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Communication Associate: Public Relations | Lori Melton | lmelton@d.umn.edu | (218) 726-8830
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April 22, 2015

Mindy Granley | Office of Sustainability | (218) 726-8198 | mgranley@d.umn.edu
Lori C. Melton | External Affairs | (218) 726-8830 | lmelton@d.umn.edu


Start it up!
UMD’ New Wind Turbine to be Implemented on Earth Day


Wind turbine
Who:
Chancellor Lendley C. (Lynn) Black
Randy Hanson, Coordinator and Founder of the Sustainable Agriculture Project
Alison B. Hoxie, Assistant Professor, Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering
Mindy Granley, Director, Office of Sustainability
What:
Starting the 65-foot wind turbine in the center of the UMD Farm
When:
Earth Day: Wednesday, April 22
Speakers from 2:30 – 2:45 p.m.
Wind Turbine starts at 2:45 p.m.
Interviews at 2:50 p.m.
Where:
UMD Farm, 3568 Riley Road

(Duluth, MN) – A 5-kilowatt wind turbine on the UMD Farm, 3568 Riley Road, will start up on Earth Day, Wed., April 22, at 2:30 p.m. The event celebrates the beginning of the small wind research project, a multidisciplinary effort involving faculty, staff, and students from the sustainability, biology, geography, and engineering departments.

Mechanical and Industrial Engineering Assistant Professor Alison Hoxie, one of the driving forces behind the project, has teamed up with UMD’s Natural Resources Research Institute (NRRI) to implement the turbine made by Windtech, in Roseville, Minn. Hoxie says she’s proud of the opportunities this partnership offers students, “Not only are we modeling sustainable agriculture and increasing UMD’s renewable energy production, this creates a land lab where students across multiple disciplines can come together and learn through an active and hands on experience.”

Randy Hanson, the founder and coordinator of UMD’s Sustainable Agriculture Project (SAP Farm), calls the farm “UMD’s land lab” and believes the new turbine enhances the learning opportunities that happen there, “We’re excited to add this wind turbine to the experiential ways we are exploring sustainable challenges and solutions for our region.”

The turbine has a zero-contact gearing system, using magnets to transmit force between the input and output shafts, making it more efficient because it eliminates friction and a need for oil, and operates at lower wind speeds than traditional windmills.

Watch as the 65 foot wind turbine is raised
See the implementation in action

Support for the small wind turbine project was provided by: Northeast Minnesota Regional Sustainable Development Partnership, Northeast Minnesota Clean Energy Resource Team, UMD Facilities Management, UMD Swenson College of Science and Engineering, UMD Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, UMD Civil Engineering, UMD Strategic Plan Grant, UMD Green Revolving Fund, and a student research donation from WindTech Inc.

Celebrating $14 Million in Sustainability Research Projects

The wind turbine is a portion of the impactful studies happening throughout UMD. Right now there are 82 sustainability research and public service projects with active funding of more than $14 million.

UMD students, faculty, and staff are studying the declining population of moose, the effects of extreme ice coverage in Lake Superior, aquatic invasive species prevention, and much more, including:

Swenson College of Science and Engineering

  • Project Baseline, A Living Plant Genome Reserve for the Study of Evolution, The National Science Foundation — Julie Rae Etterson
  • Back to the Future: Adaptation Forestry in Minnesota’s Northwoods, The Nature Conservancy — Julie Rae Etterson
  • Genetics of Coastal Arctic Plants, Minnesota’s Lake Superior Coastal Program — Julie Rae Etterson
  • Collaborative for Sediment Source Reduction in the Greater Blue Earth River Basin, Minnesota Department of Agriculture — Karen Bobbitt Gran
  • Small Wind Research Project, WindTech Inc. — Alison B. Hoxie
  • MPCA Bioavailability Protocol, USDOD Army Corps of Engineers — Nathan W. Johnson
  • Assessing the Bioavailability of Hydrophobic Organic Contaminants During Habitat Restoration, University of Michigan — Nathan W. Johnson
  • Bioacoustics to Detect, Deter and Eliminate Flying Carp, Legislative Commission on Minnesota Resources — Allen Mensinger
  • Effects of Sulfate on Wild Rice, Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa — John Pastor
  • Estimating Population Demographics of Moose in Northern MN, University of Wyoming — Jared L. Strasburg
  • The Impact of Green Infrastructure on Urban Microclimate and Energy (Collaborative Research), The National Science Foundation — Peter J. Willemsen

Large Lakes Observatory – A department of the Swenson College of Science and Engineering

  • Reproductive Behavior of Wild and Hatchery Lake Trout in the Drummond Island Refuge, Lake Huron, Great Lakes Fishery Commission — Jay A. Austin
  • Support of 2012 – 2013 Great Lakes Observing System Lake Superior work, University of Michigan — Jay A. Austin
  • RAPID Proposal: Effects of Extreme Ice Coverage in Lake Superior, The National Science Foundation — Jay A. Austin
  • Characterizing and Understanding the Impact of Climate Warming on Large Inland Water Bodies, Jet Propulsion Laboratory — Jay A. Austin
  • Evaluating Lake Superior’s Health in a Changing World, Minnesota Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund, Legislative Commission on Minnesota Resources — Erik T. Brown, Elizabeth Austin Minor
  • Lake Superior Hydroacoustics Project: Fish Stock Assessment for Minnesota Waters, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources — Richard D. Ricketts

College of Education and Human Service Professions

  • St. Louis River Watershed Workshop 2014, Minnesota Power Foundation — John D. Geissler
  • Renewable Energy Workshops 2014, Minnesota Power Foundation — John D. Geissler
  • Realizing the Educational Potential of a 18,000 Acre Classroom, Duluth Superior Area Community Foundation — John D. Geissler

College of Liberal Arts

  • Global Sustainability: Planning for a Creative Urban Economy, Duluth Superior Area Community Foundation — Cindy M. Christian

Minnesota Sea Grant

  • Research and Outreach to Improve Resiliency and Sustainability within Minnesota’s Aquatic Resources and Coastal Economies, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Sea Grant Program — All Sea Grant Staff, Jeffrey Lynn Gunderson
  • Creating a Classroom Friendly Version of the Northland NEMO Watershed Game, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration via Minnesota’s Lake Superior Coastal Program — John Phillip Bilotta
  • Great Lakes Coastal Weather, Water, and Beach Safety Forecasts for Recreational Users and Residents, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration via the National Sea Grant Program — Jeffrey Lynn Gunderson
  • Coordinating Storm and Hazard Information for Coastal Residents and Communities, Great Lakes Restoration Initiative via the U.S. EPA — Jeffrey Lynn Gunderson
  • Bringing Great Lakes Science to the Classroom, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration — award via the University of Illinois — Cynthia A. Hagley
  • Improving Great Lakes Literacy through Training, Mentoring, Community-building, and Stewardship, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration — award via the University of Illinois — Cynthia A. Hagley
  • Extending a Regional Public Outreach Campaign on Aquatic Invasive Species, Great Lakes Restoration Initiative via the U.S. EPA — Douglas A. Jensen
  • Conduct Aquatic Invasive Species Public Education Along Lake Superior, National Park Service — Douglas A. Jensen
  • Train Local Groups to Inspect and Wash Fishing Tourney Boats, Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, U.S. EPA – award via the University of Wisconsin-Madison — Douglas A. Jensen
  • Great Lakes Sea Grant Network Organisms in Trade Initiative, Great Lakes Restoration Initiative via U.S. EPA — Douglas A. Jensen
  • Delivering Superior Science to Educators, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration via Minnesota’s Lake Superior Coastal Program — Marte Christofa Kitson
  • Aquatic Invasive Species Education and Outreach in the Superior National Forest, U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service — Marte Christofa Kitson
  • Aquatic Invasive Species Prevention Aid Program, St. Louis County — Marte Christofa Kitson
  • Identifying the Costs and Benefits of Green Infrastructure for Flood Reduction in Duluth, Minnesota, Great Lakes Restoration Initiative via NOAA’s Office of Coastal Management — Jesse Dean Schomberg
  • Using Social Science to Assist Local Governments in Coastal Hazard Planning, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration via the National Sea Grant Program — Jesse Dean Schomberg
  • Duluth Streams Urban Watershed Restoration and Protection Strategies, Minnesota Pollution Control Agency — Jesse Dean Schomberg
  • Regional Stormwater Protection Team GreenCorps Partnership, Minnesota Pollution Control Agency — Jesse Dean Schomberg.

Natural Resources Research Institute

  • Amity Creek Restoration Project, Minnesota Pollution Control Agency — Richard P. Axler
  • Event-based Stream Sampling in Northeastern Minnesota, Minnesota Pollution Control Agency — Richard P. Axler
  • Lake Superior Beach Monitoring and Advisory Program, Minnesota Department of Health — Richard P. Axler
  • Weather, Water and People, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources — Richard P. Axler
  • Assessment of Biomass Sources for Energy in Northern Minnesota, Laurentian Energy Authority, LLC — William Berguson
  • Regional Biomass Feedstock Partnership-Poplar, South Dakota State University — William Berguson
  • St. Louis River Support Project — Ecological Monitoring and Assessment, Minnesota Pollution Control Agency — Valerie Jean Brady
  • Great Lakes Coastal Wetlands Monitoring, Central Michigan University — Valerie Jean Brady
  • Duluth Township Stormwater System Tracking, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources — Valerie Jean Brady
  • Biomass Briquettes for Coal Replacement, USDA Forest Service — Brian K. Brashaw
  • Biochar Production from Balsam Fir, USDA Forest Service — Brian K. Brashaw
  • Collaborative Research: OPUS: Beavers as Boreal Ecosystem Engineers, The National Science Foundation — Terry N. Brown
  • Cumulative Effects Analysis for the 1954 Ceded Territory, Grand Portage Band of Chippewa Indians — Terry N. Brown
  • Developing a System for Prioritizing Protection and Restoration of Great Lakes Coastal Wetlands, Central Michigan University — Terry N. Brown
  • Liquid Fuels Production via High-Pressure Gasification Using Pretreated Biofuels, Minnesota Department of Agriculture — Donald R. Fosnacht
  • Minnesota Mining Cluster — The Next Generation of Innovation and Diversification to Grow America, U.S. Department of Commerce — Donald R. Fosnacht
  • Torrefied Wood Non-Profit Domestic Research Agreement, Minnesota Power, Kiesel II — Richard Frederick
  • LiDAR-based Bluff Assessment for Coastal Land Use Planning, Minnesota’s Lake Superior Coastal Program — George E. Host
  • Enhancing Public Understanding of St Louis River Area of Concern, Minnesota Pollution Control Agency — George E. Host
  • Validation of Wetland Mitigation in Abandoned Borrow Areas, Phase II, Minnesota Department of Transportation — Kurt W. Johnson
  • Restoration Strategies: Ditched Peatland Scientific and Natural Areas, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources — Kurt W. Johnson
  • Managing the Nation’s Fish Habitat at Multiple Spatial Scales in a Rapidly Changing Climate, US Department of the Interior, Cooperative Ecosystem Study — Lucinda B. Johnson
  • Great Lakes Consortium, Environmental Indicator II: Testing and Refinement, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency — Lucinda B. Johnson
  • Great Lakes Coastal Database and Classification Framework, University of Michigan — Lucinda B. Johnson
  • Improving Hydrology Predictions with LiDAR, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources — Lucinda B. Johnson
  • Spatial Conservation and Investment Portfolios to Manage Climate-Related Risk, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign — Lucinda B. Johnson
  • Collaborative Research: Climatic and Anthropogenic Forcing of Wetland Landscape Connectivity in the Great Plains, The National Science Foundation — Lucinda B. Johnson
  • A Comprehensive Stressor-Response Model to Inform Ecosystem Restorations Across the Great Lakes Basin, University of Michigan — Lucinda B. Johnson
  • Development of Peat-based Media for Waste Water Treatment, American Peat Technology, LLC — Igor V. Kolomitsyn
  • Chemical Modification of Peat Granules Surface for Waste Water Treatment, American Peat Technology, LLC — Igor V. Kolomitsyn
  • Dredged Sediment for Forest Restoration on Unproductive Minelands, Legislative Commission on Minnesota Resources — Thomas Edward Levar
  • Moose research in Voyageurs National Park, USDI U.S. Geological Survey — Ronald A. Moen
  • Moose Habitat Restoration in Northeastern Minnesota, Legislative Commission on Minnesota Resources — Ronald A. Moen
  • Climate Change Adaptation Planning for Northern Forest Ecosystems in the Great Lakes National Parks, US Department of the Interior, Cooperative Ecosystem Study — Ronald A. Moen
  • Turtle Telemetry Project, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources — Ronald A. Moen
  • Post-burn Bird Surveys at Pagami River, Superior National Forest, USDA Forest Service — Gerald John Niemi
  • Avian Responses to Climate Change in the Chippewa Nation, USDA Forest Service — Gerald John Niemi
  • Evaluating Vital, Small Forested Wetlands, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources — Jennifer Heartsong Olker
  • Coastal Wetland Vulnerability and Impact Assessment: Climate Change Impacts of Coastal Planning, U.S. Department of the Interior, Cooperative Ecosystem Study — Jennifer Heartsong Olker
  • Great Lakes Biological Monitoring: Phytoplankton, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency — Euan Denis Reavie
  • Northshore Superior Periphyton Surveillance, Minnesota’s Lake Superior Coastal Program — Elaine Marie Ruzycki
  • Northshore Superior Lake and Stream Water Assessment 2013, Minnesota Pollution Control Agency — Elaine Marie Ruzycki
  • North Shore Superior Lake and Stream Water Assessment 2014, Minnesota Pollution Control Agency — Elaine Marie Ruzycki
  • Erie Pier Dredged Material Beneficial Use Study, U.S. Department of Defense, Army Corps of Engineers — Lawrence M. Zanko

More about UMD’s Large Lakes Observatory | Minnesota Sea Grant | Natural Resource Research Institute

Large Lakes Observatory (LLO)

UMD’s research targets global issues that impact freshwater in the 21st century: the availability of clean drinking water for a growing world population, the availability of water for agriculture and industry, pollution of the environment, and sanitary living conditions. The research conducted by the Large Lakes Observatory provides data to inform policy and the public. It is the only institute in the country dedicated to the study of large lakes throughout the world. It executes multidisciplinary, oceanographic-style study of large lakes worldwide: their functioning, fundamental processes, histories, and interactions with the global environment.

Minnesota Sea Grant

Through scientific research and public education, Minnesota Sea Grant works to enhance the resiliency of Minnesota’s coastal environments and economies. The program promotes the best and most current science regarding Lake Superior and inland lakes to resource users, managers, and policy makers. Nearly every one of its projects, from helping communities prepare for a changing climate to maritime transportation challenges, touches on sustainability.

Natural Resource Research Institute (NRRI)

NRRI leads the way to a more sustainable Minnesota. Its mission is to improve the economy of Minnesota through applied research and business development in order to help industries use natural resources. Nearly every one of its projects touches on sustainability in some way.


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