ALMA — Alma College’s Great Lakes Watershed Institute (GLWI) will benefit from an $850,000 earmark in the federal government funding bill signed in March, which is going, in part, toward development of a state-of-the-art environmental laboratory. The GLWI will leverage the laboratory to offer real-world experiences to Alma College students and its partners at two-year colleges and technical institutions.
The GLWI is the first water quality laboratory that is devoted specifically to the waterways that feed into the Great Lakes. With the grant funds, Alma officials say they will be able to secure equipment and pay for necessary renovations to the college’s Dow Science Center, where the GLWI is housed.
“Issues with water quality in the state of Michigan, particularly the mid-Michigan area, are well-documented. What is less known is that for many years, Alma College has used sound science to define environmental problems and develop collaborations with local communities and governmental agencies to address these problems,” interim president Eric Blackhurst said.
“We are pleased to see the federal government funding bill signed, and grateful to the efforts of U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow, for her support in seeing this earmark through. It will allow Alma College and the GLWI to continue its work with collaborators and help lead the way in maintaining and improving our waterways.”
- Alma’s environmental studies program investigates the relationships between the environment and human behavior, health, economics and policy. Learn more about how you can help shape a sustainable future.
Through the GLWI, students at Alma College will work with professors and community members to define, address and solve problems through multi-disciplinary and interdisciplinary work. There are also opportunities to expand into engagement for K-12 students through the GLWI.
The GLWI also hopes to connect the work of rural communities in the region to address the disproportionately high impacts of environmental issues on lower socio-economic and other vulnerable populations.
“Historically, the cities of Alma and St. Louis, as well as Gratiot County itself, have been uniquely impacted by water quality issues in the state, due to their confluent location on watersheds that feed into Lake Michigan and Lake Huron. These impacts are both industrial and agricultural in nature, and are found in our Great Lakes on a regular basis,” said Murray Borrello, chair of the environmental studies program at Alma College and director of the GLWI.
“We hope to turn attention toward watersheds, a large source of these contaminants, so we can address them at their source. Additionally, we will be investigating the effects of climate change, which will only exacerbate these issues. We look forward to the opportunity to not only define current problems, but anticipate future ones.”
Borrello added: “It is important to recognize the incredible support Sen. Stabenow and her staff have provided to Alma College and this community over the years. I hope this grant leaves a legacy of her support and commitment to environmental issues.”
