Christine Stands
Projects
FEATURED
Recording of April 9, 2026 School for Environment and Sustainability (SEAS) Capstone Conference Presentation Presenters: Christine Sit, Emily Carra, Xiao Chen, Xingyan Chen, Roberto Carriedo Ostos The SEAS Great Lakes Waterfront Trail (SEAS-GLWT) Starter Guide helps GLWT stakeholders navigate trail design decisions and consider various priorities at local and multi-state levels. The Starter Guide provides a starting point, tools, and resources for other Great Lake communities as they work on further developing their trail design
Capstone Project - A Starter Guide for the US Great Lakes Waterfront Trail
Over the course of 16 months, my capstone group developed A Starter Guide for trail design for the Great Lakes Waterfront Trail. We worked with the Council of State Governments Midwest, the National Park Service, and multiple planning officials in Erie County, Pennsylvania and the larger Lake Erie region. Read my press release here.
Research Paper - The Impact of Stress on Plants
Like humans, plants adapt to the stressors around them. For an independent research project, I studied how native shrubs in the Florida scrub adapt to environmental stressors by collaborating with mycorrhizal fungi. Read my research paper here!
Policy Brief - Small Modular Reactors
With two other authors, I wrote a policy brief on the potential of small modular reactors as a clean energy solution. Read the policy brief on small modular reactors here.
Project - Translational Research at EPA
While at EPA, I worked on a team to identify how EPA applies and uses translational science, also known as participatory research and citizen science. We evaluated partner engagement-related work published between 2014-2023. Learn more about how translational approaches help make EPA research more impactful.
Course Materials - GenAI Policy
As the lead Graduate Writing Instructor (GSI) for BIOLOGY 197 Science Writing, I lead the teaching team in lesson planning. In response to GenAI, I developed class materials including an AI Policy, a lecture on proper/improper use AI in writing, and a practice writing assignment where students use different writing tools and use critical thinking to reflect on what they learned. See the GenAI materials here.
Published Letter in the Journal Science - Racial Affinity Groups
As the Trump administration took office in 2025, I along with other ecology and related scientists published a letter discussing the need to protect racial affinity groups in the US. Read our letter on racial affinity groups.
Press Release - Transportation at the Intersection of Science and Policy
Dr. Gretchen Goldman, Director of Climate Change Research and Technology at the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT), visited the University of Michigan to discuss the intersection of science, policy, climate action, and justice. Read my press release on Dr. Goldman's visit here.
Conference - Networks of Success
I helped coordinate the first conference for the Women of Color and Nonbinary People of Color in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and Allied Fields (WOC in EEB). We brought together WOC in EEB to envision pathways to academic leadership and build science collaborations between WOC scientists. Learn more about our Networks of Success Conference.