List of Master's Projects

• 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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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.

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

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.

Students will have the opportunity to make contacts with Nashville MTA and public transit professionals and policy makers in an emerging city. Through the project work, they will develop an understanding of the technical, social, and environmental aspects of new public transit systems. Also, students will learn more about the interface between qualitative and quantitative data, as well as how best to communicate the two to a variety of audiences with different interests.

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

This project 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 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 

The projects will provide an opportunity to apply coursework to a current and urgent need. Stakeholder engagement with both farm and hospital administration, the local healthcare and agricultural community, and the public will be key to the success of the projects listed above. Managing these conversations, coordinating their input and presenting the team’s findings will develop valuable skills demanded by the job market. In addition, by working closely with the farm staff, the hospital wellness staff and the hospital Green Team, students will gain knowledge about farm-to-institution concepts, food production, and the inner workings of a small, year-round farm, as well as the role of agriculture and environmental stewardship projects on social and psychological well-being. Short and long-term planning can be incorporated into the process, equipping students with a skill that can be easily translated to other professional settings. Students have the potential to explore grant-writing opportunities to support the projects. Students may also choose to research and visit peer institutions, attend and perhaps present at related conferences (previous Master’s Project teams, working on similar food-related projects, have present their findings at the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) Conference, the Permaculture Your Campus Conference and the Sustainable Agriculture Education Association Conference).

Team Size: 4-7 students

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 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 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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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