Middlebury College
AC-9: Academic Research

Faculty websites were reviewed to compile an inventory of sustainability research. The review was performed separately by a student intern and an employee of the Office of Sustainability Integration, then any discrepancies were discussed with the Director of Sustainability Integration to create the most consistent and accurate inventory possible.

The current research of Nick Muller, Assistant Professor of Economics, focuses on measuring the damages due to air pollution emissions from each industry in the United States economy, quantifying the ancillary benefits of carbon dioxide reductions, and characterizing the uncertainty associated with empirical marginal damage estimates produced with integrated assessment models. Steve Tromulak, Professor in the Department of Biology and Program in Environmental Studies, is working with associates from Emmanuel Agbeli Dagbe Center for Cultural Arts, Kopeyia, Ghana, and from St. Michael’s College, including members of the Akoma Ensemble, to address the disappearance of antelope in Volta Region of Ghana, and also the musical heritage of the region’s people, who make their drums from the antelope skins. The group presents an initiative aimed at developing a captive breeding program for antelope in West Africa. Andrea LLoyd, Professor of Biology, is conducting tree-ring research at Middlebury College focusing on two issues: the effects of climate change on the boreal forests of Alaska and Siberia, and carbon sequestration in temperate forests of Vermont. Peter Ryan, Professor of Geology, has conducted extensive research with students on ultramafic-derived arsenic in a fractured bedrock aquifer, addressing the issue of arsenic in Vermont well water. Ryan and Middlebury students played an instrumental role in the adoption of legislation by the Vermont legislature to check for arsenic in residential water wells during real estate transactions (This legislation was subsequently vetoed by the Governor).