Kusek, Mittlefehldt, and Stock recognized for teaching, scholarship, and leadership.
March 20, 2022
Dr. Ryan Stock received the 2021-22 Faculty Emerging Leadership Award. He is a political ecologist whose work utilizes an intersectional perspective to examine the environmental injustices of climate change interventions and energy transitions.
Dr. Weronika Kusek received the 2020-21 Excellence in Teaching Award. Kusek teaches online and in-person courses in human, urban and population geography, along with the geography of Russia and others.
Dr. Sarah Mittlefehldt received the 2020-21 Excellence in Scholarship Award recipient. She is working on two National Science Foundation-funded projects related to wood energy in Michigan and sustainable coastal development on Lake Superior's South Shore.
Dr. Ryan Stock receives 2021-2022 Faculty Emerging Leadership Award
March 20, 2022
Dr. Ryan Stock, an assistant professor in EEGS, is the recipient of Northern Michigan University's 2021-22 Faculty Emerging Leadership Award. He is a political ecologist that examines the environmental injustices of climate change intervention and energy transitions.
Stock is involved in research investigating gender politics and energy dispossessions of solar parks, environmental injustices of solar photovoltaic life cycle, climate adaptation and vulnerability of farmers in India, gendered livelihoods and solar development in Ghana, climate policy in South Asia, and biopolitics of climate-smart agriculture in the U.S.
Stock serves as the coordinator of NMU's Northern Climate Network, an appointed member of the Sustainability Advisory Council, and a member of three groups, including the Gender and Sexuality Studies Program Committee, the JEDI Collective (justice, equity, diversity, inclusion), and the Undergradrate Research Advisory Board.
Stock is a member of the Marquette County Climate Adaptation Task Force, a local social justice activist and former Fulbright Scholar and Peace Corps volunteer. He is also a board member of the American Association of Geographers' Energy and Environment Specialty Group.
Dr. Weronika Kusek receives 2020-2021 Excellence in Teaching Award
March 20, 2022
Dr. Weronika Kusek, an associate professor of human geography in EEGS, was a recipient of the 2020-21 Excellence in Teaching Award.
Kusek teaches online and in-person courses in human, urban and population geography, along with the geography of Russia and others. She is a native of Poland and immigrant to the United States. Her research interests stem from her personal experiences.
Kusek's published work focuses on migratory movements of humans, personal experiences of immigrants, urban transformations, international students and geography education. She values collaboration and has published with colleagues from around the world representing universities in the United Kingdom, Australia and Poland.
Her university service has included chairing the Uniting Neighbors in the Experience of Diversity (UNITED) Conference and membership on the Dean of Students' Retention Committee. She is also an active member of the American Association of Geographers (AAG). For that entity, she chaired a Committee on the Status of Women in Geography, served as chair of the Cultural Geography Specialty Group and has served on the board of the Ethnic Geography Specialty Group.
Dr. Sarah Mittlefehldt receives 2020-2021 Excellence in Scholarship Award
March 20, 2022
Dr. Sarah Mittlefehldt, an associate professor in EEGS, is Northern Michigan University's 2020-21 Excellence in Scholarship Award recipient. She is working on two National Science Foundation-funded projects related to wood energy in Michigan and sustainable coastal development on Lake Superior's South Shore.
The first project examines the development of wood energy in Michigan, and the socioecological implications of differently scaled technologies including residential woodstoves, community-scale boilers and biomass power plants and involves collaborators at Michigan State University.
The second project brings together scientists, planners, and community members to develop plans for sustainable coastal development on Lake Superior's South Shore.
Dr. Mittlefehldt has secured more than $518,000 in grant funding, given more than a dozen research keynotes nationwide and 10 conference panel and workshop presentations. She also received the 2019 Blegen Article Award for best article in forest and conservation history from the American Forest History Society.
Gamma Theta Upsilon organizes Graduate School Panel
March 17, 2022
The Eta Chi chapter of Gamma Theta Upsilon, the International Geographical Honor Society, organized a panel of students and faculty to discuss their experiences (upcoming, present, past) in pursuing graduate school and ideas for how to best prepare for it.
The session was moderated by GTU chapter president Jane Fitkin (ENSS) and secretary Lauren Argetsinger (ENV-PCR).
Panelists included Jonny Youngson (ENV-NRES), Michigan Tech graduate student and EEGS alumnus Olivia Czajka, alumnus Andrew Taylor, and Dr. Adam T. Naito.
Dr. Adam Naito discusses teaching opportunities at Dead River Community Forest as part of Upper Peninsula Land Conservancy Annual Meeting.
February 24, 2022
Dr. Adam T. Naito was invited to present at the Upper Peninsula Land Conservancy (UPLC) Annual Meeting on Wednesday, February 23, and discuss teaching opportunities afforded by the Dead River Community Forest.
In cooperation with Andrea Denham, the executive director of UPLC, Dr. Naito developed a service-learning project involving students from GC 401: Biogeography to provide UPLC with a preliminary composition and biomass assessment for the Dead River Community Forest (DRCF). The UPLC is currently completing an effort to acquire the DRCF for natural conservation and recreation purposes, as well as to help promote the local economy.
Read The Mining Journal's report on this meeting.
To watch the Annual Meeting presentations, visit UPLC's YouTube Channel or visit the research project website.