Meet Meryl Mims, Aquatic and Fishery Sciences graduate student

Meryl Mims

With two degrees under her belt and dissertation research to complete, Meryl Mims found herself in southeastern Arizona’s Sky Islands in the summer of 2013. In a landscape known for the juxtaposition of its sprawling features—where towering, forested mountains seep upward through the desert’s dry, cracked surface—a two-inch long frog captured Mims’ attention. “We were already out there and we were hearing the Arizona treefrogs. 

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Meet David Battisti, professor of atmospheric sciences

Photo: D Battisti

David Battisti isn’t trying to save the world. He’s trying to understand it, he says. A professor of atmospheric sciences at the College of the Environment, he works to increase our collective knowledge on the global climate system and its natural variation. He’s interested in how the oceans, sea ice, atmosphere, and land interact and lead to variability in the climate—what we experience as weather. 

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Meet Kate Allstadt, self-described "present-day geologist"

Kate Allstadt in front of the Nile Landslide (photo: Kate Allstadt)

What would you do in a big earthquake? Do you know how your neighborhood would fare? Would the ground beneath your house hold firm, or turn into liquid, or break loose in a landslide? If you had a few seconds or minutes warning, how would you prepare knowing a devastating earthquake was about to be unleashed? In the wake of the nearby 530 Landslide, these are the kinds of questions researchers like Kate Allstadt ask with increasing urgency. 

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College purchases carbon allowances in honor of new graduates

UW Commencement (photo courtesty of UW)

The end of spring means graduation and many opportunities to shine a light on our graduates’ accomplishments. In appreciation of their contributions to the College of the Environment and in celebration of their achievements, the College has purchased and retired 400 carbon allowances for the more than 400 graduates in the Class of 2014.  Recognizing our students as the next generation of leaders in environmental science and decision-making, we believe this is a contribution that showcases our collective commitment to the sustainability and well-being of our society and our planet. 

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