August 17
Members of the South Florida Water, Sustainability and Climate Project held their mid-project booster shot meeting August 17 in the Abess Center, to report on work by task groups and review the project roadmap. SFWSC, funded by NSF and USDA grants, aims to foster robust decision making for South Florida water resources. Abess-affiliated UM faculty Dr. Dave Letson and Dr. Rich Weisskoff participated, as well as two Abess Center Ph.D. students, Galen Treuer and Jillian Drabik.
ECS Ph.D. student Julia Wester a 1st place winner at NSF STEM conference ECS Ph.D. student Julia Wester a 1st place winner at NSF STEM conference
Fourth-year ECS Ph.D. student Julia Wester attended the NSF Emerging Researchers National Conference in STEM in Washington, D.C., and gave a talk titled “Anticipated disgust, willingness to use recycled water and the impact of information." Julia won first place in the grad student - social/behavioral science category. Congratulations, Julia!
From Earth Institute’s Glacier Hub: A study in India links floods to PTSD among children. This is potentially an important expansion of tracing hazard impacts beyond mortality and property damage.
On Dec. 3, General Counsel for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Avi S. Garbow, gave a talk on federal environmental policy to UM students and faculty at the Abess Center.
Abess Center Director Dr. Kenny Broad ventured into a submerged overhead environment (a cave) on the island nation of Pulau with Barrington Irving, founder of Experience Aviation and recipient of the 2012 National Geographic Emerging Explorer award for his endeavor of turning a jet into the world’s first flying classroom. Read More
The Center for Genetics and Society (CGS) announced that ECS Undergraduate Program Director and Graduate Coordinator Gina Maranto has been selected as one of their three new Fellows. The Fellows will work with CGS on the social justice and human rights issues surrounding commercial surrogacy and egg retrieval. Congratulations, Gina! Read More
Julia Wester, fourth-year Abess Center PhD student, has been awarded a travel grant to attend the 2015 Emerging Researchers National (ERN) Conference in STEM, which will be held in Washington, DC, Feb. 19-21. Congratulations, Julia!
The Fall 2015 Environmental Science and Policy Ph.D. application is now live! Go to our Graduate Program page for the application and related information: http://abess.miami.edu/academics/graduate-program/
Dr. Kenny Broad and fellow Florida scientists request meeting with Governor to talk climate science
Research suggests new ways of thinking about natural hazards
ECS Ph.D. students Julia Wester and Temitope Alimi are 2014 Tinker Foundation Field Research Grant awardees, and Deborah Roque is a 2014 CLAS Field Research Grant recipient. Congratulations!!
http://www.weather.com/weather-films/shows/grid-breakers/ep03.html
Read more…The Human Impacts Miami salon will explore with the emotional response to climate in one of the U.S.’s most climate-vulnerable states, while seeing how Germany has negotiated multicultural action on climate change in the EU, through performance, discussion, and joint action. From ""emotional security"" to ""financial security"", meet with diverse leaders from the Miami community to see how we are consistently coping with climate change impacts and the innovative approaches, and resources needed, to face unique decision-making challenges and opportunities. Celebrate the local initiatives from Miami communities, government, companies, and more, while looking at how we ensure our personal security in the face of uncertainty. NOTE: Registration is strongly advised at this link.
Students in professor Joanna Lombard’s Architecture and the Environment course, a class taught in conjunction with UM’s Abess Center Ecosystem Science and Policy that examines the built and natural environment and the impact that each has on the other, develop plans for resilient residences.
Read more…http://blog.ucsusa.org/human-nature-and-creeping-environmental-threats-27
Read more…Kenny Broad talks about climate change and the upcoming High Water Line project.
Read more…http://www.miami.edu/gs/index.php/graduate_school/apply/apply_online/
Read more…Dr. Eric Holt-Giménez, Executive Director of Food First/Institute for Food and Development Policy, will speak on "Transforming the Food System" at UM Food Day, Wednesday, October 23, 2013 at Glasgow Lecture Hall, 6 p.m. Reception to follow.
Read more…Environmental lawyer Daniel Magraw talks with James Nickel about "The Future of Environmental Law," on this webcast.
Read more…Dr. Derek Willis, Postdoctoral Fellow at The Earth Institute at Columbia University will speak on "The role of choice architecture in public policy." Choice architecture refers to the fact that choices can be presented to individuals in a variety of ways and what is chosen by individuals will, in part, be determined by how the choices are presented. He will present a framework for improving environmental and public health policies based on a review of the choice architecture literature as well as a survey he conducted of infectious disease experts.
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The Exploration Science program will sponsor multiple speakers.
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Yasser Ansari speaks on RSMAS campus at noon today.
Dr. Shaman is Associate Professor of Environmental Health Sciences at Columbia University. Dr. Shaman and colleagues have developed a system that models influenza transmission dynamics. This system was used to generate and evaluate retrospective forecasts of influenza peak timing in New York City. The team then developed weekly real-time forecasts of seasonal influenza for 108 cites in the U.S. during the recent 2012-2013 season, marking the first time predictions of seasonal influenza have been made in real time and with demonstrated accuracy
Read more…This week's “Science Nation” video, Understanding Human Nature When Mother Nature Wreaks Havoc, features the research of University of Miami scientist Kenny Broad and his collaborators Ben Orlove and Bob Meyer. StormView™ is a software program that gauges how residents of hurricane-prone regions might react in the event of an imminent storm. It was developed by University of Miami professor Kenny Broad and a number of collaborators, and supported with funding from the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
The program is designed to be as realistic as possible in order to accurately assess how people would prepare for storms and respond to warnings. It includes TV meteorologist broadcasts, newspaper stories, web stories, bulletins from NOAA and even interactions with neighbors.
http://www.nsf.gov/news/special_reports/science_nation/stormview.jsp
To download a copy, just click the link in the lower right hand corner of the video.
“Science Nation” is a video series commissioned by the NSF Office of Legislative and Public Affairs. The series is distributed throughout the world, including to various media outlets on the internet, the PBS Newshour website, local community TV stations in the U.S. via CMDN.tv, Voice of America for international broadcast distribution, the NSF STEM video portal Science360 – The Knowledge Network, and K-12 content producers in the U.S. and abroad. Some episodes also appear in the nationally-distributed PBS documentary series This American Land.
Wenonah Hauter, Executive Director of Food & Water Watch, has worked extensively on food, water, energy, and environmental issues at the national, state and local level. Foodopoly: The Battle Over the Future of Food and Farming in America examines the corporate consolidation and control over our food system and what it means for farmers and consumers. Ms. Hauter is experienced in developing policy positions and legislative strategies, and she is also a skilled and accomplished organizer, having lobbied and developed grassroots field strategy and action plans. She has an M.S. in Applied Anthropology from the University of Maryland.
Read more…The University of Miami has become only the third school in the nation to offer a doctoral degree in environmental science alongside the Juris Doctor degree. Catering to those looking to pursue careers in environmental policy, science, law, or government, the degree will be offered as an interdisciplinary program between the School of Law and Abess Center for Ecosystem Science and Policy.
Read more…"Is there a future for environmental ethics?" Dr. Dale Jamieson, Professor of Environmental Studies and of Philosophy, Director of Environmental Studie and the Center for Bioethics, and Affiliated Professor of Law at New York University will discuss the current state and prospects for environmental ethics.
Read more…Dr. Dale Jamieson, Professor of Environmental Studies and of Philosophy, Director of Environmental Studies and the Center for Bioethics, and Affiliated Professor of Law at New York University will deliver a kickoff lecture in honor of the new J.D./Ph.D. program in Environmental Science and Policy, a joint program between the School of Law and the Leonard and Jayne Abess Center for Ecosystem Science and Policy. The talk begins at 5 p.m., Monday, January 28, in the 4th floor faculty meeting room at the School of Law.
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A SEEDS sponsored workshop to explore the dimensions of interdisciplinary research and give students and faculty insights into developing diverse careers. Join us for research presentations, discussions, and networking. Special attention will be given to issues for women and minorities.
February 11, 2013 Ungar 230 C
Spaces are limited, so please register by Feb. 5, 2013 at http://bit.ly/VG0olP
Want to share your research at this forum? Submit an abstract by Jan. 25, 2013 at http://tinyurl.com/submitabstract
Read more…Dr. Zen Faulkes, Associate Professor of Biology at University of Texas Pan American will speak Wednesday, November 14 at 3:30 p.m. in Ungar 230 C on, "Girl Panic! How female crayfish can conquer continents." The marbled crayfish is an all female, asexually reproducing crayfish. This relative of the Floridian slough crayfish was discovered in Germany, and native populations are still unknown in the wild. Today, marbled crayfish are sold as pets around the world, and introduced populations have been established on two continents, probably from release from aquariums. Past introductions of non-native crayfish have caused large and unwanted consequences. Combining monitoring of the popularity of marbled crayfish in the pet trade and ecological modelling of potential habitat can help determine what areas face the biggest risk from introductions of this clone species.
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Top photo, L to R: Bob Ballard, oceanographer who found the Titanic; Stephanie Sinclair, Pulitzer Prize winning photojournalist; Ann Curry, moderator and humanitarian journalist; Dr. Kenny Broad; and Chris Johns, editor-in-chief of National Geographic Magazine
The Leonard and Jayne Abess Center for Ecosystem Science and Policy, with the College of Arts & Sciences and the UM Office of Civic & Community Engagement, is pleased to is pleased to support a workshop with Michael Shuman of the Post Carbon Institute on Wednesday, Oct. 24 from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. in the CAS Gallery on UM campus. This event is part of the Greater Everglades Community Food Summit, organized by EarthLearning and taking place at various locations throughout South Florida from Oct. 19-24.
Read more…Robert Meyer, Gayfryd Steinberg Professor of Marketing and Co-Director of the Risk Management and Decision Processes Center, joins us from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. He will be speaking on "Misperceiving the storm: biases in coastal residents' decisions to prepare for hurricane threats." He will report the findings of a 3-year program research measuring coastal residents' perceptions of hurricane threats and their preparatory actions during actual storm events. Among the major findings is a systematic tendency for residents to over-estimate the likelihood that their homes will experience conditions, but un-prepare for storms given those beliefs. In addition, the data provide new insights into the dynamics of how residents learn about storm threats, with a major finding being that word-of-mouth and social media play relatively minor roles in information diffusion compared to television. Implications of the findings for hurricane risk communication are explored. The talk will be in Ungar Building 230 C from 2:30 to 3:30, Monday, October 15. More information: 305.284.8519.
Rick Counihan has held positions in local, state, and federal government, as well as the electric industry, working with utilities (Southern California Edison), research organizations (EPRI), and start-up companies (Green Mountain Energy, EnerNOC). He will be speaking on voluntary demand-side energy efficiency programs at 3:30 in Ungar 230 C. For further information, 305.284.8519.
Read more…Third-year ECS student Austin Gallagher describes his fears and fascinations associated with sharks. Click on "Read more" to open the YouTube link.
Read more…Caitlin August, second-year PhD student in the Abess Center, did a Virtual Foreign Service Internship in 2012, and her work is described in State Magazine. Click on "Read more" to download a .pdf of the article.
Read more…William B. Rogers, President and CEO of the Trust for Public Land (TPL) will discuss “The Healthy Human Habitat,” in Glasgow Hall on Thursday October 11th at 12:30 pm, in the School of Architecture’s Architecture and Environment Class. After the talk there will be a reception and opportunity to meet with Mr. Rogers.
Below is a description of Mr. Rogers from the TPL website:
Will Rogers is President and CEO of The Trust for Public Land (TPL), a national nonprofit that conserves land for people to enjoy as parks, playgrounds, community gardens, farms, historic places, and wilderness. Will Rogers is a nationally recognized advocate for land conservation and has given major addresses or interviews to the Urban Land Institute, the National Smart Growth Conference, the National Brownfields Conference, and Talk of the Nation, among others.
Before joining TPL, Will Rogers managed infill urban redevelopment projects for a Chicago-based real estate development company, managing both new construction and the rehabilitation of vacant industrial buildings for commercial, office, and residential use. Before becoming a developer and then an "undeveloper" Will was a commercial beekeeper, founding and managing a commercial honey production company in Bogotá, Colombia. He is a graduate of Stanford University and received his MBA from Harvard University. He lives with his family in Kensington, California, and continues to keep honeybees in his back yard.
Having used similar methods to predict how changing land use patterns could effect the spread of mosquitos in the Caribbean and Latin America, Dr. Douglas Fuller, of Geography and Regional Studies, College of Arts & Sciences, and Dr. John Beier, of the department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Miller School of Medicine, take a look at the Sudan and Egypt. In the latest issue of Malaria Journal they deploy spatial modeling to examine how the expansion of irrigated cropland could lead to a re-invasion of malaria-bearing mosquitoes from the Sudan into upper Egypt.
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Monday, February 21, 12pm-1pm, Ungar 230D.
Are you interested in a career in sustainability? Are you concerned about coastal and marine management issues? Would you like to redesign the possibilities for small island lifestyles?
Chris Maxey of the Cape Eleuthera Institute (CEI) of The Bahamas and RSMAS graduate will be speaking about the Institute and the RSMAS Professional Masters track in Coastal Sustainability.
The track consists of a semester abroad at CEI in Eleuthera, Bahamas, a semester at RSMAS and UM, and a summer project or internship. The track has been designed to provide students with marketable skills in sustainable coastal systems management and design including coastal permaculture, aquaculture, aquaponics, island alternative energy systems, waste and water management, and more.
Please attend if you are considering graduate school.
The MPS in Coastal Sustainability is currently accepting applications for the 2012-2013 school year. http://mps.rsmas.miami.edu/degree-program/coastal-sustainability/