AWRI receives grant from the NSF Innovation Corps (I-Corps) Program

AWRI Master's student Syndell Parks and Dr. Ryan Thum, along with Dr. Linda Chamberlain, were awarded a grant from the National Science Foundations Innovation Corps Program (I-Corps). The I-Corps program prepares scientists and engineers to extend their focus beyond the laboratory and broaden the impact of their NSF-funded basic-research projects.

Parks, Thum, and Chamberlain participated in the intense 8-week program, which included two trips to New York City in April and May, to evaluate the potential to translate basic research from Thum's lab on native, invasive, hybrid, and herbicide resistant watermilfoils into commercial genetic identification services with environmental, social, and economic benefits.

"The sheer amount of work and dedication required for the course threw me completely off guard, but I have learned more than I thought possible in such a short period of time", said Syndell Parks of her I-Corps experience. Indeed, the team members learned a great deal about translating research into commercial products that serve societal needs.

LMC Events

June 3
Alto Elementary students visited the Annis Educational Foundation Classroom for hands-on activities and took a vessel cruise on the W.G. Jackson.

June 4 & 5
Murray Lake Elementary students visited the Annis Educational Foundation Classroom for hands-on activities and took a vessel cruise on the W.G. Jackson.

June 5
Syndell Parks, graduate student working with Ryan Thum, successfully passed her qualifying exam.

June 7
CLAS Dean Fred Antczak met with AWRI faculty and staff and toured our new field station.

June 11
Jessica Wesolek, graduate student working with Carl Ruetz, successfully passed her qualifying exam.

Brandon Harris, graduate student working with Carl Ruetz, successfully passed his qualifying exam.

June12
GVSU's Janet Vail (AWRI) and Karen Meyers (RMSC) presented a Michigan Environmental Education Curriculum Support Climate Change workshop to area teachers.

The Mona Lake Watershed Council held a meeting in the Bultema room.

June 13
AWRI hosted a collaborative scientific event with MSU titled Partnering MSU and GVSU Through Water. Attendees also enjoyed a vessel cruise aboard the W.G. Jackson.

June 14
Jared Homola, graduate student working with Carl Ruetz, successfully defended his master's thesis with a presentation titled Disease ecology of a microsporidian parasite and its effects on mottled sculpin.

Students from the L.I.F.E. Home School visited the Annis Educational Foundation Classroom for hands-on activities and took a vessel cruise on the W.G. Jackson.

June 15
The Scientech Club/Indiana science student group visited the AWRI as part of their annual trip. Their visit included a vessel cruise aboard the W.G. Jackson, followed by a luncheon and tour of the AWRI facilities.

June 17
A group from the MSU Pesticide Workshop had a tour of the AWRI facilities and enjoyed a vessel cruise on the W.G. Jackson.

June 24
AWRI hosted a small group of international individuals, escorted by the State Department, who are interested in looking at environmental issues and how non-government organizations affect environmental change. Janet Vail gave them a presentation and led them on a tour of our facilities.

Students from the Wyoming High School Summer Program were given a presentation by Ryan Thum, followed by a tour of AWRI and a vessel cruise on the W.G. Jackson.

June 26
Participants in the Regional Math and Science Centers Grandparents, Grandkids, Grand Valley (G3) Camp were at the Lake Michigan Center for classroom instruction and a demonstration cruise onboard the W. G. Jackson.

June 27
The West Michigan Clean Air Coalition took a vessel cruise on the W.G. Jackson. Janet Vail is chair of that group.

 

Activities

AWRI has been hosting four area teachers this summer who are participating in GVSU's Target Inquiry, a professional development program focused on improving the quality of inquiry instruction in science classrooms. The participants are: Joe Lutz, working with Rick Rediske; Kevin Sylvester, working with Ryan Thum; Jennifer Woods, working with Carl Ruetz; and Ashley Meyer, working with Bopi Biddanda.

The W.G. Jackson traveled to Michigan City for cruises on June 8 and 9. This was followed by trips at the Port of Indiana Burns Harbor on June 10. The Sanitary District of Michigan City and the Indiana Department of Environmental Management obtained grants to help fund the trips.

Al Steinman was in Ann Arbor on June 26th and 27th for a meeting of the UM Water Center. On June 26th the Great Lakes Academic Science Group discussed a response to the EPAs Science Advisory Board report on GLRI, and on June 27th, the Water Centers Advisory Board evaluated the finalists of the Water Center RFP.

 

Presentations

AWRI was represented at the annual International Association for Great Lakes Research (IAGLR) conference which was held at Purdue University in West Lafayette, IN from June 2 6. Presenter is first listed, AWRI staff are bolded, graduate students are denoted with an *, undergraduates are denoted with **.
Leon Gereaux*, Scott Kendall, Anthony Weinke** and Bopi Biddanda. Oral. Observing effects of climate anomalies and episodic weather events on Muskegon Lake phytoplankton productivity using time-series data.
Rick Rediske. Oral. Delisting beneficial use impairments in the White Lake Area of Concern.
Michael Snider* and Bopi Biddanda. Oral. Pigments and physiology of modern cyanobacterial mats that are analogs of life on early earth.
Janet Vail, Steve Stewart, and Tom Kelley. Oral. Coordinated on-board education and outreach project.
Janet Vail, Steve Stewart, and Tom Kelly. Poster. Vessel based education advancing Great Lakes literacy.

Bopi Biddanda gave the keynote address at Partnering MSU and GVSU Through Water, held at the Lake Michigan Center on June 13. The title of his presentation was Adventures of an oceanographer in the Laurentian Great Lakes.

Mary Ogdahl was lead author of a presentation she gave at the 88th annual Michigan Water and Environment Association (MWEA) conference held June 23-26 at Boyne Mountain. The presentation was titled Reconciling the Bear Lake Phosphorus TMDL with Scientific Data Needed for Management Decisions with Al Steinman.

Rick Rediske was co-author of a student presentation at the 88th annual Michigan Water and Environment Association (MWEA) conference held June 23-26 at Boyne Mountain. The presentation was titled An Economic approach for greywater treatment and reuse with Joshua N VerHage and Shabbir Choudhuri.

Michele Smith, science instructor on the AWRI research vessels, presented an extended abstract titled An Integrative STEM experience onboard a research vessel authored by Janet Vail, at the American Society for Quality STEM Education conference in Grand Rapids on June 4.

Al Steinman gave a presentation at the annual meeting of Friends of Silver Lake on June 8th. The presentation was titled Update on the Silver Lake nutrient loading project.

Al Steinman gave a presentation about harmful algal blooms to the Pentwater Lake Association at St. Vincents Church in Pentwater on June 21.

Janet Vail was involved in presenting Michigan Environmental Education Curriculum Support Climate Change workshops. There were workshops with the GVSU Regional Math & Science Center at the Lake Michigan Center (June 12), DEQ and Central Michigan in Lansing (June 21), Wayne RESA in Detroit (June 26), and possibly Michigan Tech in Houghton in July.

 

Publications

Jim McNair is lead author, with other co-authors from AWRI, on a paper published in Ecological Modelling.
McNair, J.N., L.C. Gereaux*, A.D. Weinke**, M.R. Sesselmann*, S.T. Kendall, and B.A. Biddanda. 2013. New methods for estimating components of lake metabolism based on free-water dissolved-oxygen dynamics. Ecological Modelling 263: 251-263.

Rick Rediske was a co-author on a paper accepted to Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology:
Madenjian, C.P., N.S. Johnson, T.R. Binder, R.R. Rediske, and J.P. O'Keefe. Polychlorinated Biphenyl concentrations and activity of Sea Lamprey Petromyzon marinus vary by sex. Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology.

Carl Ruetz is a co-author on a paper published in Ecology of Freshwater Fish:
Altenritter, M.E.L.*, A.C. Wieten*, C.R. Ruetz III, and K.M. Smith. 2013. Seasonal spatial distribution of juvenile lake sturgeon in Muskegon Lake, Michigan, USA. Ecology of Freshwater Fish 22:467-478.

Al Steinman is a co-author on an article accepted to Journal of Great Lakes Research:
Larsen, J.H., A. Trebitz, A.D. Steinman, M. J. Wiley, M. Carlson-Mazur, V. Pebbles, H. Braun, and P. Seelbach. In Press. Great Lakes rivermouth ecosystems: scientific synthesis and management implications. Journal of Great Lakes Research.

 

Awards & Recognition

Al Steinman received the Natural Resource Custodian Award from the Muskegon Conservation District in recognition of those dedicated to the protection, restoration, or education of our local natural resources.

Janet Vail received the John R. Jack Vallentyne Award at the IAGLR conference for her work in outreach and education.

 

AWRI In the News

Great Lakes, Great promise: donors help to expand freshwater research in west Michigan
Horizons: a Grand Valley University Foundation publication, Spring 2013 The article mentions our current fundraising for the new Field Station.

Study finds upstream migration of Great Lakes salmon transports pollutants
Hydro Reporter (an annual publication of Consumers Energy), page 4 Dave Janetskis salmon project is discussed.

Floating laboratory provides Lake Michigan lessons
nwitimes.com (Northwest Indiana Times), June 11, 2013 The research vessel recently took an away trip to the Port of Indiana. Janet Vail is interviewed regarding the vessel education experience.

Floating laboratory provides public with lessons on Lake Michigan's environment, ecology
dailyjournal.net, June 11, 2013 The article gives mention that the research vessel W. G. Jackson will be giving educational tours at the Port of Indiana.

Fundraising needed to clean Lake Macatawa
Holland Sentinel, June 11, 2013 AWRI was mentioned as a partner in recent studies of Lake Macatawa.

Lake Macatawa: $12 million, 5-year plan to make it cleaner unveiled
MLive.com, June 11, 2013 AWRI was mentioned as a partner in recent studies of Lake Macatawa.

Stateside with Cynthia Canty
Michigan Radio, June 11, 2013 Al Steinman was interviewed regarding water levels in the Great Lakes.

Pennfield HS students conduct water testing
Battle Creek Enquirer, June 17, 2013 The article was about the recent trip Pennfield High School students took on the GVSU research vessel D. J. Angus.

New tropical medicine and public health findings from Grand Valley State University described
Malaria Weekly, June 17, 2013 Rick Rediske was a member of the team that went to Haiti to study assessing sustainability and efficacy of biosand filters.