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Graduate Students at CU Boulder Leading the Future of Environmental Research

Liz Holland — Thu, 12 Sep 2024 19:21:06 +0000

Graduate Students at CU Boulder Leading the Future of Environmental Research Liz Holland Thu, 09/12/2024 - 13:21

Graduate students at CU Boulder’s Environmental Studies department are leading research on critical global challenges like species conservation, ecological economics, and food security. Researchers like Christian Suarez, Waverly Eichhorst, and Margaret Hegwood are tackling today’s most pressing environmental issues, shaping the future of food policy and environmental conservation efforts worldwide.

The Environmental Studies Colloquium Series plays an important role in this process, providing a platform for students to present their work, gain feedback, and collaborate with peers and experts. This exchange of ideas helps refine research and drives real-world impact, ensuring that CU Boulder’s graduate students remain at the forefront of sustainable policy development.

Christian Suarez: Exploring the Economics of Conservation

Christian Suarez, a second-year PhD student at CU Boulder, is focusing on the intersection of economics and environmental conservation. With a background in economics and political science, Christian’s academic journey into environmental studies began in 2020.

Christian’s current research investigates the role of ecological economics in shaping conservation policies. He explores concepts like contingent valuation, willingness to pay, and the economic trade-offs in species reintroduction. One of his first jumping-off points is examining Colorado's grey wolf reintroduction, the first democratically elected species reintroduction in world history.

As Christian refines his research going forward, one thing that remains vital is understanding how public perception drives conservation policy, and how economic reasoning helps incentivize policymakers to prioritize conservation efforts within a budget-constrained framework.

Waverly Eichorst: Addressing Food Security through Singapore’s 30 by 30 Initiative

Waverly, another talented graduate student at CU Boulder, is researching Singapore’s "30 by 30" initiative, which aims to locally produce 30% of the country’s food by 2030. Singapore imports over 90% of its food and has less than 1% of land available for agriculture, making this initiative a crucial case study for global food production/security policies.

Supported by NIFA and USDA, Waverly is investigating the real-world impacts of Singapore's policies on agricultural productivity. Through on-site farm visits and interviews, she is assessing the technical, financial, and regulatory challenges that Singapore’s agricultural sector faces, such as high production costs and a lack of consumer demand for local produce. Her research aims to uncover strategies for Singapore to overcome these challenges through innovation, R&D, and diversified agricultural products.

Waverly’s findings could have far-reaching implications, not only for Singapore but for global efforts to enhance food security.

Margaret Hegwood: U.S. Food System Regulation

Margaret Hegwood, a fifth-year PhD student in CU Boulder’s Environmental Studies department, is researching food system regulation in the United States. Supported by the USDA and CIRES’ Center for Social and Environmental Futures (C-SEF), part of Margaret’s dissertation is centered on the regulatory frameworks that shape the U.S. food system.

Margaret delved into the intricacies of the U.S. regulatory system, discussing what regulations are, who enforces them, and the pros and cons of the current framework for food systems. Margaret’s research sheds light on differences in how regulations impact low-emission versus high-emission food industries, offering insights into the effectiveness of environmental policies.

The insights gained from her work could have significant implications for the future of food system regulation and policy in the U.S.

Leading the Charge in Environmental Policy

These graduate students at CU Boulder demonstrate the department's commitment to addressing complex environmental challenges through interdisciplinary research. From the economics of species reintroduction to global food security and U.S. food system regulation, their work is laying the groundwork for sustainable, impactful environmental policies. Stay tuned for updates on their progress and learn how their research is driving change for a more sustainable future.

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Emma Galofré García selected as a Gilliam fellow

Anonymous — Wed, 31 Jul 2024 18:06:03 +0000

Emma Galofré García selected as a Gilliam fellow Anonymous (not verified) Wed, 07/31/2024 - 12:06

We are thrilled to announce that Emma Galofré García, a PhD student in ENVS, has been selected as a Gilliam Fellow, along with her advisor, Dr. Karen Bailey! The Gilliam Fellows Program financially supports each student-adviser pair for up to three years of the student’s dissertation research. For Emma, the fellowship will support her ongoing research in ecology.

This year's cohort of 50 exceptional student-adviser pairs were selected from a field of over 700 applications, the most in the program’s history! Hailing from a record 43 institutions – ten of which are receiving a Gilliam Fellowship for the first time – these students and faculty reflect the incredible breadth of scientific talent that exists throughout our country.

Congratulations Emma and Karen!

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Dr. Lambert and Rosie Sanchez interviewed featured in film about the Colorado wolf reintroduction initiative

Anonymous — Sat, 20 Jul 2024 18:24:18 +0000

Dr. Lambert and Rosie Sanchez interviewed featured in film about the Colorado wolf reintroduction initiative Anonymous (not verified) Sat, 07/20/2024 - 12:24

Dr. Joanna Lambert and current PhD Student, Alma "Rosie" Sanchez have been working for years on the Colorado wolf reintroduction initiative. Now, a film series tells the success story of this initiaitve, which is the first time a federally protected endangered species has been reintroduced via a democratic vote/ballot initiative. The first film of the series features both Dr. Lambert and Rosie! It premiered on July 18, and was followed by a speaker panel in which Dr. Lambert participated (as shown in image).

See the film trailer below and learn more about this incredible iniative here.

[video:https://vimeo.com/979366728]

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How cattle ranchers in Brazil could help reduce carbon emissions

Anonymous — Thu, 17 Mar 2022 06:00:00 +0000

How cattle ranchers in Brazil could help reduce carbon emissions Anonymous (not verified) Thu, 03/17/2022 - 00:00

Providing customized training to Brazilian ranchers can not only help keep carbon in the ground, but improve their livelihoods and mitigate climate change, according to new research from CU Boulder and the Climate Policy Initiative / PUC-Rio.

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A Successful Inaugural Patricia Sheffels Visiting Scholar Keynote Speaker

Anonymous — Tue, 15 Mar 2022 23:05:50 +0000

A Successful Inaugural Patricia Sheffels Visiting Scholar Keynote Speaker Anonymous (not verified) Tue, 03/15/2022 - 17:05

Diana Dorman

“Migwetch,” the Potawatomi word for thank you, was uttered confidently and humbly by Professor Kyle Powys Whyte as he closed the inaugural Patricia Sheffels Visiting Scholar Keynote Speaker talk ‘Against Crisis Science: Research Futures for Climate and Energy Justice.’ This word not only queued the crowd of over 100 people to applaud, but is a distillation of the insightful themes considered. Professor Whyte, an enrolled member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation and Professor at the University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability, discussed the crisis of climate change from his perspective as an indigenous person, “for me, the climate change crisis is better understood as a kinship crisis.” Professor Whyte reframed the climate crisis as a crisis of relationships, urging the audience to reconsider the roots of climate change.

A new addition to the Department of Environmental Studies (ENVS), the Patricia Sheffels Visiting Scholar Keynote Speaker series was made possible through the generosity of Patricia Sheffels and her family. A graduate of the Geography Department at University of Colorado Boulder (class of ’58), Patricia started the speaker series motivated by love of her family and the environment. The Patricia Sheffels Speaker series will bring top interdisciplinary environmental scholars to ENVS to discuss the world’s most pressing environmental challenges and how we may solve them. Professor Whyte’s expertise and personal perspective made him the perfect scholar to give the inaugural speech.

Mrs. Sheffels, who attended the lecture with her family, explained, “We all know that there is not one answer to solving climate change. I hoped for a visiting scholar who would not only show us some of the problems and solutions, but also to inspire the CU community to search for the answers. Kyle Whyte was available to students, the lecture attendees, and the community and he did an admirable job. I couldn’t have been more pleased with the inaugural event and the speaker.”

The daughter of a former dean in the California university system, who became a teacher as her first career, Pat has a lifelong relationship with education. Her love of the environment also started at a young age, hiking and skiing as much as possible throughout her time at CU Boulder. After graduating from CU, Pat moved to Montana with her husband where they ranched and raised a family.

Pat moved to Seattle once her children were grown and put her CU Geography degree to work as a Bellevue City Planner. Now retired, she has made donating her time, expertise, and resources an integral part of her life, working with many organizations and causes near to her heart, including the working with the hearing impaired, her church and helping disadvantaged people in developing countries. The Department of Environmental Studies is grateful for her support, and is excited for the next Visiting Scholar Keynote in 2023!

If you want to learn more about how you can support students and programs in ENVS now and in the future, contact the Department of Environmental Studies Chair, Max Boykoff, or donate now.

(Pictured from left to right: Professor Kyle Powys Whyte, Patricia Sheffels, and Chair Max Boykoff)

The ENVS Department hosted a successful inaugural Patricia Sheffels Visiting Scholar Keynote Speaker talk by Professor Kyle Powys Whyte (left). The lecture titled ‘Against Crisis Science: Research Futures for Climate and Energy Justice’, inspired the crowd, which included donor Patricia Sheffels (middle) and Chair Max Boykoff (right), to think of our climate crisis through the lens of indigenous peoples.

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Wildlife commissioner strives to listen to all voices

Anonymous — Tue, 15 Mar 2022 15:51:56 +0000

Wildlife commissioner strives to listen to all voices Anonymous (not verified) Tue, 03/15/2022 - 09:51

CU Boulder ecologist Karen Bailey, who serves on the Colorado Parks & Wildlife Commission, aims to listen to advocates for predators and also ranchers and farmers

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New Post Doc opportunities at ENVS!

Anonymous — Wed, 09 Mar 2022 12:36:23 +0000

New Post Doc opportunities at ENVS! Anonymous (not verified) Wed, 03/09/2022 - 05:36

The Mehrabi lab is looking for two 12-month Postdoctoral Associates starting as soon as possible. You will join a team of scientists working together to build new data products and analyses for monitoring and assessment of social and environmental development outcomes linked to poverty, food security, employment, infrastructure, energy, biodiversity, and human health. Your work will be assisting in the design, testing, and deployment of data science solutions, provision of visualization, analyses, and insights for partner communications and publications, providing and delivering, and maintaining public code and data products. Housed in the Sustainability Innovation Laboratory at Colorado (SILC) you’ll also collaborate with the Mortensen Center in Global Engineering to develop tools, policies, and practice for improved human development outcomes.

SILC is an interdisciplinary and solution-focused center that supports diverse projects and educational programs linked by a common focus on issues in sustainability and the environment. SILC’s impact-focused research includes engineering, physical and natural sciences, social science, social justice, psychology, humanities, business, law, computer science, and other fields. Check out Our Work (/silc/research) to learn more about our current initiatives and collaborations. The Principle Investigator leading this search and the supervisor for these roles is Dr. Zia Mehrabi. You can find out more about his work here.

The position has been posted on the CU Boulder Jobs website. Use the Keyword Search to find this posting number: 37187. The CU Boulder Jobs site automatically sends all external postings to the following sites:

For questions and helpful FAQs regarding CU Boulder Jobs, visit our website.

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EcoBuffs - Sign Up for a FREE EcoKit

Anonymous — Wed, 09 Mar 2022 11:57:19 +0000

EcoBuffs - Sign Up for a FREE EcoKit Anonymous (not verified) Wed, 03/09/2022 - 04:57

We are ALL Sustainable Buffs and our individual actions add up to make a big impact! The EcoKit can help improve your sustainable habits and also influence those around you!

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Paris Climate Agreement goal still within reach, suggests new CU Boulder study

Anonymous — Thu, 17 Feb 2022 12:44:09 +0000

Paris Climate Agreement goal still within reach, suggests new CU Boulder study Anonymous (not verified) Thu, 02/17/2022 - 05:44

Congratulations to Professor Roger Pielke and Assistant Professor Matt Burgess with their co-author on their recent publication out now in Environmental Research Letters. The new study suggests some cautiously optimistic good news: the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement goal is still within reach, while apocalyptic, worst-case scenarios are no longer plausible.

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In 2022, consider taking these 5 climate actions

Anonymous — Thu, 16 Dec 2021 07:00:00 +0000

In 2022, consider taking these 5 climate actions Anonymous (not verified) Thu, 12/16/2021 - 00:00

Climate change is a much bigger problem than individuals can solve alone, but CU experts say we each can make a difference. If you want to make some climate-focused changes to improve the present and future of the planet, consider these resolutions in the new year.

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