Our Mission
The mission of the Leonard and Jayne Abess Center for Ecosystem Science and Policy (Abess Center) is to create innovative, interdisciplinary initiatives that bridge the gap between science and environmental policy.
Graduate Program
Our graduate program targets top caliber students whose demonstrated skills and interests bridge science and societal needs and who seek the theoretical and analytical skills to address complex, human-environment problems from academic and applied perspectives.
Undergraduate Program
The ECS major offers a series of problem-based learning courses, culminating in a capstone course in the senior year team-taught by scientist and non-scientist faculty, emphasizing integration of science and policy approaches to real-world environmental issues.
Research
The Abess Center’s research agenda constantly evolves to accommodate new faculty thinking and initiatives. The Center encourages and supports projects that adopt an ecosystem-wide focus, and are developed by faculty teams across disciplinary lines.
Outreach
Autonomous Net-Zero Water Buildings
In early 2012, twenty students at the University of Miami will begin a four-year project funded by the National Science Foundation, living in campus housing that has been retrofit to recycle their wastewater on-site with closely monitored quality control. Read more »
Student Spotlight
Katie Crosley
Katie had extensive undergraduate research experience in chemistry, biodiversity, and watershed management planning, and in addition to her major…
Read more »News & Events
The Abess Center is co-sponsoring UM's 6th annual Hug the Lake event, in conjunction with Earth Week, on Friday, April 20, at 12 p.m. around Lake Osceola.
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ECS student Chris Sanchez named a 2012 Barry Goldwater Scholar. He was one of only four UM students recognized.
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ECS grad student Katie Crosley receives 2012 NSF Graduate Research Fellowship; ECS grad student Catherine Macdonald receives Honorable Mention
Ecologist Peter Sale to speak on "Our Dying Planet" Mar 29 Ungar 230 D, 5-6:15 pm
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Contact Us
To contact the Abess Center, visit our contact page.
You can also reach us at (305) 284-8259 or by emailing .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).
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