Past research projects have focused on topics such as:
- Forest Ecology: Species-specific responses to changing climates in Michigan forests
- Agroecology: Optimizing organic nutrient management on farms
- Great Lakes Ecology: Investigating the effects of phosphorus on water quality and fish production in Lake Erie; examining larval alewife growth in Lake Michigan
- Plant Biology: Examining leaf shape variation in Ipomea batatas
- Animal Biology: Habitat structure influence to disease transmission in the aquatic crustacean, Daphnea; causes and consequences of within species variation in intelligence
- Sustainable Systems: Solutions and actions to accelerate a transition to sustainability; Developing and American Energy Vulnerability Index (EVI)
- Urban Sustainability: Assessing the re-purposing of vacant lots in Detroit as habitat for pollinators
- Social Justice: Examining the impacts of climate change on Tribal communities in the Great Lakes
At the end of their first summers, scholars get to present their research findings to the Yale niversity community, research mentors, and the general public at the Annual Capstone Symposium. Read more about the symposium here.
Here’s what our scholars are saying about their research experience:
“It was an awesome experience to have been exposed to the world of science first hand. As a geography major who mostly focuses on the physical and social aspects of the world, studying tiny aquatic organisms was a unique and unusual approach to understanding the world from a microscopical perspective.”
“I definitely grew professionally by gaining many technical skills in data collection and lab work. But most of all, I learned about how scientific research works and how spontaneous it can be (mainly because of weather) therefore, being able to adapt was super important. This summer helped me gain more insight and think more about grad school and the type of work I would like to do in the future.”
“I learned a lot this summer in the lab, both in terms of concrete skills like lab techniques and skills like using illustrator, but also how to communicate better with co-workers and work as a team. I really valued how willing members of the lab were to include me in experimental design and the quality of feedback I received on my work.”