The Nelson Institute Blog

Dear Nelson Institute Faculty, Staff, and Students,

Yesterday, Provost Patrick Farrell informed Deans, Chairs, and Directors of a change in the administration of the Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies. Now, it is my pleasure to inform the Nelson Institute community that I have agreed to be Interim Director of the Nelson Institute for a two-year period. Over the past sixteen months, Lewis Gilbert successfully led the Institute, focusing on program development and implementation. The change in leadership builds upon a legacy of environmental leadership and thought at the University of Wisconsin, and reflects new priorities. I look forward to working with all of you to articulate the Nelson Institute’s vision and mission to meet the goals of a new university-wide strategic plan and to address the environmental challenges of the 21st century. Lewis will resume the role of Associate Director, and will continue to manage the Institute’s operations and programs.

The Institute has been an incubator, laboratory, and model of interdisciplinary research, teaching, and service across the natural sciences, social sciences, and humanities at the University of Wisconsin. It is a tradition we can be proud of, and one we can build upon as we chart a course of openness and cooperation in facilitating environmental initiatives across campus. In that spirit, I will be meeting with individual chairs and directors and will host listening sessions for faculty, staff, and students in the weeks ahead to initiate a conversation on the Nelson Institute’s goals and direction. You are also welcome to drop in from 11 am – 12 pm on Wednesdays in 122 Science Hall, where I will have an open conversation hour for anyone who is interested in coming to share ideas or concerns.

The Nelson Institute owes its success to the passion, commitment, and dedication of faculty, staff, and students who care enough to make a difference. I’m grateful to be a part of it, and I look forward to this phase of the Institute’s evolution and growth.

Sincerely,

Gregg Mitman
Interim Director, Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies
William Coleman Professor of History of Science
Professor of Medical History and Science & Technology Studies

The Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies
122 Science Hall, 550 North Park Street
(608) 262-1723 or (608) 265-5296
E-mail address

Although there isn’t a formal graduate ceremony in August, we’re equally proud of our summer degree candidates! We wish to extend our congratulations to the August 2008 graduates of our Environmental Studies Certificate program:

Nikita Brabbit
Scott Johnson
Kenneth McMahon
Alexa Nelson

Best wishes for all of your future endeavors and welcome to our growing family of Nelson alumni!

Kathryn De Master, Ph.D. Candidate in Environment and Resources (advisor Jane Collins), has just received a research fellowship through the Kosciuszko Foundation and the Polish Ministry of National Education to investigate issues of land abandonment and land tenure among Polish farmers. This work builds upon Kathryn’s dissertation field research that was also funded by the Kosciuszko Foundation and the UW-Madison EU Center of Excellence and explored Poland’s organic farm sector in the context of Poland’s 2004 accession to the European Union. Kathryn’s research project will be conducted in collaboration with UW-Madison’s Land Tenure Center, as well as researchers at the UW- Madison Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology and the Department of Sociology at Jagiellonian University in Krakow, Poland.

As the Fall 2008 term begins, we would like to congratulate our recent M.S. and Ph.D. graduates. A list of the recent graduates and their advisors can be found on our Recent M.S. and Ph.D. Graduates website.

Winter 2009 Service-Learning Experience

CALS Study Abroad & Department of Landscape Architecture

Join an ongoing partnership focused on planning, designing and building parks, playgrounds and other public open spaces in Honduras. We begin in Tegucigalpa, the Honduran capital, where we will explore public spaces, markets and the busy side streets of this bustling city. From there, we travel to Orica, a small village in the central highlands, where we will work (yes, hard labor!) on a children’s park. Finally, we will travel to Siguatepeque, to work on a variety of open space planning projects. Spanish helpful, but not required. No design experience necessary.

Students must register for 1-credit LA 375 Open Space Honduras (meeting times to be determined). Approximate total cost: $1,800

Pre-Semester Trip
January 4 -18, 2009

Informational Meeting
Thursday, September 11, 5:00 in 25 Agricultural Hall
For further information, contact Professor Sam Dennis

Listed below (click on more) are the Nelson Institute student fellowship, scholarship, and award recipients for the 2007-2008 academic year. For more information on Nelson Institute student awards for graduate students, check out our Funding and Fellowship web pages. (more…)

• Are you a graduate student who specializes in environmental studies and has (some) experience in speaking French?
• Would you like to attend an elite agricultural university in southwest France or work in a French research group?

If so, then come to the UW-Madison/SupAgro Franco-American Cultural Exchange (FACE) information session on Thursday, September 18 at 4:30 PM in Room 140 Science Hall.

For more information on the program, including funding information, check out the FACE program website or contact Professor Don Waller.