Groups fit naturally on campus

Created in 1998 as an alternative to a school of environment, the Carolina Environmental Program is as multifaceted the topic its studies.

The center provides education, outreach and research through its three degree programs and works both locally and across the globe.

"It's both its own organization and what we sort of call the public face of all the environmental activities on campus," said Douglas Crawford-Brown, director of CEP.

The center has 45 permanent faculty members and receives contributions from nearly 140 UNC faculty members from various departments, Crawford-Brown said.

CEP receives between $1 million and $2 million each year from the Office of the Provost and another $5 million yearly from research grants and donor money.

"Money from the University gives us a car," he said. "But the dollars from the donors make that car really special. They allow us to put a stereo in it."

Among these additions are the Environmental Modeling for Policy Development group and One North Carolina Naturally, which model ozone levels for the Environmental Protection Agency and seek to protect state ecosystems, respectively.

While both projects provide research and outreach, all three facets of CEP's mission are displayed at five field sites located across the state and in England and Thailand.

Currently, 47 students are immersed in off-campus research this semester, tackling topics such as the flora and fauna of the southern Appalachian Mountains.

David McNelis, deputy director of the CEP, oversees all the field site programs and said the research is beneficial not only to students but also to locals of the area they study.

"This is not going to be the decisive answer to what the environmental problem is, but it's a step in the right direction," McNelis said.

Field site directors create a community advisory group and hold public seminars and dinners to seek citizen input.

"I really feel confident saying that our research is meaningful out here because people participate," said William Stott, director of the Albemarle Ecological Field Site.

Richard Kamens, director of the Thailand Field Site, said students become more culturally aware through the experience.

"They have an experience that makes them somewhat of a global citizen," he said. "There's an incredible growth, and it's the kind of growth that takes place outside the classroom."

Research in Cambridge, England, which was solicited by the Cambridge City Council, focuses on reducing carbon dioxide emissions at a research park that mirrors Carolina North and will be replicated at CEP's new Triangle Field Site next year.

"For many students, that was the first time they've actually had anyone from the outside world saying that we value your education and we'd like your help in addressing this problem," said Crawford-Brown, who also directs the Cambridge site.

But for CEP, aiding in global environmental issues is just another day outside the office.

Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu.