Messages of the Great Salt Lake: John Luft & Temple Grandin

05/12/23 • 30 min

How'd You Think of That? with Temple Grandin

John Luft, Great Salt Lake Ecosystem Program Manager with the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, talks to Temple Grandin about the Division’s longtime monitoring of the Great Salt Lake ecosystem and its successes working with the lake’s brine shrimp industry. They also discuss how one individual can set a cascade of positive environmental changes.

John Luft, along with avian and aquatic biologists, have developed a partnership with the brine shrimp industry to monitor and manage the commercial fishery on Great Salt Lake through research and conservation. He also supervises a group of wetland managers that oversee Waterfowl Management Areas (WMA’s) encompassing about 100,000 acres along the east shore of Great Salt Lake.

Previous Episode

The Message of the Great Salt Lake: Dr. Bonnie Baxter, Dr. Jaime Butler, & Temple Grandin

Scientists Bonnie Baxter, Founder of Great Salt Lake Institute at Westminster College and Jaime Butler, Great Salt Lake 'Nerd', discuss the bounties and struggles of the Great Salt Lake.
Dr. Baxter studies the photobiology of halophiles (salt-tolerant bacteria) and microbial diversity of Great Salt Lake (GSL)with her undergraduate students. She is interested in the astrobiology applications of extremely hypersaline ecosystems, in particular resistance to ultraviolet light and desiccation by halophiles. Recently her students have been engaged in projects involving ancient biomolecules in salt, microbial composition of GSL stromatolites, and lake microbial mercury methylation. Dr. Baxter is also dedicated to integration of research in undergraduate science education and to outreach efforts that inspire learning and stewardship. She is also engaged in efforts to support underrepresented groups in STEM fields. All of these interests merge in her role as Director of Great Salt Lake Institute.
Dr. Baxter studies the photobiology of halophiles (salt-tolerant bacteria) and microbial diversity of Great Salt Lake (GSL)with her undergraduate students. She is interested in the astrobiology applications of extremely hypersaline ecosystems, in particular resistance to ultraviolet light and desiccation by halophiles. Recently her students have been engaged in projects involving ancient biomolecules in salt, microbial composition of GSL stromatolites, and lake microbial mercury methylation. Dr. Baxter is also dedicated to integration of research in undergraduate science education and to outreach efforts that inspire learning and stewardship. She is also engaged in efforts to support underrepresented groups in STEM fields. All of these interests merge in her role as Director of Great Salt Lake Institute.

Next Episode

Maker Gurus: Kathleen White, Maura Devlin-Clancy, and Temple Grandin

U.S states face a shortage in qualified STEM/CTE instructors to effectively prepare high school and community college students for careers. Long-time educators Maura Devlin-Clancy and Kathleen White have developed Makerspace experiences and new ways of teaching to help recruit and grow a diverse teaching workforce. They join Temple Grandin to discuss their NSF funded project, Growing CTE/STEM Teachers.

Maura Devlin-Clancy is Coordinator of MakerSPHERE and Faculty in Computer Networking & Information Technology at City College of San Francisco. Her work focuses on hands-on teaching and learning strategies that support non-traditional students, particularly women and underrepresented students in tech and STEAM.

In MakerSPHERE, their network of makerspaces across CCSF, each and every student will find an open door to courses, work-based learning and other opportunities that can lead to high paying jobs and a way to make a difference in their lives and the lives of others.

Kathleen White is the Former Chair of Child Development and Family Studies Department, and Teacher Prep Program Coordinator at City College of San Francisco.