Environmental Management and Policy (EMP)
Practicum
The EMP Practicum is a new program being
organized by Drs. Characklis and Crawford-Brown for the purpose of
providing a new approach to educating students with interests in both
the technical and policy related aspects of environmental management.
The program involves a cohort of 6-8 masters students that will take a
team-based approach to addressing a problem of environmental
significance. Each student will engage in the rigorous exploration of a
technical or policy related issue, assisted by an individual faculty
member with relevant expertise, with these investigations being
integrated into an overarching framework intended to provide insight
into various policy approaches.
The EMP cohort matriculating in Fall 2005
will be developing a Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) limit for a
watershed in the Research Triangle area (Northeast Creek) that has been
listed as biologically impaired as a result of elevated levels of fecal
coliform bacteria. Individual students will work on projects related to
(a) identifying and characterizing nonpoint sources (e.g., stormwater
runoff); (b) identifying and characterizing point sources (e.g.,
wastewater treatment plant); (c) modeling microbial fate and transport;
(d) estimating microbial inactivation via drinking water treatment,
and; (e) modeling human exposure and health risk. Students will also
have an opportunity to be a part of field and laboratory experiments
related to assessing water quality in the Northeast Creek watershed.
Concurrent with the exploration of their individual research topics,
the group will work collectively to devise policies for regulating and
mitigating microbial contamination in the affected watershed with
attention to the economic (i.e. costs and benefits) as well as the
social implications of various strategies.
Coordination between the participating
students will be facilitated by common office space and the
Environmental Management and Policy Colloquium (ENVR 200.007) a course
that will involve a series of seminars and discussions related directly
to the practicum. Invited speakers will include faculty researchers,
consultants, utility personnel, citizen groups and state regulators,
providing students with an understanding of the range of perspectives
that must be considered when developing environmental policy. The
group’s final product will be a comprehensive report addressing the a
range of approaches for developing a TMDL for Northeast Creek, with the
results presented (in both oral and written form) to the North Carolina
Dept. of Environment and Natural Resources.
Participating
Students
Ms. Robin Bolte (M.S.)
Ms. Amanda Burns (M.S.)
Mr. Tim Healy (M.S.)
Mr. Josh Hunn (M.S.)
Mr. Eric Kelly (M.S.)
Ms. Preethi Sama (M.S.)
Practicum
Project Presentation (PDF)
Download EMP
Practicum brochure (PDF)
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