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ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES PROGRAM NEWSLETTER
September 10, 2007
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In this issue:
** Upcoming ES Program Events: "Mellon Interns Return from a
Summer of New Experiences", Welcome Back Celebration
** ES Program News: Who is back, Who is visiting, and Who is in
Italy?
** Campus Sustainability: Want to Contribute to Colby's
Sustainability?
** Beyond Colby: Northeast Campus Sustainability Conference, Power
Shift 2007, Marine Resources Population Dynamics Workshop,
** Study Abroad: People, Ecology, and Development
** Jobs and Internships: Research Assistant for Professor Nyhus,
E-waste Municipal Outreach Internship with NRCM
** ES Program Coordinator: On campus Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and
Thursdays
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** Upcoming ES Program Events:
"Mellon Interns Return from a Summer of New Experiences"
Please join us Wednesday, September 12 at 12:00 in the Fairchild
Room in Dana. Join us at 11:30 for a tray lunch with Sasha, Anna, and Emmie.
Sasha Bartels '08 was a Research Assistant in Biology Department
at Dartmouth College.
Emmie Theberge '08 working with Veronika Nemes with the
Environmental Economics Unit (EEU), a subdivision of the Environmental Policy
and Climate Change (EPCC) division of the Victoria State Government Department
of Sustainability and Environment (DSE) in Australia.
Anna Barnwell '08 interned with the Alaska Youth for Environmental
Action.
Please join us to hear about how Mellon funds, available to ES
majors and minors, funded these great summer internships!
Welcome Back Celebration
Come One Come All!!
ES Majors, Minors, and Faculty
Join the ES crew for a late afternoon ice cream social and game of
volleyball.
Friday, September 14
4:00- 6:00 on the Dana Lawn
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** ES Program News: Who is back, who is visiting, and who is in
Italy?
Who is back:
Professor Russ Cole
During my sabbatical year, I worked with colleagues in the
Division of Mammals at National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian
Institution in Washington, DC on projects related to my interest in the fields
of mammalian ecology and conservation biology. The major focus of my work was a
taxonomic study using the Museum's extensive collection of ground squirrel
specimens in the genus Spermophilus.
Based on the results of this study, we are proposing that this large
genus be split into eight new genera.
I was also able to gather information about emerging initiatives in
international conservation biology, which will be incorporated into several of
my courses. In addition to our
professional work (Suzi worked with colleagues at the Library of Congress), we enjoyed
seeing many alums now living in the DC area.
Assistant Professor Philip Nyhus
After four continents, 100,000 frequent flier miles, and a new
goatee his children convinced him to try, Assistant Professor of Environmental
studies Philip Nyhus completed his pre-tenure sabbatical: a productive year of research, course
development, and quality time with his family.
Much of the year was spent writing multiple chapters and
co-editing Tigers of the World:
the Biology, Politics, and Conservation of Panthera tigris. Scheduled for publication in early
2008, the book includes contributions from more than 30 of the world's foremost
experts in tiger research, conservation, and management.
Philip continues to travel every few months to China as an advisor
to the Government of China on its tiger conservation program. With three other international tiger
experts, he is collaborating with the National Wildlife Research and
Development Center and the State Forestry Administration of China on a
five-year program to support the recovery and conservation of the critically
endangered South China tiger and its habitat. Scholarship related to this tiger research he worked on
during sabbatical includes a co-authored chapter, a journal article, and a
paper he is presenting in September at Oxford University, England.
Philip also worked on three emerging and on-going research
projects. First, in October he traveled to Scandinavia to meet with
international wolf experts to learn about their challenges and experiences with
wolf conservation and reintroduction in Sweden and Norway. This trip was
particularly enjoyable because he was able to travel with his wife, Dr. Gail
Carlson (visiting Assistant Professor of Environmental Studies), and their two
children. He also met wolf experts
in Wisconsin. These meetings are
providing background for his research on the past present and future of large
carnivores in Maine. Second, in
March he traveled to Namibia to evaluate a Round River Conservation Studies
program as a possible study abroad opportunity for Colby Environmental Studies
students. He also met with local
experts to explore collaborative research opportunities related to his
interests in human-wildlife conflict and GIS. Third, Philip traveled to meetings and workshops in Chicago
and Washington, D.C. related to his on-going collaboration with an
interdisciplinary and international group of scholars, modelers, and
practitioners working to expand the human dimension of biodiversity risk
assessment.
In 2006-7, Philip was a co-author on two published articles in
academic journals, a peer-reviewed book chapter, and the professional
periodical of the Cat Specialist Group of the World Conservation Union's
Species Survival Commission. Two
were co-authored with fellow Environmental Studies colleagues Professors Russ
Cole and David Firmage. He
contributed to multiple grant proposals, including a multi-million dollar
proposal to the United Nations Development Program through the Global Environmental
Facility.
Philip is excited to incorporate new teaching ideas this coming
semester from the many books and articles he read and reviewed, new modules he
developed, and the opportunity to work with Peter Sly, the new Mellow Fellow in
Environmental Justice who will be contributing to the Environmental Policy and
Environmental Policy Practicum senior capstone courses.
Who is visiting:
Visiting Assistant Ngeta Kabiri (he goes by Kabiri), a native of
Kenya, did his undergraduate studies at the University of Nairobi (Kenyatta
college), M.A. in African Studies from Yale University, and PhD in Political
Science at UNC Chapel. His
research focus environmental politics. Kabiri's PhD dissertation was on Global
Environmental Governance and Community-Based initiatives in Kenya and
Tanzania. He was a dissertation
fellow at UC Santa Barbara where he also taught in the department of Black
Studies. Kabiri will be with
the ES Program and Government Department filling in while Liliana Andonova is
on sabbatical. He will teach courses on environmental politics and politics of
development.
Natural Resources Lawyer and Mellon Fellow in Environmental
Studies Peter Sly moved from California to Maine in 2003, and has since been
teaching courses on Native American Law and Policy, Water Law, Environmental
Justice and Land Trusts at Colby and College of the Atlantic. A specialist in water, Indian,
energy and ethics law, his practice has included Indian water settlements,
federal water rights, the Colorado River, FERC relicensing, the Endangered
Species Act, and water matters related to the PG&E bankruptcy. He has represented major urban
water purveyors in Nevada and California; the states of Arizona, Hawaii,
Montana, Nevada and Wyoming; and several local governments, environmental
groups and community
coalitions. His 1988 book,
THE RESERVED WATER RIGHTS SETTLEMENT MANUAL is a neutral reference for parties
and their attorneys seeking settlement of water adjudications. He is actively involved in
continuing education programs in western water law through the American Bar
Association. He is also a
certified Maine Assessor, chairs the Stewardship Committee of the Blue Hill
Heritage Trust and is involved in pursuing affordable housing in the coastal
area.
He earned his J.D. in 1974 from Yale, where he was an editor of
the Yale Law Journal, and his A.B. in 1968 from Stanford. He lives in Brooklin with his wife
Marcia, a mezzo-soprano and development professional.
Who is in Italy:
Assistant Professor Liliana Andonova was awarded a Jean Monnet
Fellowship by the Robert Schuman Centre of the European University Institute, a
leading institution for advanced academic training and social science research.
Andonova plans to spend her sabbatical year at the EUI in Florence, Italy. Her
research will focus on the role of public-private partnerships in global
governance and on climate change policies in Europe. Liliana was also recently
invited to be keynote speaker at the International Conference on Regulation of
Chemical Risk, August 2007, in Stockholm.
The talk was based on her work on chemical regulations in Central and
Eastern Europe.
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** Campus Sustainability:
Want to Contribute to Colby's Sustainability?
One of the most important tools that Colby uses to monitor its
impact on climate change is the greenhouse gas emissions inventory. This
inventory, which is created using an Excel spreadsheet, is used both for internal decisions
about energy management and for keeping track of compliance with our reduction
commitments as part of the Maine Governor's Challenge. This inventory has been
updated and maintained for the last few years by Jamie O'Connell '08. Since
Jamie is a senior, we are looking for someone who would like to work with Jamie
this year to produce the 2007 inventory and to take on the principal
responsibility for a year or so after Jamie graduates. The ideal candidate
would be a first or second year student who cares about climate change and
knows Microsoft Excel. This is a paid position. If you are interested please
contact Tom Tietenberg at thtieten@colby.edu.
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** Beyond Colby:
NECSC 2007 Conference
Envisioning the Sustainable Campus in 2020:Working Together to Get
There
October 8 & 9, 2007 at Bowdoin College in Brunswick, Maine
Join sustainability professionals from throughout the Northeast at
our 4th annual conference. The two
day conference will be an engaging mix of plenary sessions, issue forums and
workshops. We aim to create a collective vision of a sustainable campus and
strategize the pathways to a solution. We will look at the campus as a system
and explore how we can reduce our overall environmental footprint. The 5 major themes for this year
include: Campus Visioning and Planning; Financing Sustainability; Food
Footprint; Power without Pollution; and It's About People.
18 days left to register! (Registration deadline September 24th)
For more on the conference go to our website at:
http://bowdoin.edu/conferences/necsc
If you are interested in this conference, there are a few
opportunities to work at this event! We are looking for students to work the
Northeast Campus Sustainability Conference at Bowdoin on October 8th/9th.
We need students to do some
van driving (weĠre taking a field trip up to Chewonki!), help with
registration, take notes at conference sessions, and just mill around at the
reception and talk with people. It
should be a fun job. The 150
conference attendees will mostly be campus sustainability coordinators from
throughout the northeast and the eastern Canadian provinces. There are only 5
open positions. If you are interested, please email necsc2007@gmail.com, asap.
National Power Shift Nov. 2-5, 2007
This fall, students from across the country will convene at the
University of Maryland to change the climate on global warming in the United
States. Participate in workshops on campaign planning and climate action plans,
and lobby your congress person. Together, we will create a shift in the fight
for a clean and just energy future. If you are interested in this national
youth conference on global warming.
We are currently working to organize approximately 50 students to travel
to the conference, which takes place from November 2-5. John Campbell is Colby's campus
coordinator <jpcampbe@colby.edu>
Fifth Annual MARINE RESOURCES POPULATION DYNAMICS WORKSHOP
January 5-11, 2008
Summerland Key, Florida
All expenses paid for the 15 undergraduate students selected to
participate.
Sponsored by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Fisheries Service and Virginia Tech.
Do you like math and receive A's in your math courses? Do you have
a basic understanding of ecology? Do you want to play an important role in the
conservation and management of our environment and natural resources? If so,
the field of population dynamics may be right for you. In the past four years,
61 students representing 38 colleges and universities in 20 states have
participated in this workshop. All 61 replied that they would recommend this
workshop to others and 80% of the participants agreed that they had developed a
betters sense of what they would like to do for a career because of the
workshop.
For more information and to find application materials, visit our
website at: http://www.nmfs.vt.edu/workshops.htm.
Applications are due October 1, 2007. (Please note that this
year's application deadline is one month earlier than previous years.)
Jim Berkson, Ph.D.
Unit Leader and Associate Professor
NOAA Fisheries Service RTR Unit at Virginia Tech
114 Cheatham Hall
Blacksburg, VA
24061-0321
540 231-5910
Jim.Berkson@NOAA.gov or jberkson@vt.edu
http://www.nmfs.vt.edu/berkson.htm
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** Study Abroad:
STUDY ABROAD IN THAILAND THIS SPRING!
PEOPLE, ECOLOGY AND DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM
International Sustainable Development Studies Institute
(www.isdsi.org)
Are you looking for a program that will challenge you and equip
you to deal with some of the most important issues in sustainable development?
Spend a semester studying human rights by paddling a river with
village elders, learning about sustainable development and ecology through
living with tribal people, and studying reefs and mangroves by sea kayak!
Interested? Visit our website or email apply@isdsi.org for an
application.
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SPRING SEMESTER, 2007
Nationally recognized as a "best-practice" study-abroad
program, ISDSI's unique "Expedition Field Courses" combine the
experiential study of culture and ecology with learning practical expedition
and leadership skills.
Each course focuses on the deep study of place, and how globally
significant ecosystems and regions both shape and are shaped by the people who
live there. Academically rigorous, each course blends the social and natural
sciences to better understand the links between ecology and culture.
Spring Semester Courses:
Foundations: Thai Language and Society (Foreign Language)
Human Rights and The Environment: Rivers, Dams and Local Struggles
(Political Science/Ecology)
Political Ecology of Forests: Ethnic People and Natural Resources
(Anthropology/Ecology)
Coastal Resource Management in Southeast Asia: Mangrove Ecology
and Coastal Zones (Biology/Sociology)
Summer internship option:
Service Learning Internship: Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs)
and Development
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PROGRAM DETAILS
Application deadline: October 12, 2007 (after this date,
applications will be considered on a space-available basis)
Program dates: February 8 to June 13, Internship June 16 to July
11 20! 08.
For an application: Email apply@isdsi.org
For more information: See our Spring Semester page.
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For further information about ISDSI and other inquiries, see www.isdsi.org
or email info@isdsi.org.
Please post and forward this email as appropriate.
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International Sustainable Development Studies Institute
Web: www.isdsi.org
Email: info@isdsi.org
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** Jobs and Internships:
Research Assistant with Philip Nyhus
Philip Nyhus, Assistant Professor of Environmental Studies, is
looking for two research assistants for 2007-8. The first student will help
with literature reviews, referencing, indexing, and other activities related to
a book he is co-editing, Tigers of the World, and will help with research
related to human-wildlife conflict and endangered species conservation. The second will need to be familiar
with, or eager to learn more about, GIS, statistics, and modeling, and will
help with research related to endangered species risk assessment and tiger
restoration in China. Interested
students should send Philip an email (pjnyhus@colby.edu) that identifies the
position they are applying for and include a brief description of their
interests and background. Sophomores,
Juniors, and students interested in considering summer research are
particularly encouraged to apply.
E-waste Municipal Outreach Internship
E-waste Municipal Outreach Intern
Solid Waste Division, Maine Department of Environmental Protection
Toxics and Clean Production Project, Natural Resources Council of
Maine
Overall responsibility:
Follow up with municipal solid waste staff for Maine towns to
ascertain how Maine people are being served by our recently-implemented
electronic-waste recycling law.
Key areas of responsibility:
* Call
through municipal solid waste staff list to follow up on recently mailed
survey.
*
Interview municipal solid waste staff with survey questionnaire.
* Enter
data from surveys, interviews into database for analysis.
*
Participate in meetings/calls with DEP/NRCM staff to update on status of the
interviews, data collection and anecdotal stories.
*
Conduct appropriate research as directed by DEP/NRCM staff.
Consults with:
Relevant DEP Solid Waste Division Staff
Relevant NRCM Toxics Project Staff
All levels of management
Term of internship:
2-3 months, 2-3 days a week, starting ASAP
No travel anticipated
Flexible hours
$500 total stipend for 2-3 months of internship
Qualifications:
Excellent oral and interpersonal communications skills
Ability to work well independently
Ability to work well as member of a team
To apply, please e-mail resume to Leisa Dennett at
ldennett@nrcm.org
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** ES Program Coordinator: On campus Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and
Thursdays
Welcome and Welcome Back to the ES Program
One of the best aspects of being the Environmental Studies Program
Coordinator is getting to know all of the terrific students in our program. I
am on campus (Diamond 208) on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. Please stop
by!
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Beth Kopp
Coordinator, Environmental Studies Program
Colby College
5356 Mayflower Hill Drive
Waterville, Maine 04901
Office: 208 Diamond Building
207.859.5356