For Nelson Institute alumnus Steve Hopkins, pursuing a career in environmentalism was an easy choice. Hopkins grew up learning about animals, gardening, and the outdoors from his grandparents who had a cattle farm in Missouri. He credits his grandparents with introducing him to his passion and ultimately leading him to his current position with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR).
News
Nelson Institute offers online Conservation Standards course
Conservation Essentials, a one-of-a-kind online course in conservation management is now being offered by the University of Wisconsin–Madison Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies.
‘Multispecies Justice’ conference highlights Indigenous knowledge, student research
In early March, a couple hundred gathered at the Pyle Center on the University of Wisconsin–Madison campus to participate in a graduate student conference highlighting social and environmental justice. The conference was hosted by The …
UniverCity Year program garners national attention for work in Monona
The UniverCity Year (UCY) program, which is administered with support from Nelson Institute affiliate faculty and staff, was recently featured in an article on the Educational Partnerships for Innovation in Communities – Network (EPIC-N) website. …
Recent Nelson grad follows passion for people, sustainability, and the planet
Nelson Institute alumna Jackie Millonzi’s passion for sustainability began as a freshman in high school, when she took a humanities course that opened her eyes to major environmental issues such as pollution and climate change. …
Alumna leads the way with Conservation Standards
As a senior researcher at the Research Center for Endangered Species National Institute of Ecology in the Republic of Korea, Nelson Institute alumna Anya Lim works on a wide variety of conservation planning projects. Whether the project …
UW-Madison Baldwin Wisconsin Idea Endowment supports the Wisconsin Rainfall Project
In recent years, the number of heavy rainfall incidents has increased. What was once considered a 100-year storm is now a frequent occurrence. As such, many cities are looking to better understand extreme rainfall statistics …
Research aiming to protect biodiversity receives UW2020 grant award
As climate change, habitat fragmentation, and invasive species threaten the health of ecosystems around the world, many scientists warn that the planet is in the midst of a mass extinction, in which species are being …
Alumnus continues to be inspired by Nelson Institute experience decades after graduation
Throughout his career, Nelson Institute alumnus Warren Buchanan has continued to pursue an interdisciplinary approach to science. A lesson he says he learned during his time as a graduate student with the Nelson Institute in …
Nelson alumnus devotes nearly three decades to protecting vital water resources
Steve Jann was a senior at the University of Michigan when he first discovered his passion for water. As an undergraduate studying natural resources, he enrolled in an aquatic ecology course where he had the …
Nelson Institute Associate Professor Holly Gibbs featured in The Economist
Holly Gibbs, an associate professor in the Nelson Institute Center for Sustainability and the Global Environment (SAGE) and Department of Geography, was recently featured in The Economist. The article, titled “How big beef and soya …
Nelson grad student among planetary health scholars
The spring 2020 University of Wisconsin-Madison Planetary Health Scholars, which include Nelson Institute and Cultural Anthropology graduate student Pearly Wong, recently completed five-minute, virtual mini lectures describing their projects and their goals. Each video is …
Nelson affiliate faculty and co-director of UniverCity Alliance awarded WARF named professorship
Nelson affiliate faculty and co-director of the UniverCity Alliance Joel Rogers has been awarded one of just eleven WARF Named Professorships. This award honors faculty who have made major contributions to the advancement of knowledge, …
Nelson associate professor awarded Association for the Study of Food and Society book award
Nelson Institute Professor of Environmental Justice Monica White’s book, Freedom Farmers: Agricultural Resistance and the Black Freedom Movement, has been awarded the 2020 Association for the Study of Food and Society (ASFS) Book Award in the First …
Investors see green as renewable energy expands
At a Sustainable Success webinar titled The Business of Renewable Energy, the Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies and its partners at the Wisconsin School of Business hosted a conversation with two field experts who shared how renewable energies are emerging as profitable economic investments, paving the way for a more sustainable future.
Nelson Institute and Native Nations partnerships expand
Although it has been nearly a year since the dedication of the “Our Shared Future” heritage marker on Bascom Hill, the university is continuing to honor its commitment to the Ho-Chunk Nation through a variety of events and educational programing.
Municipal Building exhibition celebrates Nelson’s 50th anniversary, artists find diverse expressions of nature
Art & Nature: The Year of the Environment includes works from 20 local artists specifically chosen for the exhibition, as well as artists from the building’s permanent collection.
Aldo Leopold Land Ethic Wisconsin Distinguished Graduate Fellowship
Established by alumnus Steven Lawry in 1999, the inaugural recipient of the award was Nelson Institute alumna Leela Hazzah, PhD ’11 Land Resources, founder of the internationally acclaimed Lion Guardians.
Champions of conservation and justice
Get to know faculty members Zuzana Burivalova and Grace Bulltail, affiliates of the Center for Sustainability and the Global Environment.
New study abroad scholarship announced
Jim Schleif, BA ’87 French and international relations, and Bill Morley pledged a $10,000 gift to establish the James A. Schleif and William H. Morley Undergraduate Study Abroad Travel Award. The purpose of this scholarship …
Visualizing the environment
As a Geospatial Software Engineer with the Pacific Wildland Fire Sciences Laboratory, Nelson Institute graduate Stuart Illson turns data into models and tools that help scientists to better understand forest fires, smoke, air quality, and so much …
The business of environmental advocacy
Joe Foye, an undergraduate student majoring in environmental studies at the Nelson Institute and marketing at the Wisconsin School of Business (WSB), found his passion for environmental advocacy while working to raise money for trips with his Boy Scout …
Environmental conservation graduate student one of six students from United States invited to attend SWIMM workshop
Nelson Institute Environmental Conservation graduate student, Chelsey Willetts, is one of just six students from the United States invited to attend the Student Workshop on International Coastal and Marine Management (SWIMM) this January in the Gulf of …
Nelson Institute alumni working to create a bright future for solar power
As cities and states move to increase renewable energy usage, two Nelson Institute alumni will be leading the way on Long Island. August Schultz, Environmental Observation and Informatics (EOI) alumnus, and Jessica Price, Conservation Biology …
An algorithm for understanding conservation agriculture
According to the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture and Consumer Protection (DATCP), Wisconsin is home to 64,793 farms on 14.3 million acres. Of those acres, it’s estimated that about six percent are utilizing conservation agriculture methods …