WRITING: Selected Features
Stewards is the magazine for alumni and friends of the University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability.
eVERYTHING UNDER THE SUN
[cover story, STEWARDS alumni magazine]
CLIMATE CHANGE: Underlying it all is a human question: Are we too big to fail?
I spoke to climate scientist Dean Jonathan Overpeck and more than a dozen faculty members at U-M whose work on climate change takes them into the field, the lab, and into the White House—and who are making an impact in communities here and abroad.
Associate Editor, Writer, Stewards
READ THE STORY ON ISSUU.
PLANT MORE. DREAM MORE.
[feature story, STEWARDS alumni magazine]
As Africa Area Co-directors for Eden Reforestation Projects, alumni Andrew (MS ’18) and Alex (MS/MLA ’17) Kinzer have overseen the planting and maintenance of nearly 13 million trees in their quest to restore the forests of Kenya.
Associate Editor, Writer, Stewards
READ THE STORY ON ISSUU.
THE FOREVER BUSINESS: CONSERVATION LEADER GLEN CHOWN
[feature story, STEWARDS alumni magazine]
Among his many achievements, Glen Chown (BS ’83, MS ’86), executive director of the Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy (GTRLC), holds one especially close to his heart: the Coastal Campaign for Arcadia Dunes—that protects 6,300 acres of premium dune, farm and forest land along 3.5 miles along Michigan’s coast.
Writer, freelance, Stewards
READ THE STORY ON ISSUU.
MEET THE FUTURE OF ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE
[cover story, stewards alumni magazine]
For nearly three decades, SEAS has been on the forefront of environmental justice education and research—initially bolstered by the landmark “Michigan Conference on Race and the Incidence of Environmental Hazards” hosted at the Dana Building in 1990. Just two years later, the school became the first in the U.S. to launch an Environmental Justice program that offered both undergraduate and graduate degree specializations.
Associate Editor, Writer, Stewards
READ THE STORY ON ISSUU.
BACK TO THE GARDEN
[feature story, STEWARDS alumni magazine]
School gardens provide fertile ground for education
Partnering with community educators, agroecologists Helda Morales (PhD ’98) and Bruce Ferguson (MSc ’95) founded an international school garden network in Mexico. Ten years later, the seeds they planted are growing strong—and children are reaping the rewards.
Associate Editor, Writer, Stewards
READ THE STORY ONLINE.
THE FUTURE OF SUSTAINABle mobility
[feature story, STEWARDS alumni magazine]
In the sustainable mobility space, there is no shortage of innovation. And as the old barriers begin to fall, we must navigate the choices—with a clear eye on the road ahead. For real direction, not detours, we look to the leaders in research.
Associate Editor, Writer, Stewards
READ THE STORY ON ISSUU.
the legacy of landscape
[feature story, STEWARDS alumni magazine]
A page from the history of the Master of Landscape Architecture program illuminates the work of today’s landscape architects—who build upon a rich legacy with fresh thinking, creative design, and cross-disciplinary collaboration.
Associate Editor, Writer, Stewards
READ THE STORY ONLINE
EYES ON AFRICA
[cover story, STEWARDS alumni magazine]
Holding 30 percent of Earth’s remaining minerals and the largest reserves of precious metals within its soil, Africa poses the question of not whether it will undergo further development, but how…
Writer, Stewards
READ THE STORY ON ISSUU.
honoring our past, meeting the future
STEWARDS, UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN
SCHOOL FOR ENVIRONMENT AND SUSTAINABILITY
In our special edition of Stewards, we feature “Honoring Our Past,” which traces the story of the school’s evolution from its beginnings as the Department of Forestry in 1903 to the present day. The second half of the magazine presents “Meeting the Future,” highlighting the work of faculty, alumni, and students as they prepare for the challenges ahead.
Editor, Writer, Stewards
VIEW THE MAGAZINE ON ISSUU.
ALUMNI PROFILES
Kofi Boone
[web story]
Early in his career, Detroit native, SEAS alumnus, and Professor of Landscape Architecture at North Carolina State University’s (NCSU) College of Design, Kofi Boone (BS’ 92, MLA ’95), stood at the crossroads of landscape architecture and environmental justice. But instead of waiting for the light, he turned it Green on his own.
NANCY ARKIN: OPEN TO OPPORTUNITIES
[WEB STORY]
When trying to find a time to meet via Zoom, alumna Nancy Arkin remarked that it all depended on the tides. But no, Arkin—who recently retired from a career spanning four decades—is not a hydrologist or an aquatic scientist. She’s a surfer. And the “swell” was especially good that week.
BLACK LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTS NETWORK
[web story]
Though their numbers have risen in recent decades, Black landscape architects are still notably underrepresented in the field. Alumnus Glenn LaRue Smith, ASLA (MLA ’83) decided to change that—and in 2012, founded the Black Landscape Architects Network (BlackLAN).
SEAS ALUMNA CECILIA GARIBAY:
MOVING FORWARD
[web story]
Within a month after taking a new position as project coordinator at Moving Forward Network (MFN) in Los Angeles, alumna Cecilia Garibay (MS/MPP ’22) found herself in the Clean Air Caravan en route to Sacramento. There, she and 15 community members joined hundreds of others to testify at the California Air Resources Board (CARB) public hearing.
CAREER TRIBUTES
Dr. JULIA WONDOLLECK
[WEB story]
“In the sustainability field, you've got to build bridges that you can keep crossing.” —Professor Julia Wondolleck
Associate Professor Julia Wondolleck has spent decades building bridges. And over her 38-year career at SEAS, she has inspired countless others to build them—and keep on crossing…
PROFESSOR BOB GRESE
[WEB story]
“I think landscape architecture has a very important and critical future ahead of it, particularly in the face of a changing climate.”
—Bob Grese
After a distinguished 34-year career at the University of Michigan, Robert (Bob) Grese, professor of landscape architecture, retires in 2020.
Writer, Videographer
READ THE STORY/WATCH THE VIDEO ONLINE.
Dr. Marycarol Hunter
[WEB story]
The career of landscape architect and ecologist, MaryCarol Hunter, has followed many pathways, but you can be sure they were all well designed.
After 15 years at SEAS, Dr. Hunter retired as an associate professor of Landscape Architecture at the close of 2020. Her work considers the intersection of ecological, psychological, social and aesthetic aspects of sustainable urban design. It focuses on the design of resilient urban green space under climate change and the impact of nature experiences on mental wellbeing.
SERIES
WOMEN’S HISTORY MONTH
[WEB Series]
In celebration of Women’s History Month, we created a series to honor the voices of women among our students, faculty, and alumni to share their insights and experiences.
PRESS RELEASES
Selection of press releases that were published in the U-M University Record:
U-M releases national framework to measure energy equity
Study looks at benefits of reusable take-out food containers
Sustainability Clinic in Detroit to help combat impacts of climate change
MIAMI UNIVERSITY, OHIO
Down to the Bone
MIAMIAN, THE MAGAZINE OF MIAMI UNIVERSITY
Imagine a giant, 7-foot iPad. Now imagine an app of the human body. With the touch of a finger, a layer of muscle appears, then the veins, then the heart. Zoom in. Rotate. Explore. Tap again, and you can see right down to the bone.
Writer, Videographer
READ THE STORY/WATCH THE VIDEO.
Etta Caver recognized by the National Women's Coalition Against Violence
THE CINCINNATI HERALD
“This is my passion. This is my life’s goal—to educate everyone about domestic violence so that no one will be victimized." - Etta Caver
Miami University Visiting Instructor Etta Caver ‘05 was honored as the first recipient of the Rita Corbin Burns Award.
Writer, Videographer
READ THE STORY/WATCH THE VIDEO.
The Field's Wide Open
MIAMIAN, the MAGAZINE OF MIAMI UNIVERSITY
When you need directions, it makes sense to ask the one with a map. So perhaps it's no coincidence that Miami's first sustainability coordinator, David Prytherch, is acting chair and associate professor in the department of geography. He shares his insights on how the university embraces innovation for a sustainable world.
Teaming with energy
MIAMIAN, THE MAGAZINE OF MIAMI UNIVERSITY
A quest for alternative energy pits switch grass against algae in a new competition that brings together undergraduates from a wide range of disciplines.
Giving, by Design
MIAMIAN, the MAGAZINE OF MIAMI UNIVERSITY
Ghana Design/Build, the program founded by Dr. Gail Della-Piana, remains the longest running summer studio workshop in the department of architecture and interior design. Since 1998, interdisciplinary teams of Miami students have completed numerous buildings in Ghana — including a children’s library, a marketplace, a community center, and a computer facility.
NEWS AND LITERARY JOURNALS
As a writer and reporter for The Taos News in the late 90s, I found my niche in character profiles, and enjoyed the opportunity to interview nationally renowned artists, writers, musicians and community icons. Around that same time, my writing was first published in a few literary journals. These two selections are from that period.
Center of Attention: Agnes Martin
TEMPO MAGAZINE COVER STORY, THE TAOS NEWS
"Taos pays homage to one of the most renowned and legendary artists of our time, Agnes Martin." Leading up to University of New Mexico's Harwood Museum of Art celebration of Martin's 90th birthday in 2002, I was grateful for the opportunity to interview the artist about her work, her life, and why she didn't believe in "talking about art."
Diving the Jungle
TRAVELER'S TALES ANTHOLOGY SERIES: WOMEN IN THE WILD
A scuba dive into a Yucatan cenote inspired this essay. Overcoming fear (and claustrophobia) rewarded me with one of the most remarkable experiences in my life.