Present:

• Joyce Almaguer
• Kathy Ensor
• Arthur Few
• Paul Harcombe
• Priscilla Huston (staff)
• Walter Isle (chair)
• Bill Leeman
• Donald Ostdiek
• Gordon Wittenberg

Not Present:

• Mark Wiesner

THE FOLLOWING TOPICS WERE DISCUSSED:

(still not completed)

1. Next Meeting date

The next meeting of the Environmental Programs Steering Committee is March 18th from 9:15-11am in 2014 Duncan Hall.

2. Biosphere 2

Tony Burgess, Ph.D, Site Naturalist/Biome Management Coordinator, for Biosphere 2 will be on campus March 17-18. He will bring the Biosphere 2 Assistant Director of Recruiting, Michael Omiecinski as well. We have invited then to participate in the Reading Group at noon on the 17th and the Steering Committee Meeting at 9:15am on the 18th. Paul Harcombe has arranged for him to speak at an EEB Colloquium on the 17th as well.

Priscilla Huston had reserved Sewall 309 at 4pm on March 17th for a meeting with the students and the Biosphere 2 guests. After considerable discussion, we decided to move the time to 5:15pm and to serve pizza, etc. in order to involve more students. A VCR will be provided via the podium.

Don Ostdiek will host dinner for the EPSC and our Biosphere 2 guests on Tuesday March 16th.

The deadline for the Biosphere 2 Fall semester is April 15th.

2. Biocyle reports on Earth Tub at Rice University

Paul Harcombe distributed copies of an article which appeared in the February 1999 Biocycle from the Journal of Composting and Recycling about the Rice Earth Tub. It also announced that the Rice Research team will provide further analysis at the May 17-19, 1999 Annual Biocycle National Conference in Alburquerque.

3. UNIV courses for next year

4. Lunches with Environmental Faculty

5. Followup with rest of Deans after Spring Break

6. Notices

Walter Isle reported that Scott Slovic from the University of Nevada Center for Humanities and the Environment can come around March 29th. Walter Isle will look into March 30th or the following week on April 5th. Scott Slovic must arrange to be here early in the week.

Norman Myers will be here March 26th. Paul Harcombe will coordinate his visit the morning of the 26th along with Arthur Few and Bill Leeman.

NCAR has paid for Firor's travel leaving us these funds for something else.

The Continuing Studies class began this week with Stephen Klineberg. It is meeting Monday nights in Physics 212.