University of Wisconsin–Madison
“Linking knowledge to action.” This is the phrase Environmental Observation and Informatics (EOI) graduate Grace Stonecipher says is the embodiment of her time at the Nelson Institute. “The courses really dove into that subject of ‘Great, we can do all this science, but if we’re not using it to actually make decisions, then what’s the …
From the Gulf Coast to the Great Lakes, Nelson Institute student Lisa Scobel is working to keep waterways free of plastic pollution. As a student of the Environmental Conservation MS program, Scobel is embracing her passion for protecting marine life and environment in her final leadership project. Through a Citizen Science initiative called Nurdle Patrol, …
From her career as a veterinarian specializing in animal behavior to the development of the Public Policy of Animal Welfare and the direction of a government entity to protect animals in Bogotá, Liliana Rodríguez has remained busy in her country of origin, Colombia. Wanting to expand more on her English skills and conservation knowledge, Rodríguez …
Leaders from the Nelson Institute Center for Climatic Research (CCR) will begin investigating the role of clouds and aerosols (small particles in the atmosphere, such as sulfate or dust) in historical climate variability thanks to support from the Department of Energy. While previous Earth System Models indicate that aerosols influence variations in surface temperature and …
A new report showcases how community perceptions of risk and social vulnerability shape responses to the threat of natural disasters. Led by Nelson Institute doctoral candidate Hugh Roland, the report entitled, Stakeholders’ Perspectives on Flood Risk and Vulnerability in Peru, investigates these community vulnerability perceptions as they relate to flood risk in Peru. The report …
Using data for meaningful environmental impact is at the heart of Nelson Institute alumna Lea Shanley’s work. As the executive director of International Computer Science Institute (ICSI), a non-profit research center based in Berkeley, CA, Shanley not only fosters important research in computer science, data science, artificial intelligence and more, but also makes it a …
For government agencies and conservation groups, protecting forests can be a tall order. Their resources often don’t allow them to cover the sheer amount of acreage they need to monitor, and there are a lot of places to conceal damaging and illegal activity. But it’s hard to hide destructive practices from eyes in space. That’s …
University of Wisconsin–Madison geography professor and Nelson Institute affiliate, Lisa Naughton led a recent study investigating how formalizing and legalizing gold mining operations might curb their negative environmental effects. The study, published in Environmental Research Letters, was co-authored by a group of UW–Madison alumnae including Nora Álvarez-Berríos and Jessica L’Roe and focused on the area …
From understanding the viral spillover risk of diseases like coronavirus to research on the health of great apes, Nelson Institute alumna Sarah H. Olson is at the forefront of some of today’s most pressing environmental health concerns. A graduate of the Nelson Institute Environment and Resources and the Population Health PhD program, Olson currently works …
Nelson Institute adjunct professor and Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology alumnus, Eduardo Santana Castellón recently co-authored a letter to the editor titled, Value of Mexican Nature Reserve is More than Monetary in the journal Nature. The letter addresses the United Nations´ new System of Environmental-Economic Accounting (SEEA), which will help countries establish the monetary …