Melissa Watkins - "The Ethics of Human Subjects Research: how atrocities lead to the development of ethical codes in medical research"
There are a multitude of unethical case studies that have taken place throughout time; however, it was the Nuremberg Trials that prompted an international panel of experts on medical research, human rights, and ethics to establish a code of ethics when human subjects were involved. This seminar will use two historical case studies that involved unethical treatment towards human subjects: Nazi doctor, Josef Mengele, and the Tuskegee Syphilis Project. Exploring the history of unethical genetic and human manipulation, the atrocities that victims have experienced will aide in the understanding as to why ethical routes have been established. Today, there are stringent rules and regulations which have to be adhered to in order have a human subject. It is imperative to know these guidelines when conducting an experiment that involves a human in any way.

Chris Miller - "Grass and Brash: Fueling a Bioenergy Industry"
In the US, production of switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) as a dedicated energy crop has been proposed on 55 million acres of agriculture land, with a projected yield potential of 368 million dry tons per year. From our forestlands another 175 million dry tons are estimated per year as bioenergy feedstock. Potential feedstock availabilities will be presented with discussion of sustainability issues. This information derives from the 2006 comprehensive literature review "Evaluation of Low Greenhouse Gas Bio-Based Energy Technologies", a Caterpillar funded project through the Sustainable Futures Institute at Michigan Technological University.

Tasha Hernandez - "Theobroma cacao: The Chocolate Tree"
Although chocolate stands as a must have treat for many cultures in the world today including that of the United States, in its purest form, cacao is a more evocative substance for indigenous groups living in the country of Panama. The tree and its contents hold spiritual meaning within the several Panamanian cultures. The Ngobe indigenous group depends on this tree as a source of income and a majority of farmers' lands consist of cacao monoculture plantations or those of mixed species including cacao. The process of making chocolate is an everyday event in the lives of the Ngobe from the grafting and planting of the trees to the maintenance of the fruits and branches and finally to the harvesting, fermenting, and selling of the seeds. The Ngobe people sacrifice themselves daily to continue their tradition of farming this crop but loss of culture, decrease in economic benefit, forest plagues, and other drawbacks have lead the tree to become a "luck source" for those who continue to be able to grow it. During my time as a Peace Corps volunteer in Panama, the Ngobe people shared this part of their culture with me. While I first viewed daily chocolate in the Caribbean as a luxury, I soon began to see it as a hardship. Throughout my talk, I will lead you into the lives of those sources for the chocolate industry and hopefully make you see that there is more to that Twix than the crunchy cookie, chewy caramel inside. We will take a look at the silvicultural management of the species as well as the social and cultural aspects for those that grow the chocolate tree.

Chamini Illangasinghe - "Model Organisms"
Model organisms are extensively studied to understand biologicals functions of that particular organisms. Models also give us insight into the workings of other organisms. Selection of a model organisms is based on several criteria. First and foremost criteria is that they could be easily experimentally manipulated. This include characteristics such as; short life-cycle, and non-specialist living requirements. There are many model organisms representing different animal and plant kingdoms. Many model organisms genomes are now sequenced, there are many projects going on to functionally link genes in model organisms. In this talk I will focus on briefly about how sequencing is carried-out on these model organisms, why it is important to sequence genomes of these organisms, and finally about the ethics, legal and social issues related to these organisms and these projects.

Christine Zawaski - "Mines and Mineral of the Keweenaw Peninsula"
Mighigan's Keweenaw Peninsula is believed to have the worlds largest pure elemental copper deposits (Dyl II, 2001), and an estimated 6.6 billion kilograms of copper has been extract from Michigan in the past 155 years (Robinson, 2004). Mining has been instrumental in shaping the Keweenaw Peninsula's history and, though mining of copper has ceased, the remnants of the productive mining past are evident throughout the region. Abandoned rock piles from past mining, or 'poor' rock piles, provided excellent sites for collecting several minerals besides copper including datolite and Michigan's state gem, greenstone. I will give a brief overview of the history of mining and types of minerals that can be found in the Keweenaw Peninsula. In addition, I will show locations of were minerals could be collected such as at poor rock piles and beach sites. Finally, I give a brief discussion on basic lapidary skills that can make mineral specimens look there best.

Maria Janowiak - "Isle Royale Forests: Establishing a Baseline"
The forests of Isle Royale are largely influenced by the island's location in western Lake Superior, past human disturbances, and the influence of moose herbivory on local plant and tree species. Because the majority of vegetation research on Isle Royale has focused on the effects of the moose population on preferred browse species, very little data quantifying vegetation over the entire island exists. In 2004, the first inventory of Isle Royale forests under the US Forest Service Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) program was completed. Analysis of the data concludes that eight forest types are present on Isle Royale, covering nearly 100% of the island's area. An overview of the forest types on Isle Royale using preliminary results from the FIA data will be presented.

Han-Yi Chen - "Antimicrobial activity of peppermint essential oil"
In recent years, essential oil has been applied in many different ways, including folk medicine, food flavouring and preservation, and the fragrance industries. It is also interesting because of its natural antimicrobial and antifugal activities that can be used as alternatives to chemical antibiotics. Essential oil is the product of secondary metabolic pathways in plants and contains various chemical compounds. These compounds are used as protection against microbial and insect attack, and some of them are even toxic to animals. The identified major compounds of essential oil include monoterpenes, the cyclic hydrocarbons and their alcohols, aldehydes or ester derivatives. However, the composition of essential oil varies among different species. Peppermint (Mentha piperita) is a hybrid of Mentha aquatica and Mentha spicata. It is one of the most widely used herbs and can be cultivated all over the world. Peppermint essential oil was investigated for its antimicrobial properties against human and plant pathogenic microorganisms. Its biosynthetic pathway and molecular genetics were also studied. The results of this research may lead to artificial essential oil production and more medical applications.

Lynette Potvin - "Local growers needed: An introduction to the native plant restoration project at the Ottawa National Forest"
The use of native plants in revegetation and restoration projects has recently become an objective of the U.S. Forest Service. As a result, locally collected and grown native plants are in increasing demand by the Ottawa National Forest. The James W. Toumey nursery in Watersmeet has initiated a native plants program in which seeds are collected from the forest and planted on the nursery grounds, however the nursery is only able to set aside 3 acres for this project and thus lacks the available resources to produce the large quantities needed. An innovative native plant propagation program will permit local farmers and gardeners to collect seed from forestland, raise plants on private land and sell the seed back to the Forest Service. The range in which these plants can be grown and still sold to the forest stretches 100 miles north or south and 200 miles east or west of the Ottawa forest and includes the Houghton region. There are six major species desired by the forest and in this seminar the specifics of the program will be discussed as well as the ecology of these species and details on how any one with an extra acre can get involved in this unique and potentially profitable opportunity.

Joseph Darbah - "Can the adverse impacts of increasing air pollution on forest ecosystem function, structure and diversity be reversed?"
Increasing atmospheric Carbon Dioxide (CO2) and Ozone (O3) due to human activities has been on the increase since the industrial revolution and has been a global issue of great concern and this is a major threat to the functioning, structure and diversity of natural and semi-natural ecosystems. Atmospheric CO2 concentration is expected to rise from a current 372µmol mol-1 to about 550µmol mol-1 by the middle of the century and damaging O3 concentrations currently occur over 29% of the world's temperate and sub polar forests but are predicted to affect fully 60% by 2100 It is predicted that, half of the earth's forests will be subjected to peak concentrations exceeding 60 nL L-1. Short term exposure of trees to elevated CO2 gases has been shown to increase photosynthesis, stimulate above ground and below ground growth, lower nitrogen concentrations in leaves, and lower rubisco concentrations and altered defense compounds and initially increase Net Primary Production (NPP) of certain plant communities. O3 altering decrease leaf longevity, stomatal conductance, reduces assimilation by decreasing leaf longevity and increasing senescence and also changes the plants water use efficiency, increase metabolic cost by stimulating biosynthetic pathways that provide carbon intermediates for support of defense and repair processes, decreases carbon allocation to roots with subsequent reductions in root biomass occurring within one growing decrease nodulation, photosynthesis rate, growth rate etc. Thousands of studies conducted have documented the impacts of elevated CO2 and O3 on plant growth and biomass accrual. Numerous research findings show that, whilst elevated CO2 has positive impacts on plants in general increased ozone concentrations have adverse effects on plants in general. This presentation will discuss the effects of air pollution on the forest ecosystem structure, function and productivity and future directions to ameliorate the adverse effect on forest ecosystem.

Jingwei Yin - "Green Tea- Not Hot But Refreshing and Everlasting"
Tea has been an important part of China's economy, culture and history for more than one thousand years. There are three major types of tea: green tea, black tea and oolong tea; all made through different processing of the leaves of Camellia sinensis. Today, tea enjoys world-wide popularity for beverage consumption with green tea most favored due to its fine flavor and miraculous health benefits. Catechins have proven to be the substances that endow green tea with the ability to lower the risk of suffering from cancer, high cholesterol levels, neurodegenerative disorders, heart disease and obesity. Ongoing studies continue to reveal the molecular mechanisms of the medicinal functions of green tea. Truly, drinking tea is not only an enjoyable choice but an excellent way to take advantage of the phytochemicals known as antioxidants.

Amber Roth - "Golden-winged Warblers on the Run: Research and Conservation of a Fugitive Species"
The Golden-winged Warbler (Vermivora chrystoptera) is one of the highest conservation priority bird species in the eastern US and Canada that is not currently a federally listed species. As much as 70% of the population is believed to breed in early seral forests and shrublands of the Upper Great Lakes Region, primarily in Wisconsin, Minnesota, Michigan, and Ontario. Despite the growing concern for dramatic population declines, inadequate information is available to make sound management and conservation decisions to stabilize or reverse this trend. Data collected by the Golden-winged Warbler Atlas Project, Wisconsin Breeding Bird Atlas, and my research shed light on habitat associations, habitat preferences, and forest management practices beneficial to this species. The current plight of the Golden-winged Warbler emphasizes the need for complementary research and conservation action with continual feedback and prioritization of needs and impacts. This approach is being implemented through the Golden-winged Warbler Working Group as its members from across the hemisphere collaborate to conserve this species.

Bryan Roosien - "Land Use and Tenure in Vanuatu"
In Vanuatu, a small island nation in the South Pacific, land provides a primary means of obtaining food and income. Land is also central to the cultural identity of the indigenous people of Vanuatu. After 93 years of colonization by France and Brittan, land ownership was returned to the indigenous people of Vanuatu after independence in 1980. However the ownership is often uncertain and frequently disputed. This uncertain and changing tenure often limits development, and also has consequences for the environmental integrity of the islands. Current and historical land use and tenure in Vanuatu are described and discussed. Interactions between land use and tenure, and their sociological and environmental consequences are also discussed.

Cinzia Fissore - "The Ice Age Theory: tale of a scientific discovery"
Now it is common knowledge that large areas of the world were once covered in ice. However, the theory of the ice age was at first strongly opposed by the scientific community. It was only in the early nineteenth century that scientists began to investigate the "mystery" of the ice-age with more scientific rigor. Until then, geological clues of the presence of extended ice sheets in the past were widely misinterpreted. Interpretation of natural phenomena was strongly affected by Catholicism. Geological evidence of the ice age was interpreted as the result of the great flood described in the Bible. This presentation is meant to describe how it is sometimes difficult for a scientific theory to be understood and accepted. At the same time, this presentation can be seen as a tale about the "picturesque" people who fought for the ice age theory to be accepted.

Lacey Mason - "Using GIS and Remote Sensing for Disaster Management and Emergency Preparedness and Response"
The responsibility of governments at all levels is to protect and serve citizens from threats to life and habitat, this task of preparation and execution has become easier with increasingly better computing technology and software design. Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and Remote Sensing (RS) play a critically important role in planning, mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery in emergency and disaster situations. Case studies will be examined in the incidences of the space shuttle Columbia debris, the Indian Ocean tsunami disaster, prediction of New Orleans flooding, Hurricane Katrina and Rita aftermath and Chernobyl consequences to show how the fields of GIS and RS have been expanded for their roles in management of homeland security and emergency preparedness and response. GIS is no longer just for natural resource management.

Panchita Paulete - "Moringa oleifera: The Miracle Tree"
Deforestation, desertification, malnutrition, water sanitation, disease distribution: these are all common problems of most developing nations. Development workers have struggled for ages to bring in items to slow, halt or reverse the negative effects of these issues. Moringa oleifera is often called the "Miracle Tree". Naturalized in three continents, the tree has tremendous potential for combating some of these leading environmental and health problems in these places. M. oleifera is a fast growing tree, easily identified by its characteristic elongated seed pods and horseradish flavor of its leaves. Drought tolerant and able to thrive in arid conditions, the tree is often named the "Never Dies" tree by local peoples. In addition, almost every part of the tree has some sort of nutritional or medicinal use. During my time serving as a Peace Corps volunteer in The Gambia, West Africa, I had the opportunity to work with this miracle species. I will discuss both the more technical growing and cultivating aspects of the tree in addition to cultural awareness, attitudes and uses of these trees.

Robert Froese - "Seminar on Seminar: How you can improve your presentation skills"
They say you're either a natural or you're not, you're either funny or you're not, and you're either a confident speaker or not. While some of us are naturally gifted at public presentations, others are not; but both types can improve with practice and deliberate and systematic effort. Author Michael Alley's 10 critical mistakes for scientific presentations are introduced and discussed, and content, style and delivery of public seminars is considered.