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The Environmental Science and Policy Program at Drake University is an interdisciplinary program based upon the premise that in order to succeed in today's complex world, students need a diverse and integrated education.


Announcements

INTERN Program: New MetroWaste Authority Internship Announced

The Central Iowa Mineral Society and Drake University are proud to announce that they are accepting applications for the 2008 Central Iowa Mineral Society Undergraduate Student Award in Geology. This award of $300 will be offered to two Drake junior or senior students to help defer the cost of a course, field work, field trip, earth science conference, or other related earth science activity. Preference will be given to those activities traditionally associated with geology (minerals, rocks, fossils, geomorphology, geophysics, planetary geology). Please submit a one page letter, describing the activity and how it fits in with your educational goal to Dr. Summerville (keith.summerville@drake.edu) or Dr. Gerlovich (jack.gerlovich@drake.edu.). The award will be presented to the
awardee(s) after they present a summary of the activity to the Central Iowa Mineral Society's monthly meetings at 7:30 P.M. on the first Friday of the month.


Field Biology Experience: Are you looking for an amazing field biology experience this summer, where you can earn up to 8 credits? If so, consider Field Ornithology with Professor Muir Eaton (Biology Department) at the University of Minnesota Itasca Biological Station. Spend five weeks at the Station on the shores of Lake Itasca, headwaters to the Mississippi River. Come to my office to get more details and registration info (Biodiversity Center, Olin Hall)!

Stephen Lauer, an ENSP student from Des Moines, was presented with the John Chrystal Award at this year's World Food Prize Laureate Ceremony. Lauer was recognized with this award for his outstanding work as a Borlaug-Ruan Intern. During the summer of 2006, he studied fisheries' use of green water as an alternative feed while working at the WorldFish Center's aquaculture research facility in Egypt.

Paul Webering, a 2006 Drake Environmental Policy graduate, was named one of this year's "Forty Under 40" in the Corridor Business Journal. Paul was among those recognized for professional success and community involvement. He is currently working at the Iowa Valley Habitat for Humanity as an Americorps VISTA member. His record-breaking work through the Habitat for Humanity ReStore included building six homes, diverting 40 tons of materials from the landfill, and raising $24,000 for new homes. Paul's community involvement in the Cedar Rapids/Iowa City corridor also includes organizing the May 2007 Hike to Help Refugees which raised $13,000 for the United States Agency for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. The USA for UNHCR provides family-sized tents for refugees in Afghanistan and Darfur. Paul's volunteer work has also been recognized with a Governor's Volunteer Award.

Keith Summerville, Assistant Professor of Environmental Science and Policy, has been selected by the Iowa Chapter of the Sierra Club to receive their Environmental Educator Award. The award recognizes his outstanding commitment to environmental protection and will be presented on September 22, 2007 at the chapter's annual meeting in Toddville, Iowa. Summerville's involvement in a 10-year study of sustainable forestry in Indiana was also recently featured in a news release by Drake University. Current ENSP students Andrew Johnson, Miranda DuPont, and Robb Krehbiel have been participating in the research which includes collaborators from Purdue University, the Indiana DNR, and the Nature Conservancy.

Hannah Hacker accepts internship Hannah Hacker has taken a 6-month internship working with the Oregon Department of Energy in the conservation division. She has been working with Columbia-Willamette Clean Cities Coalition updating the alternative fuel locator for Oregon and Washington, focusing on biodiesel, ethanol, and CNG. She will also be working on the website to make it the one-stop website for alternative fuels in the Northwest. Additionally, Hannah is organizing and conducting random inspections for businesses that received a Business Energy Tax Credit in 2006.

Seniors get great jobs Our 2007 seniors all got jobs or continued their education in their areas of interest. Emily will be working with The Nature Conservancy on dune ecology; Stacy will be studying sea turtles in the PhD program at the University of Central Florida; Blake will be with the Missouri Department of Conservation working with prairie and savanna ecology; Elizabeth will be the ecologist for the Whiterock Conservancy land trust; Crystal will be in the National Parks service in Missouri; Hank and Graham will be continuing their herpetological research at various sites in central Iowa.

Nicaragua and Elsewhere In May, we had a great ENSP trip to Nicaragua. This coming fall, our students will be studying in Costa Rica, Botswana, and Ecuador. For more information on ENSP study abroad opportunities, look here.

ENSP Prof to write environmental science textbook David Courard-Hauri will be spending his sabbatical ('07-'08) writing a new environmental science textbook. The book will be co-authored with Dartmouth Professor Andrew Friedland, and will be used in ENSP 35 (at least, if it's good!).

Past happenings in ENSP


Last updated November 1, 2007