List of Master's Projects

Students will be able to engage in community development and understand how to work with agricultural communities.  The project will provide opportunities to practice Spanish and network with local NGO’s.  Systems analysis skills, including the modeling of micro-grids through HOMER will be key assets that can benefit a student’s resume.  Students will also be taking modules on human-centered design.     

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.

Students will attain knowledge of urban agriculture in Detroit, it’s history and socioeconomic and sociopolitical orientations, as well as contacts of other urban farmers and urban agriculture organizations in the city. Students will also have the opportunity to present research findings at a general membership of the Detroit Black Community Food Security Network (DBCFSN) as well as other organizational meetings with interested audiences. Networking opportunities with organizational funders such as philanthropists and governmental agencies may also be possible.

Financial / economic modeling

Qualitative research interviewing

Competitive strategic analysis

Market forecasting and modeling

Concise presentation of information for business decision making

• Ford C-Suite level presentation at the conclusion of the program
• Benchmarking and Landscaping
• Scope 3 workstream mapping,analysis and strategy development
• Interaction with NGOs (eg., CDP)
• Understanding of Sustainability and Business Inter-relationships and balancing
• Application of cross-industry implementation to the Automotive Industry

Students will have the opportunity to experience the workings of higher education institutions, network with city officials and community groups in Kalamazoo and members of the FIC Advisory Board, and sharpen skills in communicating across sectors. We will ensure opportunities for students to present their work at local venues (for example, an annual local Foodways Symposium and the FIC Advisory Board) and support them in bringing their work to statewide/national conferences if desired (eg. Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education or the Community College Alliance for Sustainability Education). For students interested in Food Systems, this project is an opportunity to become closely involved with the Bronson Healthy Living Campus at KVCC, a groundbreaking new food/health/sustainability-themed campus that includes a culinary school and café, healthcare program facilities, and a working urban farm and food hub.

1. Knowledge of environmental justice, equity in environmental policies and practices, and greater knowledge of Michigan’s lay of the land in EJ;
2. Experience in ethics based research practice and principles with and along side of EJ communities
3. Social networking with communities, non-profits and governmental agencies around the issue of EJ
4. Increased connectivity between research and practice, with an advocacy lens on systems change
5. Real world practice of skills like GIS, statistics, policy analysis, social science, communications towards this end

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.

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. 

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.

• 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.

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

• Exposure to, and networking opportunities with, a wide variety of partner organizations.
• Analyzing and developing expertise in a cutting-edge land-management initiative with both private and public agency components.
• Presenting findings at nationwide meeting of CFLRPs.
• Gaining practical skills regarding collaborative natural resource management.

• Greater understanding of the factors that promote collaborative management.

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.

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. 

Team members interested in conservation related careers in the West will gain experience planning environmentally sensitive projects for the benefit of underserved communities. This is a wonderful opportunity for students interested in using landscape design to promote environmental education. There is also the prospect for conducting original research on the use of conservation easements to allow public access on private land. And, It is a chance to learn about conservation related careers that are available through tribal governments.

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.

The Valles Caldera National Preserve is an active member of the Southwest Jemez Mountain Landscape Collaborative, a muti-agency collaborative that informs the implementation of CFLRP projects. There is an annual March meeting that would be ideal for students to present their project deliverables. This collaborative effort may influence the project design and implementation, offering a unique opportunity for networking with federal land managers, biologists, NEPA specialists, interpreters, tribal, and non-profit representatives.

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.

Participation in a project of this scope will prepare students for natural resource management careers that involve complex issues, multiple goals, limited resources and planning in the context of global climate change. Opportunities exist to present at professional meetings (e.g. ESA, George Wright Society), work with the Great Lakes Inventory and Monitoring Network (http://science.nature.nps.gov/im/units/glkn/monitor) and partner with several organizations.

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 ecologists at Sasaki.
• The study results will potentially be presented at conference such as ASLA (American Association of Landscape Architecture), APA (American Planning Association), as well as be 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.

• 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

Ecological restoration, restoration agriculture, sustainable agriculture, organic agriculture, orcharding, nursery, homesteading, cooking and fermentation skills, ID and taxonomy of plants and fungi, seed saving and breeding, running a small business, mycology and cultivation of fungi, terrestrial ecosystems management, edible forest gardens. 

Data collected by the team could include interviews with the landowners (Mike and Erica and Mike's parents who own the land next door) and (if possible) previous landowners (Erwin Egeler and his extended family) and neighbors about historical uses of the land as well as Carl Burhop who is currently drafting our forest management plan.

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.

Team Size: 3 or 4 students