Michigan State’s Environmental Science and Policy Program recently held an informal get-together to welcome three newly hired assistant professors, each of whom gave a presentation explaining their backgrounds and research interests.  You can view videos of the presentations below.

Arika Ligmann-Zielinska, jointly appointed by ESPP and Geography, talked about her work with models of risk analysis and decision making about land use:

Louie Rivers, who holds a joint appoinment with Criminal Justice and ESPP, told the audience about his work with environmental risk, and discussed the emerging field of conservation criminology:

Laura Schmitt Olabisi, newly hired by ESPP and Community, Agriculture, Recreation and Resource Studies, discussed why she thinks environmental work is so important, and outlined the many revelations in her academic career, including the need to get communities involved in environmental research:

“A risk analyst, a police officer and an environmentalist all go to a bar…”

If, like me, you’re anxious to find out the punchline to that joke, please join us on Monday, March 23 from 2:30 to 4:00 for an ESPP community event at the Kellogg Center.

We’ll welcome three faculty members who began appointments with ESPP this school year.  To begin the event, the new hires will give 10-minute presentations on their areas of academic interest.

Arika Ligmann-Zielinska will give a talk entitled: “Complex spatial systems and agent-based modeling in a nutshell.” Laura Schmitt Olabisi will deliver her presentation: “Undisciplined: my academic journey.” And Louie Rivers will, hopefully, finish the promising joke that his presentation’s title began.

After the presentations there will be time to chew the fat with members of the MSU environmental community.  And if earlier events are any indicator, there will also be a chance to chew on cheese and crackers, fruit, vegetables and the like.  There have even been rumors of brownies.

All are welcome to attend; we just ask that you RSVP here.

-Andy McGlashen