Student News – Earth and Environmental Sciences Blog

ECOS students win a national video contest!

smuthukrishnan / July 23, 2014July 23, 2014 / Awards, Current News, Department, Shi Center, Student News, Student Research, Sustainability

The GLP Films’ Student Film Project is an annual contest that invites students to pick up a camera and create their own short films documenting sustainability-related stories in their school, home, or community. This year three EES / SUS students (Tim Sharp, Josie Newton, and Melanie Brown) in the Engaged Living ECOS program submitted a film “Gardening for Good” that they made as part of their FYS 1126 course (Sustainability) with Dr. Dripps. Their film won the college division! Congrats to these three – the film can viewed here or by clicking on the image below.

WINNERS

College – "Gardening for Good" Josie Newton, Tim Sharp, Melanie Brown, Furman University

https://vimeo.com/album/2919991/video/98380526

Other winners are:

Middle School – "Parras Grades of Green" Lilly Sprangler, Parras Middle School

https://vimeo.com/album/2919991/video/98384804

High School – "ECO2School" Samantha Perry and Jasmine Jolly, Maria Carrillo High School

https://vimeo.com/album/2919991/video/98382649

Jay Bridgeman’s experience with USGS exploring Mineral and Geothermal Potential

smuthukrishnan / October 6, 2012 / Alumni News, Career, Furman, Student News

Jay Bridgeman, 2012 graduate from EES, spent the summer working on an internship with the US Geological Survey western region branch in Menlo Park, CA. He worked with the geophysics unit investigating mineral and geothermal potential in several locations in Nevada, California and Oregon. Jay worked with several geophysical techniques including gravity, magnetic, paleomagnetic and electrical methods to image structures in the subsurface.

He says, “we would spend between 10-15 days in the field locations doing long days of field work, collection and processing of geophysical data, and physical rock property measurements. We even got to do a joint venture with NASA flying a magnetic survey with an unmanned aerial vehicle, which was featured in a Scientific American expedition blog. I really enjoyed my internship with the USGS, and felt that Furman had definitely prepared me and given me the skills necessary to excel.”

Jay is currently working with Unimin Corporation as a Geologist doing core logging and sampling in Wisconsin, Minnesota and a few other Midwest states, primarily with their silica division.

For more information on Jay Bridgeman’s work with USGS, visit the Scientific American blog.

Claire Campbell Awarded Prestigious Udall Scholarship

smuthukrishnan / April 3, 2012 / Awards, Bartram Society, Student News, Udall

Claire Campbell, a Junior Earth and Environmental Sciences major has been selected as a 2012 Udall Scholar by the Udall Foundation. This prestigious scholarship is awarded to students who “demonstrate commitment to careers related to the environment including policy, engineering, education, science, urban planning and renewal, business, health, justice, economics, and other related fields”.

Claire, a native of Oak Ridge, TN is among 80 scholars chosen from more than 550 nominations received from 274 colleges and universities. These scholars are selected based on their demonstrated commitment to environmental or natural resource issues through campus activities, research, or community/public service.

At Furman, Claire is an active member of Bartram Society and Environmental Action Group and also participated in ECOS program. She has spent the past three summers working at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) as research assistant on various projects related to ecosystems study. She has made three presentations at professional meetings and published three reports related to her research.

Claire will join the other2012 Udall Scholars in Tucson, AZ in August (8-12) to receive the award.

Morris K. Udall and Stewart L. Udall Foundation

Garihan et al., publish the Geologic Map of Campobello Quadrangle, SC

smuthukrishnan / July 9, 2011 / Appalachian Geology, Department, Earthscience News, Faculty News, Presentations, Publication, Student News

The South Carolina Geological Survey recently published the Geologic map of Campobello, South Carolina (GQM 51). It is available to the public at:

http://www.dnr.sc.gov/geology/publications.htm#gqm

This publication is the result of geologic mapping done in Summer 2010 by Earth and Environmental Sciences majors Alyssa Wickard and Rhonda Chan Soo, supervised by Dr. Ranson and Dr. Garihan. This research was funded by Furman Advantage Research Fellowship and logistical support was provided by SC Geological Survey. The students spent the summer time mapping the geology and structure in this area including tracing of the extent of the known brittle faults eastward within this quadrangle. In addition, Alyssa Wickard and JMG have submitted a manuscript to South Carolina Geology with emphasis on the polyphase folding in Campobello and its relationship to folding in the Inner Piedmont.

Virginia Batts Receives 2011 Compton Mentor Fellowship

smuthukrishnan / April 29, 2011 / Awards, Department, Furman, Student News

Virginia Batts, a graduating senior (May, 2011) at the Earth and Environmental Sciences department has been awarded the prestigious 2011 Compton Mentor Fellowship. This fellowship promotes innovative project development and implementation in areas of environment and sustainability, and climate change and energy policy among others. This will take Virginia to the western part of India for a year-long project in collaboration with Watershed Organization Trust (WOTR) involving 1) research and implementation of water harvesting infrastructure, 2) installing weather stations and start collecting long-term climate data, and 3) develop a community oriented water resources management plan.

Virginia says: “The Compton Mentor Fellowship is a rare and unique opportunity for young graduates to apply their educational experience to some of the greatest challenges of a globalized world. While the project is the focal point of the fellowship, the Compton Foundation is also interested in providing eye-opening experiences that will shape each fellow into a catalyst for positive change. I am eternally grateful for having been honored with this opportunity, and especially for the support from friends and faculty who have encouraged me through and through. Wherever this flight takes me, it will always be the Furman years that served as my launching pad.”

Compton Web Page: http://www.comptonmentorfellowship.org/

Watershed Organization Trust: http://www.wotr.org/

It should be noted that Virginia Batts recently won the Fallow Outstanding Senior Award in the department of Earth and Environmental Sciences at Furman.

If you like us, you will Like Us on Facebook too!

smuthukrishnan / April 29, 2011 / Alumni News, Department, Faculty News, Field Trip, Furman, Photos, Student News, Travel

The department of Earth and Environmental sciences is excited to announce that we are now on Facebook. If this doesn’t excite you, then hear this – Dr. Garihan now has a Facebook page too. If you don’t believe me, go and search. Well, we have posted lots of photos from the good old days out there for your pleasure. We hope you will like us and keep in touch. Post images and update us on your status.

As always, we would love to see you here – come any time.

Earth and Environmental Sciences Facebook Page

2011 EES Award Winners Announced

smuthukrishnan / April 18, 2011 / Awards, Department, Furman, Student News

The much awaited annual awards ceremony was held last week at Furman University. The following are the EES award winners for the year 2011. Congratulations seniors – keep up the good work. We are proud of all your accomplishments.

Alyssa Wickard – Winner of Earth and Environmental Sciences Research Award, that is given to a senior who shows exceptional promise as a scientist by producing an outstanding senior thesis

Virginia Batts – Winner of Fallaw Outstanding Senior Award, that is given to a student who exhibits great professional potential and that has shown leadership in the department

Reece Lyerly – Winner of Earth and Environmental Sciences Scholar Award, that is given to the senior that shows the greatest scholarly ability

Steven Hovdesven – Winner of George C. Marshall Excellence in Military Science and Leadership Award, presented annually to the top senior cadet in each of Cadet Command’s programs whose outstanding accomplishments in military studies best exemplifies the private life and public career of General of the Army George C. Marshal.

2011 Awards Ceremony Photos

Research Presentation at Southeastern Geological Society of America Meeting

smuthukrishnan / March 30, 2011 / Department, Presentations, RBRI Research, Student News

Students and faculty from Furman University attended the annual meeting of the Southeastern Geological Society of America held in Wilmington, NC. Nine students presented their research work in the form of posters. Students in attendance at the conference were: Virginia Batts, Rhonda Chan Soo, Ruthanne Coffey, Elizabeth Johnston, Brittany Lins, Molly McGee, Hannah Pearcy, Alyssa Wickard, and Summer Arrowood.

Click on the photo or here to see additional photos.

Environmental Policy Student Research Presentations

smuthukrishnan / December 7, 2010 / Department, Presentations, Student News, Sustainability

Environmental Policy offered by Dr. Angela Halfacre (Director of Shi Center for Sustainability and Associate Professor of Earth and Environmental Sciences and Political Science departments) attracts students interested in sustainability, environmental policy, environmental law, earth and environmental sciences, and political science. This course offers an interdisciplinary approach to understanding how environmental policy can address problems relating to consumption, development, environmental risk, and environmental justice. An important part of this course are student research projects. These projects examine policy, including perceptions and behaviors, on the Furman campus or in the Greater Upcountry region (Greater Greenville, South Carolina). Connections to and considerations of environmental policy approaches related to preservation, conservation, protection and sustainability are emphasized and examined through the student research. A central theme of the course is the policy and politics of sustainability strategies by scale (campus to community).

The students in the Fall 2010 section of the course shared the results of their semester research through a poster session held on December 1 at the David E. Shi Center for Sustainability located at Cliffs Cottage. Over 70 participants attended the event, and students shared a short overview of their projects and participants then talked one on one with the students about their research in greater detail. Representatives from several community partners attended including Greenville Forward, the City of Greenville, Spartanburg County, and Upstate Forever. Faculty, staff, administrators, and students from several departments and divisions also participated, and shared ideas, fellowship, and conversation about the research while also enjoying seasonal sweets (warm apple cider, apple fritters, and sweet potato bread supplied by Aramark). Several of the research projects will be continued by the students in their future individual research efforts as well as through "legacy projects" with students enrolling in future offerings of the Environmental Policy course.

More details regarding individual research projects or further enquiries about the center should be sent to Brittany DeKnight at the David E. Shi Center for Sustainability, Furman University.

Premiering EES YouTube Channel

smuthukrishnan / November 21, 2010 / Alumni News, Department, Field Trip, Furman, Iceland, RBRI Research, Student News, Travel

We are working hard to find as many ways as possible to connect and keep in touch with our students, alumni, and friends. Over the years, our collection of videos and photographs from field trips and study away trips have been growing, and we have launched our own video streaming channel on YouTube to share those with you. This collection will be growing over the weeks and months to come as we slowly sort and upload the videos. We hope these are helpful not only for alumni to reminisce your days at Furman but also for any one else in the world that want to see the places of geologic interest that we have been to and learn more about our student research projects. So go on, explore them.

Click on the following link to visit the channel with a lot more videos.