Join the celebration of capstone research done by this year's cohort of master's students!

Food and refreshments will be available during the middle portion of each day of the event.

For questions, email [email protected].

Time

Room 1028

Room 1040

Room 2024

1–1:30 p.m. 

The City of Ann Arbor Natural Area Preservation
Three Decades of Community Science Wildlife Monitoring: Lessons from the City of Ann Arbor’s Bird, Butterfly, Reptile and Amphibian Data

Presenters: Ludo Behrendt, MS (ESM); Megan Eakin, MS (ESM); Michael Enda, MS (EPP, EJ); Jana Sophia Hustedt, MS (ESM); Troy Tofil, MS (ESM, GDS)

Xiuyu Cao, MS (GDS)
Thesis: A Novel Biomass Product Validated by the U.S. Forest Inventory and Analysis Data
1:30–2 p.m.

Meijer
Meijer’s Embodied Carbon in Construction

Presenters: Qingyue Liu (EPP, SusSys); Gokulakrishnan Jayakumar, MS (SusSys); Gupteswara Padhy (SusDev, SusSys); Roujia Tong (SusSys, GDS); Letitia Zhang, MS (SusSys)

University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability
St. Pierre Wetland Stewardship Plan: A Model for SEAS Properties Planning 

Presenters: Alex Hamilton, MS (ESM, GDS); Jason Krick, MS (BEC, ESM);  KT Meono, MS (ESM); Gwynne Powell, MS (ESM); Molly Russell, MS, MPP (ESM, EPP); Emily Schultheis, MS (ESM)

Lian Anderson, MS (ESM)
Thesis: A Secondary Upstream Invasion of Round Goby Over 13 Years Following a Dam Removal
2–2:30 p.m.

United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
Addressing Climate Change Adaptation Knowledge Gaps in Mountainous Regions: A Case Study of Langtang Valley, Nepal

Presenters: Victoria Ballor (SusDev); Ceci Kimball (EPP); Joe Ramey (BEC, ESM); Yujing Wang (SusSys); Jiatai Yang (GDS)

Nature & Nurture Seeds
Building Knowledge and Capacity for Natural Area Stewardship Within a Farm Business

Presenters: Anna Davies, MS (EMS, GDS); Peggy Ferguson, MS (SusSys); Sara Haleblian, MS (ESM); Taylor Hayes, MS (ESM, GDS); Sara Olmsted, MS (ESM); Sophia Steppe, MS (ESM)

Henry Wallison, MS (ESM)
Thesis: Plant Resilience Against Herbivory in the Mediterranean
2:30–3 p.m.

University of Michigan Water Center, Michigan Department of Natural Resources, The Nature Conservancy, Michigan Chapter
Michigan the Beautiful: The Great Lakes; Exploring Approaches for the Conservation and Stewardship of 30 Percent of Michigan’s Coastal and Open Waters of the Great Lakes by 2030

Presenters: Alicia Echeveste, MS (EPP, ESM); Calvin Floyd, MS (EPP, ESM); AiLi Pigott, MS (GDS); Lauren Talbot, MS (EPP, ESM); Longyu Xue, MS (SusSys, GDS)
Cailin Young, MS (SusDev, ESM)

Freeman Environmental Education Center
Freeman Environmental Education Center Strategic Planning

Presenters: Katelyn Connelly, MS (EJ, ESM); Bridget Damon, MS (BEC, SusDev); Andrew Johnson, MS (ESM); Vincent Lipari, MS (BEC, ESM)

Michaela Collins, MC (ESM)
Thesis: Evaluation of Freshwater Mussel Relocations
3–3:30 p.m.

Initiative PIM; Cycladic Preservation Fund
Re-establishing the Ecological Integrity of the Mediterranean: A Sustainable Initiative for Island Restoration and Biodiversity Conservation

Presenters: Qitong Fan, MS (ESM); Sol Llanes, MS (SusDev); Wanqi Li, MS (GDS)

Michigan Fibershed
Michigan Fibershed: Community Landscape Analysis for a Regenerative Textile Future

Presenters: Alex Bissell, MS (EJ); Kelly Egusa, MS (ESM); Tosin Lawal, MS (SusSys), MBA; Tien Vo, MS (EJ, ESM); Mazy Zalud, MS (BEC)

Daniel Spellman, MS (SusSys)
Thesis: Ethnography of Concerned Neighbors at Rural Renewable Energy Projects 
3:30– 4 p.m.

Forestry and Fire Recruitment Program
Just Wildfire Workforce: A Study on the Diverse Impacts of the Forestry and Fire Recruitment Program

Presenters: Alexandra Crilley, MS (SusDev, EJ); Daniela Giordano, MS (BEC); Chloe Hernandez, MS (ESM); Kendall Koenen, MS (BEC); Zhuxin Wu, MS (GDS)

Break

Seth Strauss, MS (ESM)
Thesis: Field Testing of the In Situ Toxicity Identification Evaluation (iTIE) System as a Novel Approach to Stream Restoration Planning
4–4:30 p.m.

Chesapeake Bay Program
Chesapeake Bay Wetlands Communication Strategy

Presenters: Mariam Aziz, MS (ESM, GDS); Matthew Gerber, MS (EPP, ESM); Sarah Ramsey, MS (BEC, EPP); Jennie Rhodes, MS (EPP); Annie Wisner, MS (ESM, SusSys)

Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians, Marie Schaefer, Kyle P. Whyte
Building a Policy Framework for Manoomin (Wild Rice) in the Great Lakes Region

Presenters: Brooke Bulmash, MLA, MURP; Margaret Fornes, MS (EPP, ESM); Shiloh Hedgecock, MS (EJ, ESM); McKenna Johnson, MS (ESM); Abigail Merolle, MS (EJ); Ryan Piatt, MS (GDS)

Haixiang Mao, MS (ESM)
Thesis: Dealing with Sulfide in Sediments for In Situ Toxicity Identification Evaluations (iTIE)
4:30–5 p.m. 

Great Lakes Stewardship Initiative, Michigan State University Extension
Nurturing Roots of Justice: Integrating Equity and Environmental Stewardship into Michigan’s Food System Education

Presenters: Lashaun Jackson (EJ, EPP);  Sami Maldonado, MS (EJ, BEC); Justin Thompson, MS (EPP), MPP

Jeffrey Ferrer, MS (EDS)
Thesis: Effects of Human-subsidized Feral Cats on Mediterranean Island Reptile Communities
5–5:30 p.m. 

Sustʻāinable Moloka‘i
Envisioning ʻĀina Momona: Community-Based Design and Planning for Kānaka Maoli Food Sovereignty and Land Restoration

Presenters: Maria Ivoeney Gili, MS (ESM); Radhika Handa, MS (SusSys), MBA; Alana Hutka, MS (EJ), MURP; Daniel Lim, MLA; Jo Walker, MS (EJ); Arslan Younas, MS (ESM)

 
5:30–6 p.m. 

Ho‘āhu Energy Cooperative Moloka‘i, Sust‘āinable Moloka‘i
Supporting Energy Sovereignty Through Technical Analysis and Community Participation in Moloka‘i, Hawaii

Presenters: Seth Bartos, MS (SusSys); Aditi Gonnade, MS (SusSys); Anagha Kumar Margasahayam, MS (SusDev, SusSys, EJ); Skye Sun, MS (SusDev, SusSys); Sameera White, MS (SusDev, BEC); Yuk Long Yip, MS (EJ, EPP)

 
6–6:30 p.m. 

Powerlines
Powerlines: Intervenor Compensation as a Pathway to Energy Justice

Presenters: James Burnham, MS (EPP); Yuuki Garcia, MS (EPP, EJ, BEC); Katie Militello, MS (SusSys, EPP); Cheyenne Morris, MS (EJ, SusDev)

 
TimeRoom 1028Room 1040Room 2024
9–9:30 a.m.

SWA
Scaling Up Climate Adaptation Through Sustainable Urban Forestry

Presenters: Julie Gourlay, MS (ESM, BEC); Ren Hoff-Miyazaki, MLA; Deliang Lyn, MLA, MS (GDS); Lingyu Wang, MS (GDS); Yihan Wang, MS (SusDev)

Ann Arbor/Washtenaw 2030 District
Developing a Sustainability Roadmap for Food Service Businesses

Presenters: Sarah Bibb, MS (SusSys, EPP); Maithilee Kanthi, MS (SusSys, BEC); Yaorong Liu, MS (SusSys); Miriam Megdal, MS (SusDev); Annika Smuts, MS (SusSys, SusDev); Zenghongli Zho, MS (SusDev)

Nia Dubon-Robinson, MS (ESM, EJ)
Thesis: Comparative Soil Health in Urban Agroforestry: A Case Study on Detroit’s Perennial Agriculture Sites
9:30–10 a.m. 

Merit Network Inc.
Greenhouse Gas and Energy Usage Inventory and Climate Strategy for Merit Network Inc.

Presenters: Edward Carrington, MS (SusSys); Jialu Chen, MS (GDS); Paige Greenberg, MS (SusSys); Haolin Li, MS (GDS); Sharmane Tan, MS (EPP),  MBA

Mitali Khanna Sharma, MS (ESM)
Thesis: Beyond Survival: Agroecology and the International Struggle for Vitality in Palestine
10–10:30 a.m. 

Steelcase Inc.
Nature Assessment and Strategy Planning for Steelcase Inc.

Presenters: Yunjoo Cho, MS (EPP, SusSys); Lilianna DeFilippis, MS (ESM, SusSys); Victor Hsu, MS (SusDev); Alex Lai, MS (SusDev, SusSys); Cody Lyu, MS (Sustainable Energy System Engineering); Morgan Riggs, MS (SusSys); Abby Rogers, MS (SusSys); Emily Stuller, MS (SusSys)

University of Michigan
Envisioning Sustainable Campus Gardens: Landscape Interventions at the University of Michigan

Presenter: Kaia McKenney, MLA

10:30–11 a.m.

Champaign County Forest Preserve District
Quantifying Carbon Storage in Illinois Restored Ecosystems with Remote Sensing Techniques

Presenters: Caleb Jelsma-Cale, MS (GDS); Yue Lu, MLA, MS (GDS); Brigid Morgan, MS (ESM); Yinjiao Zhong, MS (GDS)

RMI
Green Hydrogen Applications in India’s Power Sector

Presenters: Jean Poll Alva Araujo, MS (SusSys); Abhishek Gupta, MS (EPP), MBA; Cyan Lee, MS (SusSys), ChE; Nicholas Nonnenmacher, MS (SusDev), MPP;  Pete Schultz, MS (SusSys); Loren Steinberg, MS (SusSys); Hollie Wilburn, MS (EPP)

Vatsal Parikh, MS (GDS, ESM)
Thesis: Modeling Human-Wildlife Conflict to Inform Mitigation Efforts and Relief Programs in Himachal Pradesh

 

11–11:30 a.m.Anusuya Singh, MS (EJ)
Thesis: Silent Impact: Women Market Vendors As a Climate Vulnerable Population Amidst Oil-Developing Guyana  

United States Biosphere Network
Connecting People and Nature in Biosphere Regions

Presenters: Sarah Davis, MS (BEC); Samuel Kocurek, MS (SusDev, GDS); Mary Kolleth, MS (SusSys, ESM); Craig Reiley, MS (SusDev); Sean Skinner, MS (GDS, ESM); Alaina Smith, MS (SusSys); Rongkai Zhong, MS (GDS, ESM)

Patricia Bye, MS (EPP)
Thesis: Snowpack to Streamflow: Understanding How Snow Water Equivalent and Runoff are Changing in the Lake Superior Basin 
11:30– 12 p.m.Antara Green
Used Vehicle Price Depreciation Analysis: An Empirical Study on Used EVs vs ICEVs in the United State
 

 

Gayatri Lakshmi Narayanan, MS (EJ) 
Thesis: Ruptured Membrane: Dancing on the Borders of Purity to Make Space for Seeds of Life
12–1 p.m.

Lunch and Honors Awards Ceremony

TimeRoom 1028Room 1040Room 2024
1–1:30 p.m.

Center for Alaskan Coastal Studies
Resist, Accept, Direct (RAD): Climate Resiliency in Homer, Alaska

Presenters: Lucy Baker, MS (BEC, ESM); Jasper Hsieh, MS (GDS); Bradley Popovich, MS/MPP (SusSys, SusDev); Jamie Ranger, MS (EJ, ESM, SusDev); Allison Smith, MS (ESM); Sam Talsma, MS (SusSys); Longxiao Xie, MS (SusSys, BEC)

Sai Cheruvu
Thesis: Assessing Spatial Distribution and Land Suitability of Zero Tillage in the Indo-Gangetic Plains

 

 

Ford Motor Company 
U.S. Graphite Sourcing for Electric Vehicle Battery Applications

Presenter: Sarah Gorman, MS (SusSys)

1:30–2 p.m.

Pier Cove Ravine Trustee Corporation
Historic Pier Cove Rejuvenation 

Presenters: Jacqueline Dorman, MS (ESM, BEC); Joshua Ische, MS (GDS); Evan Joneson, MS (ESM); Caitlin Maloney, MS (ESM); Erika Vest, MS (ESM)

 Danielle Levy
Urban Symbiosis: The Case for City-Scale, People-Powered Circularity
2–2:30 p.m.

City of Detroit, Sidewalk Detroit (+SEAS Sustainability Clinic)
Reimagining Urban Wildlands: How Collaborative Inventory and Analysis Can Inform Ecological Restoration in Public Park Management

Presenters: Emily Brent, MLA, MS (ESM, GDS); Grace Carbeck, MLA, MS (ESM); Myles Markey, MLA, MS (ESM, GDS); Kammer Offenhauser, MLA, MS (ESM, GDS)

Maggie Cooney (EPP); Renee Magyar (BEC/ MURP); Shwetha Govindan (EPP/ SusSys)
Practicum: New Legacies: Examining the impacts of increasing temperatures and energy burden in America's legacy cities

 

Tishman Center for Social Justice and the Environment; Maui County Councilmember Keani Rawlins-Fernandez
A Bill to Protect Maui County’s Housing Sector from Institutional Investment

Presenter: Tara Apo-Priest, MS (EJ)

2:30–3 p.m.University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability Facilities
Practicum: Saginaw Forest: Bridging Design, Ecology, and Research

Presenters: Rachel Kerr, MLA, MS (EPP); Alexa Garnet, MLA		 Zhongrui Ning, MS (GDS) 
Thesis: Social Media Footprint Change in the U.S. Corresponding to Climate Change
3–3:30 p.m.Christina N. Contreras, MS (EJ, ESM), MLA
Thesis: Growing a Piro Indigenous Kinship Garden

DTE 
Trenton Channel Power Plant (TCPP) Restoration Site

Presenters:  Diva Alfirman, MS (SusDev, EJ); Ye Jia, MLA; Lauren Mleczko, MS (SusDev, SusSys); Changtong Wu, MS (ESM); Sumire Yamada, MLA, MS (GDS); Yuxiao Yue, MS (SusSys)

Yuxin He, MS (GDS)
Thesis: Social Media-based Analysis of People’s Behavioral Changes in Relation to Environmental Changes, USA
3:30–4 p.m.

Friends of the Rouge
A Floating Wetland for the Rouge

Presenter: Teresa Zbiciak, MLA

  Muqianqian Li, MS (GDS)
Thesis: How Do We Use PPGIS on Climate Change? 
4–4:30 p.m.Brittany Amaral, MS (ESM, GDS)
The Effect of Invasive Goats on Seabird-Derived Nutrient Flow in the Aegean Archipelago, Greece		 Isaiah Clark, MS (ESM)
Thesis: Effects of Developmental Temperature on a North American Avian Insectivore
4:30-5 p.m.City of Detroit (+SEAS Sustainability Clinic)
Joe Louis Greenway Digital Monitoring System

Presenters:  Saj McBurrows, MS (EPP); Gail Lyons, MS (EJ, SusDev); Shiru Xu, MLA; Yidan Chang, MS (GDS); Jing Yan, MS (GDS), MLA; Chi Sun, MS (GDS)		 Haidee Sticpewich, MS (ESM) 
Thesis: Non-Additive Predator Interactions Influence Bio-Control of a Coffee Pest