states

Students will gain in-depth knowledge of the inner workings of the built environment required for supporting a professional sports team. Additionally, students in this group will gain experience in energy audits and will learn how to make business recommendations which justify sustainable solutions to upper management.

Piramal Water is a highly visible social enterprise, dealing with an emergent issue that is gaining unprecedented traction in the social impact community.   The organization is extremely pragmatic and swift in implementation.

Any individual who chooses to engage with this project will:

• Get to work immediately and directly on a real world problem with applications far beyond the realm of Piramal Water
• Will have ample opportunity to take initiative to present solutions at relevant venues and source assistance from wherever possible
• Will have significant latitude to determine the strategy and approach to resolving the issue, and will be giving a mandate to execute on the strategy
• Will have access to the social enterprise community and networks represented by Piramal Water, an award winning social enterprise (http://www.sankalpforum.com/Sankalp/winnersbio.php?wid=7)

• Experience working with Ashoka - one of the world's best known promoters of social entrepreneurship
• Access to Solar for All's extensive network of international partners, including socially responsible investment firms (e.g. Bamboo Finance), foundations (e.g. Deutsche Bank Americas Foundation), and NGOs (e.g.  International Renewable Energy Agency).
• Experience with renewable energy system technology
• Direct involvement with social entrepreneurship strategies to improve access to electricity

This project will give team members valuable experience in the following:

• Life Cycle Assessment
• Technical Analysis of Biomass-to-energy systems
• Collaboration with real-world industry clients
• Project Management
• Working in Multidisciplinary teams: Engineering, Business, Science
• Hands-on exposure to biogas facility operations

Key professional and career benefits include networking opportunities with domestic and international environmental professionals and participation in a groundbreaking global environmental justice and policy project. Students will also have the chance to work with the European Union, a leading actor in global environmental politics. They will apply learned analytics skills in GIS and statistical analysis to a modern real world example. Finally, they will gain experience taking on a large scale project requiring coordination with a wide range of stake holders.

This project will give the team members in depth experiences in carbon foot printing, energy usage and consumption modeling, as well as look extensively at current solutions that can be implemented to reduce environmental inpact.

The Southwest Michigan Land Conservancy is the 3rd largest regional land trust in the State of Michigan. Students will have the opportunity to learn about land conservation and gain experience with a land trust. They will also have the opportunity to work with the Kalamazoo River Watershed Council. There will be many opportunities to make professional connections through both of these organizations. The students will be expected to present to the Board of Directors of both organizations.  The products that the students produce will be useful in providing to potential employers as examples of professional work.  This project will also give you the opportunity to refine and enhance technical skills, especially with GIS software and data.

• An understanding of technical, institutional, and economic aspects of a mini-grid power systems and transformations to renewables
• Understanding of the operations of social ventures in least developed countries
• Opportunities to make contacts and network NGOs and renewable energy companies working in the space
• Development of business knowledge transferable to other NGO’s and/or social ventures

Students can expect to work with a variety of Metroparks staff including ecologists, environmental educators, park planners, and engineers. Upon completion, the project team will have the opportunity to present their findings to park planners and other decision makers.

Systems thinking, green building and rural/urban infrastructure, energy and water system design, social dynamics and acceptance of new technologies and processes, developing world experience, adoption of technology, economic and environmental analysis.

• Professional Career Development Benefits
• Gain management consulting expertise
• Develop ability to work and lead in cross-cultural scenarios
• Improve communicational skill through interaction with top executives (e.g Conduct ideation and scenario analysis workshops, etc)
• Develop and gain expertise analyzing social/environmental return of sustainability initiatives and promoting the initiatives to generate employee engagement
• Cross-border organizational change management

Project team members can expect to gain skills in identifying, delineating, and assessing ecological communities, and will learn to synthesize a wide variety of ecological data into a cohesive model. Students will develop strong GIS skills, particularly in creating spatial models that will inform management decisions.

Finally, students can expect to work with a variety of Metroparks staff including ecologists, environmental educators, park planners, and engineers. Upon completion, the project team will have the opportunity to present their findings to park planners and other decision makers.

Students will have the opportunity to work with DTE Energy teams and present their findings to appropriate groups and individuals at DTE.

SNRE students will work directly with Meijer Energy and Environmental staff and will have an opportunity to present findings and recommendations to Meijer executive leadership.  Students will develop technical and communication skills critical to success in the workplace. Students will spend significant time communicating with professionals to gather data and assess suitability of the data for a specific use. Furthermore, the students will learn to be accountable to meet the project scope and schedule. The Meijer project leader will work closely with the project team and provide mentorship and additional professional networking opportunities. 

Skills students can expect to develop are critical thinking skills regarding systems thinking at a citywide level. Students will develop skills assessing the power and roles of institutions interconnected amongst the incinerator and zero waste challenges/opportunities presented in Detroit waste management. Students will gain knowledge about municipal waste incineration and the associated social and health impacts. Students will gain policy skills through zero waste and incinerator policy research at a citywide level. Students have the potential to gain hands-on policy experience through engagement in the City’s Green Task Force subcommittee on zero waste. Students will have the opportunity to gain experience with the following technical skills: spatial analysis, life cycle analysis, and multi-criteria analysis. Students will build relationships with community leaders/members of the environmental justice movement in Detroit. There is a potential to present these findings at professional conferences, present to and engage with Detroit City Council and/or Detroit City Council Green Task Force and its zero waste subcommittee, present to environmental justice community in Detroit via EMEAC. 

This project will allow students to apply their knowledge, investigate an important under-researched area, and apply their communications skills through a final report and oral presentation to the Energy Institute and other faculty and students interested in CDR. The students will also have the opportunity to network at a series of events and research projects that the Energy Institute will launch in the coming 6-12 months in conjunction with the Beyond Carbon Neutral initiative. The team will engage with internal and external experts and stakeholders on relevant topics, providing additional networking opportunities.

An ability to develop a holistic plan for integrating green into an organization in all its facets.  This experience will be of value to any organization that may be considering such an endeavor.

All students will become familiar with the scientific method, writing a research proposal, giving a scientific presentation, and scientific writing. In addition, depending on their specific roles in the project, students will have the opportunity to become familiar with,

1. Limnological field methods and instrumentation
2. Laboratory methods for the study of phytoplankton, including culture methods, microscopy, microscopic videography, and image analysis software.
3. Free open-source statistical software (R) and programming language that can implement nearly any statistical method and produce publication-quality scientific graphics.
4. Simulation models including Ecopath/Ecosim and a Lagrangian particle tracking model coupled to output from the FVCOM coastal ocean model (Great Lakes Coastal Forecasting System).
5. Social science methodology including developing and conducting interviews, surveys and focus groups with stakeholders and analysis of human subjects data.

Students will increase their professional network by developing relationships at CILER and NOAA GLERL and broaden their understanding of Great Lakes governance, research, policy making and community decision-making. Students will have the opportunity to develop and host stakeholder needs assessment workshops and develop and distribute surveys. Students will present results of their project to researchers, staff, and administrators at NOAA GLERL.

This project involves students contacting stakeholders across a range of resource management and conservation related agencies, which will improve students’ knowledge and understanding of these organizations as well as develop professional contacts.  Students will learn skills in using data for decision support across jurisdictions and institutions, which is a skill set that is growing in demand among resource agencies and NGOs.  Students will present results to professionals at The Nature Conservancy and the Upper Midwest and Great Lakes Landscape Conservation Cooperative, a high-level group of resource and conservation professionals. The Northern Forest Working Group of the LCC currently comprises representatives of the US Forest Service, US Fish and Wildlife Service, Departments of Natural Resources in Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, and Ontario, Wayne State University, Illinois Natural History Survey, Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians, Northern Institute of Applied Climate Science, Trust for Public Lands, University of Wisconsin Extension, US Bureau of Indian Affairs, and the University of Vermont.

By participating in this project, students will create knowledge of how management options affect conservation goals, and in so will contribute to a current gap in the understanding of the effects of protected areas contribution to freshwater conservation.  By reviewing the presence or absence of integrated basin management, the team will develop a method that could be represented elsewhere in the country, building a transferable skill set. 

Additionally, students will gain access to regional and organizational leadership at The Nature Conservancy and the World Wildlife Fund, yielding professional exposure and experience.  In creating the deliverable products, students will garner significant and relevant experience in the field of conservation. 

Students will gain experience in curriculum development, educational writing, and design. They will need to be in close contact with university faculty and community members, as well as speaking with environmental educators as part of their research: all useful contacts. Stakeholder engagement will be key to the success of this project, and is a valuable skill moving into the job market. In addition, working closely with the farm staff and the UMSFP, students will gain knowledge on sustainable food and agriculture, and the inner workings of a small sustainable farm, and how a university program operates. Potentially, students could explore grant-writing opportunities as well.

This is an opportunity to work with the non-profit and government sector. Groups consulted with will include the Florida Department of Transportation, West Florida Regional Planning Council, The Nature Conservancy, City of Pensacola Parks and Recreation Department and Public Works Department.

Skills gained include starting with field work and using the results for environmental planning and design at both the city and site scales.

• This study will present a real world challenge to the participating SNRE graduate students, and provide an opportunity to work closely with an interdisciplinary team of environmental planners, design practitioners and various sub consultancies.
• The study results will potentially be presented at conference such as ASLA (American Association of Landscape Architecture), APA (American Planning Association), NAPCC (North American Pollinator Protection Campaign) International Conference, as well as considered for award and publication submissions.
• The project will provide experience and exposure to professional networking with project client, local communities and professionals from various disciplines.  

Planning and development of nature preserves and nature centers provides for a very large range of career benefits. This project can be approached from many angles, and will benefit from an integrated approach that reflects the ideal methodology for private and academic consultation. Particular knowledge includes (but is definitely not limited to) community and population ecology, aquatic biology, interpretive design, project management, resource management, facility management, sustainable development, etc… The skills and experience learned here will be of direct benefit to academic departments, companies and consulting firms that seek to undertake similar tasks.  Additional career opportunities include the opportunity to work with experts in multiple fields.

• Interaction with state and local government especially city planning commission and the planning and development department, politicians, political figures, influential non-profit organizations, and socially responsible private companies in the city of Detroit.

• The project will provide the opportunity to gain knowledge of available technology and implementation i.e. geothermal technology, solar thermal, photovoltaic. Learn about these technologies, their value and feasibility, and their benefits from a community perspective, in a context whereby financial savings leveraged for low, moderate and middle-income persons has the immediate potential to directly improve the quality of life. Cost-benefit analysis skills development of potential project variables, as well as replicability in other areas, as well as other similar markets.

• Freedom to work independently in the research and planning phase. Great amount of flexibility based on the interests, energies, and talents of those involved. This is an excellent opportunity to see positive change first hand, interact with an urban community as well as city leaders, and find creative solutions to environmental and community issues.

• Gain experience with budgets, grants, and allocation of fiscal resources. Garner excellent communication, long-term planning, and short term implementation skills. Learn about current urban issues facing environmentalists, and current environmental issues facing urbanites, and potential local, state and federal funding sources to implement activities.

• Experience with community organizing - through garnering support, leading volunteers, and implementing understanding and education. Strengthen public communication and ability to work with a variety of ideas, interests, and individuals.

Students working on this project will gain professional and career development benefits by working with organizations, agencies, and members of the local community. Students will have the opportunity to interact with professionals in organizations and governmental agencies from the Sarapiquí region as well as nationally in Costa Rica. They will gain knowledge about conservation, ranging from awareness of the issues and efforts within the community to the programs and organizations that exist at the various levels within the country.

Furthermore students will interact directly with members of the local community to integrate available resources and knowledge for developing sustainable, long-term programs to address forest health and water quality in the region.  They will gain the skills necessary for finding solutions by collaborating with various stakeholders in the Bijagual River watershed.

The project will produce data and information that are suitable to submit for publication and to present as talks or posters at professional meetings and conferences. The protocols and educational materials developed by the students will be shared with other organizations and communities interested in watershed conservation. Within the Bijagual River watershed, students also have the opportunity to present their results to different community forums and meetings—specifically, meetings with the Local Advisory Council for the San Juan - La Selva Biological Corridor and the Sarapiquí Environmental Education Commission as well as the annual environmental expo in November attended by up to three thousand citizens from the community.

List of potential collaborating organizations:

Comisión de Educación Ambiental de Sarapiquí; FONAFIFO; FUNDECOR; ASADA Chilamate; Organization for Tropical Studies; Selva Verde Lodge; Ministerio de Educación Pública; Proyecto Panthera; Consejo Local del Corredor Biológico San Juan-La Selva; Univesidad de Costa Rica; Ministerio de Agricultura; Ministerio de Ambiente y Energía; Ministerio de Saludo; CECOS; Proyecto Bandera Azul; Fondo del Primer Canje de Deuda por Naturaleza EE. UU. – C.R.

Participating students can expect to gain a solid foundation in the community-based design process, and to develop contacts across greater Detroit. Potential partner organizations include Jefferson East, Inc. (a former SNRE study partner), the Villages CDC and the Greening of Detroit. Students will have an opportunity to work with Pewabic artists and designers, and potentially showcase their work through the Detroit Design Festival. The project will provide a powerful case study in building on community strengths towards a sustainable future. Participants will have an opportunity to practice ecological design as part of urban design, historic preservation, landscape planning and site planning and gain experience working with nongovernmental organizations.

-    Ground floor participation in the development of new approaches, technologies, systems and conceptual frameworks that form the basis of the emerging New Mobility industry
-    Work with pioneers in New Mobility consumer uptake research through UM-SMART
-    Networking and presentation opportunities through Ford, Next Energy, and SMART.

• Ford Blueprint project and sustainability network links with a wide community of businesses and other partners related to New Mobility innovation and industry development. Additionally, students will have the opportunity to meet and work with highly skilled researchers, planners and engineers within the global auto industry.
• Next Energy / SMART Entrepreneur Events: NextEnergy provides direct assistance to start-up companies in the commercialization of products and intellectual property in the advanced energy industry. SMART works to advance New Mobility entrepreneurship globally including in Michigan, as well as through the Mobi prize and registry (see www.mobiprize.com) Students will get an opportunity to interact with entrepreneurs and business leaders at these events.
• SMART Events: Students will have the opportunity to meet some of SMART's "Living Lab" partners as well as business forum and entrepreneurs network members at a global network retreat that will be held in Ann Arbor in March 2013. They will also connect with transportation, innovation, and tech transfer related U-M faculty as part of SMART's wide network.
• Through the above events and networks students will also link with Michigan transportation/planning/ economic development agencies.

- Ford is interested in exploring the changes coming for mobility.  The growth of Mega-cities and global urbanization are driving a diversification of transportation solutions.  The automobile needs to be viewed as one element of a transportation ecosystem and we need to look for new ways to optimize the entire system.  There is not a single "magic bullet" solution. It requires new technologies, new products and new business models functioning in a holistic approach. It will also involve company partnerships and collaboration with governments - all of us working together for a common goal to create new opportunities.

- NextEnergy is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization established in 2002 to drive advanced energy investment and job creation in Michigan. Located in Midtown Detroit's innovation corridor, NextEnergy serves as a catalyst for advanced energy technology demonstration and commercialization in the state. Since its inception, NextEnergy has helped to attract more than $1 billion of new investment, including over $150 million generated by programs in which we have directly participated.  This particular project would be organized through NextEnergy's New Market Services unit, which is responsible for all of NextEnergy's industry and venture services related to emerging sectors.

- SMART catalyzes and collaborates to develop new approaches to implementing integrated multi-modal transport through a growing number of "Living Labs," or collaborative on the ground transportation projects, in communities and regions around the world. SMART will draw on these partnerships, resources, and learning that have been generated through the specific areas of focus on connecting the dots, moving money and moving minds, along with parallel work on the trends that drive the global future of transportation. In particular SMART is a pioneer in New Mobility industry cluster development, and in New Mobility consumer uptake.

- Economic Mapping: Students will be exposed to (and possibly contribute to) the development of SMART's new economic mapping technology.

- Students will be introduced to various methods used to conduct consumer behavior analysis.

This project would provide students with the opportunity to work at an island system level with the opportunity to create a plan that could be adopted by County government and be a model for other rural Hawaiian islands.  There would be access to key government and private sector decision-makers in Hawaii and the opportunity to learn how to practice research and consulting skills in an interesting physical, social, and political environment.  There would be opportunities to present at the annual state-wide professional planners conference.

We believe this project would serve an immediate, urgent need by informing the citizens of Ann Arbor and the surrounding eight townships about the contributions of the Greenbelt Program. However, this project has the potential to educate and inspire policy makers at all levels of government, as well as community groups and citizens throughout the United States. Thus, there is a tremendous professional development opportunity here for a dedicated group of researchers not only to assess the Greenbelt, but to imagine its potential as a model ordinance for other communities. The Greenbelt Program Manager and members of the Greenbelt Advisory Commission, who bring a great deal of experience and expertise to issues of land preservation, local agriculture, economic development, and sustainability, are eager to collaborate and lend assistance as needed to ensure this project is a success.  We believe additional professional venues for showcasing this work will be relevant, including potentially The Conservation Fund workshops or webinars, and professional conferences.

Project participants would:

1. gain experience in the practical application of water resources policy and management coursework;
2. improve their knowledge of Western water law, Western land use, and Western water resources and land management, as well as critical water issues facing the arid West (as well as other parts of the world); and
3. gain experience with effective environmental education and the application of effective communication tools.

Participants would have opportunities to make contacts with individuals at a variety of federal, state, regional and local entities engaged in water resources issues. There are many ongoing professional conferences held in Colorado, and elsewhere, on Western water issues; there may be opportunities for students to present their work at some of these conferences.

In addition, this project may be of particular interest to SNRE students who are interested in western land conservation issues through the Wyss Scholars program.

Experience in working with a public school, and  an interdisciplinary group, working with a non-profit, developing curriculum, evaluating policy, working on a place-based education program that could applied to other schools, possibly presenting at a national conference.

• Experience a simulation of a multi-disciplinary environmental firm
• Work directly with supervisors and directors of one of the largest Hospitals in Michigan
• First hand involvement on a major LEED driven project
• Opportunity to monitor the effectiveness of engineered wetland habitats that are created

• Project team participation with management probabilities with a community and professional group.
• Survey and community consultation design and implementation.
• Interpersonal contact in public meetings and contacts with businesspeople.
• Financial and technical analysis of funding options and project management.
• Networking with local businesses, financial firms, utilities, local government. Levin Energy Partners will provide networking opportunities in Detroit area, statewide, and potentially nationally.
• Project management and implementation experience in pilot project development.

This opportunity for students to accelerate the energy-related sustainability efforts of a community that has been successful in designing and implementing community supported clean energy projects in Michigan. The project will provide the opportunity for students to work with professionals to develop experience in public policy planning, communication strategy development and implementation, renewable energy facility management and installation and writing a strategic plan for a model. There will be hands-on opportunity to implement a pilot project in conjunction with experienced community, technical and financial leaders. An important outcome of this project is replicability. The project will provide opportunities to develop publications and presentations that will be of value and utility to other communities.

Project participants would: (i) gain experience in the practical application of water resources policy and management coursework, (ii) improve their knowledge of Western water law, Western land use, and Western water resources and land management, as well as critical water issues facing the arid West (as well as other parts of the world), and (iii) gain experience with effective environmental education and the application of strategic communication tools. Participants would have opportunities to make contacts with individuals at a variety of federal, state, regional and local entities engaged in water resources issues affecting Colorado. There are many ongoing professional conferences held in Colorado, and elsewhere, on Western water issues and water conservation; there may be opportunities for students to present their work at some of these conferences.  In the past, students have (i) travelled to the Roaring Fork Valley and presented their research locally at a televised meeting of the Roaring Fork Collaborative - which draws representatives from around the State and (ii) presented at the 2011 Sustaining Colorado Watersheds Conference - "Collaborative Watershed Partnership Assessment: Lessons and Themes from Survey of Twenty Ecosystem Management Partnerships."

Participants will gain experience:

• working with NGOs and other partners in a developing country
• creating and conducting household level and government level surveys
• applying potential carbon mitigation strategies using forests
• analyzing both ecological and social data to understand forest and community interactions
• working with community-based resource management through social institutions and governance
• creating public presentations or writing peer-reviewed journal articles

• Opportunity to understand how a public conservation organization works
• Opportunity to understand how ecological restoration is conducted in the Midwest
• Opportunity to understand the history of ecological restoration in the Midwest
• Opportunity to work with an innovative on-going ecological restoration education program
• Opportunity to meet and interact with conservation professionals in the Chicago Area
• Opportunity to present findings at professional conferences

1. Analytical skills
2. Development of relevant and valuable methodologies for performance measurement that will benefit the profession of landscape architecture
3. Comprehensive approaches to sustainable development in areas of Environment, Community, Economics and Art
4. Graphic depiction of quantitative information (DW will provide a workshop and design review to aid the students in capturing their research in a professional, graphically sophisticated report).
5. Scientific method
6. Development of project narrative
7. Use of measurement tools, including infrared thermometer, speed gun, light meter, sound meter
8. Final report - experience of compiling, summarizing, depicting research, writing
9. Opportunity to submit to present at CELA
10. Minimum (1) one visit to Ann Arbor by Kurt Culbertson to advise the student team
11. Monthly Skype calls with the research team 

This project provides a team with experience that approximates a future work environment while providing WWF with a solution to a complex environmental issue: resilience.  Students have the opportunity to identify and enhance their skills working across sectors with a broad audience, including the largest conservation organization in the world and multinational companies.  This project will provide an opportunity to gain insight into the workings of agricultural supply chains and those that influence them.  Students will gain perspective on the current state of response to climate change in the field of conservation as well as the private sector. 

Students will have the opportunity to work in a fast-paced real-world environment with a project that has immediate and important implications in conservation and business.  Students can expect to develop contacts within WWF, present products internally to WWF, develop contacts within multinational corporations and other private sector actors, and see their work published on the WWF website or another media outlet.

Students have the opportunity to gain direct experience in multiple disciplines and career areas — areas as diverse as real estate/community development, brownfields, fundraising, green remodeling, and landscape architecture.  Among the volunteer planning team for the site design are architects, environmental engineers, landscape architects, and green building experts.  Opportunities to interview/visit similar centers in the US and Canada may provide networking connections in other communities.  The chance to work on this project also provides the opportunity to understand how community-based nonprofits work.

Broadly, the ability to identify opportunities for local governments to improve their sustainability in a financially, socially, and politically viable way.  Outreach, coalition building and negotiation will likely be key to success - along with careful analysis and communication of project benefits.  You will connect with people in Michigan doing similar work, and others around the country engaged in similar efforts - all through the U.S. D.O.E.