Monday, June 8, 2009
The University will welcome six new doctoral students this fall who will be working on issues related to climate change as part of the C-CHANGE program.
The National Science Foundation (NSF) awarded the University a $3 million grant in 2008 to fund the C-CHANGE program, Climate Change, Humans and Nature in the Global Environment. The grant is from NSF’s Integrative Graduate Education and Research Traineeship, IGERT, and is the first of its kind awarded to any university in Kansas.
breakbox
C-CHANGE Doctoral Students
There are six new fellows and one new associate with the C-CHANGE program:
Ferdouz V. Cochran, Lawrence doctoral student in geography Rebecca Jeanne Crosthwait, doctoral student in anthropology; master’s degree from KU; bachelor’s degree from Point Loma Nazarene University in California; fall 2009 C-CHANGE trainee Jodi Lorraine Gentry, Lawrence doctoral student in environmental engineering Adam David Sundberg, Emporia doctoral student in history Laci Manette Gerhart, Hutchinson doctoral student in ecology and evolutionary biology Hannah L. Owens, Downers Grove, Ill. doctoral student in ecology and evolutionary biology Julia Brandes, Hannover, Germany doctoral student in economics and master’s student in East Asian languages and cultures, is an associate with the program
Returning C-CHANGE Doctoral Students
Alvin J. Bonilla, Boqueron, Puerto Rico doctoral student in geology Trisha Lyn Jackson, Sterling doctoral student in geography Ann Jeannette Kern, Lawrence doctoral student in sociology Alexis Suzzanne Reed, Great Bend doctoral student in ecology and evolutionary biology Linda Marie Williams, Gardner doctoral student in public administration
C-CHANGE involves students studying natural and social sciences, engineering and policy to address climate change issues. The program’s research projects include studying Monarch butterfly migration and mapping Greenland’s ice sheets with the Center for Remote Sensing of Ice Sheets, or CReSIS, on West Campus.
Laci Manette Gerhart, Hutchinson doctoral student, is one of the new students coming to the University to participate in the C-CHANGE program, and said she was excited about the opportunity.
“Funding of any kind is important,” said Gerhart. “Getting money at all is exciting.”
The NSF awarded each of the six doctoral students $30,000 fellowships to complete the C-CHANGE program. Students in the program have been accepted into doctorate programs at the University, are nominated by their departments and are reviewed by an admissions committee.
Gerhart said that every selected student specialized in different fields of study and that the C-CHANGE certification was an additional recognition to their doctoral degree.
“The program takes people from really disparate groups with hugely different focuses and you all get together in one room to talk about issues,” Gerhart said.
Joane Nagel, C-CHANGE IGERT Project Director, said programs such as C-CHANGE were important for training the future of the scientific workforce. She said that the students attained unique, prestigious training that they wouldn’t receive from just studying their own disciplines and that they left the program as an elite group of people.
“Creative interdisciplinary teamwork is where problems will be solved,” Nagel said. “Climate change is a great example of this because it involves so many different sciences.”
Nagel said that because the U.S. was a big contributor to climate change, it had an obligation to contribute to the solution.
Alexis Suzzanne Reed, Great Bend doctoral student, just completed her first year in the program. She said the program was a great step forward for awareness of climate change issues. She said it also put the University on the cutting edge of research by highlighting the University’s strengths in that area.
“These programs are highly regarded across the nation,” Reed said. “This program is wide reaching because every discipline can take action.”
— — Edited by Ross Stewart
New climate change program integrates science with ...
The National Science Foundation funded the program, which is aimed at graduate ...
Chancellor, KU professor visit White House
Chancellor Bernadette Gray-Little and Associate Professor Joy Ward were guests at two ...
Alumni play different roles now at University
Former students have returned to the University not just for homecoming, but ...
Professors receive awards for excellence
Committee to hand out over $100,000 in awards to University Faculty.
Reframing the worlds of art and science
Collaborations encourage students to garner new ways of learning these seemingly separate ...
Museum gives tapeworm talk
Researcher Kirsten Jensen makes science wild and wiggly.
Report data encouraging for graduate programs
A report from the National Research Council shows promising data for graduate ...
News Briefs: October 2, 2007
The news in brief for October 2, 2007.
Natural History Museum curator dies
Fellowship doles out big bucks
Seven teachers were awarded checks of appreciation from the W.T. Kemper Fellowship ...
Ice sheet research awarded $17.9 million
CreSIS received money to develop and continue polar ice research.
Gray-Little plans University initiative
Chancellor wants to improve school’s national academic rankings and retention rate.
School of Journalism offers first doctoral program
Students now have the opportunity to get a doctorate in Journalism.
Grant to further knowledge about science
Kansas and Oklahoma universities will team together to create “cybercommons” for the ...
Six women inducted into Women's Hall of ...
The University of Kansas inducted six women into the women’s hall of ...
Kansas named one of ‘Great Colleges to ...
University was named top five in 12 out of 27 categories.
Grad check
See what's happened to William Adams since he graduated...
CReSIS plans trip with improved radar
Researchers will study causes of climate change by measuring thickness of glaciers ...
Environmentalist shares her passion with Lawrence
Simran Sethi has a long list of experiences: a host for MTV, ...
One student injured, another killed in two-car ...
One dead, one injured on K-10.
Research group studies fossils in Antarctica
A group of University research students gets its study of Antarctic fossils ...
Stimulus providing fellowships to grad students
Fellowships will be available in early 2010.
Research project helps scientists study Greenland
Audrey Fusco, graduate research assistant at the Center for Remote Sensing of ...
Barking up the evolution tree
CO2 emissions may affect flowering plants
Professor of ecology and evolutionary biology Joy Ward and post doctoral researcher ...
Chancellor Hemenway reflects on decade of goals
Library exhibit spotlights climate issue
The first KU Libraries exhibit will incorporate an interdisciplinary approach to the ...
University geologists scout glaciers in Antarctica
Assistant professor of geology Leigh Stearns and graduate student Brandon Gillette are ...
New plan lowers course requirements
“Bold Aspirations” plan will make double-majoring easier and encourage involvement.
Eight KU students win Fulbright Scholarships
The prestigious award funds scholars’ research in foreign countries.
Study Abroad introduces new programs
The study abroad fair is today on the fourth floor of the ...
Political speakers in high demand
Dole Institute and SUA attract figures for political lectures.
University should take closer look at graduation ...
The editorial board advises the University to take stronger measures to improve ...
Undergraduate Curriculum undergoing review
The University may be adjusting future general education requirements.
Kansas' evolution standards have hurt its reputation
The Kansas State Board of Education's stand in the evolution debate has ...
Student studies abroad in small village
KU student Chelsea Cooley learns to appreciate the environment while studying in ...
University adds new doctoral program
The Kansas Board of Regents recently approved the proposal from the department ...
CReSIS joins NASA for ice excursion
The Center for Remote Sensing of Ice Sheets will study climate change ...
Biology of beetlejuice
KU professor will discuss her research on poisonous beetles in Africa
No dirty laundry for Reed siblings
Sophomore Lacie Reed is the men’s basketball team’s student manager, while her ...
From left: Kimberlee Hinkle, Libby Johnson and Hannah ...
1 comment
Kansas Jayhawk fans hold aloft a reproduction of ...
2 comments
Erin Saupe, a Ph.D. student from St. Cloud, ...
1 comment
0 comments
Armed robbers continue to threaten.
3 comments
Lecture from Greg Mortenson, co-author of New York ...
0 comments
Comments
NSF awards six $30,000 doctoral fellowships
You're assuming they're researching whether or not climate change is occurring. To me, to "address climate change issues" assumes that climate change is happening on some level and the focus of their research is how we can deal with it. I'm glad you chose to make this some sort of political statement though, it's much more productive that way.
I'll refrain from political judgement, and stick to congratulations. I'm glad people like you can help the university meaningfully contribute to the global research community.
Sign in to comment
Or login with:
OpenID