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Environmental Policy Initiative April 6, 1999 Newsletter   Email:  epi@osu.edu                                                                                Phone: (614) 688-0234 The Environmental Policy Initiative was approved by the University in March of 1999, with funding from the Office of Academic Affairs and the Office of Research, and matching funds from the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences and the College of Engineering. We are very excited to begin the process of developing a strong and sustainable program that will give Ohio State a real national and global presence in environmental policy. We will begin by identifying the core members of the Initiative. The sixteen faculty members included in the original proposal were: Craig Davis (School of Natural Resources, FAES) Earl Epstein (School of Natural Resources, FAES) Audeen Fentiman (Civil and Environmental Engineering, Engineering) Fred Hitzhusen (AED Economics, FAES) Harry Hoitink (OARDC, FAES) Don Hubin (Philosophy, Humanities) Tom Koontz (School of Natural Resources, FAES) Jon Krosnick (Psychology and Political Science, SBS) Larry Libby (AED Economics, FAES) Richard Moore (Anthropology, SBS) Hazel Morrow-Jones (City and Regional Planning, Engineering) Alan Randall (AED Economics, FAES) John Simpson (City and Regional Planning, Engineering) Brent Sohngen (AED Economics, FAES) Doug Southgate (AED Economics, FAES) Earl Whitlatch (Civil and Environmental Engineering, Engineering) We aim to identify a core membership group of 30 - 40 faculty members, all of them committed to the study of environmental policy issues. As a first step, we need you to contact us and confirm your interest in participation. Then, we are asking each of you to identify university colleagues who may be interested in actively participating in the Initiative. Many of our target group will already be involved in the Environmental Sciences Graduate Program, the Environmental Sciences and Engineering Key Technology area, etc. From these groups, we are seeking especially to identify people with a commitment to environmental policy studies. In addition, there may be policy-oriented scholars from the humanities, social and behavioral sciences, etc., who are interested in environmental issues. Please help us identify potential core members of the Initiative. In the few weeks since the Initiative was approved, the Executive Committee ( Audeen Fentiman, Larry Libby, Richard Moore, Alan Randall, chair, and John Simpson) has met twice. Activities for the first year (ending June 30, 1999) will include: assembling the core membership, establishing regular communications, initially an e-mail newsletter, developing a webpage for the Initiative, initiating a workshop series, beginning this Spring, planning for a series of commissioned position papers, to be presented in Autumn, identifying and contacting potential outside speakers and scholars-in-residence, and funding a modest competitive program of research seed grants. Two Graduate Administrative Associates, Suzie Greenhalgh and Michael Taylor, will assist with membership, communication, webpage development, and scheduling for the Initiative. At present, the Initiative is still trying to find space. An office for the Graduate Administrative Associates, plus a room for meetings, regular workshops, etc., would be ideal. The College of FAES is trying to help us in this regard, but we'd be delighted to hear any offers of space, or suggestions as to where space might be found. Until we resolve the issue of space and location, all correspondence should be directed to the Center by email (epi@osu.edu). If you have any questions please feel free to contact us. Don't forget to e-mail us, confirming your interest in participating in the Initiative and nominating other potential members. We will be be in touch soon, with further information and announcements of upcoming activities and events.