coexist – Page 7 – bailey college of the environment @ wes u

bailey coe hosts talk on political ecology in ancient china

The Bailey College of the Environment was delighted to welcome Brian Lander, assistant professor of history and environment & society, Brown University, for “The Political Ecology of China’s First Empire,” on February 29, 2024. Lander is the author of The King’s Harvest: A Political Ecology of China from the First Farmers to the First Empire. As an environmental historian who studies China, Lander focuses on how human societies came to dominate a number of regions, a process beginning with the domestication of plants and animals and continuing with the growth of states and empires. Lander’s current research follows the ecological history of the Qin Dynasty.

bryant explores intersection of science and art

by acmorris

Raquel Bryant, assistant professor of earth and environmental science and assistant professor of environmental studies, received her undergraduate degrees in Geology and Biology from Brown University, and a PhD in geosciences at University of Massachusetts Amherst. Before coming to Wesleyan University, she was a postdoc at Texas A&M University where she worked with the Gulf Coast Repository for the International Ocean Discovery Program. She shares her experience as a scientist and activist, and highlights her recent retreat to Florence, Italy, supported by a Bailey COE grant!

reistrup ‘21 explores mine reclamation and restoration

by acmorris

Cole Reistrup ‘21 graduated from Wesleyan with majors in environmental studies and earth and environmental science. He is also an alumnus of the University of San Francisco, where he received his master of science in environmental management. His master’s thesis, Considerations for the Use of Mycorrhizal Fungi Inoculants in Coal Mine Reclamation and Reforestation in Appalachia: A Guide of Best Practices and Management Recommendations, explores the promising strategy of utilizing mycorrhizal fungi in restoration efforts. Cole is a project manager for Williams Forestry & Associates, where he is responsible for overseeing the safe and effective implementation of coal mine reforestation projects in southern West Virginia and Kentucky. He was recently elected the West Virginia representative for the Society for Ecological Restoration.

neiblum ’26 spends summer surveying seabirds in alaska

by sneiblum

Every year, the Bailey COE awards fellowships to fund summer research opportunities for Wesleyan students across all majors and class years. Most recently, the COE awarded more than 40 fellowships to Wes students. Sophia Neiblum ’26 is an E&ES and biology major who worked at the Alaska SeaLife Center in Seward, Alaska, as a seabird research intern last summer.

For my summer fellowship, I worked at the Alaska SeaLife Center (ASLC) as a seabird research intern. The ASLC is a marine research center, public aquarium, and rescue and rehabilitation center in Seward, Alaska. Home to the Kenai Fjords national park, Seward hosts an incredible diversity of marine life. I interned in the ASLC’s seabird research lab, led by Dr. Tuula Hollmen from the University of Alaska Fairbanks.

senior spotlight: amanda morris ’24

by acmorris

My experiences as an environmental studies major at Wesleyan have broadened my horizons and opened me to an expansive range of new perspectives. I have had many wonderful opportunities throughout my time at Wesleyan and am grateful to have had the support of a number of faculty mentors. I have especially appreciated the interdisciplinary nature of my environmental studies major and have found that the coursework combines well with my government major and international relations concentration.

o’connor ’26 focuses on bats for new doc

by acmorris

Every year, the Bailey COE awards fellowships to fund summer research opportunities for Wesleyan students across all majors and class years. Most recently, the Bailey COE awarded more than 40 fellowships to Wes students. Zack O’Connor ‘26 is a prospective film and environmental studies double major. For his summer project funded by the Bailey COE, he produced a documentary about white nose syndrome, a devastating fungal disease that has had a catastrophic impact on bat populations across North America. Zack’s film focuses on how white nose syndrome has impacted bats on Martha’s Vineyard.

senior spotlight: debbra goh ’24

by acmorris

Debbra Goh ‘24 is an environmental studies and region major. She is a Bailey College of the Environment summer fellowship recipient and has utilized this support to work on her senior thesis, which will examine the Orang Laut community in Singapore and national narratives of development. She is also a Bailey COE Think Tank fellow, a member of the Wesleyan Green Fund, and cofounder of WesThrift, Wesleyan’s free thrift store.