List of Master's Projects

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.

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.

Students would have the opportunity to gain field experience, learn about market-based solutions for poverty alleviation, develop a relationship with WDI and other stakeholders, and disseminate their work through WDI as cases, blog posts, etc. There may also be an opportunity for a team member to develop an internship opportunity that leverages the relationships developed as part of the project and contributes to its objectives.

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.

Students will gain in-depth knowledge of renewable energy systems, how renewable energy companies function on an operational and economic basis, international renewable energy policy, carbon offset solutions, and renewable energy project finance. Additionally, students will have exposure to executives at ECOHZ and experience presenting to senior leaders. Interaction with international environmental consultants is expected.

• 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.

We can guarantee that students will interface with senior professionals and local government officials that are part of Northport Energy. Northport Energy has forty members. They include wind and solar energy experts, energy economists, utility board members, local governmental officials, CPA’s, business executives, research engineers, lawyers, farmers, teachers, community political and environmental activists, writers, diplomats, policy specialists, project developers, university professors, scientists. The SEAS students will directly engage with electrical utility managers and engineering staff as part of system and rate analysis.  Many national and international conferences in the renewable energy field are available for professional paper presentation, including, but not limited to the American Solar Energy Society, the American Wind Energy Association, World Wind Energy Association, various electric utility association conferences, and environmental conferences. If needed, Northport Energy members can partner with students in the submission to conferences. 

This project will provide students with cross-cultural experience working in a developing country context with a team of Ugandan SPOUTS staff. Students will gain skills in survey design and community engagement, as they work on the earlier deliverables for their project. The students will also gain experience in project management as they work with SWB leadership to engage other students to continue the partnership. Lastly, as the impact evaluation continues over the broader SWB-SPOUTS partnership, students from this Master’s project team will work with future team members to publish a case study in a peer-reviewed journal.

• Research Methods - sampling, survey design and administration, interviewing, focus groups
• Spatial analysis - data collection for GIS analysis, analytic techniques
• Data analysis - qualitative and quantitative analytic techniques
• Writing - producing publishable materials for scholarly outlets and lay audiences.  Findings from this project will be published on the Web as well as in scholarly journals, and the news media.
• Curriculum design and development
• Policy formulation
• Lobbying
• Students will make contacts with:  farmers, farmers' markets, food store owners/managers, food justice advocates, health professionals, state and county health departments, state and county agriculture departments, other relevant social justice advocates and policy makers
• Findings of the project can be presented at local, regional and national meetings such as the Agriculture and Human Values Conference and the American Sociological Association.

• Opportunity to develop contacts with international and national nonprofit organizations 
• Field work in Nepal
• Opportunity to develop research and interview skills
• Hands-on experience with greenhouse gas emissions modeling
• Opportunity to present policy recommendations to an international audience.
• Publication of findings in a peer-reviewed journal

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

Students can expect to gain valuable skills and professional experience around how to affect change within complex business environments, manage a multitude of stakeholders to rally around common goals and develop intricate action plans that are environmentally and socially sound. Students can also expect to gain greater exposure to life cycle analyses, international agriculture policies and regulations, global agribusiness and supply chain operations.

This project provides the opportunities for students to develop an industry-wide sustainability framework to be adopted by Kellogg Company and other partner companies, representing a large-scale potential for impact. The recommendations will be presented to Kellogg’s sustainability and procurement departments, in addition to the company’s partners (Cargill and Unilever) pending interest. Findings may also be presented at future sustainability conferences or published as industry resources. 

It is anticipated that the students who work on this project will benefit professionally in a number of important ways.  These students will experience the application of non-motorized transportation design in an urban setting that is functionally decayed.  It will enable the students to provide appropriate conceptual design images for the Allen Creek Greenway Conservancy to enable their product(s) to be shared widely in the community. 

The students will gain through the very practice of interacting with personnel from the City of Ann Arbor, the staff and members of the Washtenaw County Parks and recreation Commission, the Washtenaw Drain Commission Office and the University of Michigan Transportation planners. The students will communicate their work in stages to the members of the Board of Directors and members of the Advisory Council of the Allen Creek Greenway Conservancy. 

This effort may result in a paper for a professional conference or a journal if the project team produces a useful and professionally solid product.  In addition, this activity is a real project that has momentum that has been a concept for a number of years in the community.  It will expose students to a variety of folks: local government, rail road company, home owners, small business people, major research university, mixed traffic types (pedestrians, rail, and vehicle) in an urban setting, as well as all the natural resource issues including flood plain management of the floodway and flood plain along the Allen Creek Drain.

WRI brings a wide range of expertise and concrete project experience to help increase the conservation and sustainable management of private forests through payments for watershed services projects. SNRE students will work closely with a number of staff engaged in research.  Through the People & Ecosystems Program, specifically the Mainstreaming Ecosystem Services Initiative (MESI), WRI has emerged nationally and internationally as a leader in providing decision-makers in government, business, and multilateral development banks with information and assessment tools that link ecosystem health with the attainment of economic and social goals. In addition, to providing information, WRI helps develop new markets, economic incentives, and public policies that restore and sustain ecosystems.

As part of the MESI initiative, WRI has been working extensively to align ecosystem stewardship with the attainment of business goals. WRI was instrumental in developing The Corporate Ecosystem Services Review (CESR), a structured methodology that helps businesses manage the risks and opportunities arising from their dependence and impact on ecosystems. Through the CESR, WRI has built an innovative partnership between WRI and leading companies dedicated to advancing business strategies, markets, and policies that align corporate performance and ecosystem stewardship. Through this partnership, WRI is working to connect ecosystem beneficiaries (companies) with sellers (private landowners) of ecosystem services.

• 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

Opportunities to engage with tribal and commercial fishing communities, participate in fish surveys and learn field techniques, learn laboratory skills such as fish aging techniques and identification of invertebrate and fish species, present findings at a professional conferences and meetings, professional networking opportunities with Great Lakes state, federal and non-profit organizations, and to write peer reviewed publications.

IEE and DTE Energy are committed to providing a professional level experience to students interested in a career in energy and environmental fields.  Career development benefits include:  

• Arrange presentation and networking opportunities at professional conferences.
• Connect project team with representatives from the electric utilities and stakeholder bodies that form IEE's Strategy and Advisory Committees.  
• Distribute project findings to key media contacts.
• Brief the 22 electric industry Chief Executive Officers that comprise IEE's Management Committee on the key project findings.

Key skills and experiences to be gained include:

• Learn how utilities develop and administer residential customer renewable energy policies and programs.
• Understand how electricity rates are determined.
• Explore how information technologies are being used to support the development of distributed energy sources.

Visit the following link to learn about IEE's Mission, Governance, and Committees:  http://www.edisonfoundation.net/iee/about/Pages/Index.aspx.

Students will have the opportunity to work within a National Park Unit with NPS planners and staff and learn about park planning, environmental compliance, and park management and operations.  They will work in partnership with NPS Outdoor Recreation Planners, Friends Groups, municipalities, and recreation user groups and recreation providers to plan and design backcountry facilities and a recreation experience as well as an urban outdoor recreation facility and outdoor education experience.   They will have the opportunity to attend and possibly present a poster session at the Society for Outdoor Recreation Professionals conference in Traverse City, MI in May 2013.

Opportunities to interact with great lakes cities decision makers and officials, presentations at urban adaptation meetings.

This type of research could generate enough data and productive interpretations to submit a (or two) short research article(s) to a journal (i.e. specific methodologies that were replicated, describing the academic/applied interface, etc.). The students’ research could be presented at the annual Stewardship Network conference or other professional conference. There would be an opportunity to present at LTC’s annual EcoStewards Volunteer Kick-off event, and may be other opportunities to present to the LTC board or general members. The students would hopefully get to spend considerable time learning from and working alongside our consulting foresters and/or wildlife biologist (retired MI DNR biologist).

Skills, knowledge and contacts necessary to address complex, multi-jurisdictional natural resource issues in the Rocky Mountain West. Also, land use issues, particularly the use of conservation easements.

SNRE students will:

• Have access to New Latitude - Ho avy project staff and their expertise, and will be paired with local University of Toliara students during their time in Madagascar
• Be able to meet with regional officials in conservation, i.e., WWF staff, possibly Kew Botanical Gardens, Missouri Botanical Gardens, Wildlife Conservation Society and Conservation International, and will be able to request meetings with ministers, local officials, policy makers and mining company representatives
• In conjunction with Ho avy, organize a conference in Madagascar and invite all stakeholders invested in the region. Students and their Malagasy counterparts will present projects and submit an action plan to the local communities as well as to WWF, appropriate ministers and policy makers about how best to conserve and restore the forest by offering sustainable action through conservation incentive opportunities.
• Be provided with room and board while in the field and housing in Toliara, (hotels, internet and food while in cities will be covered by students).

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. 

Students will learn to formulate and share concrete policy options for an emerging field of great interest. Along with access to the expertise of the Great Lakes Commission staff, students will also have the opportunity to interact with offshore wind and transmission leaders in government and the nonprofit and private sectors during the course of gathering research and developing the end deliverables.

Since there is very little research on offshore transmission in freshwater areas, the students will be producing novel research and their work will help pave the way for future developments in this area.

Students will have the opportunity to present their findings through either poster presentations or panel sessions at various conferences and meetings such as the Great Lakes Wind Collaborative Annual Meeting, the American Wind Energy Association Wind Power Meeting, or the Canadian Wind Energy Association Meeting.

Students will also be invited to speak with members of the Great Lakes Wind Collaborative's Offshore Wind and Regional Transmission Workgroups during the course of the development and completion of their project.

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.

Students will:

• Experience in developing policy that could be applied by the Federal, State, and Local governments
• Become familiarized with Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and spatial analysis
• Build relationships with national and state Environmental Justice NGOs, governmental actors, educators and educational agencies.
• Expand their ability to research legislation and discern politically successful legislative actions
• Create practical and applicable solutions for environmental injustices
• Be able to develop environmentally safe school siting assessments
• Participate in a community based and real world project
• Present findings to both academic, non-profit and governmental audiences

I would work closely with team, advising them on the work and mentoring them as requested, throughout the project.  In order to develop the "mini-business cases," the project team would be expected to engage with/interview a diverse group of employees throughout GM.  Any travel would likely be limited to driving to GM's Headquarters in Detroit, GM Technology Center in Warren, and possibly some nearby assembly plants.  Interviews could also be conducted by phone.  At the conclusion of the project, I would expect the team to present this to GM leadership and as well as presenting it to a global GM audience, probably via a webinar.  

Students can expect to develop skills and knowledge in renewable energy development and land use policy. The expertise they will gain from this project will be transferable to jobs in the renewable energy, land conservation advocacy, and climate change fields. Students will make valuable connections with federal land managers, renewable industry experts, and the conservation community. Their research and materials will be used directly to influence land use decisions in California and west-wide. They may expect to be called upon to present their findings to land managers, members of the conservation community, and concerned citizens.

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.

Direct experience working with tribes; land and resource planning; complex problem solving; interdisciplinary project linking ecology, economics and geospatial analysis; publication potential in disciplinary and interdisciplinary journals.

• Improve networking skills and expand career network by interacting with key city department leaders and other key stakeholders
• Increase knowledge of environmental justice
• Enhance research and analytical skills
• Make presentations to key stakeholder groups to discuss key findings
• Data collected from GHG Inventory will be included in the Climate Action Report, with mention of student's names, which will be presented to city government leadership and other elected leaders (County and State)

The team will develop high level consulting skills such as working closely with the client to identify gaps and propose solutions on how to address such issues. The project will also develop LCA skills and gain in-depth knowledge of how a private company can uniquely use a CSR report to address sustainability goals and progress.

Students will have the opportunity to work at the cutting edge of corporate & non-profit partnerships - a model that is increasingly prevalent. This project will give students an idea of how such partnerships can work to reduce the environmental impact of business operations. This work will develop key skills for students, including:

• primary source research skills including interviewing and analyzing original documents 
• familiarity with commodities market structures
• experience in life cycle analysis
• non-profit strategy

There will be opportunities to network with:

• many members of the WWF in varying departments and capacities
• experts in commodities markets and agriculture
• (potentially) WWF partner corporations

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.  

The students will be considered subject area experts in the State of Michigan for sustainability and local governments. The students will have developed a network of sustainability practitioners, local elected officials,  affiliated state agencies (Michigan Department of Environmental Quality, Michigan Department of Natural Resources, Michigan Department of Community Health, Michigan Agency on Energy), Michigan Municipal League, Michigan Townships Association, Michigan Association of Counties, and national philanthropic funders (Summit Foundation, Kresge Foundation). The students will be expected to present at the Annual Meeting of the Michigan Green Communities Network (maybe USDN annual meeting or a monthly USDN webinar??)

Students gain an understanding of a wide array of disciplines in order to compete a thorough analysis of these crops and processes.  They will get to know and learn how to interact with private industry representatives in developing an understanding of their processes and practices, as well as how to interact with academics from a variety of fields, environmentalists, and several government agencies.  They will develop interview and seruvey skills.  They will learn to analyze and critique federal and state legislation and policies. 

The student team will also have an excellent opportunity to develop their communication skills.  The National Wildlife Federation will assist the team in making a trip to Washington DC at the completion of their project to present their findings to conservation and environmental groups, biofuels industry representatives, federal agencies and Congressional offices.  Last year's biofuel's team presented their project five times and generated good feedback and made excellent contacts.  A written report is now being developed, which NWF will review, edita and pay to have designed and printed.  Team members will help with press inquiries upon public release of the report.  While this is not guaranteed for the micro-crop project, it is a possibility, depending on the results of the project and funding availability. 

This project will have significant career development benefits including:

• Developing knowledge base of a very important ecological area - the Ethiopian highlands are part of the Eastern Afromontane which has been designated as a biodiversity hotspot by Conservation International.
• Develop practical real-world skills in effective conservation methodologies via first-hand view of environmental rehabilitation practices including afforestation, land enclosures, and soil and water protection mechanisms.
• Learn how an integrated approach to environmental rehabilitation is  more effective by integrating micro-enterprises, schools, and clean water so as to address the multi-faceted needs of the community
• Gaining new perspective on the impact of climate change and environmental degradation as well as the effectiveness of projects aimed at addressing them by interacting with local farmers and villagers who are living with the problems on a daily basis
• Enhance cross-cultural project management skills
• Develop new relationships and partnerships with staff of a highly-effective local non-profit (ADHENO) as well as a local university (Debre Birhan University).  These new contacts can lead to new projects in the future as well as the exchange of ideas.
• Opportunity for creativity in designing a plan on how to connect this localized environmental project to the Global Climate Change Initiative.
• Conferences and Publications: this project will yield meaningful, practical, real-world data and methodologies that will have relevance to other similar rural communities and as such, will be very interesting material to present at conferenced and publish 

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.

At the completion of this project, students will know how to: evaluate a business for its current energy uses, identify possible energy improvements, research and evaluate each of these capital improvements for total life cycle costs, and prioritize these in a cost-benefit analysis for that business.

The students will also understand the political and community issues that need to be addressed in any business improvement, and how to engage both the community and the customers to ensure they agree, support, and help with achieving the energy savings plan.

Ultimately the process of developing this integrated energy systems and business plan may be used to achieve similar goals with other energy intensive businesses both within and beyond the craft brewing sector.

The  breadth and quality of this project will be make it possible for it to be appropriate for presentation at national and international scientific meetings or design and planning professional meetings, as well as at EPA-sponsored seminars and workshops.  Students will learn and practice fundamental skills for synthesizing and applying scientific knowledge with practice in design and planning practice, as well as with local knowledge and values. They will work with the client organization's well-established network of grassroots community organizations and block groups on the Lower Eastside of Detroit.

Students will:
-    Develop skills in literature review, survey design, semi-structured interviews, data- analysis
-    Gain knowledge of agriculture, forests, supply-chains, institutions and governance
-    Visit, and work directly with, partner institutions that may include NGOs, research institutes, or private sector companies.
-    Gain an insight into the CGIAR research network
-    Prepare and publish a CCAFS Report
-    Prepare and submit an article to a peer-reviewed journal

Students will gain experience evaluating a land area and balancing land management and ecosystem needs with public access needs. They will build skills in design, map, and plan development, as well as stakeholder engagement/social science research. Students will understand the specific management structure and needs, challenges, and opportunities of an Urban Wildlife Conservation Program.

Working on these projects would provide students with experience working on the ground in a developing nation, working in an NGO environment, and conducting community outreach. All applicants would need to speak basic conversational Spanish. Specific skills developed would depend on the subprojects selected, but cover a variety of topics related to conservation science. Together with existing data on carbon sequestration and biodiversity, the results would be suitable for publication in a scholarly journal.

-    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.

• 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:

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

This project will place the student team into the center of a real-world regional planning and management situation.  They will gain several practical skills that are frequently sought by employers in our field:

• The “situation assessment” is an analytic tool used to unravel the complexity of “wicked problems.” It is an important tool in the “tool kit” of environmental professionals.
• Development of a first-hand (vs. textbook) understanding of the legitimate but often conflicting interests of the “community” of people, organizations, governments, and businesses that comprise a “problem domain.” Employers seeking references for potential employees often ask questions such as: “How does this individual deal with a situation involving people with very different perspectives?” “How are their communication and meeting management skills?” “Are they able to conduct assessments that illuminate the underlying factors that must be addressed in a situation?” “Do they understand that problems are complex and require unpacking?” This masters project will build those skills.
• Skills in cross-case analysis to derive lessons for a place-based enterprise.
• Professional presentation skills.

Opportunity to engage in natural systems related decision making in developing countries. Opportunity to educate and inform decision makers.

Skills

• Business plan creation
• Researching and vetting organizations
• Developing a marketing plan for a start-up organization

Knowledge

• International development
• Solar appliance market
• Fundraising

Contacts

• Board of  BrightLight Foundation
• NGO contacts (specific ones depending on findings of project)
• Duke Energy and other partner organization contacts

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.

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.

• 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