Bing tracking

Students receive grant for campus greening project

pedalpowerRecently students from the Spring 2010 Environmental Connections class, which was taught by Michael Lansing and Joe Underhill, received $500 from the Nash Foundation to fund a student-designed campus greening project. Their project deserves an A+ for creativity and could result not only in energy savings but also in improved student fitness.

The class focused on energy and featured a final project in which teams of students wrote real grant proposals for campus-greening initiatives. One student group—made up of Angela Bonfiglio, Alexander Ebert, Emily Nichols, Edmond Smith, and Tsering Dechen—proposed an “Augsburg Pedal Power Program.” Here’s how they described their project in their application to the Nash Foundation: Continue reading “Students receive grant for campus greening project”

Starting the semester on the river

river_classThe 15 students enrolled in Political Science 241: Environmental and River Politics are getting an early start to the academic year—a start that will feature eight days of travel on the Mississippi River in canoes.

Joe Underhill, a political science associate professor at Augsburg, has taught the course that examines the politics, eco-systems, and communities of the mighty river that flows just blocks from Augsburg’s Minneapolis campus. While he has taken previous classes out in canoes for a couple of days or a weekend, this is the most ambitious river voyage yet. Continue reading “Starting the semester on the river”

Auggies in New Zealand

newzealandThis summer, a group of Augsburg students are exploring the biodiversity and environmental politics of New Zealand and the Cook Islands with biology professor Brian Corner and political science professor Joe Underhill. The professors and students have been keeping detailed accounts of their experiences on two blogs: Augsburg BioLOG and Augsburg New Zealand Trip.

At left is Franz Josef Glacier, and what follows is a posting from the BioLOG by Richmond Appleton. Continue reading “Auggies in New Zealand”

Grub that's good for you and the environment

food_classIt will be a meal planned with the environment in mind.

This semester, students in SBS 100: Environmental Connections have studied how food fits into both our socio-economic and ecological systems. This Wednesday, they will put that knowledge into action as the class members will serve a meal that they helped the A’viands staff prepare. The entire Augsburg community is invited to share this “grub” with the class. The menu was chosen based on how the food was produced and transported.

Some of the ingredients were grown on campus. Almost all of the items were produced locally. Special consideration was placed on supporting suppliers that use environmentally friendly practices and pay employees a fair wage. Continue reading “Grub that's good for you and the environment”

Politics and the mighty Mississippi

river_politicsWhat better way to learn about the Mississippi River than to spend some time in it? In the summer, Augsburg political science professor Joe Underhill teaches students about environmental issues and policy-making using the river as his classroom. Underhill’s aim is to get students to explore the effect we have on the environment as well as how the environment affects us. He also hopes students will explore their personal and political decisions and how those decisions impact the world now and later.

Augsburg’s Minneapolis campus is just blocks away from the largest river in North America — the Mississippi. Underhill emphasizes that the cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul were founded in this particular location because of the industrial and commercial potential of the river and the falls of St. Anthony. He adds that over the years, our life and work has greatly impacted the river ecosystem. Continue reading “Politics and the mighty Mississippi”