Climate Change Leadership Fellows
The MSU Climate Change Leadership Fellows Program enhanced the state's capacity to deal with climate change, one of the most pressing problems of the 21st century. Individuals from the public and private sectors in Michigan became the first cohort of Fellows in the program, increasing their climate change expertise and forming a network of mutual understanding that will facilitate policy formation in Michigan in years to come. The Leadership Program was part of a larger Michigan Agricultural Experiment Station -funded project intended to develop interactions between MSU and key stakeholders in the area of bioeconomy and global climate change.
The Program
The core of the Leadership Program was intensive interactions with speakers brought to MSU for two climate change-related initiatives during the 2009-2010 academic year: a Distinguished Lecture Series on Climate Change and a Climate Change Symposium. The Lecture Series, ongoing throughout the year, brought leading researchers and policy makers to campus. The Symposium built on previous MSU climate change conferences and focused particularly on the Michigan Climate Action Plan.
The program involved half-day sessions, as well as attendance at the spring Symposium. Fellows had a session with each speaker: attending the speaker's public talk, meeting privately with him or her, and then continuing the conversation amongst themselves. MSU faculty and staff facilitated discussions and project work.
A Lasting Impact
Fellows have gone on to form the Michigan Climate Coalition, a similarly diverse group working on climate change adaptation in Michigan. All are welcome - to become involved, see the Website.
The Fellows
Jerry Akers
Energy Manager, Herman Miller
Michelle Crook
Engineering Specialist, Michigan Department of Agriculture
Shanna Draheim
Shepherd Advisors
Roger Eberhardt
Michigan Department of Environmental Quality, Office of the Great Lakes
Kim Hall
Great Lakes Climate Change Ecologist, The Nature Conservancy
Brandon Hofmeister
Special Counsel for Energy and Climate Policy, Office of the Governor
Chris Hoving
Endangered Species Coordinator, Michigan Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife Division
Wendy Larson
Senior Project Scientist, Limnotech
Yu Man Lee
Conservation Scientist and Zoologist, Michigan Natural Features Inventory (MNFI), Michigan State University Extension
Michael McClellan
Michigan Department of Environmental Quality, Air Quality Division
Steve Montle
Green City Coordinator, Mayor's Office, City of Flint
Alex Morese
Electric Reliability, Michigan Public Service Commission
Monica Patel
Ecology Center
Tremaine Phillips
Energy Program Associate, Michigan Environmental Council
Lou Pocalujka
Senior Environmental Planner, CMS Energy
Michele Richards
Natural Resources Specialist, Ft. Custer Training Center
Dave Smith
Environmental Specialist, City of East Lansing
Carrie Vollmer-Sanders
Agricultural Ecology Specialist, Michigan Farm Bureau
