Dean’s Letter
My partner, Julie, and I took our kids on a family vacation to Iceland. As I took in the glaciers and ice caps and saw Earth’s crust being formed, I was reminded yet again about how vast our planet is and how there is still so much to admire and be amazed by in this beautiful world. And, how much is at stake.
Yearbook
Photo highlights of SEAS events from the past year, including Commencement and Orientation.
Cover Stories
Freshwater is ‘the Root’ That Connects This Area
What makes the Obtawaing Biosphere Region unique, according to Jon Allan, academic and research program officer at SEAS, is that it is made up of hundreds of protected places, from conservation lands and conservancies to state and federal forests. And what ties these places together, says Allan, is water and hydrology.
Protecting the Diversity of Fish in the Great Lakes
SEAS Assistant Professor Karen Alofs has been co-teaching Biology & Ecology of Fishes to U-M undergraduate students for years. And the one thing she never tires of seeing is how excited students get when they hold a fish for the first time.
FishPass Project Draws Inspiration From Single-Stream Recycling
Invasive aquatic species such as sea lamprey have been wreaking havoc on the Great Lakes for at least a century. And a challenge that fishery managers continue to struggle with is how to allow desirable fish to pass through waterways to spawn while simultaneously keeping out “bad” fish. In Traverse City, a unique approach to selective fish sorting is being developed—and its inspiration comes from single-stream recycling.
Studying Trees for Clues About Climate Change
Working as a research assistant for SEAS Professor Inés Ibáñez is an experience that SEAS master’s student Ezekiel Herrera-Bevan will remember fondly for years to come—especially since it involved cataloging thousands of trees at the U-M Biological Station.
Pairing Solar Development With Innovative Land Management
With solar energy in Michigan poised to grow exponentially in the next decade, SEAS Assistant Research Scientist Brendan O’Neill says the time is right for solar developers to find innovative uses for their land that will optimize sustainability.
The Forever Business: Conservation Leader Glen Chown
Glen Chown (BS ’83, MS ’86), executive director of the Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy (GTRLC), has good reason to be “fired up,” and the countless Michiganders who have benefited from his advocacy throughout the decades are glad to hear that he’ll be sticking around.
Carlson’s Fishery: Leaving its Mark on the Local Economy and Michigan’s Waters
As an undergraduate student doing research at the U-M Biological Station, Nels Carlson (MS ’05) was fascinated by what he saw and learned from the aquatic invertebrates he caught, in the water samples he collected and the data he analyzed.
Feature Stories
Fostering Human-Tiger Coexistence in Nepal
SEAS PhD student and wildlife researcher Amy Zuckerwise has studied ocelots in Bolivia and bobcats in California. But even she was amazed at how thrilling it was to see Bengal tigers up close in the wild when she visited Nepal last spring.
Developing Water Policy Solutions that Ensure a Just and Resilient Future
Water is one of Earth’s most precious resources, and although it’s abundant, water quality and access are not always equitably distributed. How can we best support water and climate policy solutions that ensure a just, sustainable and resilient future? This is the focus of Sara Hughes’ work.
Nurturing Environmental Justice Activists
We feature an excerpt from “Educator and Activist: My Life and Times in the Quest for Environmental Justice,” by Bunyan Bryant Jr., a professor emeritus at SEAS and a pioneer in the environmental justice movement. His memoir was published in April 2022.
Seen on SEASNET
Summer Discussion Series
We asked alumni and students about their favorite books, memorable SEAS experiences and how they promote sustainability.
SEAS Travel Photo Contest
Nearly 50 photos from places near and far were submitted by the SEAS community in the annual travel photo contest on SEASnet.
Dana Sphere
10 Questions: Associate Professor Bilal Butt
Bilal Butt’s research aims to answer questions about how people and wildlife are adapting to changing climates, politics, livelihoods and ecologies in sub-Saharan Africa.
SEAS Releases First National Framework Designed to Measure and Advance Energy Equity
To bolster a just transition to cleaner, more resilient energy systems, the Energy Equity Project (EEP)—housed at SEAS—released the first standardized national framework for comprehensively measuring and advancing energy equity.
Program in the Environment Celebrates 20 Years
This fall, the Program in the Environment (PitE) is celebrating its 20th anniversary. PitE Director Shelie Miller shares the program’s history and focus.
Alumni Updates
A Man of Energy
The year after he graduated from SEAS, Oluwafemi (Femi) Sawyerr (MS ’15) found his dream job at Energy and Environmental Economics Inc. in San Francisco, rising from associate to his current role as managing consultant.
Supporting Actionable Energy Solutions
Akshat Kasliwal (MS ’19) has devoted his career in energy and sustainability toward the implementation of triple-bottom-line solutions on larger and more systemic scales.
Environmentally Safe Pest Control
Esther Salata (MS ’15) has always had an issue with mosquitoes. They’ve not only shown up throughout her various educational and career pursuits but, when the pandemic hit, she realized that the issue had become a buzzing nuisance.
A Champion for Justice
Karen DeGannes (MS ’91, PhD ’13) came to U-M with a “fire in her belly for clean energy and climate.” She was encouraged to explore SEAS by her adviser, who knew that her environmental interests could be more fully developed at the school.
Righting Wrongs in Society
At SEAS, Jada Koushik (MS ’08) had the opportunity to work with Professors Bunyan Bryant and Rebecca Hardin, which had a significant impact on the trajectory of her career. Although much of it was spent working in public health, Koushik’s work has always centered on environmental justice.
Mobility and Transportation Design
Oliver Kiley (BS ’03, MLA ’08) began his career at SmithGroup, an international architectural firm with deep roots in Detroit and Ann Arbor, just after earning his degree in the Master of Landscape Architecture program at SEAS.
Leading Sustainability-Focused Education
Jean MacGregor (BS ’67, MS ’71) has championed sustainability-focused education throughout her career. She is passionate about the “importance of ongoing communities tackling the huge adaptive challenges that sustainability presents.”
A Lifelong Passion for Trees
Lauren Marshall’s (MLA ’10) passion for trees runs deep, having grown over the course of a lifetime. Marshall grew up in suburban Washington, D.C., where she first developed her connection to the natural world.