UMass and the Environment

Harper to discuss new book on political ecology in Hungary
(12/4/07) Krista Harper, assistant professor of Anthropology, will discuss her new book, “Wild Capitalism: Environmental Activists & Post-Socialist Ecology in Hungary,” on Thursday, Dec. 6 at 7 p.m. at Food for Thought Books. “Wild Capitalism” examines environmental issues in the “New Europe” of the 21st century. (More)

Scientists developing computer vision technology for tracking wildlife
(11/30/07) Campus scientists are developing computer vision technology to help identify and monitor individual animals in their environment by using digital photographs for quick identification. Much like facial pattern-recognition programs used by the FBI, the software will use complex algorithms to identify each individual’s unique features and automatically catalog them. (More)

Nüsslein’s work named a ‘best invention’ by Time
(11/28/07) Time magazine has named the work of Klaus Nüsslein, associate professor of Microbiology, and his collaborators as one of the best inventions of 2007. Nüsslein studies a microorganism, dubbed the “mighty microbe” in the Nov. 12 issue of Time, that when injected into loose sand can create cement-like, stable ground. (More)

UMass Amherst to host National Fuel Cell Research Center
(11/27/07) The University of Massachusetts Amherst will create a new research center focused on the cutting edge of hydrogen fuel cell science, the National Science Foundation (NSF) has announced, awarding a three-year, $1.5 million grant to the Fueling the Future Chemical Bonding Center. (More)

The Center for Fueling the Future and MassCREST
(11/27/07) The Center for Fueling the Future will build on what is already an impressive body of alternative energy research at the University of Massachusetts Amherst with UMass Amherst’s Massachusetts Center for Renewable Energy, Science and Technology (MassCREST). (More)

MassCREST Website

UMass Amherst biology professor recieves $625,000 to support biofuels
(11/7/07) Magdalena Bezanilla, assistant professor of biology at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, has been awarded a $625,000 Packard Fellowship in Science and Engineering. Bezanilla’s research focuses on uncovering plant genes that increase biomass production and cellulose content, which can then be converted into ethanol and used as a source of renewable energy. (More)

Research team receives grant to further biofuel studies at UMass Amherst
A team of researchers from UMass Amherst has received a $500,000 National Science Foundation Major Research Instrumentation grant that will buy instruments for a shared biofuels research lab containing state-of-the-art equipment to help further biofuel studies on campus. (More)

NSF grant supports polar science studies in schools
(11/2/07) The National Science Foundation has awarded $597,000 to campus scientists to help middle and high school teachers learn and teach about the polar regions where changes in snow and ice are revealing secrets of the planet’s past climate and the climate of the future. (More)

First UMass Wood Structures Symposium promotes green building
Presentations and related links from this year's symposium, hosted on November 1-2 by Peggi Clouston and the UMass Amherst Building Materials and Wood Technology program, are now posted online. (More)

Leschine Testifies on Biofuels before House Panel
(10/29/07) Microbiology professor Susan Leschine testified Oct. 24 about biofuels and their development at a congressional committee hearing in Washington, D.C. (More)

UMass microbiologist receives grants to study deep-sea, high-temperature microbes
(10/24/07) Microbiologist James Holden of the University of Massachusetts Amherst has been awarded two grants to study microorganisms from deep-sea volcanic environments that grow best at temperatures around 200 F. (More)

UMass Amherst researchers contributed to Nobel-winning climate change reports
(10/22/07) Raymond S. Bradley, director of the Center for Climate Change, is one of many researchers affiliated with UMass Amherst who contributed to reports issued by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) in the past year. The reports earned the panel the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize, shared with environmentalist Al Gore. (More)

UMass geoscientist receives grant to study effects of volcanoes on arctic climate
(10/12/07) Raymond S. Bradley, director of the Climate System Research Center at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, has received a three-year, $416,550 award from the National Science Foundation for his project, titled “Volcanoes in the Arctic System: Geochronology and Climate Impacts.” (More)

Engineers Without Borders aim to aid rubber tappers in Amazon
(9/10/07) A team from the campus chapter of Engineers Without Borders has just returned from an assessment trip to the Brazilian Amazon that will lead to a cheap, sustainable way to collect clean water and dispose of wastewater. (More)

UMass Amherst Professor Awarded Fellowship to Study Arsenic Contamination in U.S. and Overseas
(7/23/07) Chemistry professor Julian Tyson has been awarded a $200,000 Discovery Corps Fellowship by the National Science Foundation to support his research on the toxic contaminant arsenic. (More)

In a snap, turtles could aid researchers in saving species
(7/5/07) Two University of Massachusetts scientists are using technology to track and map the movements of snapping turtles, providing migratory information important to conservation efforts. (More)

UMass Amherst and Pioneer Valley Planning Commission Receive EPA Grant
(6/19/07) The University of Massachusetts Amherst and the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission have received a $300,000 grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to incorporate science into regional planning with the goal of enhancing sustainability. (More)