GLIN==> GL Town Hall: Water Resources Specialist Alex Mayer, and Great Lakes: Protected or For Sale? essay

Dr. Mayer's research and educational interests include integrated, sustainable water resources management, groundwater resources and remediation, and sustainability of rural communities. Dr. Mayer has served as project director or co-principal investigator for more than $5.6 million in externally funded research, has published more than 50 papers in the peer-reviewed literature and has authored or co-authored more than 100 presentations at professional meetings. Dr. Mayer has taught a wide range of undergraduate and graduate courses at Michigan Technological University, including fluid mechanics, introductory environmental engineering, groundwater hydrology, groundwater remediation, and mathematical modeling of earth and environmental systems.

Dr. Mayer has been active in several professional societies, including the American Geophysical Union, the American Society of Civil Engineers, and the International Water Association. He has been associate editor for Water Resources Research and has served on the editorial boards of Advances in Water Resources and Journal of Contaminant Hydrology. He has served as an invited professor at the University of Sonora, Mexico, and the Delft University of Technology, The Netherlands. In 2000, Dr. Mayer was awarded a Fulbright Fellowship for research and teaching in The Netherlands. Dr. Mayer also has served as consultant for several consulting firms, legal firms, and non-profit groups in Michigan. He is a registered Professional Engineer.

Dr. Mayer's Great Lake's interests include valuation of Great Lakes water resources, impacts of climate change on the Great Lakes, design of monitoring systems for Lake Superior, sustainable economic development in the Great Lakes region, groundwater-surface water exchange in the Salmon-Trout River, Michigan, and modeling water quantity and quality in the Great Lakes.

In addition to guest speakers, the Great Lakes Town Hall focuses on a new featured Great Lakes issue each week, provided by co-moderators Dave Dempsey, Gary Wilson, and Brenna Wanous. This week, Gary focuses on Michigan's lack of Strong Public Trust laws, which would keep Great Lakes water in the public's hands rather than private hands (i.e. the hands of bottled water companies).

"The bottled water exemption will remain in the Compact as it has now been passed by all eight states. Strong Public Trust language is not a part of the Michigan laws.

The laws enacted in Michigan are either landmark legislation that really protect the Lakes or, flawed legislation more about appearances that still leave the Lakes exposed and for sale."

Don't miss this great opportunity to read and comment on our featured issue - Great Lakes: Protected or For Sale - and the stories and perspectives of Alex Mayer in the Great Lakes Town Hall all this week!

Guest speakers contribute content on a Great Lakes topic of their choice for five days. While there are basic rules of conduct, guest speakers are unedited and diverse views are welcome. If you are interested in serving as a guest speaker, please reply to this email. We encourage individuals of all ages, occupations, and opinions to participate in the conversation.