The University of Illinois Springfield provides students with unique learning opportunities at the UIS Field Station at Lake Springfield and the Therkildsen Field Station at Emiquon in Lewistown. Dr. Tom Rothfus is the director of the field stations and spoke to Community Voices about the research being conducted and how it benefits the local habitats.

New Intercession Course Offering, Dr. Brandon Derman

During the new Winter Intersession term between Fall and Spring semesters, nine students from ENS and other programs enrolled in Dr. Derman’s Topics in Environmental Studies course “Understanding Struggles for Climate Justice.” The course examined the ways in which climate change is increasingly being understood as an issue of intergenerational, racial, and global justice, building on Derman’s longstanding research interests, explored in his new book.

GIS Workshop on Mapping COVID-19, Dr. Yun Zhao and Dr. Junu Shrestha

On November 14, 2020, the GIS Lab, joined by Junu Shrestha from the UIS Public Health Department, offered a virtual GIS workshop titled “Mapping COVID-19 Using GIS.” The workshop introduced the use of desktop and online GIS tools in visualizing COVID- 19 to help in the decision-making process. Two example products are included here. This is the first time the GIS Lab offered an online workshop.

Research on Plastic Bag Legislation, Dr. Megan Styles

This past summer, ENS Chair Dr. Megan Styles and PA faculty member Dr. Junfeng Wang, conducted research on the adoption of plastic bag legislation in Illinois communities. They interviewed city officials and community leaders in the five IL municipalities that have adopted plastic bag laws (e.g. bans or fees designed to deter the use of these bags) to understand why these communities adopted these laws and their experiences with implementation. Drs.

Preston Marucco, a recent Environmental Studies MA graduate, was hired at Hanson Professional Services in Springfield, Illinois.

Check out his video describing his experience at UIS!

Mark Danenhauer, a 2005 graduate, received a Special Merit award for his thesis entitled ”Determining the Optimal Degree of Local Involvement in the Management of a National Park”. Before coming to UIS, Mark spent two years as a Peace Corps volunteer in Madagascar. He was awarded the Environmental Studies Alumni Award in 2004 in recognition of his exemplary dedication to environmental issues and demonstrated involvement in environmental projects.

I am a 2000 graduate of the ENS Masters program. After coming from a very large university, it was refreshing to be in an environment where the student-to-faculty ratio was very reasonable. What also attracted me was the diversity of the program. I had heard that “Sangamon State” (UIS’ former name) was progressive in nature and indeed the courses reflected this fact. I did not have the “hard-science” background yet I was encouraged to enroll in several such courses including environmental chemistry and toxicology.

Dr. Ryan Taylor received his MA in Environmental Studies from UIS in 1998 before earning a PhD from Oregon State. Now a professor at Purchase College, Dr. Taylor applies both social and natural science research methods to his public policy studies. He has enjoyed a successful career as an environmental planner, policy-maker, and manager for every level of government. This allows him to bring real-world experiences to the classroom, exposing his students to practical challenges they will face as they pursue their environmental careers.

Marc Miller was the Director of the Illinois Department of Natural Resources.  He was a policy advisor for Governor Quinn, and has extensive involvement with conservation programs throughout the state. He has served as the Lieutenant Governor’s liaison the Illinois Rivers Coordinating Council, has worked on watershed projects in cooperation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and was the watershed organizer for the Prairie Rivers Network from 1999-2004.