Graduate Student Directory | Social Sciences | Michigan Technological University

Adewale A. Adesanya

PhD Student, Environmental and Energy Policy

adesanya@mtu.edu
AOB Annex 207

Advisors

Chelsea Schelly and Roman Sidortsov

Education

M. Eng., Energy and Environmental Management, Europa Universitaet Flensburg, Germany
BS, Industrial and Production Engineering, University of Ibadan, Nigeria

Research Interests

100% Renewable Electricity for Cities and Communities
Renewable Energy Technology Adoption
Energy Policy and Justice
Community Energy Development
Sustainable Energy Systems Modelling
Climate Change
Applied Informatics in Energy Planning and Energy Efficiency

Tyler Allen

MS Student, Industrial Archaeology

tdallen@mtu.edu

Thesis Topic

Social Drug use at Coalwood lumber camps
Advisor: LouAnn Wurst

Education

BA, History, West Virginia State University

Research Interests

Industrial Archaeology
Rural Communities
Planned Communities
Coal Heritage
Historic Archaeology
Labor movements

Andrew Anklam

MS Student, Industrial Archaeology

ajanklam@mtu.edu
AOB 202

Thesis Topic

Lost and Found: Identifying Ephemeral Mining Sites At Isle Royale National Park By Reconstructing Government Land Office Survey Paths In GIS
Advisor: LouAnn Wurst

Education

BS, Archaeology, University Wisconsin La Crosse
BS, Geographical Information Systems, University Wisconsin La Crosse

Research Interests

Industrial and historical archaeology
Landscape archaeology
Cultural resource management
The archaeology of resource extraction
Geospatial data collection and management
Remote sensing
Object based image analysis and machine learning classifiers for archaeological feature delineation

Michael Bleddynn

PhD Student, Industrial Heritage and Archaeology

mgbleddy@mtu.edu
Annex 204/Great Lakes Research Center 210

Advisor

Don Lafreniere

Education

MS, Professional Studies (GIS), Middle Tennessee State University
MA, Public History, Middle Tennessee State University
BA, History, University of South Carolina

Research Interests

Historical GIS
Rural Landscapes
Oral History
Folklore
Community Engagement

Kathie Brosemer

PhD Student, Environmental and Energy Policy

kmbrosem@mtu.edu

Dissertation Topic

Somewhere in the middle of aboriginal rights, climate justice, and pipelines.

Advisor: Roman Sidortsov

Education

MS work, Environmental Sciences, University of Virginia
BS, Geology, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

Research Interests

Climate change
Indigenous People's Rights - Treaty and otherwise
Pipelines through indigenous territory and treaty-protected resources

Ryan Brown

MS Student, Industrial Archaeology

rywbrown@mtu.edu

Erin Burkett

PhD Candidate, Environmental and Energy Policy

emburket@mtu.edu
AOB Annex 203

Advisor

Richelle Winkler

Education

MS, Natural Resources and Environment, University of Michigan
BS, Zoology, Michigan State University

Research Interests

Human dimensions of fisheries and wildlife
Great Lakes ecology and fisheries
K-12 science education

Brent Burns

PhD Student, Environmental and Energy Policy

Education

MEng, Mechanical Engineering, University of Wisconsin–Madison
BS, Mechanical Engineering–Engineering Mechanics, Michigan Technological University

Research Interests

My research interest is in the development renewable energy policies with specific interest in offshore wind power policy analysis in the great lakes and ocean coastal waters of the United States.
I also serve as the Director of Corporate Partnerships for Michigan Technological University. As the primary point of contact for any general or strategic industry inquiries, I am responsible for leading the connection of the interests from companies with appropriate campus initiatives/constituents.

Kelley J.H. Christensen

PhD Student, Environmental and Energy Policy

kelleyc@mtu.edu

Education

MS, Technical Communication, Montana Tech
BJ, News-editorial Journalism, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
BA, American Literature, University of Nebraska-Lincoln

Research Interests

Community engagement with environmental remediation (specifically Superfund)
Trust and distrust in government agencies
Environmental policy
Use of technology in engaging citizens in environmental remediation

Brendan Doucet

MS Student, Industrial Archaeology

bjdoucet@mtu.edu
Annex 208

Thesis Topic

American Fur Company Fishing Operations on Isle Royale

Education

BA, Anthropology, Wayne State University

Larissa Harris

PhD Student, Industrial Heritage and Archaeology

laharris@mtu.edu
Annex 204

Advisor

Melissa Baird

Education

MA, Anthropology-University of Manitoba
BA, Anthropology (Archaeology emphasis)-Minnesota State University Moorhead

Research Interests

Indigenous research methodologies
Natural and cultural interpretation
Truth and reconciliation
Collaborative heritage management and interpretation
Removing barriers to accessing heritage information

Gideon Hoekstra

MS Student, Industrial Heritage and Archaeology

glhoekst@mtu.edu
Annex 202

Thesis Topic

Changes in Land Use on Quincy Mining Company Property
Advisor: LouAnn Wurst

Education

BA, Anthropology, University of Wisconsin-Madison

Research Interests

Mining Archaeology
Evolutionary Anthropology
"Rust Belt" and Midwestern Archaeology

Josef Iwanicki

MS Student, Industrial Archaeology

jtiwanic@mtu.edu
Annex 202

Thesis Topic

Labor and Masculinities at Camp Au Train a CCC Camp
Advisor: LouAnn Wurst

Education

BS, Anthropology, Michigan Technological University

Research Interests

Marxist Theory
Archaeology of Capitalism
Historical and Industrial Archaeology
Masculinities
Confined Labor

Talva Jacobson

PhD Student, Industrial Heritage and Archaeology

ttjacobs@mtu.edu

Advisor: Timothy Scarlett

Education

MA, Historic Archaeology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, Newfoundland, Canada
BFA, Visual Art, University of Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada

Research Interests

Industrial Heritage and Landscapes
The Selling of Heritage and how it is used by the living community
Communication, Re-use, and Adaptation
Rehabilitation, Conservation, and Identity
Hazard Management, Sustainable Planning, Community Development, and Public Archaeology
Risk Perception, Preparedness, and Resilience

Robert A. La Fave

PhD Student, Environmental and Energy Policy

ralafave@mtu.edu

Dissertation Topic

"Urban Sprawl and Community Sustainability in the Global Marketplace of the 21st Century"
Advisor: Adam Wellstead

Education

M.P.A., Public Management, School of Public, Non-Profit and Health Administration, Grand Valley State University (2007).
B.A., Political Theory and Constitutional Democracy, James Madison College at Michigan State University (2003).

Research Interests

Current focus: Community Development and Public Policy
Energy Policy
Land Use
Renewable Energy Policy
Public Policy

Hongmei Lu

PhD Student, Environmental and Energy Policy

hongmeil@mtu.edu
AOB 202

Dissertation Topic

From garden city to sponge city: urban green infrastructure policy development in China
Advisor: Audrey L. Mayer

Education

MSc, Landscape Architecture, Wageningen University
MSc, Horticulture, Nanjing Agricultural University
BSc, Ornamental Horticulture, Nanjing Agricultural University

Research Interests

Co-production as a policy instrument in urban solid waste management.
Policy entrepreneur as the main driver of green roof policy development
Legislation and regulation of for-profit shopping mall roof garden in metropolitan areas
Quasi-Public-Private-Partnership (QPPP) in non-liberal politico-economic systems
Street-level bureaucracy and community-based policy implementation

William Lytle

PhD Candidate, Environmental and Energy Policy

wjlytle@mtu.edu
AOB Annex 206

Advisor: Chelsea Schelly

Education

MS, Forestry, Michigan Tech
BS, Wildlife Ecology and Management, Michigan Tech

Research Interests

Social license
Sustainable development
Environmental justice
Critical analysis of conservation

Andy Mueller

PhD Candidate, Industrial Heritage and Archaeology

amueller@mtu.edu

Sun Nguyen

MS Student, Environmental and Energy Policy

svnguyen@mtu.edu
AOB 202

Thesis Topic

The incorporation of public participation in decision making on the proposed PolyMet mine in Northeastern Minnesota.
Advisor: Nancy Langston

Education

BA Environmental Studies University of Wisconsin-Madison

Research Interests

State and Federal policies that dictate the decision-making process of mining projects
Minerals policies
Stakeholder analyses and public participation in public policies; government-to-government relationships

Roland Ofori

PhD Student, Environmental and Energy Policy

roofori@mtu.edu
AOB 202

Dissertation Topic

Education

MS, Agricultural, Food, and Resource Economics, Michigan State University
BA, Economics and Philosophy (minor), University of Ghana

Research Interests

Agent-based modeling
Non-market valuation
Community sustainability
Environmental economics and policy
Energy economics and policy
International development

Kyle Parker-McGlynn

PhD Student, Industrial Heritage and Archaeology

jparkerm@mtu.edu

Dissertation Topic

Education Outreach Using Digital Archaeology

Education

BS Geography Northern Michigan University
GIS Certificate Northern Michigan University
MS in Geography University of Idaho

Research Interests

Digital Preservation
Empowerment Through Technology
Digital Educational Outreach
Educational Gaming
GIS

Alexis Pascaris

MS Student, Environmental and Energy Policy

aspascar@mtu.edu
Annex 208

Advisor

Chelsea Schelly

Education

BS, Environmental Studies & Sustainability, Michigan State University

Research Interests

Renewable Energy
Agrivoltaics
Solar Photovoltaics
Sustainable Land-Use
Land Conservation
Community Energy Development

Jennifer E. Rachels

PhD Student, Environmental and Energy Policy

jrachels@mtu.edu

Dissertation Topic

Blue Collar Jobs in the Green Workforce: What is a ‘Good Job’?

Education

MPA, MBA, MA (Global Leadership in Sustainable Development), Hawai’i Pacific University
BS, Ed, Recreation- Natural Resource Management, University of Georgia

Research Interests

Primary interest: The workforce of the energy sector, in the context of history and the coming market transformation
Project and program failures in international economic development (particularly electricity projects)
Public-private partnerships for utility-scale energy resource development
Energy use and poverty

Hamza Raheel

PhD Student, Environmental and Energy Policy

hfraheel@mtu.edu

Education

MS, Engineering Management, University of Kansas
BS, Chemical Engineering, High Institute of Petroleum
AAS, Process Plant Technology, Montana State University

Research Interests

I am a PhD student in the Environmental and Energy Policy program. I focus primarily on fossil-fuel subsidies, their social, economic and environmental impact (more broadly sustainable development), and the challenges to their reform.
Before joining Michigan Tech, I worked in oil and gas industries for almost nine years. I have two undergraduate degrees in Chemical Engineering and an AAS in Process Plant Technology from the High Institute of Petroleum, in Tripoli, and MSU-Billings, MT, respectively. Also, I have a Master of Science in engineering management from University of Kansas. My master's field research was on the use of ISO 14001 in Oil & Gas industries.
When I am not at school, you can find me swimming in the pool, playing soccer, or just going for a hike in the nearby woods, depending on the weather and time of year. I love horse riding, traveling and best of all mechanical projects like working on cars!