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PEER co-directors appointed

MIT's Program for Environmental Education and Research (PEER) has appointed as co-directors Professor Jeffrey Steinfeld of chemistry, Assistant Professor Vicki Norberg-Bohm of urban studies and planning, and Dr. John Ehrenfeld, a lecturer in chemical engineering.

PEER was formed in 1991 to strengthen awareness of the environment in MIT education and research. Under the leadership of David H. Marks, the J.M. Crafts Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering, PEER coordinated a rapidly growing interest in environment-related concerns among faculty and students.

With its new co-directors, PEER will further expand its focus to reach all of MIT's schools. "Departments in every school have something to contribute to understanding global sustainability," Professor Steinfeld said.

PEER offers help to faculty members interested in strengthening the environmental problem-solving capabilities of their students. The program is a clearinghouse for information about environmental courses, fellowships and the growing number of events offered throughout the Institute. PEER will also begin publishing its monthly newsletter of environmental events in electronic format.

Professor Steinfeld, whose background is in physical chemistry, has been a leader in the chemistry department's program to infuse an environmental perspective into subjects already being taught. Professor Norberg-Bohm is leading research in technology and public policy at DUSP. Dr. Ehrenfeld, who is also a senior research associate in the Center for Technology, Policy and Industrial Development, focuses on environmental management in businesses and industrial ecology.

A version of this article appeared in MIT Tech Talk on October 29, 1997.

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