Lake to Lake CISMA crew removes invasives from Outdoor Learning Area
July 8, 2024
A three-member crew of the Lake to Lake Cooperative Invasive Species Management Area (L2L CISMA) removed invasive plants from the GeoPark in NMU’s Outdoor Learning Area (OLA). Maddie O’Donnell (BS '19 Environmental Science), District Manager of the Marquette County Conservation District, and Elise Desjarlais (BS '13 Zoology), L2L CISMA Coordinator, organized the event.
Noah Gostomski (BS '20 Environmental Studies and Sustainability) led the crew for a second year. He spent the winter in a grant-funded position for the MCCD, proactively searching hemlock forests for signs of the non-native hemlock wooly adelgid in hemlock that has spread from where it was introduced in the eastern United States. He also became certified to treat phragmites. Since the early spring he has serving the community by pulling invasive terrestrial plants such as garlic mustard, tansy, spotted knapweed, and also tackling aquatic invasives. Although he misses friends he made while pursuing conservation work in Oregon, he is glad to be back home in Marquette—engaged in meaningful work to help local ecosystems.
Lauren Sosnosky (BS '23) is having a great summer applying her Environmental Studies and Sustainability degree to her work with the MCCD. Lauren wanted to stay in the area after graduating and gain experience with hands-on work outdoors. She reported, “It’s a lot of fun learning about terrestrial and aquatic invasive species. This job is also nice because we are able to explore places around the U.P. such as the Soo and the Garden Peninsula.” Working with the Great Lakes Climate Corps last summer and the L2L CISMA this summer, Lauren is developing skills that will serve her well in a future position with a state or federal agency.
As an NMU graduate with a Fisheries and Wildlife Management major, Ally Porter (BS '24) wanted to work for the MCCD because “what they do is important.” Ally explained, “Northern is the entire reason I’m doing conservation”, which wasn’t her original academic plan. Thanks to excellent faculty members, she was inspired to manage invasive species, especially in waterbodies. Ally likes working for the community and helping the environment. She, too, appreciates the opportunity to stay in the U.P. since graduating.
Thank you, L2L CISMA crew, for helping us give native plants a better chance to establish in the GeoPark garden.
GLCC crew improves pollinator habitat at NMU Hoop House
Jun 18, 2024
As a program manager at the Superior Watershed Partnership (SWP), NMU alumnus Tyler Penrod ('20 BS) facilitated the removal of invasive plant species from the grounds of the NMU Hoop House. In early June 2024, Great Lakes Tribal Conservation Corps (GLTCC) crew leader Olivia (Liv) Gordon and members Sam, Turner, and Kyle pulled up spotted knapweed, tansy, and non-native grasses that had taken hold around the outdoor garden beds. The group then spread seeds of native wildflowers and grasses to cover bare ground and keep the aggressive non-native plants from reestablishing.
Please visit the Great Lakes Climate Corps crew news page for the full story.
Kelly receives Outstanding Graduating Senior Award
May 1, 2024
Congratulations to Mary Kelly, the EEGS Department’s 2024 Outstanding Graduating Senior, who completed a B.S. in Environmental Science with a concentration in Natural Resources and a second major in French. Mary was also recognized as the 2023–24 NMU Board of Trustees Outstanding Student of Any Class. Since she arrived in Fall 2020, Mary has immersed herself in opportunities to learn and lead, starting with a Freshman Fellowship. For three years, Mary helped oversee activities at the NMU Hoop House, which was recognized in April 2024 as the Student Organization of the Year. Mary also served as Vice President and then President of NMU’s Eta Chi chapter of Gamma Theta Upsilon International Geographical Honor Society. She and GTU co-leaders coordinated activities for the 9th and 10th Anderton’s Earth Week events, organized Earth Fest, and held career and graduate school panels and other professional development opportunities. While at NMU, Mary discovered and developed her interests in GIS, remote sensing, and programing, and she applied these skills to numerous research projects—many of which she presented at regional and national conferences in Illinois, Texas, and Washington. As a member of the Conservation Data Lab, Mary collaborated with The Nature Conservancy (TNC) on a geospatial analysis in which she mapped past and present forests in coastal Oregon. TNC and the U.S. Forest Service subsequently adopted and applied her analytical methods to forests in other locations to inform ecosystem planning efforts. Mary published her senior capstone project Shading the Future: A GIS-Based Approach to Optimal Tree Planting for Urban Heat Mitigation at Northern Michigan University in Conspectus Borealis. This summer after graduating, Mary will work as an Environmental Protection Specialist with the U.S. Department of Transportation. In Fall 2024, Mary begins the next chapter in graduate school at the University of Michigan, where she will pursue an M.S. degree in Environment and Sustainability, focusing on geospatial data sciences. Funds from the Fillmore C. F. Earney Endowment will help support her first semester of studies. We appreciate Mary’s myriad contributions to scholarly and extracurricular activities in the EEGS Department, at Northern, and to the broader community. Here’s to a bright future.
Bailey graduates with 4.0 GPA
May 1, 2024
Maggie Bailey graduated in December 2023, maintaining a 4.0 GPA while earning a B.S. in Environmental Science with a concentration in Renewable Energy Technologies and a minor in Wildlife Conservation Law and Policing. While at NMU, Maggie completed the Student Leader Fellowship Program where she undertook a 100-hour volunteer service project with the Noquemanon Trail Network. She and a group of fellow students started DivestNMU, and the university subsequently developed a divestment plan based on recommendations that DivestNMU members proposed to the Board of Trustees. Maggie helped draft the Climate Energy Resolution that the City of Marquette adopted in December 2021. She developed her interests in carbon neutrality, solar power, and native plants into a senior capstone project that sought ways to improve technology while implementing renewable energy. In Winter 2023, Maggie started working at Peninsula Solar, a company based in Marquette that services Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. The company’s goal is to install commercial, residential, and off-grid solar energy systems. Since graduating, Maggie has continued to work at Peninsula Solar as Office Operations, Utility Interconnection and Permitting Manager. She also moved into her school bus that she converted in 2022. Maggie offered these reflections: “I am forever grateful for the faculty members who encouraged me to explore opportunities beyond academia. Because of their encouragement, I formed meaningful connections within the Marquette Community and was able to participate in impactful campaigns. These experiences left me feeling fulfilled and motivated to pursue systemic change beyond my time at NMU.”
Laws graduates with 4.0 GPA
May 1, 2024
Lexi Laws graduated in May 2024 with a B.S. in Environmental Studies and Sustainability, a minor in French, an EEGS cluster minor titled Environmental Law and Advocacy…and a 4.0 GPA. Lexi has been very active since she set foot on campus. As a member of Sage Block in the Student Leader Fellowship Program, Lexi interned at the NMU Food Pantry. She participated in the Honors Program throughout her time at Northern, and served as the Editor in Chief of Conspectus Borealis, NMU's undergraduate student journal for the 2023–2024 school year. Lexi is a member of Eta Chi chapter of Gamma Theta Upsilon International Geographical Honor Society. Upon graduation Lexi shared that, “I am incredibly grateful to the EEGS Department for making my time here at Northern special. Without all of the awesome EEGS faculty, I can't imagine how different my college experience would have been. I rave about this department every time I get the chance because it truly is a wonderful community of people.” We are delighted to have had Lexi as an enthusiastic participant in our classes and around campus. She leaves NMU well prepared for an exciting journey.
Rothhorn graduates with 4.0 GPA
May 1, 2024
Kata Rothhorn graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science with a concentration in Water Resources while maintaining a 4.0 GPA. She earned a minor in Native American Studies. While at NMU, Kata participated in many organizations, including the Student Leader Fellowship Program, Native American Student Association, North Wind student newspaper, and the Honors Program. Pursuing her passion for storytelling, she interviewed 11 LGBTQ+ NMU alumni for an oral history project through the NMU Archives and presented her research at the National Collegiate Honors Conference in Chicago, IL. During her senior year, Kata joined NMU’s Eta Chi chapter of Gamma Theta Upsilon International Geographical Honor Society and became the secretary for a semester. She also sang with Superior A Capella. In summer 2023, Kata became an Agricultural Science Research Technician for the Michigan State University Upper Peninsula Research Extension Center. She collaborated on a research project analyzing cover crop termination methods on soil health and greenhouse gas emissions. She presented this research at the Marbleseed Organic Farming Conference in LaCrosse, Wisconsin, and the Celebration of Student Scholarship at NMU. Kata was recognized as the 2023–24 NMU Board of Trustees Outstanding Graduating Senior and will serve in the Peace Corps as a Community Development Facilitator in Coastal Resource Management in the Philippines after graduation.
Swanson graduates with 4.0 GPA
May 1, 2024
In May 2024 Environmental Science major Tegan Swanson graduated with a 4.0 GPA, concentration in Water Resources, and Sustainability minor. Tegan, from East Jordan, Michigan, enjoys spending time outdoors—camping, hiking, walking her dogs, and hunting for morel mushrooms. She was president of the Alpha Omicron Upsilon chapter of Phi Theta Kappa at North Central Michigan College before transferring to NMU in 2022. At NMU Tegan joined the Eta Chi chapter of Gamma Theta Upsilon International Geographical Honor Society. Tegan has a keen interest in and deep appreciation for the relationship between water, sustainability, and environmental science. For her senior capstone project she created an interactive guide to sustainable energy using a video game software platform. Tegan shared this note of appreciation: “I am immensely grateful for everyone that has helped me on my academic journey, especially my professors, who were always supportive in every facet of my experience, and my family, who I could not have done it without.” We are so happy that Tegan joined us in EEGS. Academic success runs in the family; her sister Bailey graduated from NMU in April 2023 with a 4.0 GPA.
Lopez Aponte excels in the pool while also pursuing a degree in Environmental Science
May 1, 2024
Daniel Lopez Aponte is an Environmental Science major with a Renewable Energy Technologies concentration. He is a member of NMU’s Men's Swimming and Diving Team. This winter at NCAA Championships Daniel set a school record in the 400 IM and was named a First-Team All-American! After his successful season we caught up with him to ask a few questions about his experiences as a student-athlete at Northern.
Where are you from and why did you decide to attend Northern Michigan University?
I am from Sevilla, a big city in South Spain. I decided to attend NMU because of the Swimming and Diving program and the nature around town.
What do you like about your major (or why did you choose it)?
Originally I started a Chemistry major and I decided to change to Environmental Science because I wanted to learn more about the Earth and try to make a better future for our planet.
What was a highlight of this swim season?
This season has been pretty long. It is not easy to try to develop your professional future being a student-athlete. In spite of the challenges, it has been my best season since I have been here at NMU. My favorite swimming moment was at NCAAs—my comeback at the second half of the 400 IM, which enabled me to break the school record, and I qualified for the A final.
Do you have a favorite memory of your time at Northern so far?
My favorite memory so far in Marquette was watching the sunset from Black Rocks with my friends.
What else would you like to share about your time as a Wildcat?
As a Wildcat, I would like to advise other athletes to focus not just on their physical training, but also on their mental and emotional wellbeing.
Two EEGS seniors recognized with 2024 Board of Trustees Student Achievement Awards
May 1, 2024
The EEGS Department was thrilled to learn that two Environmental Science students graduating on May 4 were selected to receive 2024 Board of Trustees Student Achievement Awards.
Kata Rothhorn was recognized as this year's Outstanding Graduating Senior. Kata graduates with a 4.0 average in Environmental Science, focusing on water quality, and a minor in Native American Studies. She has been active on campus, including with the Honors Program, North Wind, Native American Student Association, and Superior A Capella singing group. In July, Kata will travel to the Philippines to serve in the Peace Corps pursuing coastal resource management.
Mary Kelly was chosen as the 2024 Outstanding Student of Any Class Standing. Mary double majored in Environmental Science and French. She participated in the Honors Program, was President of NMU's Eta Chi chapter of GTU International Geographical Honor Society, co-led the Hoop House Student Organization, and joined the Conservation Data Lab. This fall Mary will begin a Master's program at the University of Michigan in Environment and Sustainability, focusing on geospatial data sciences.
Stock continues service to the discipline and publishes scholarship on renewable energy
May 1, 2024
Dr. Ryan Stock was recently voted in as the Chair of the Energy & Environment Specialty Group of the American Association of Geographers (AAG). His recent scholarship has focused on solar energy and how the transition to this form of renewable energy has affected people and the environment. Dr. Stock and colleagues including Dr. Benjamin K. Sovacool have published four recent articles on the inequalities of solar energy in India. In April 2024 Flavia Lopes, a research assistant collaborating with Dr. Stock, reported in The Guardian about Clean energy’s dirty secret: The trail of waste left by India’s solar power boom. Dr. Stock continues to focus his gaze on bringing light to social and environmental injustices.
Naito receives Excellence in Teaching Award
May 1, 2024
Dr. Adam Naito was one of two recipients of the 2023-2024 Excellence in Teaching Awards at the Celebration of Excellence in Teaching, Leadership and Scholarship Awards reception on Monday, April 22, 2024. The award recognizes the excellence in teaching of Northern Michigan University full-time faculty. Pictured right is Naito with Dr. Robert Winn, Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, and Dr. Anne Dahlman, Provost of the University.
Naito joins Dr. Weronika Kusek as one of two EEGS faculty members that have received the award.
Please visit Northern Today to learn more about the other 2023-2024 award recipients.
