April 2010 – Earth and Environmental Sciences Blog

2010 Spring Geomorphology Class Studies Coastal Erosion

smuthukrishnan / April 29, 2010 / Department, Field Trip, Travel

Just two weeks from the end of the semester, students taking EES 210, Surficial Processes class went on a field trip to coastal South Carolina to study Barrier Island ecosystem, coastal processes affecting them and the impacts of global sea level rise and human development on them. This weekend camping trip includes a ferry trip through the Cape Romaine Wildlife Refuge to uninhibited Bulls Island, and a kayaking trip through the salt marsh estuary to the severely eroded Morris Island.

Students witness first hand the natural coastal erosion processes acting along our coastlines by visiting developed and undeveloped beaches and observing the evidences for beach erosion and the many different ways coastal communities are addressing such problem. Stranded, dead trees on the beach (boneyard), oyster shells and estuary mud exposed on beach side, and a lighthouse that is off the coast surrounded by water are some of the most exciting evidences observed. Students and faculty discussed the causes of beach erosion and the effectiveness of commonly used methods of combating them.

Reece Lyerly Named 2010 Udall Scholar

smuthukrishnan / April 29, 2010 / Department, Student News

Furman University junior Reece Lyerly has been named a 2010 Udall Scholar as the recipient of one of the nation’s most prestigious undergraduate awards for students pursuing careers in environmental fields. Lyerly, from Roswell, Ga., was one of 80 students from 63 colleges and universities selected for the award by the Morris K. Udall and Stewart L. Udall Foundation.

A graduate of Roswell High School, Lyerly is majoring in earth and environmental sciences at Furman. He hopes to unite two of his passions—science and social justice—in a career in environmental public health focused on issues related to climate change in the developing world.

Dr. Andersen Receives Distinguished Mentor Award

smuthukrishnan / April 14, 2010 / Department, Faculty News

Dr. Brannon Andersen, a faculty member since 1994, has received a 2010 Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) Distinguished Mentor Award. The award is co-sponsored by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Furman University, and is awarded to faculty who have an exceptional track record in mentoring undergraduate research students and who have been a champion of undergraduate research at the regional and national level. The award includes $5000 for research supplies from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute and $5000 in discretionary funds from Furman University.

It should be noted that Dr. Andersen won South Carolina Independent Colleges and Universities (SCICU) Excellence in Teaching Award in 2008.

Congratulations Dr. Andersen!

Annual EES Award Winners Announced

smuthukrishnan / April 14, 2010 / Department, Furman, Student News

At the annual awards ceremony held at Furman on 12th April,2010, the following Earth and Environmental Sciences students were recognized. Congratulations to all three of them!

2010 Earth and Environmental Sciences Research Award Winner – Gwyn Fowler

This award recognizes a senior that has completed an outstanding original research project and shows great promise for a career as a scientist. Gwyn Fowler’s passion towards research brought her to the RBRI program in 2008, and subsequently she received grants from the Furman Advantage and Geological Society of America. Her investigation of the geomorphic controls over nitrate concentrations in urban headwater streams of the South Carolina Piedmont has enhanced our understanding of how urban streams work. A talented musician as well as a bright young researcher, Gwyn has received a full scholarship to attend Clemson and is awaiting decisions from other Universities.

2010 Earth and Environmental Sciences Scholar Award Winner – Jeff Hennesey

2009D3S201A_Jeff-Hennessy

This award recognizes the senior student that is deemed by the faculty to be the outstanding EES scholar in the graduating class. Jeff Hennesey models the liberal arts tradition with his enthusiastic and cheerful blend of Earth and environmental science and policy. Jeff excels in both the classroom and in independent research. His investigation for Upstate Forever of greenhouse gas emissions for the region in relation to growth was a major contribution and represents the kind of collaboration with the local community to which Furman aspires.

2010 Environmental Studies Concentration Scholar Award Winner – Katie Shultz

This award recognizes a student that is deemed the outstanding scholar in the Environmental Studies Concentration. Katie Shultz certainly can be considered outstanding as a scholar, but she is also known for her passion for and commitment to sustainability and environmental issues both on and off campus. Katie is the rare outstanding scholar that transforms her ideas into action. Active in the Environmental Action Group and other campus organizations, Katie is proactive in using her knowledge to develop creative approaches to problems of sustainability at both the local and global scales.