More Stories: The Environment on Campus
TEI works with undergraduate student writers to
produce short feature articles focusing on environmental research by
UMass Amherst faculty. As stories are added, the newest will be highlighted
on the TEI home page and all stories will be collected in this archive.
Focus on Faculty Research
Rain Gardens for Stormwater Management
Stephanie McPherson for TEI
Frank Sleegers, Assistant Professor in the Department of Landscape Architecture and Regional Planning, teaches design studios in landscape architecture and urban design. His research and creative work fall into two areas: phytoremediation [ The treatment of environmental contamination through the use of plants which mitigate the problem without the need to excavate the contaminant material and dispose of it elsewhere. ] and landscapes of sensual experiences and green infrastructure and the building and organizing of site specific ephemeral art work in urban environments. Both are explored in his interdisciplinary Urban Design Laboratory as alternative strategies for urban renewal. (More)
Nanostructuring Organic Photovoltaics
Stephanie McPherson for TEI
In
the not-so-distant future, it could be possible to harvest electricity
not from power plants, but from house paint or walking outside in a winter
jacket. Associate Professor of Chemistry Dhandapani
Venkataraman is working
to make it happen through his research on organic solar cells. The flexible
nature of these cells could change the way we use electricity. “There
are people who dream about making roof shingles based on organic photovoltaics,”
he says. “I could make a bag which is covered with [them] and you can
charge your iPod. I could make a window screen or window curtain that
has organic solar cells on one side.” (More)
'Green' Water Cleanup
Stephanie McPherson for TEI
David Reckhow, Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering, works to ensure the safety of drinking water supplies across the country. “I’m involved with a lot of aspects of water treatment […] the purification of what we call raw drinking waters,” Reckhow says. Water contamination comes in many forms and Reckhow’s laboratory work determines the most efficient ways to clean contaminated water.Organic compounds such as polysaccharides and proteins are harmless products of terrestrial and aquatic plants. But when they interact with disinfecting agents, they are converted to compounds that have deleterious effects. These disinfection byproducts are associated with cancer, particularly of the bladder. Reckhow’s group examines exactly what these harmful compounds are and how to control them. They begin as nontoxic, normal organic materials released from both aquatic and terrestrial plants. As they flow downstream and into water treatment plants, they nteract with bacteria and chlorine to create dangerous arcinogens. “We’re concerned about the nature of the organic material and how it changes from the well water or the lake in its pristine form,” says Reckhow. “[We want] to minimize the risk to people.” (More)
Microbial Wonders
Stephanie McPherson for TEI
Microscopic organisms make up more than half the biomass on Earth, and Klaus Nüsslein, Associate Professor of Microbiology, is investigating how they work. “They own this planet. There is more biomass in microbes than there is in plants,” says Nüsslein. The hundreds of thousands of microbe species live and work together. It is near impossible to find one species living on its own. “They live together in the amount of a billion in [a gram of] soil. So how is that possible?” Nüsslein is focusing on three major areas of study to understand how microbes function in their various ecosystems, with emphasis on stressful environments. (More)
Mitigating Atmospheric Toxins
Stephanie McPherson for TEI
William Manning, Professor of Plant Pathology in the Department of Plant, Soil and Insect Sciences, is not only asking what we can do for nature, but what nature can do for us. For the past thirty years, Manning has been examining the interaction of greenhouse gases and plant matter. “I’m just a natural scientist who wants to know what’s going on out there,” he says. “What does it mean?” Right now, by looking at injury and absorption, Manning is trying to decipher which plants are the best to cleanse the air or act as pollution markers. “If Tree A is better at taking up CO2 than Tree B, let’s use tree A if we can. If Tree Z is better at taking up NO2 than Tree Y, then we should use Z, but those criteria are not used,” Manning says. “So I’m trying to convince people that trees should really do something for us other than just be attractive.” (More)
High Octane Computing: Designing Next Gen Energy Technologies
Stephanie McPherson for TEI
Scott Auerbach, Professor of Chemistry, uses computers to search for “green” alternatives to the use of petroleum and coal, the largest contributors to the carbon emissions causing the human component of global warming. “I think we’ve now learned that energy and environment are inseparable, because when you use energy, you impact the environment in some way,” says Auerbach, who is also an Adjunct Professor in Chemical Engineering. Much of Auerbach’s work has focused on alternative fuels and fuel cells. (More)
Watershed Science and Management
Ted Rogers for TEI
Timothy
Randhir, Associate Professor in the Department of
Natural Resources Conservation, works with the most important
molecule known to earth- H2O. From the amoeba to ourselves, everything
needs water, and watersheds are the source of it. Watersheds, as
Randhir will tell you, are not only bodies of water, but also “any
mass of land that drains into the point itself.” The sheer
scope of watersheds has contributed to Randhir’s wide-ranging
research interests, which include watershed science, climate change
impacts, ecological economics, and water quality and policies.(More)
Effects of Environmental Pollutants on Gene Expression
Stephanie McPherson for TEI
While
at first glance breast milk and fish may seem to have little in common,
Associate Professor of Veterinary and Animal Sciences Kathleen Arcaro
sees a relationship in these seemingly disparate areas of study. For
the past six years, Arcaro and her team have been studying the effects
of environmental pollutants on gene expression in fish and the health
of cells present in human breast milk. “Fish serve as sentinels
for water quality, while the breast milk and cells present in the milk
provide biomarkers of human exposure and effect. In both cases we’re
particularly interested in those pollutants that have hormonal activity,” Arcaro
says.
(Complete Story)
Fish Ecology, Evolution and Behavior
Ted Rogers for TEI
The
ocean is a living organism. It warms, it cools. Fish stocks can migrate
and sometimes disappear. With impending climate change and over-fishing
running riot, Francis Juanes, Professor in the Department of
Natural Resources Conservation, has his work cut out for him
as he studies fish species along the Atlantic coast. Juanes’ research
focuses on the ecology, evolution, and behavior of fishes and benthic
crustaceans. Particular areas of interest include understanding the
mechanisms leading to recruitment variability of marine fishes, the
evolution of life history strategies, and behavioral ecology as it
applies to prey size selection and spatial distribution of species.(More)
Hydrologic Research
Stephanie McPherson for TEI
David
Boutt, Assistant Professor of Hydrogeology in the Deparment of Geosciences knows
a thing or two about subsurface liquids. “All my work involves
fluids of some sort, whether in the shallow or the deeper crusts,” says
Boutt. His extensive research in subterranean fluids allows him to
assess a situation and determine the best course of action, whatever
the scenario. Boutt has been working on a number of water related
projects, and is also studying the effects of carbon sequestration
on the natural rocky make-up of aquifers.(Complete
Article)
Building Green
Stephanie McPherson for TEI
Paul
Fisette, Professor and Department Head of Natural
Resources and Conservation, first realized the importance
of energy efficient building during the energy crisis of the 1970s.
As a general contractor, Fisette saw many homes with leaking window
seals or water damaged foundation systems. “That really had
an impact on me,” says Fisette. Since that time more than 30
years ago, Fisette has been a magazine editor and professor, has
worked on numerous papers and projects and taught countless students
about building houses in more environmentally durable ways.(Complete Article)
Is It Safe?
Stephanie McPherson for TEI
Bring
a sample of soil from a playground or water from a well and Julian
Tyson, Associate Dean and Professor of Chemistry, can tell
you if it is toxic. “In the broadest sense, a lot of what we
do is answering ‘is it safe,’ and ‘it’ can
be all kinds of things,” Tyson says. “We’re monitoring
the safety of the immediate environment.” Tyson, who has been
at the University for 19 years and assumed responsibilities of Associate
Dean this semester, is working to develop more efficient methods of
detecting toxic elements in the environment. “You can go to a
standard textbook and look up a method for measuring the total arsenic
concentration in soil,” Tyson says, but reading about a method
detailing how to find the levels of specific compounds of arsenic is
impossible. “That method doesn’t exist,” he says.
(Complete Article)
Alternative Energy Technologies and the Sustainability Network
Stephanie McPherson for TEI
Since
late Spring 2007, Erin Baker, Assistant Professor of Mechanical
and Industrial Engineering along with groups of environmental
activists has been working towards bringing sustainability into the
Pioneer Valley through the Sustainability Network, supported with EPA
funding. “It’s a pretty interesting project,” Baker,
says. The Pioneer Valley Sustainability Network was initiated by the
University of Massachusetts Environmental Institute and Department
of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering and the Pioneer Valley Planning
Commission, and is now comprised of many individuals, groups and organizations
working on sustainability in western Massachusetts. (Complete
Article)
Environmental Justice and the Hungarian Roma
Stephanie McPherson for TEI
Krista
Harper, Assistant Professor of Anthropology, shuffles through large
stiff printouts of photographs taken of Sajószentpèter,
a predominantly Hungarian Roma village in northern Hungary. There is
a lush river bank covered with plastic containers. A photo of a wood
stove a Roma family uses for heat, despite its poor ventilation. A
young boy stands in front of the family outhouse, used in lieu of an
indoor bathroom. These photos were taken in a neighborhood that is
a five minute walk from the mayor’s office. “Somehow, the
town has never managed to install sewerage or indoor water,” said
Harper.
Green Infrastructure to Build Green Communities
Katie Maginnis for TEI
With
the implications of climate change and the rising price of oil, many
architects are embracing the idea of “green building”. Jack
Ahern, Professor of Landscape Architecture and Regional
Planning, has been developing a theory of landscape urbanism
based on green infrastructure practices.
Geobacters Cleanup Groundwater Contaminated with Uranium
Katie Huston for TEI
Twenty-one years ago, Derek Lovley discovered
Geobacters, novel anaerobic organisms that gain energy from iron oxides.
Today, he’s as excited about working with them as ever. “[Geobacter]
is just so darn interesting,” he says. “It does so many
interesting things. Lovley, a Distinguished University Professor
of Microbiology,
first isolated Geobacters in the Potomac River downstream from Washington,
D.C., in 1987 while working at a federal government lab. Since then,
he’s discovered numerous applications, including bioremediation
of polluted groundwater and harvesting electricity from organic waste.
Economic Approaches to Managing Natural Resources
Katie Huston for TEI
John
Stranlund was drawn to economics because of his passion
for the environment.
“Economics looked like a promising avenue for me to study environmental
issues,” he says. “I cared about the environment and development
before I cared about economics. In fact, without the environment and development
aspect, I’m not sure I would be an economist.” Today, Stranlund
is a professor in the Department of Resource Economics where
he’s been on the faculty since 1993. His current research takes two distinct
directions, ranging from the effectiveness of environmental regulation in the
developed world to resource-sharing and government intervention in small fishing
villages in Colombia. (Complete Article)
Using Bioremediation to Treat Pollutants in the Environment
Katie Huston for TEI
Sarina
Ergas knows that small organisms can make a big difference.
Ergas, an Associate Professor in the Department of Civil
and Environmental Engineering, specializes in bioremediation,
a process of using microorganisms to biodegrade toxic compounds to
non-toxic substances to reduce pollutant concentrations in the environment. “We
have microorganisms that we find can carry out some particular process
that we want them to carry out, and then what we have to do is figure
out what their needs are,” she says. “We can’t
just make them do our bidding. We have to get on their agenda. Microorganisms
don’t do this altruistically. They only want one thing: to
grow and create more bacteria.”
(Complete Article)
Health and Sustainable Food Systems
Katie Maginnis for TEI
When
discussing issues of food security and sustainability, many people
mention the phrase “think globally, act locally.” This
may be a good place to start, but it’s more complicated than
that, says Kalidas Shetty, Professor of Food
Science. In order to create more sustainable food systems,
we need to take an integrative approach. As Shetty explains, “What
we’re seeing already is that food, health, energy, environment,
and of course water and sanitation – they all connect. If we
don’t understand that, we cannot address the issue.” (Complete
Article)
International Relations and Environmental Decision Making
Katie Huston for TEI
When
it comes to the environment, Peter M. Haas of the
Department of Political Science is looking at the
big picture. Haas specializes in international relations with a focus
on environmental issues, examining the contributions of various political
actors such as scientists, international organizations, non-governmental
organizations (NGOs) and the private sector to create effective international
governance. “I’m interested in how environmental threats
are recognized and what contributes to more effective collective responses
to them,” he says. (Complete
Article)
New Processing Technologies for Biomass Production
Katie Huston for TEI
Scientists
and engineers around the globe are searching for solutions to global
warming and dependence on foreign oil and rising fuel prices. George
Huber, assistant professor of Chemical Engineering,
says part of the solution to replacing petroleum oil is cellulosic
biomass. “Everything we use petroleum for, we’ll be using
biomass for in the future,” he says. (Complete
Article)
Understanding the Causes and Implications of Climate Change
Katie Huston for TEI
To
understand the causes and implications of climate change, we need to
understand its history, explains Ray Bradley, a University
Distinguished Professor in the Department of Geosciences,
who heads the Climate System Research Center at UMass
Amherst. Bradley specializes in paleoclimatology, the study of climate
change on the scale of Earth’s entire history. “What we’re
trying to do is understand the variability of climate, and how that
relates to where we are today – putting
present climate in long-term perspective in order to better assess the human
effects on the climate system,” he says. (Complete
Article)
New Techniques for Understanding Relationships Between Aquatic Organisms and Toxic Metals
Katie Maginnis for TEI
Most
people who have taken a basic chemistry course are able to point out
the transition metals on the Periodic Table. Still, many
of the most experienced chemists remain puzzled about the changes that
these metals undergo when exposed to natural ligands in aquatic ecosystems. Fortunately, Richard
Vachet, Associate Professor of Chemistry is
shedding some light on the subject. (Complete
Article)
Water Protection from Forest to Faucet
Katie Huston for TEI
Ask Paul
Barten how much we spend in the U.S. purifying water each
year, and he’ll tell you, “More than we need to spend.” That’s
why Barten, an associate professor in the department of Natural
Resources and Conservation, and his students are developing
new mapping methods to protect public water supplies from pollution
associated with land use. “If you focus on avoiding and preventing
pollution, you can substantially reduce water treatment costs,” he
says. (Complete Article)
Disrupton Tolerant Networking to Monitor Ecosystems
Katie Huston for TEI
Computer
scientists often sit behind their desks, but Associate Professors Brian
Levine and Mark Corner in the deparment of Computer
Science are getting out of their offices and into nature.
They’re applying their work with Disruption Tolerant Networking
(DTN) to environmental problems, including monitoring underwater environments
and tracking wildlife. (Complete
Article)
Climate Change and Health
Katie Huston for TEI
When
talking about climate change, we often tend to overlook one of its
most important and immediate effects, says Christine Rogers:
its effect on health. Rogers, an Assistant Professor in
the department of Public Health, is an aerobiologist,
which means she studies airborne biological material. In particular,
she’s focusing on how global warming affects allergens, which
may have huge implications for people who suffer from allergic diseases.
(Complete Article)
Elephants Without Borders
Katie Huston for TEI
In
the U.S., you ’d be hard pressed to find an elephant outside
of a zoo. In parts of Africa, though, humans and elephants are increasingly
coming into conflict and competing for land and resources. That’s
one problem that Curt Griffin, a professor in the Department
of Natural Resources and Conservation and Alfred Kikoti,
a doctoral candidate, hope to address by studying elephant population
status, ecology and transboundary movements in northern Botswana and
northern Tanzania. (Complete
Article)
Environmental Impacts of Manufactured Nanoparticles
Katie Maginnis for TEI
As
the 21st century unfolds, the emerging development of nanotechnology
presents considerable benefits to society, as well as risks. Nanoparticles,
that measure 1-100 nanometers (nm) in size, are already being used
for a variety of purposes. For instance, carbon nanotubes have been
considered for use in remediation of toxic chemicals in the environment,
and metal oxide nanoparticles are present in many cosmetics, such as
sunscreen and shampoo. As this technology develops, however, the need
for information concerning the potential damages caused by nanoparticles
becomes increasingly important.
Baoshan Xing, Professor of Environmental
and Soil Chemistry, in Plant, Soil and Insect Soil Sciences
, understands the necessity for research in this field.
(Complete Article)
Modeling the Pollution Dynamics of the Blackstone River Watershed
Tim Travers for TEI
Once
considered ‘America’s Hardest Working River’ due
to the number of mills utilizing the hydraulic energy produced along
the river, the 475 square mile Blackstone River watershed in central
Massachusetts and northern Rhode Island contributes the majority
of flow and nutrients emptying into Narragansett Bay. Designated
an American Heritage River by EPA in 1998, the Blackstone River is
at risk from pollution from agricultural runoff, public and private
municipal water treatment facilities, and development impairing both
the hydrology and the ecology of the river and bay system. Paula
Rees, Assistant Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering
and Interim Director of the MA Water Resources Research Center, has
been conducting field research to monitor, assess, and model the
river system since 2001. (Complete
Story)
Biodiversity in Urban Environments
Katie Maginnis for TEI
Housing
high concentrations of people, cities often develop negative reputations
associated with traits such as traffic jams, high crime rates, and
fewer green spaces. However, Professor Paige Warren in the Department
of Natural Resource Conservaton has a plan to shape urban areas into
more pleasant habitats for both humans and wildlife. As Warren
suggests, “people need access to nature. They need nature
in their daily lives. They need wildness around them.” How
does one create a sense of “wildness” in areas that are
so highly populated with humans already? By studying the relationships
between human activities and wildlife populations, Warren hopes to
improve the ecosystem functioning of cities, so that biodiversity within
them may increase.
(Complete Story)
Discovery of New Bacteria May Have Huge Impact on Biomass Fuel Technology
Amanda Mitchell for TEI
For
thousands of years, ethanol, a type of alcohol derived from microbial
consumption of fruits and grains, has been created by brewers of beer.
In the recent past, ethanol derived from corn has been added to gasoline
to replace a toxin harmful to the environment. And now, with new research
conducted by Dr. Susan Leschine and her team of researchers at the
University of Massachusetts Amherst, it is only a matter of time before
ethanol from whole plants is available as a source of fuel. (Compete
Story)
UMass Engineers without Borders Work to Improve Water Quality in Kenya
Amanda C. Mitchell for TEI
The
University of Massachusetts Amherst chapter of Engineers without Borders
spent two and a half weeks of the winter session break in Kenya collecting
data and starting preliminary work on their water system improvement
plan. The group, which was founded in January of 2006, includes more
than twenty university students who have an interest in working to
improve the lives of others through engineering and economic development.
(Complete Story)
Students for Environmental Sustainability Tackle Campus Environmental Issues
Amanda C. Mitchell for TEI
A new student group called Students for Environmental Awareness and
Action, or SEAA, is making its presence known on the University of
Massachusetts Amherst campus.
Founded this past fall semester by current co-president Josh Stoffel,
SEAA has approximately 25 active group members. Though a student-run
group affiliated with the Environmental Science program, SEAA consists
of students and local area community members and is open to everyone.
(Complete Story)
Food Systems Environmental Lecture Series
Amanda C. Mitchell for TEI
UMass faculty members whose research and professional work have led them into the realm of food systems and food science
co-hosted The Environmental Institute's Food Systems Lecture Series. (Complete
Story)
UMass Embraces Sustainability
Amanda C. Mitchell for TEI
The
environmentally conscious community on the University of Massachusetts
Amherst Campus is rallying around the environmental movement known
as “sustainability.” Born from the failure of linear, non-renewable
systems of human and resource consumption, sustainability emphasizes
a circular or “holistic” way of thinking. According to
a proposal put fourth to the University by special topics class PLSOIL
297S in the spring of 2002, sustainability can be defined as follows:
(Complete Story)