Students, faculty receive environmental awards

The Environmental Planning Grants promote interdisciplinary and cross-school collaboration by encouraging faculty members and graduate students to work together on developing a research proposal. The following faculty-student team projects were selected:

• "Modeling Optimal Wetland Design for Multiple Endangered Hawaiian Water Birds," Nina Fefferman, graduate student in biology; J. Michael Reed, associate professor of biology; and Richard M. Vogel, professor of civil and environmental engineering
• "Investigating the Impacts of Disease on Conservation at the Ecosystem Level: A Multi-dimensional Challenge in Chitwan, Nepal and Nazenga, Burkina Faso," Lisa Naples, a student at the School of Veterinary Medicine; Dr. Gretchen Kaufman, assistant professor of environmental and population health; Peter Daszak, Christine Jost and Colin Gillen of the environmental and population health department; Denise Castronovo, Academic Technology; and Mark A. Woodin, lecturer in civil and environmental engineering

The Environmental Graduate Fellowships provide funding to stellar students to conduct interdisciplinary environmental projects. This year's awardees and their projects are:

• "Glucocorticoid Analysis as a Potential Biomarker of Chronic Contaminant Exposure in Wildlife," Melinda Franceschini, biology
• "The Effects of Human-Elephant Conflict on Elephant Health and Conservation in Nepal," Karin Hamilton and Jennifer Zambriski, School of Veterinary Medicine
• "Sustainable Energy as a Long-Term University Strategy," Heather Barnes Kirkpatrick, urban and environmental policy and planning
• "Caribbean Coral Reef Health and Communities: The Effects of Global Climate Change on Butterfly Fish Feeding Ecology and Associated Coral Response," Randi Rotjan, biology
• "Urbanization, Resource Management and the Environment: Historical Perspective from Vegetable Production in Early Modern Japan," Kayo Tajima, interdisciplinary doctoral program