Michael Lerner Email & Phone Number

London, Gb

London, England, United Kingdom

Ann Arbor, Mi

I helped formulate international environmental projects, particularly on biodiversity conservation, Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation (REDD+) and green economy, on behalf of clients including the Global Environment Facility, UNDP, Conservation International, the Global Green Growth Institute, IUCN, and the Ramsar Convention Secretariat, among others. Projects tended to range in size from $5 million to $100 million.My primary responsibility was to draft and revise project proposal materials, including Project Identification Forms, Project Documents, CEO Endorsement Documents, and budgets. These technical, often lengthy, documents required strong writing and organizational skills, as well as excellent attention to detail.Starting in January 2016, and more intensively from May to July 2016, I worked with an international team to develop the Support to Production child project of the UNDP-GEF 6 Commodities Integrated Approach Pilot program. This $16.5 million project aims to reduce or eliminate deforestation in the commodity supply chains for palm oil production in Indonesia and Liberia and beef production in Paraguay.

Washington D.C. Metro Area

I provided environmental law/policy research support to a team of Senior Attorneys at the Environmental Law Institute. This involved researching, writing, and editing on substantive topics of environmental law/policy; as well as organizing meetings, conferences, and educational courses for a diverse audience of policymakers, practitioners, and academic researchers. Approximately half of my work dealt with topics of international environmental law/policy, and the other half related to domestic environmental issues.My main research projects included 1) hiring and managing approximately 20 volunteers (Interns, Visiting Researchers, and Visiting Attorneys) on 10+ research projects for the Environmental Peacebuilding Partnership (environmentalpeacebuilding.org); 2) developing a project on legal protections and livelihood rehabilitation for cross-border environmentally displaced persons in Pacific Small Island Developing States; and 3) contributing a chapter on public participation and access to information to a UNEP flagship report on the environmental rule of law.

Commissioned by the United Nations Joint UNEP/OCHA Environment Unit, I performed a desk study supplemented by interviews and written inputs provided by the Inter-Agency Coordination Group on Industrial and Chemical Accidents to prepare a paper on classification schemes for man-made hazards in the context of the implementation of the Sendai Framework. The analysis presents an overview of existing classification schemes, key considerations for the design of a classification scheme, and a demonstration of four alternative systems for structuring a classification of man-made hazards.

At the request of Prof. Ryo Fujikura, I surveyed the impact of two reports, "The Limits to Growth" (1972) and "The Global 2000 Report to the President—Entering the Twenty-First Century" (1980) on U.S. environmental policy. This involved a systematic review of primary and secondary literature and semi-structured interviews with leading figures of the environmental movement in the United States during the 1970s. I drafted a 40-page analysis that examines the impact of the two reports and the factors that influenced the extent of their impact. The final report has been accepted, and a more concise version has been published in the "International Journal for Social Science Studies."

Provided deep editorial assistance in revising and rewriting sections of a Ph.D. dissertation on the influence of peer and authority figure networks on immunization use by mothers and caregivers in northern Nigeria for future publication in a scientific journal.

Ann Arbor, Mi

Performed legal research and statistical analysis on hydrofracking policy and public perception in Quebec, Canada. Composed report published in October 2014 as part of CLOSUP’s Energy and Environmental Policy Initiative.

Washington D.C. Metro Area

Liaised between the Geospatial Technologies sub-program and the rest of the Scientific Responsibility, Human Rights, and Law Program. Performed legal research on the use of remote sensing evidence in human rights courts and created training materials for a workshop for human rights court magistrates on the same issue. Created an eBook of case studies for the Geospatial Technologies and Human Rights sub-program. Wrote several short articles for the Professional Ethics Report (Program Newsletter). Attended program-relevant briefings and composed memoranda.

Washington D.C. Metro Area

While at the UN refugee agency, worked in a small group responsible for maritime incident monitoring, casework, and Country-of-Origin research. Performed legal research, statistical analysis, and translation (French-English). Completed official UNHCR Refugee Status Determination training program.

Washington D.C. Metro Area

Responded to constituent concerns and organizations through letter-writing and phone calls. Attended briefings and summarized contents for relevant staffers in memoranda. Led tours of the U.S. Capitol for constituents.

Ann Arbor, Mi

Constructed, conducted and analyzed original study of bioremediation potential of several microbial species in different environments

Byfield, Ma

Performed data collection and sampling as part of the field research team for the TIDE Project. Also created and performed original research project in a resources-limited environment.

Ottawa, Canada Area

Interacted with organizations and constituents by answering phones and composing official correspondence in English and French. Performed legislative research for a policy memorandum.

Doctor Of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Political Science

I will be starting my first year in the University of Michigan's doctoral program in Political Science this fall. My research interests.

Bachelor'S Degree, Political Science; French Language And Literature

Activities and Societies: Phi Beta Kappa B.A. with Highest Distinction in Political Science and French Minor in Earth and Environmental.

Certificate In Social Sciences And Humanities, Political Science