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Fate of the Earth: Our Waters Symposium - Call for Abstracts Now Open!

January 17, 2025

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The Environmental Science and Policy Program, WaterCube NRT, and MSU Water Alliance are excited to announce the Fate of the Earth: Our Waters Symposium. The goals of the symposium are to bring together scientists, students, specialists, practitioners, and community members to discuss sustainability; explore challenges and opportunities we face in enhancing human well-being while protecting the environment; and highlight collaborations between MSU and partners that are focused on solving environmental problems, particularly those related to water. 

Event Cost: $10 Students, $25 Faculty, Staff, Community Members 

We welcome submissions for oral and poster presentations for the symposium. Presentations and poster sessions will be held on Thursday, March 20, 2025, at the Kellogg Center. We seek abstracts that address the conference goals and are focused on this year’s theme: Our Waters. Authors are encouraged to address collaborative, interdisciplinary, and/or engaged approaches to solving water problems, although any water-related topic is welcome. 

Submit your abstract at: https://events.anr.msu.edu/FateoftheEarth/

Abstract submissions due February 21st, 2025

 

Here is the agenda for the FOE day (March 20, 2025)

Time 

Activity 

7:00 AM

Continental breakfast 

8:30 AM 

Welcome and opening remarks featuring Ruelaine Stokes, Lansing’s Poet Laureate, and President Guskiewicz (invited) 

9:00 AM

Building Resilience along Michigan’s Great Lakes Shores: Partnerships, Data, and Policies 

Panelists:  

  • Ethan Theuerkauf, Assistant Professor, Michigan State University (MSU) 
  • Ronda Wuychek, Coastal Program Manager, Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes & Energy 
  • David Bunte, Supervisor, Chikaming Township 
  • Richard Norton, Professor, University of Michigan  

Moderator: Josh Gunn, MSU Extension 

10:00 AM 

Break 

10:15 AM 

An academia-industry-government partnership that monitors and predicts outbreaks in Tri-County Detroit area since 2017 

Panelists:  

  • Irene Xagoraraki, Professor, MSU 
  • Russel A. Faust, Former Medical Director, Oakland County Health Division 
  • Michael Swain, Epidemiologist, Oakland County Health Division 
  • Anna Mehrotra, Director, Wastewater Surveillance Program, Water Environment Federation 
  • John Norton, Research Director, Great Lakes Water Authority 

Moderator: George Smith, MSU AgBioResearch 

11:30 AM  

Lunch featuring:  

Reading by Ruelaine Stokes, Lansing Poet Laureate 

Keynote address on Moving towards a Water-secure Future by Annalise Blum, Former Deputy Assistant Secretary at the Department of the Interior   

1:00 PM 

Concurrent sessions featuring presentations from the MSU community and partners 

2:00 PM

Break 

2:15 PM 

Concurrent sessions featuring presentations from the MSU community and partners 

3:30 PM 

Concurrent sessions featuring presentations from the MSU community and partners 

4:45 PM 

Break 

5:00 PM

Poster session and reception