Incoming Graduate Students at AWRI

Graduate students are a vital and critical part of our mission at the Annis Water Resources Institute (AWRI). We welcome the 5 new graduate students joining us this fall. 

Barney Boyer served in the United States Air Force for three years as a civil engineer during Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom. After serving, he began his career as a chef.  As sustainability concerns surrounding food grew, so did his interest in the science behind our food sources. He attended the University of Illinois where he received a B.S. in Environmental Science, focusing on salmon ecology.  Barney then joined the Veterans’ Conservation Corps based in Washington State and worked as a contractor for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.  He worked on vessels in Puget Sound conducting field surveys to collect data for ongoing research, mitigation, restoration, and habitat monitoring projects concerning indigenous salmon species.  He will be working with Dr. Mark Luttenton on the effects and abundance of invasive species such as the New Zealand mud snail that has recently been observed in watersheds around the State of Michigan.

Paige Kleindl is from Goodrich, Michigan. She graduated from Ohio Northern University with a B.S. in Environmental and Field Biology in 2017. She will be working with Dr. Al Steinman studying the relationship between submerged aquatic plants and their respective epiphyte algal communities, focusing on the effects nutrient enrichment has on this relationship.

Sarah Lamar lived in Atlanta, Georgia prior to moving to Michigan.  She completed her B.S. in Biology from the Frederik Meijer Honors College at GVSU in 2016, with special interest in genetics as they relate to ecology and evolutionary biology. During her time as an undergraduate student and her year off from studies, she worked in an emergency veterinary hospital as a veterinary nurse. She is currently working with Dr. Charlyn Partridge doing genetic analysis of invasive baby's breath populations across the US to determine relatedness and other key genetic factors.

Molly Lane grew up in Waterford, Michigan and graduated with a B.S. in Chemistry from Oakland University.  Before joining the AWRI, she worked for U.S. Ecology in Detroit, Michigan. She will be working with Dr. Rick Rediske on water quality, as it pertains to public health, at both inland lake and Lake Michigan beaches within Muskegon County. 

Alan Mock is from Peru, Indiana and graduated from Manchester University in May 2017 with a double major in Environmental Studies and Biology. He will be working with Dr. Carl Ruetz on assessing remote site incubators for the reintroduction of arctic grayling within the Manistee River watershed.

Ann Hesselsweet, Tom Jackson, and Michele Smith conducted activities for 3^rd grade students at the Muskegon Water Festival held on September 21^st and 22^nd.

Shirley McIntire and Michele Smith represented AWRI at a booth at the Salmon Festival in Grand Haven on September 16^th.

Emma Rice, graduate student working with Jim McNair, successfully passed her Qualifying Exam on September 21^st.

Al Steinman attended a meeting of the National Estuarine Research Reserve System (NERRS) Science Collaborative Advisory Board in Ann Arbor on September 19^th and 20^th.  His 3-yr term is now over with this group.

Al Steinman was interviewed by Shelley Irwin with WGVU, in-studio on September 29^th.

Janet Vail has joined the board of the Merlin Global Initiative (www.merlinglobal.org).  “Voyages of the Merlin” will take its audience to waterways all over the globe, from the Mississippi to the Ganges and beyond. Viewers, whether on line or on public television, will discover the culture and history that sprang up from these waters and discover what people around the globe are doing to save this vital resource.

AWRI staff are bolded, undergraduate students are denoted with a single asterisk*, graduate students are denoted with two asterisks**, and post-doc researchers are donated with three asterisks ***.

Publications

Bopi Biddanda is a co-author of an article published in Journal of Great Lakes Research:
Cotner, J., Weinke, A.**, and Biddanda, B.  2017.  Great Lakes:  Science can keep them great.  Journal of Great Lakes Research. 43: 916-919. 

Rick Rediske is a co-author on a paper that was accepted in Journal of Applied Ecology.  This was based on a portion of Brandon Gerig’s PhD thesis at Notre Dame; Rick was a member of his thesis committee.
Gerig, B.S., D.T. Chaloner, D.J. Janetski, A.H. Moerke, R.R. Rediske, J.P. O’Keefe, D.A. de Alwis Pitts, and G.A. Lamberti.  In Press.  Environmental context and contaminant biotransport by Pacific salmon interact to mediate the bioaccumulation of contaminants by stream-resident fish.  Journal of Applied Ecology.

Presentations

(Presenter listed first)

AWRI was represented at the Kick-off Partners Meeting of the Cooperative Institute for Great Lakes Research (CIGLR) on September 26^th:  Bopi Biddanda and Al Steinman were in attendance. Al gave a lightning talk on AWRI.
Biddanda, B., S. Kendall, A. Weinke**, K. Knapp**, T. Claffey, Q. Liu***, E. Anderson, T. Johengen and S. Ruberg.  Poster.  The Muskegon Lake Observatory Project.
Weinke, A.** and B. Biddanda.  Poster.  Tracking stratification and mixing, and its ecological consequences.
Knapp, K.**, A. Weinke**, B. Biddanda and S. Ruberg.  Poster.  Dynamics of water, carbon and oxygen in Muskegon Lake.
Liu, Q.***, A. Weinke**, K. Knapp**, B. Biddanda and E. Anderson.  Poster.  Modeling the hydrodynamics of Muskegon Lake estuary.

AWRI was represented at the Wild Trout Symposium in West Yellowstone, Montana from September 26^th through October 2^nd.  Carl Ruetz, Suse LaGory, Mark Luttenton, and Justin Wegner attended.
LaGory, S.** and C. Ruetz III.  Poster.  Seasonal ecology of Brown Trout in a Michigan stream.
Wegner, J** and M. Luttenton.  Impacts of land use on Brook Trout thermoregulatory effectiveness and habitat selection in a Michigan coldwater stream.

Matthew Allen, R. B. Annis Intern who worked with Rick Rediske this summer, gave a presentation at WMSRDC (West Michigan Environmental Action Council) on September 21^st.  He shared the results of his summer research in which he determined that the high E. coli levels that have resulted in beach closures at Meinert Park were from upstream sources in Little Flower Creek.  Rick was also in attendance; the group discussed future grant funding for Little Flower Creek.

Bopi Biddanda gave a guest lecture titled “How the Biosphere Works” in Amy McFarland’s Environmental Studies class, ENS 210, on September 14^th.

Rachel Ratliff, technical call-in working in the Biddanda Lab, presented a poster at the 6^th Midwest Geobiology Conference on September 30^th at IUPUI (Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis):
Ratliff, R.  Poster.  Early Earth’s oxygenic and anoxygenic producers.

Rick Rediske gave a presentation at the Groundwater Basics for the Drinking Water & Infrastructure Town Hall meeting on September 11^th at the Kent District Library, Plainfield Township Branch.  The event was sponsored by WMEAC (West Michigan Environmental Action Council) and the Michigan Environmental Council.

Carl Ruetz gave a guest lecture in Field Techniques, BIO 580, on fish sampling methods and abundance estimation.  He then took the class on a field trip to Sand Creek where they learned about backpack electrofishing.

Al Steinman gave a presentation on Blue Economy to the Mississippi River Legislative Caucus in St. Louis, MO on September 12^th.

Al Steinman gave a presentation to the new director and board members of the Great Lakes Protection Fund in Chicago on September 14th.  Al spoke on “Great Lakes 101”. 

Al Steinman presented on the Michigan Blue Economy to the Muskegon in Focus group on September 27^th.

Kevin Strychar gave a presentation about GMOs and cancer to the Wesley-Price Foundation on September 12^th at the Century Club in Muskegon.

Janet Vail received a 2016-17 Outstanding Environmental Educator award from the WMEAC (West Michigan Environmental Action Council) for her environmental education work.  The award was given at the WMEAC Annual Meeting on September 19^th.

There were no new grants or contracts for this issue.  Check again next month!

AWRI In the News

“GVSU receives water research endowment”
Holland Sentinel.com, September 8, 2017
The article is announcing the Allen and Helen Hunting Research and Innovation Fund, to support research that will focus on important issues impacting Lake Michigan and the Grand River.  Al Steinman commented on this potential research.

“Muskegon water researcher has insight on efforts in Florida to prevent flooding”
WZZM, September 8, 2017
Al Steinman was interviewed concerning Hurricane Irma, and potential for flooding in Florida.

“New endowed fund will help with high-return water research”
Public Technologies (publicnow.com), September 9, 2017
The article is announcing the Allen and Helen Hunting Research and Innovation Fund, to support research that will focus on important issues impacting Lake Michigan and the Grand River.  Al Steinman commented on this potential research.
Also carried by: MyHeadlinez and World News Environment

“At the time, nobody knew”
Grand Rapids Press, September 10, 2017
Rick Rediske was interviewed regarding harmful PFOS being found in well water near an old dump site used by Wolverine World Wide.

“Tannery chemicals are 540 times above EPA level in Belmont well”
Grand Rapids Press, September 11, 2017
Rick Rediske was interviewed regarding harmful PFOS being found in well water near an old dump site used by Wolverine World Wide.

“Endowed fund will help with water research”
FORUM, a newsletter for the Grand Valley State University community, September 11, 2017
The article is announcing the Allen and Helen Hunting Research and Innovation Fund, to support research that will focus on important issues impacting Lake Michigan and the Grand River.  Al Steinman commented on this potential research.

“GV Water Resources Institute receives funding for research”
Grand Valley Lanthorn (student run publication), September 11, 2017
The article is announcing the Allen and Helen Hunting Research and Innovation Fund, to support research that will focus on important issues impacting Lake Michigan and the Grand River.  Al Steinman commented on this potential research.

“Passion for the Great Lakes inspires Michigan teen’s entrepreneurial spirit”
Great Lakes Scuttlebutt, September 13, 2017
Jackson Riegler has started his own apparel company.  A portion of the profits will go to Alliance for the Great Lakes.  Jackson worked as a volunteer at AWRI during his first year of high school.

“Many voice concerns over Army Corps of Engineers Asian carp plan”
WGVU/NPR, September 18, 2017
Al Steinman was interviewed about possible solutions for keeping Asian Carp out of the Great Lakes.

NPR, September 20, 2017
Al Steinman was interviewed regarding keeping Asian Carp out of the Great Lakes.
https://www.wgvunews.org/news/2017-09-18/many-voice-concerns-over-army-corps-of-engineers-asian-carp-plan

“Toxic tap water: neighbors worry about illegal dump sites”
WOOD-TV 8, September 25, 2017
Rick Rediske was interviewed regarding harmful PFOS being found in well water near an old dump site used by Wolverine World Wide.

“Homes built after township noted possible contamination”
WOOD-TV 8, September 26, 2017
Rick Rediske was interviewed regarding harmful PFOS being found in well water near an old dump site used by Wolverine World Wide.

LMC Events

Sept 8
Seminar Speakers: Dr. John Berges and Dr. Erica Young, faculty in the School of Freshwater Sciences at the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee presented: “In the midst of life: phytoplankton mortality in aquatic ecosystem” and “Microbial Collaboration: Nutrient Transformations in Algal-Bacterial Communities”

Sept 13, 20, 27
Sixth grade students from Orchard View Elementary (Kent County) visited the Annis Educational Foundation Classroom for hands-on activities and took a vessel cruise on the W.G. Jackson.

Sept 14, 15
The Asian Carp Regional Coordinating Committee held a two-day meeting at the Lake Michigan Center.

Sept 18, 19, 21, 22
Students from Fruitport Middle School (Muskegon County) visited the Annis Educational Foundation Classroom for hands-on activities and took a vessel cruise on the W.G. Jackson.

Sept 25
Students from Okemos High School (Ingham County) visited the Annis Educational Foundation Classroom for hands-on activities and took a vessel cruise on the W.G. Jackson.

Sept 27
The Muskegon in Focus group held its annual luncheon presentation and vessel trip on the W.G. Jackson.

Sept 28
Students from Crestwood Middle School (Kent County) visited the Annis Educational Foundation Classroom for hands-on activities and took a vessel cruise on the W.G. Jackson.

Sept 29
The Michigan Community College Biologists organization held the first day of their two-day 2017 Fall Conference at the Lake Michigan Center and took an eco-tour aboard the research vessel, the W.G. Jackson.