News

ENVS Professor Wins 2025 Teaching with Technology Award

Liz Holland — Thu, 09 Oct 2025 17:52:54 +0000

ENVS Professor Wins 2025 Teaching with Technology Award Liz Holland Thu, 10/09/2025 - 11:52

Originally published through the ��'s Center for Teaching and Learning.

Each year, ASSETT awards the Excellence in Teaching with Technology Award to a faculty member who was nominated by their peers and students for their commitment to teaching with technology. For 2024-25 the award goes to Lee Frankel-Goldwater, a devoted social innovator and environmental educator, who has harnessed technology as an educator in novel ways. The CTL had the privilege to interview Lee about the projects he has undertaken in teaching with technology as well as his future aspirations.

Early Career

Lee has a background in computer science, and he always had “a proclivity for using technology in novel contexts.” Although, like many computer scientists, he worked in industry at the start, he began to feel unfulfilled by this work. He always cared about teaching, and so he decided to get his PhD to pursue that more. During his PhD, he got involved with the CTL when he was teaching for continuing education as a Graduate Part Time Instructor (GPTI) in environmental studies and got his graduate teaching certificate.

Even this early on in his career, he was thinking about incorporating technology into his teaching. His reasons for using technology in the classroom included the fact that he values play and innovation, and, as he says, ultimately “it's really my curiosity for the way technology can be used to do things that you've never done before.”

Once hired as faculty at CU, Lee felt liberated to design and lead projects that address a need that is not currently being met. Now, without the expectation of publishing research, he could set his sights on starting programs that he felt were needed at the university.

Teaching Excellence and Onboarding Program

He spearheaded Continuing Education’s Teaching Excellence Onboarding Program which was informed by his earlier experiences teaching. He recognized that “the ability to develop a new class is a very specialized skill,” yet every time he needed to do this, he found the resources and guidance to be insufficient. When he became a faculty member, he began modeling course design for his GPTIs and then slowly developing a short program for them, and he “saw the potential for a program like that to scale across the university.” So, he partnered with his colleagues at Continuing Education to develop an onboarding program to help instructors who were new to developing classes for online education.

AI Literacy Ambassadors

When the emergence of AI became prevalent, Lee noticed that many people in academia were operating within their own silos. He saw that there were many stakeholders who had the potential to make incredible contributions to the conversation about AI, yet they weren't talking to one another. He had studied network and collaboration principles in his PhD, and he wanted to see if he could apply those frameworks to incite social change.

In 2024 he tested these frameworks by spearheading the creation of a program sponsored by ASSETT and the CTL called AI Literacy Ambassadors, which is currently in its second iteration this year. The key goals of the program were to create community and support innovations in teaching in the age of AI. Importantly, the conversations were to encourage interdisciplinary thinking and remove the taboos associated with discussing this topic.

“I wanted to help create a space where people can see different perspectives and illuminate different ways of thinking about the problem. So even if they make the same choices that they would have, they understand how that fits into the greater whole.”

BuffsCreate

Lee believes in a concept called authentic learning, where it is important that “what we do in the classroom ideally gears towards as practical or as real as it can be, (it) models the real-world experience as closely as it can.” Every semester in his media studies course Lee has been using BuffsCreate to make a harvest website where everyone in the class as well as the public can see the work of each student.

Other Projects and Leadership Principles

Lee has been involved with several other projects, including the Savory Global Institute, with several international projects with the Sustainability Laboratory, and an initiative with the Boulder Food Rescue. He feels that at the heart of his contributions to those projects, it wasn’t necessarily his background in computer science that drove his work in them but rather what he knew about systems thinking, which he elaborated on saying “nothing exists in isolation. ... things aren’t linear.” When you can see the whole system, it is easier to use technology as a tool to impact the system in a positive way.

Future Projects and Interests

Lee has developed several innovative programs, but he has more that he wants to work on. He is interested in working on study abroad programs that relate to sustainability. If he were to dawn an entirely separate career hat, he mentioned his interest in community-oriented, local, clean energy transitions.

Lee, like many innovators and social entrepreneurs, is driven by so many questions. Some that continue to motivate him are, as he put it “will we as humanity reach our potential? And will that potential be one that’s filled with beauty and togetherness, or repeat the wheel of destructiveness?” He believes in the potential that humans have to make things better. “We have all these social and environmental challenges we are facing. And yet I believe in the beauty of what we have inside and the potential of what we could be…That we get past this industrial infancy that we’re in to something that’s beyond that. How do we do that? I think about that all the time.”

He highlights the fact that each person should make their contribution without trying to shoulder the weight of the entire world. “What role can I play in that as one in 7 plus billion people? How can I be a part of that whole in the most effective way, without trying to take responsibility for all? Because that’s not any of our jobs…it’s a collective act.” He asks these questions with genuine curiosity and an intention to answer them the best he can.

“How do we do it? Can we do it? I have to believe that we can. What is the innovation, what is the thought process, the novelty, that could help us do it? Clearly, we haven’t figured out the exact right sauce yet. But I think we have the ingredients.”

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ENVS Professor's Research Wins National Prize

Liz Holland — Mon, 29 Sep 2025 20:53:18 +0000

ENVS Professor's Research Wins National Prize Liz Holland Mon, 09/29/2025 - 14:53

Originally published in Colorado Arts and Science Magazine by Clint Talbott on April 21, 2025.

Widespread agricultural diversification could improve the health of the world’s environment and that of its people, a landmark study published last year found.

Zia Mehrabi, assistant professor of environmental studies at the ��, alongside a large group of international researchers, has been named the U.S. national champion for the Frontiers Planet Prize, the Frontiers Research Foundation announced today.

As one of 19 national champions, Mehrabi and team are in contention to be named one of three international champions, each of whom will receive $1 million in funding to advance their research. The international champions will be announced at the Frontiers Planet Prize ceremony in Switzerland in June.

The Frontiers Planet Prize celebrates breakthroughs in Earth system and planetary science that “address these challenges and enable society to stay within the safe boundaries of the planet’s ecosystem.” The prize puts scientific rigor and ingenuity at its heart, helping researchers worldwide accelerate society toward a green renaissance, the Frontiers Research Foundation says.

Professor Jean-Claude Burgelman, director of the Frontiers Planet Prize, said the planet faces immense threats that require bold, transformative solutions rooted in evidence and validated by science.

“Innovative yet scalable solutions are the only way for us to ensure healthy lives on a healthy planet,” Burgelman said. “By spotlighting the most groundbreaking research, we are helping scientists bring their work to the international stage and provide the scientific consensus needed to guide our actions and policies.”

Mehrabi, who leads the Better Planet Laboratory, was recognized, alongside his co-authors, for an article published last year in the journal Science titled “Joint environmental and social benefits from diversified agriculture.”

Laura Vang Rasmussen of the University of Copenhagen in Denmark and Ingo Grass of the University of Hohenheim in Germany were lead authors of the paper, which had 58 co-authors. Claire Kremen of the University of British Columbia was a senior author and co-principal investigator on the study.

The researchers found that diversifying crops and animals and improving habitat, soil and water conservation on individual farms can improve biodiversity while improving or, at a minimum, not coming at a cost to yields. Additionally, diversified farming can yield social benefits and improve food security—showing improved food access or a reduced number of hungry months, for example, particularly in smallholder systems.

The more diversification measures farms employed, the more benefits accrued, researchers observed. Essentially, the team found evidence to move toward agriculture that more closely reflects natural systems.

“If you look at how ecosystems operate, it’s not just plants growing alone. It’s not just animals or soil,” Mehrabi said last year. “It’s all of these things working together.”

Using data from 2,655 farms across 11 countries and covering five continents, the researchers combined qualitative methods and statistical models to analyze 24 different datasets. Each dataset studied farm sites with varying levels of diversification, including farms without any diversification practices. This allowed the team to assess the effects of applying more diversification strategies.

Diversified farming differs from the dominant model of agriculture: growing single crops or one animal on large tracts of land. That efficient, “monoculture” style of farming is a hallmark of agriculture after the Green Revolution, which reduced global famine by focusing on high-yield crops that rely on fertilizers and pesticides.

“The Green Revolution did many, many great things, but it came with a lot of costs,” Mehrabi says, noting that synthetic fertilizers and pesticides harm the environment.

Also, to increase labor productivity, large farms rely on mechanization, which tends to “replace people with machines.”

“So, the idea of trying to engineer nature into our agricultural systems is somewhat antithetical to the whole way we think about agricultural development,” Mehrabi says.

Making a case for a different way of doing agriculture is one thing. Implementing it on a widespread basis is something else. The dominant view, fostered by “big ag” (short for agriculture), is that “if you want to do ag, you’ve got to do it this way,” Mehrabi says.

“Our work challenges that idea, but it’s a bit of a David-and-Goliath situation,” he adds. “We have the stone, but it hasn’t yet landed.”

But it’s necessary to confront Goliath, Mehrabi contends, noting that agriculture affects all the things people care about environmentally, including climate change, water security, biodiversity, pollution, land use and habitat destruction.

A third of the Earth’s land is used for agriculture, and about a quarter of greenhouse gas emissions stem from agriculture, he notes. Climate change has reduced agricultural yields by as much as 5% to 10% in the last four decades, research has shown.

“If we want to do something about environmental issues, agriculture is one of the big buckets that we need to really, really start in.”

Separate from the research published in Science, Mehrabi has done modeling of the future state of agriculture globally if the world continues business-as-usual farming. He found that in the next century, the number of farms is likely to be cut in half and the average size of farms would likely double.

Given that, along with what scientists know about the loss of natural ecosystems as farm sizes increase, “the future looks a little bit bleak,” Mehrabi says. But this new research shows it could be different.

Though he does not suggest that all farms must be small farms, he does advise that agriculture strive to diversify systems that have been “massively depleted and massively simplified.”

�� the Frontiers Planet Prize, Mehrabi says he’s gratified to be recognized as one of 19 national champions. Additionally, he underscores the importance of the Frontiers Research Foundation’s financial commitment to this kind of research, calling it a “signal” to other funding entities that might follow suit.

Launched by the Frontiers Research Foundation on Earth Day 2022, the prize encourages universities worldwide to nominate their top three scientists working on understanding and putting forward pathways to stay within the safe operating space of nine planetary boundaries that are outlined by the Stockholm Resilience Center.

These nominations are then vetted at the national level, and the top scientists face an independent jury of 100—a group of renowned sustainability and planetary health experts chaired by Professor Johan Rockström—who vote for the National and International Champions.

Read a guest opinion by Zia Mehrabi and co-authors at this link. See a Q&A with Mehrabi about adding carbon-footprint labels on food at this link.

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Introducing Dr. Margaret Hegwood

Liz Holland — Tue, 22 Apr 2025 15:19:25 +0000

Introducing Dr. Margaret Hegwood Liz Holland Tue, 04/22/2025 - 09:19

The ��’s Department of Environmental Studies is thrilled to congratulate Dr. Margaret Hegwood after successfully defending her dissertation last week!

Dr. Hegwood's research, supported by the USDA and CIRES’ Center for Social and Environmental Futures (C-SEF), examined the complex tradeoffs and regulatory constraints involved in transforming food systems toward greater sustainability. Her research provided critical insights into the often-overlooked consequences of large-scale changes in food production and policy.

Food systems have long played a vital role in feeding the global population, but the current models have proven to be environmentally unsustainable and harmful to both humans and animals. Hegwood’s work emphasized the need for careful evaluation of both benefits and tradeoffs as stakeholders strive to redesign these systems.

Her dissertation included three separate studies, each addressing a different dimension of food system transformation:

In Chapter 2, Hegwood employed a microeconomic model to assess rebound effects resulting from efforts to reduce food loss and waste (FLW). She found that such rebound effects could offset more than 50% of the expected benefits, diminishing both environmental gains and improvements in food security. This revealed an important tradeoff between two commonly aligned objectives.

In Chapter 3, she analyzed a novel dataset on food industry regulations in the United States. Her findings showed that aquaculture—a sector known for relatively low environmental impact—faced between 3 to 70 times more regulatory oversight than other food sectors, such as beef and lamb production. This suggested that the U.S. regulatory framework may unintentionally disadvantage more sustainable food industries.

In Chapter 4, Hegwood combined data on environmental impact and animal welfare to evaluate Canadian egg production systems. She discovered that cumulative pain experienced by laying hens could be reduced by nearly 60% per kilogram of eggs produced, while increasing environmental impacts by less than 5%. This represented a rare example of a "big-win-small-loss" tradeoff—significant gains in animal welfare with minimal environmental cost.

Together, these studies underscored the importance of identifying and quantifying tradeoffs that are often overlooked in food systems research and policy. Hegwood’s work offered valuable tools and perspectives for stakeholders—from farmers to policymakers—seeking to balance competing objectives in the pursuit of a more sustainable and just food future.

If you are interested in reading more from Dr. Hegwood's portfolio of published works, click the links below:

Food systems narratives in Colombia: embracing diverse perspectives can enable hybrid innovation pathways that address food system challenges

S Dueñas-Ocampo, M Hegwood, AD Rojas-Becerra, JP Rodríguez-Pinilla, ...

Agriculture and Human Values, 1-20

Conceptual framework for considering animal welfare in sustainability assessments of foods

S Richter, L Scherer, M Hegwood, H Bartlett, LN Bossert, A Frehner, ...

Sustainable Production and Consumption 52, 179-209

Price above all else: an analysis of expert opinion on the priority actions to scale up production and consumption of plant-based meat in Brazil

P Newton, W Eichhorst, M Hegwood, RL Morais-da-Silva, MS Heidemann, ...

Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems 8 (1303448)

The ��’s Environmental Studies Department congratulates Dr. Margaret Hegwood on the successful defense of her dissertation, "Tradeoffs and Constraints in Food Systems Transformations." Her research, supported by the USDA and CIRES’ C-SEF, offers critical insights into how U.S. food system regulations shape environmental outcomes across low- and high-emission industries.

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Building Careers in Sustainability: Highlights from CU Boulder’s First Career in the Environment Fair

Liz Holland — Mon, 17 Mar 2025 16:20:48 +0000

Building Careers in Sustainability: Highlights from CU Boulder’s First Career in the Environment Fair Liz Holland Mon, 03/17/2025 - 10:20

Two Fridays ago, the �� Department of Environmental Studies (ENVS) hosted its first-ever Career in the Environment Fair, an exciting and impactful event designed to connect undergraduate and graduate students with professionals working in environmental science, sustainability, and conservation. The event provided a unique opportunity for students in ENVS and the Masters of the Environment (MENV) Graduate Program to engage with industry leaders, gain valuable career insights, and explore internships and job opportunities in the growing field of environmental sustainability.

State of the Field Panel: Insights from Industry Experts

The day kicked off with an engaging State of the Field panel discussion, where students heard directly from top professionals working across the public, private, and non-profit sectors. The panelists included:

Carlos Fernández – Colorado State Director at The Nature Conservancy
Erin Decker – Director of Renewable Energy at Schneider Electric
Jennifer Gimbel – Senior Water Policy Scholar at Colorado Water Center
Matt Abbott – Corporate Sustainability Senior Manager at VF Corporation (Apparel and Footwear)
Sarah R. Horn – Senior City Planner at the City of Boulder

These industry leaders tackled important questions from students, such as:

How has the environmental field evolved over the past decade?
What skills are essential for a career in sustainability today?
How do professionals manage self-care and prevent burnout while working on urgent environmental challenges?

From climate policy and corporate sustainability to renewable energy solutions and urban planning, each panelist shared personal experiences, career advice, and insights on navigating a constantly evolving field.

Career Exploration Expo: Connecting Students with

Opportunities

Following the panel, students had the chance to network with professionals during the Career Exploration Expo, where 18 organizations were present to discuss internships, jobs, and career pathways. Employers and organizations in attendance included:

The Nature Conservancy
Schneider Electric
City of Boulder
Growing Gardens
Colorado Energy Office
Greenwood Wildlife Rehabilitation Sanctuary
Garden to Table
Lincoln Hills Care
Design Workshop
CU Environmental Center
Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences (CIRES)
Cal-Wood Education Center
Resource Central
OneEnergy Renewables
Friends of Coal Creek
Colorado Parks & Wildlife

It was inspiring to see students engaging in meaningful conversations with employers, environmental advocates, and sustainability experts, all working toward building a greener and more resilient future.

A Huge Thank You to Our Participants!

We extend our deepest gratitude to our panelists, employer representatives, students, and staff who made this event such a success. The Career in the Environment Fair was a fantastic opportunity for students to learn from professionals, explore career opportunities, and build connections in the sustainability sector.

As environmental and sustainability careers continue to expand, events like this are essential in helping students gain industry knowledge, develop professional networks, and prepare for impactful careers in environmental science, policy, and conservation.

We look forward to making next year’s event even bigger and better! If you're interested in learning more about career opportunities in sustainability or staying updated on future events, be sure to follow CU Boulder ENVS and MENV on social media.

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ENVS PhD Candidate and Associate Professor Publish Paper on Thailand’s Role in the Future of Alternative Proteins

Liz Holland — Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:45:49 +0000

ENVS PhD Candidate and Associate Professor Publish Paper on Thailand’s Role in the Future of Alternative Proteins Liz Holland Thu, 02/20/2025 - 09:45

Thailand’s Role in the Future of Alternative Proteins

The global food system is undergoing a transformation, and alternative proteins—such as plant-based, insect-based, and cultured (lab-grown) proteins—are at the forefront of this shift. As concerns over environmental sustainability, food security, and ethical food production grow, many countries are exploring their role in shaping the future of protein production. A new study by ENVS PhD candidate Waverly Eichhorst and ENVS Associate Professor Peter Newton, published in Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems, examines Thailand’s potential as a leader in producing cultured protein (CP).

Why Thailand?

Thailand has a rapidly industrializing economy, a strong presence in global food production, and an interest in sustainability. However, the development of cultured protein technologies in middle- and low-income countries remains largely unexplored. This research seeks to understand how Thailand can foster an innovation system that supports cultured protein production.

Key Findings from the Study

Eichhorst and Newton used a technological innovation systems framework to assess Thailand’s current landscape for CP development. Their mixed-methods approach included a qualitative document review and semi-structured interviews with 17 industry experts. Their findings highlight both opportunities and challenges in the country’s path to becoming a leader in alternative proteins.

Opportunities for Growth

Initial Industry Engagement: Various actors, including government agencies, private companies, and research institutions, are beginning to explore CP technologies.
Sustainability & Food Security Benefits: Cultured protein could reduce environmental pressures from traditional agriculture while improving food security.
Transnational Collaboration Potential: Leveraging global expertise could help Thailand build its CP sector.

Challenges to Overcome

Regulatory Approval: Thailand lacks clear regulations for CP products, which could slow innovation.
Manufacturing & Technical Expertise: The country needs more specialized knowledge and infrastructure to scale CP production.
Consumer Acceptance: Widespread adoption of CP products will depend on cultural perceptions and market demand.

What’s Next?

A couple of years ago, and before the paper was published, Waverly travelled to the Netherlands to share the team's preliminary findings with a diverse audience at the International Scientific Conference on Cultured Meat in Maastricht, the Netherlands. They received some great feedback on their work during the conference, and Waverly was also able connect with other researchers conducting research on cultured proteins from diverse disciplinary backgrounds.

For Thailand to establish itself as a leader in cultured protein, stronger stakeholder engagement is needed. The study suggests that transnational partnerships could help bridge gaps in expertise and resources, while further research into consumer attitudes and market potential will be essential.

As global food systems evolve, Thailand has the opportunity to position itself at the cutting edge of sustainable protein production. With strategic investment and collaboration, the country could play a pivotal role in shaping the future of food.

🔗 Read the full paper here: Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems

A new study by ENVS PhD candidate Waverly Eichhorst and ENVS Associate Professor Peter Newton, published in Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems, explores Thailand’s potential as a leader in cultured protein (CP) production. As the global food system undergoes transformation, alternative proteins—including plant-based, insect-based, and lab-grown options—are gaining prominence due to concerns over environmental sustainability, food security, and ethical food production. The study examines how Thailand, with its strong agricultural sector and emerging food technology landscape, could play a key role in shaping the future of protein production.

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Undergraduate Chair Selected for RIO Fellows Research Leadership Cohort

Liz Holland — Fri, 06 Dec 2024 20:49:10 +0000

Undergraduate Chair Selected for RIO Fellows Research Leadership Cohort Liz Holland Fri, 12/06/2024 - 13:49

We are thrilled to announce that Undergraduate Chair and Professor Peter Newton has been selected for the 2025 Research and Innovation Office (RIO) Fellows Research Leadership cohort! This prestigious program recognizes exceptional faculty members who are eager to expand their leadership skills, foster professional growth, and make an impactful contribution to the university community. Being accepted into this program is a testament to his dedication to both his own academic pursuits and the broader goals of our campus community.

The 2025 RIO Fellows Research Leadership cohort offers an exciting opportunity for faculty to engage in three multiday retreats, where they will receive training in leadership development, research strategies, and collaborative skills. Fellows also gain access to individualized coaching, helping them achieve personal and professional milestones. These retreats are designed to support long-term career goals while strengthening the cohesion of the faculty network.

Professor Newton shared his excitement about the program: “I'm honored to be selected for the 2025 cohort of RIO Faculty Fellows. I am looking forward to building my leadership skills through this professional development opportunity, and to building meaningful connections with other faculty across campus.”

We couldn’t be more excited for Professor Newton to join this dynamic group of colleagues. His participation in the 2025 cohort will undoubtedly strengthen both his leadership potential and the impact he can have across our department and across campus. Congratulations again, Professor Newton—we look forward to seeing all the amazing ways you will grow through this opportunity!

We are excited to announce that Professor Pete Newton has been selected for the 2025 RIO Fellows Research Leadership cohort. This prestigious program offers a unique opportunity for faculty to enhance their leadership skills, engage in professional development, and build connections across campus.

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Introducing Dr. Vasco Chavez-Molina

Liz Holland — Fri, 27 Sep 2024 17:18:17 +0000

Introducing Dr. Vasco Chavez-Molina Liz Holland Fri, 09/27/2024 - 11:18

The ��’s Department of Environmental Studies is thrilled to congratulate Dr. Vasco Chavez-Molina after successfully defending his dissertation this week!

Dr. Chavez-Molina’s upbringing in Perú deeply influenced his academic and professional path. Born and raised in one of the world’s most vibrant ecosystems, Dr. Chavez-Molina understood the importance of conservation and sought to have experiences in higher education that would allow him to be a leader in that space. Dr. Chavez-Molina earned a bachelor's degree in environmental science at the College of Holy Cross before making his way to Boulder. Dr. Chavez-Molina first joined us here at the University of Colorado as a student in our Masters of the Environment (MENV) Graduate Program. During his time in MENV, Dr. Chavez-Molina worked with the Governor’s Climate and Forest Task Force where he developed investment strategies aimed at fostering sustainable agricultural supply chains in the Amazon rainforest. As a student in MENV, he also met Dr. Cassandra Brooks. After completing his master’s degree, he joined the Brooks Lab as a full-time researcher, focusing on policy analysis and fisheries management in the Southern Ocean. This role eventually opened the door to his PhD studies, where Dr. Chavez-Molina studied the intricate governance challenges involved in managing marine resources across local, regional, and international levels.

On Wednesday, Dr. Chavez-Molina defended his dissertation in a presentation titled “In search of solutions for international conservation: Analyzing the governance complexities of managing marine resources in areas beyond national jurisdiction”. The guiding questions: “How can we legally protect marine ecosystems in the areas beyond national jurisdiction? How can we manage natural resources across the fragmented frameworks that make up the high seas? And how can we better govern marine resources within this critical region?” were addressed in Dr. Chavez-Molina's work. Throughout the four-part presentation, Dr. Chavez-Molina shared information about the nuances of agency oversight at the international, regional, and national level; the actors and institutions at play in this area of natural resources conservation and management; and the ways in which global politics and policy play a crucial role in accomplishing this important work and recommendations for the future.

If you are interested in reading more from Dr. Chavez-Molina's portfolio of published works, click the links below:

Chavez-Molina, V., Wagner, D., Nocito, E. S., Benedum, M., Gaymer, C. F., Currie, D., Beam, E. G., & Brooks, C. M. (2023b). Protecting the Salas y Gomez and Nazca Ridges: A review of policy pathways for creating conservation measures in the international waters of the Southeast Pacific. Marine Policy, 152(March), 105594. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpol.2023.105594

Chavez-Molina, V., Becker, S. L., Carr, E., Cavanagh, R. D., Dorman, D., Nocito, E., Sylvester, Z., Wallace, B., White, C., & Brooks, C. M. (2023a). Managing for Climate Resilient Fisheries: Applications to the Southern Ocean. Ocean and Coastal Management, 239 (March), 106580. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4149306

Brooks, C.M., D.G. Ainley, J. Jacquet, S.L. Chown, L.R. Pertierra, E. Francis, A. Rogers, Chavez-Molina, V., L. Teh, U.R. Sumaila. (2022). Protect global values of the Southern Ocean ecosystem. Science, 378: 477-479.

Kiffner, C., Baylis, J., Beckwith, C., Brunner, C., Burns, C., Chavez-Molina, V., Cotton, S., Glazik L., Loftis, E., Morgan, M., O’Neill, C., Theisinger, O., Kioko, J. & Kissui B. (2020) Long-term persistence of wildlife populations in a pastoral area. Ecology and Evolution 10: 10000-10016, https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.6658

We are thrilled to congratulate Dr. Chavez-Molina on his great work and successful defense! Way to go!

The ��’s Department of Environmental Studies congratulates Dr. Vasco Chavez-Molina on successfully defending his dissertation on marine resource governance. His dissertation addressed the governance complexities of managing marine ecosystems in areas beyond national jurisdiction, exploring legal protections and policy solutions for high seas conservation.

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Graduate Students at CU Boulder Leading the Future of Environmental Research

Liz Holland — Thu, 12 Sep 2024 19:21:06 +0000

Graduate Students at CU Boulder Leading the Future of Environmental Research Liz Holland Thu, 09/12/2024 - 13:21

Graduate students at CU Boulder’s Environmental Studies department are leading research on critical global challenges like species conservation, ecological economics, and food security. Researchers like Christian Suarez, Waverly Eichhorst, and Margaret Hegwood are tackling today’s most pressing environmental issues, shaping the future of food policy and environmental conservation efforts worldwide.

The Environmental Studies Colloquium Series plays an important role in this process, providing a platform for students to present their work, gain feedback, and collaborate with peers and experts. This exchange of ideas helps refine research and drives real-world impact, ensuring that CU Boulder’s graduate students remain at the forefront of sustainable policy development.

Christian Suarez: Exploring the Economics of Conservation

Christian Suarez, a second-year PhD student at CU Boulder, is focusing on the intersection of economics and environmental conservation. With a background in economics and political science, Christian’s academic journey into environmental studies began in 2020.

Christian’s current research investigates the role of ecological economics in shaping conservation policies. He explores concepts like contingent valuation, willingness to pay, and the economic trade-offs in species reintroduction. One of his first jumping-off points is examining Colorado's grey wolf reintroduction, the first democratically elected species reintroduction in world history.

As Christian refines his research going forward, one thing that remains vital is understanding how public perception drives conservation policy, and how economic reasoning helps incentivize policymakers to prioritize conservation efforts within a budget-constrained framework.

Waverly Eichorst: Addressing Food Security through Singapore’s 30 by 30 Initiative

Waverly, another talented graduate student at CU Boulder, is researching Singapore’s "30 by 30" initiative, which aims to locally produce 30% of the country’s food by 2030. Singapore imports over 90% of its food and has less than 1% of land available for agriculture, making this initiative a crucial case study for global food production/security policies.

Supported by NIFA and USDA, Waverly is investigating the real-world impacts of Singapore's policies on agricultural productivity. Through on-site farm visits and interviews, she is assessing the technical, financial, and regulatory challenges that Singapore’s agricultural sector faces, such as high production costs and a lack of consumer demand for local produce. Her research aims to uncover strategies for Singapore to overcome these challenges through innovation, R&D, and diversified agricultural products.

Waverly’s findings could have far-reaching implications, not only for Singapore but for global efforts to enhance food security.

Margaret Hegwood: U.S. Food System Regulation

Margaret Hegwood, a fifth-year PhD student in CU Boulder’s Environmental Studies department, is researching food system regulation in the United States. Supported by the USDA and CIRES’ Center for Social and Environmental Futures (C-SEF), part of Margaret’s dissertation is centered on the regulatory frameworks that shape the U.S. food system.

Margaret delved into the intricacies of the U.S. regulatory system, discussing what regulations are, who enforces them, and the pros and cons of the current framework for food systems. Margaret’s research sheds light on differences in how regulations impact low-emission versus high-emission food industries, offering insights into the effectiveness of environmental policies.

The insights gained from her work could have significant implications for the future of food system regulation and policy in the U.S.

Leading the Charge in Environmental Policy

These graduate students at CU Boulder demonstrate the department's commitment to addressing complex environmental challenges through interdisciplinary research. From the economics of species reintroduction to global food security and U.S. food system regulation, their work is laying the groundwork for sustainable, impactful environmental policies. Stay tuned for updates on their progress and learn how their research is driving change for a more sustainable future.

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Emma Galofré García selected as a Gilliam fellow

Anonymous — Wed, 31 Jul 2024 18:06:03 +0000

Emma Galofré García selected as a Gilliam fellow Anonymous (not verified) Wed, 07/31/2024 - 12:06

We are thrilled to announce that Emma Galofré García, a PhD student in ENVS, has been selected as a Gilliam Fellow, along with her advisor, Dr. Karen Bailey! The Gilliam Fellows Program financially supports each student-adviser pair for up to three years of the student’s dissertation research. For Emma, the fellowship will support her ongoing research in ecology.

This year's cohort of 50 exceptional student-adviser pairs were selected from a field of over 700 applications, the most in the program’s history! Hailing from a record 43 institutions – ten of which are receiving a Gilliam Fellowship for the first time – these students and faculty reflect the incredible breadth of scientific talent that exists throughout our country.

Congratulations Emma and Karen!

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Dr. Lambert and Rosie Sanchez interviewed featured in film about the Colorado wolf reintroduction initiative

Anonymous — Sat, 20 Jul 2024 18:24:18 +0000

Dr. Lambert and Rosie Sanchez interviewed featured in film about the Colorado wolf reintroduction initiative Anonymous (not verified) Sat, 07/20/2024 - 12:24

Dr. Joanna Lambert and current PhD Student, Alma "Rosie" Sanchez have been working for years on the Colorado wolf reintroduction initiative. Now, a film series tells the success story of this initiaitve, which is the first time a federally protected endangered species has been reintroduced via a democratic vote/ballot initiative. The first film of the series features both Dr. Lambert and Rosie! It premiered on July 18, and was followed by a speaker panel in which Dr. Lambert participated (as shown in image).

See the film trailer below and learn more about this incredible iniative here.

[video:https://vimeo.com/979366728]

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