Highlight
Summit on Climate Change in the Great Lakes Region
2007 summit on Coping with Climate Change in the Great Lakes Region at the University of Michigan Biological Station, speakers and event organizers.
Achievement/Results
The implications of climate change in the Great Lakes Region were discussed by several speakers during a two-day summit at the University of Michigan Biological Station this summer. The event was organized by the 2006 BART (Biosphere-Atmosphere Research and Training) Cohort. The Summit provided a platform for a diversity of students, citizens and experts to discuss scientific, economic, and political aspects of climate change in the Great Lakes region. The cross-sector round table discussions (1) engaged stakeholders on the current status of climate science with a focus on regional impacts, (2) outlined how different technologies might be deployed and policies could be enacted to create a viable regional alternative energy sector and strengthen the manufacturing industry, (3) explored other regional and national policy options that address climate change mitigation, and (4) provide the community with more information about the status of the science and policies regarding climate change. Speakers included Dr. Joyce Penner, a co-author on the 2006 IPCC report and University of Michigan faculty member, Dr. Rosina Bierbaum, Dean of the University of Michigan’s School of Natural Resources and Environment, and previously Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, and Dr. Quentin Chiotti, Air Pollution Director at Pollution Probe Canada. While the Summit gave the students a valuable opportunity to discuss important aspects of climate change, the most valuable experience for the 2006 Cohort was likely the process of organizing the Summit itself. The students started organizing the conference during the Fall of 2006. The Multi-Institutional aspect of our NSF-IGERT (Integrative Graduate Education and Research Traineeship) Program, created a challenge in that all planning had to be done through telephone conferences and emails instead of in face-to-face planning meetings. The students took care of the majority of the summit responsibilities including submitting requests for funding, choosing and inviting speakers, organizing a poster session, overseeing all on-site logistics, and learning how to tactfully moderate a group discussion. This work intensified once the fellows arrived at the Biological Station and the normally research focused 2nd year students had to learn to balance their conference related work with their on-going research. They also received assistance from the new 2007 cohort while at the Station. Overall, the conference was a success and was well received by all participants. The multi-disciplinary aspect of our IGERT Program was useful to the students during the planning aspects of the Summit. Since our students, and our faculty members, come from a mix of disciplines, they were able to suggest speakers from different disciplines which allowed for a broader perspective on climate change. In addition, this multidisciplinary aspect of our program helped the students when writing all the questions for the panel speakers and discussion groups. The students found that organizing and running the Summit better assisted in the development of skills that would be useful to them during their academic careers than some of our more traditional development workshops. This was likely due to the fact that the students were so invested in the success of the event.
Address Goals
The event helped to increase the scientific literacy of the Northern Michigan community as well as undergraduates at the University of Michigan Biological Station, which is not only a goal of NSF but also a primary goal of the Biological Station. The conference also helped the students, as well as the participants, to focus on the areas of climate change that require further research, study, and the creation of innovative solutions.
