AWRI Seminar Series

 

Virtually all academic departments host a regular seminar series. These seminars provide an opportunity for researchers from outside departments, universities, and agencies to: come share their findings; discuss research ideas with students, faculty, and staff; and may lead to new collaborations in the future. In short, it is an excellent investment of time.

AWRI hosts a regular monthly seminar on the 2nd Friday of each month at 2 p.m. in the multipurpose room of the Lake Michigan Center. In addition, we occasionally have ad hoc seminars that are not part of our regular series. All seminars are open to the public and are free of charge.

Dr. Ryan Thum has primary responsibility for organizing these seminars for AWRI, and for this 2011 Winter semester, he has done another outstanding job. We have already had the pleasure of visits from Dr. Kim Scribner from Michigan State University who spoke about sturgeon and Lindsay Chadderton from The Nature Conservancy who discussed his work on invasive species in the Great Lakes, including his ground-breaking research on monitoring Asian Carp through environmental DNA.

Our upcoming seminars:

Mar. 4, 2011
Dr. Joseph V. DePinto, LimnoTech Inc. (Ann Arbor) Seminar Title: Development and application of as linked hydrodynamic - sediment transport - water quality model for the Lower Maumee River - Lake Erie western basin

Mar. 11, 2011
Dr. Andrew Gronewold, NOAA (Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory, Ann Arbor) Seminar Title: "Propagating uncertainty into water resource management decisions"

April 8, 2011
Dr. Walter Dodds, Kansas State University Seminar Title: Valuation of aquatic ecosystem goods and services

May 13, 2011
Dr. Sandra L. Cooke, Duke University Seminar Title: Plankton food resources for Asian carp in the Great Lakes: a feast or famine?

LMC Events

Feb 3
The Duck Creek Watershed group held a meeting in the Bultema conference room.

Feb 4
A joint AWRI - US Geological Survey workshop, focused on Great Lakes rivermouth research, was held in the Multipurpose room.

Feb 8
The Ruddiman Creek Stakeholders Steering Committee held their kick-off meeting in the Multipurpose room.

Feb 10
The Muskegon Lake Watershed Partnership held a meeting in the Multipurpose room.

Feb 11
Series Seminar: Dr. Lindsay Chadderton of The Nature Conservancy Great Lakes Project presented Development of a Great Lakes Aquatic Invasive Species Strategy and lessons from some recent regional incursions

 

Activities

Bopi Biddanda participated in the interviewing of first-year students for the Awards of Distinction Scholarship on the Allendale Campus on February 19.

Scott Kendall attended a training workshop on the new automated Phosphate Analyzer made by Wet labs at GLERL, Ann Arbor, on February 22.

Mark Luttenton was selected to be vice-chair of the Northwest Region of the American Fisheries Society.

Carl Ruetz attended a workshop, "Inclusion & Equity in the Classroom", presented by FTLC on Feb. 16 in Allendale.

Al Steinman participated via teleconference in a special workshop regarding proposed water level mitigation measures in the St Clair River on February 3.

Al Steinman participated in a teleconference for the EPA Science Advisory Board on February 7. The panel is finalizing their report to the EPA on nutrient criteria for Florida waters.

Al Steinman attended an IJC meeting on Great Lakes water levels in Windsor, Canada, on February 23-25.

Janet Vail helped to facilitate a professional development workshop in Grand Rapids for the Groundswell project on February 8.

Janet Vail gave the welcome at the 16th Annual Hazardous Waste Management Workshop held in Grand Rapids on February 9. Over 180 people attended the event. Janet coordinated GVSU continuing education credits for the workshop.

Janet Vail participated in the annual Career Pathways Exploration Days for 8th-grade students in Muskegon County on February 28.

 

Presentations

AWRI was represented at the Midwest Aquatic Plant Management Society's annual meeting in Grand Rapids, MI on February 28 - March 2.

(First listed was scheduled presenter; AWRI staff/students in bold.)

Thum, Ryan. Oral. Update on research efforts regarding herbicide responses of hybrid watermilfoils.

Zuellig, Matt. Oral. Hybrid watermilfoils are more common in lakes treated with herbicides.

Tavalire, Hannah. Oral. Implications of genetics and environment for management: are certain lineages of variable leaf watermilfoil more apt to grow invasively?

Bopi Biddanda gave a presentation titled Observatory for Ecosystem Changes in Muskegon Lake to the Muskegon Lake Watershed Planning Partnership on February 10.

Bopi Biddanda gave a presentation titled A Lake Sentinel during a webinar to the LMMCC-NEMO (Lake Michigan- Nearshore Monitoring) workgroup on February 18.

Scott Kendall gave a presentation titled Observing Carbon Cycling and Ecosystem Changes at the USGS AWRI Workshop on Rivermouth Science in Muskegon Lake on February 4.

Jim McNair gave a presentation as part of the CLAS Faculty Research Colloquium on February 17. The title was How should seed germination data be analyzed? An interdepartmental collaborative research project at GVSU.

Al Steinman hosted a joint AWRI - USGS workshop dealing with Great Lakes rivermouths held at the Lake Michigan Center on February 4. Each of our Principal Investigators or designates gave a presentation regarding their AWRI ongoing and past research in rivermouth ecosystems (specifically Muskegon).

Al Steinman was guest lecturer for Introduction to Natural Resources (NRM 150) at GVSU in Allendale on February 15.

Al Steinman presented at the sixth annual Varnum Water Law Conference held at Meijer Gardens on February 22. Patty Birkholz was the key-note speaker. AWRI is a co-sponsor for this event. Janet Vail helped organize the event.

Janet Vail presented a Population Connection workshop and a Using Lake Michigan Water Quality Data session at the Michigan Science Teachers Association Annual Conference in Grand Rapids on February 25 and 26.

 

Publications

Carl Ruetz is a co-author on an article currently in press:

Parkos, J.J., III, C.R. Ruetz III, and J.C. Trexler. In press. Refuge use and community dynamics in a landscape experiencing variable patterns of disturbance. Oikos.

 

Awards & Recognition

Matt Altenritter, former graduate student who worked with Carl Ruetz, was named Outstanding Graduating Biology Graduate Student from Grand Valley State University.

Nicole Horne, graduate student working with Bopi Biddanda, received a West Michigan Air & Waste Management Association Scholarship in the amount of $2000.

Liz LaRue, graduate student working with Ryan Thum, received a West Michigan Air & Waste Management Association Scholarship in the amount of $2000.

Ryan Thum received the Distinguished Early-Career Scholar Award at the annual GVSU Faculty Awards Convocation held on February 3.

 

AWRI In The News

AWRI internship deadline approaches
FORUM: a newsletter for the Grand Valley State University Community, February 14, 2011 The article reminds students that AWRI is currently taking applications for summer internships and fall scholarship.

D. J. Angus to begin 25 years of service
GVNext, an online publication by Grand Valley State University, February 18, 2011 The article highlights the use of the research vessel D. J. Angus.

Research could impact shipping
Success Stories: online publication by Grand Valley State University, February 2011 Elizabeth LaRue, graduate student working with Ryan Thum, is highlighted in an article about her research on the round goby.