Joe Trumpey: Fibershed Project Awarded Catalyst Grant

The Michigan Fibershed Project, a cross-disciplinary project that includes Stamps Professor Joe Trumpey as a co-investigator, has been awarded a Sustainability Catalyst Grant through the U‑M Graham Sustainability Institute. 

The core project team — Melissa Duhaime, PI (Ecology and Evolutionary Biology); M’Lis Bartlett, co‑I (School for Environment and Sustainability); Joe Trumpey, co‑I (Stamps School of Art & Design); Erin Baker, co‑I (Michigan Fibershed); Mitch Fehrle, co‑I (Michigan Fibershed); Angie Martin, co‑I (Michigan Fibershed); and Courtney Lockemer (Fiber​shed​.org) — will develop a fibershed ecosystem-mapping framework, designing and implementing a survey to assess the scale and connectivity of Michigan’s natural fiber economy.

The project also aims to build cross-disciplinary connections on campus, preparing students to work in sustainable fashion and regenerative material systems. ​“This will look like new research collaborations and new courses designed to train our future leaders and innovators in sustainable fashion rooted in regenerative agro- and material ecology,” said Duhaime.

“The Catalyst Grant Program helps bridge the gap between academic research and real-world impact,” said Jennifer Haverkamp, Graham Family Director of the Graham Sustainability Institute. ​“These projects exemplify how collaborative, cross-sector approaches can catalyze meaningful change, whether that’s creating safer drinking water, more sustainable health care practices, or resilient local economies.”

Catalyst Grants Fuel Groundbreaking Sustainability Projects Across Michigan and Beyond