Regents Professor Oklahoma State university 23 Photo by Gary Lawson Where Palmer Stands Regents Professor Michael W. Palmer’s world centers around all things green. One energy project, in particular, has him mighty concerned. Most travelers see weeds on the side of Oklahoma roads. Palmer, a botany professor, sees so much more. Growing within those weeds, he sees a possible answer to one of the country’s leading problems. As much of the nation’s efforts to solve the energy crisis move toward biofuel, Palmer has become increasingly worried. “The thing I find somewhat ironic is that worldwide, people are clearing natural vegetation to plant biofuel crops,” he says. “The act of clearing the land actually produces greenhouse gases in the process.” Palmer says he is particularly concerned with the idea of replacing Oklahoma grasslands with genetically modified switchgrass. He recommends using natural vegetation from grasslands in the eastern Great Plains and growth alongside Oklahoma roads to produce energy. “If you just harvest that, you don’t have to turn the soil, and you’re right on the road,” he says. “You don’t have any problem taking the fuel to market.” Palmer says supplanting natural vegetation could cause further economic and environmental problems. He worries that without more research plowing these ecosystems to create room for genetically modified plants will result in the loss of biodiversity. “You have to look at all the costs, not just a few benefits,” says the Duke University graduate. “And if we decide to go full-speed ahead, it should be done with full knowledge of the consequences.” Much of Palmer’s time is devoted to education and research. He says his favorite part of the job is learning every day. “It’s wonderful to have an excuse to actually study things in the great outdoors,” he says. “There are so many unanswered questions that we are just on the cusp of understanding.” Seeing this same spark go off in students keeps Palmer excited about teaching. Even after OSU named him a Regents Professor, his proudest accomplishment is seeing graduating students go on to make a difference. Although many of these students were able to see Palmer’s deep-rooted love for the Earth as they studied the outdoors, they were probably unaware of how strong this plant-passion grows. For example, Palmer loves to cook. He enjoys gathering his own wild foods for use in his meals, such as wild persimmons, pawpaws and lettuce. Palmer also uses these persimmons to make homemade persimmon wine. Whether learning to create a natural meal or researching Oklahoma plants, Palmer loves discovery. “It is not so much about knowing a lot of things,” he says. “It is really about striving to learn what you don’t know.” Stacy M. Pettit ’09 faculty News
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