Northeastern University and ACE MV offer a series of classes dedicated to sustainability

Northeastern University, in affiliation with Adult and Community Education of MV (ACE MV), will be offering a series of classes on-Island titled “Sustainability: Addressing the Challenges.” Five prominent professors from Northeastern University will travel to the Island to lead the five two-hour sessions, on Saturdays from 1 to 3 pm, beginning March 7th and continuing until April 11. Dan Distel, research scientist in the department of marine and environmental sciences, and director of the Ocean Genome Legacy of New England BioLabs at Northeastern University, will begin the series with “Ocean Genome Legacy — Capturing the Biodiversity of the Oceans.” The following week, Associate Professor John Grabowski will teach “From Food Webs to Fisheries: The Interdependence of Socioeconomics & Ecology in the Gulf of Maine.” In the third week, Randall Hughes, assistant professor, will address “The Importance of Biodiversity for Coastal Habitat Sustainability.” Professor Mark Patterson will teach the fourth class, “Tide Gate: Colonial Legacy Becomes Modern Day Blessing/Curse.” J. Murray Gibson, founding dean of the College of Science at Northeastern University, will end the series with “Scientific Challenges to a Renewable Energy Future.”

This opportunity was made possible in part thanks to a generous anonymous donor to ACE MV. Classes are accessible to all. Tuition is half-price for all high school students, and educators and seniors receive a 10 percent discount. Scholarships are available. Early registration is highly recommended, due to limited class size. For additional information, call Lynn Ditchfield at ACE MV at 508-693-9222, e-mail lynn@acemv.org, or visit acemv.org.