New Director Appointed at the Marsh Institute
Director of the George Perkins Marsh Institute and Professor of
Economics
Robert J. Johnston will assume the directorship of the George Perkins
Marsh Institute on September 1st. Professor Johnston comes to Clark from the University
of Connecticut, where he served as associate professor of agricultural and
resource economics and associate director of the Sea Grant College Program.
Professor Johnston holds a B.A. in economics from Williams College and a Ph.D.
in environmental and natural resource economics from the University of Rhode
Island. He is the Vice President of the Marine Resource Economics Foundation
and is on the Board of Directors of the Northeastern Agricultural and Resource
Economics Association. He is an internationally recognized expert in the
valuation of non-market resources and ecosystem services, management of
coastal and marine resources, the economics of land use and preservation,
and tourism economics. Among numerous awards and honors, Professor Johnston
was recently presented with the 2007 Research Excellence Award and the 2008
Award of Excellence in Teaching, both by the College of Agriculture and
Natural Resources, University of Connecticut.
Robert Goble will continue as Interim Director throughout the summer months.
Kasperson Research Library Hours for the Summer of 2008
Monday through Friday 9:00 am to 5:00
pm
With over 25,000 books, technical reports and government documents, the Kasperson Research Library offers one of the most extensive research collections in North America on environmental hazards, international development, and human dimensions of global environmental change. Additionally, the library collection includes holdings in technology, water, energy policy, and sustainability. In addition, to remain current with recent happenings in these subject areas, the library receives over 260 journals and newsletters. It has received national and international recognition, and has been judged by the Federal Emergency Management Association (FEMA) to be one of four outstanding libraries on risks and hazards in the United States. You can learn more about the research library from their web site at http://www.clarku.edu/research/kaspersonlibrary.
Marsh Continues Informal Research Discussions
Open houses focusing on the research interests of the Clark community will continue to be held at the Institute. Jim Gomes recenly lead a discussion of future synergies between the Marsh Institute and the Mosakowski activities.
Our initial meetings elicited several promising ideas for collaborative research. The Institute stands ready to promote and assist in the development of these ideas.
We welcome suggestions from the community about other research agendas. Contact Pamela Dunkle at PDunkle@clarku.edu.
New grant supports research to assess health needs of local immigrant and refugee youth
Clark University has received $61,924 from The Health Foundation of Central Massachusetts for a collaborative project called "Bridging Barriers: Meeting Youth Immigrant and Refugee Health Needs in Worcester, Mass." IDCE professor Ellen Foley is the principal investigator and Octavia Taylor, research fellow at The George Perkins Marsh Institute, is the project manager.
In partnership with the African Community Development Corp., Fairbridge International and the Southeast Asian Coalition Center, the project will support research with immigrant and refugee youth to assess their health literacy, health needs, and the social and cultural barriers to participating in mainstream youth activities in Worcester. This research will inform the creation of a youth-led health-education program.