SUSTAINABILITY DIGEST
The Julie Ann Wrigley Global Institute of Sustainability provides this list to announce seminars, meetings, colloquiums, lectures, brown bags, announcements of interest, and job opportunities to the Institute community. If you have items you’d like to add please submit them to Cindy.Zisner@asu.edu before 5 PM Wednesday. This Digest is sent out on Friday morning. You may subscribe, unsubscribe, or change subscriber settings at http://lists.asu.edu/archives/giosasu.html under the Options where it says Join or Leave GIOSASU. You can see archives of list messages at the same address.
NEW ITEMS
(Current items remain in the Digest until they happen so don’t forget to peruse the web listing in case you missed something in the previous week.)
Other Events - Off Campus
1. Green Building Lecture Series: Green Innovative Built Projects: Energizing a 1979 Home
2. LeanPath Webinar: Tips for a Waste-Free Kitchen from Dana Gunders
News and Announcements
3. Understanding climate and energy through environmental humanities
4. Designing solar-powered cyanobacteria for production of biofuels
5. Meet Our Alumni: Jeffrey Jennings
7. Solar's outlook just got a little bit brighter
10. The next big thing for the human microbiome
11. ASU Research Computing is seeking research images/visualizations from our community!
12. ASU entrepreneurs find big success
Institute Jobs
13. Coordinator, Sustainability Connect and Food Systems Transformation Initiative
Other Jobs
14. Lake Erie Coast and Islands Project Manager, The Nature Conservancy, Sandusky, Ohio
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EVENTS
Sustainability @ASU: Webinar - Wasted Food, Challenges, and Opportunities in Partnerships and Consumer Behavior Change
(Wednesday, May 25, 2016) Dan O'Neill, Christopher Wharton from ASU and John Trujillo, Director Pubic Works for the City of Phoenix, will discuss the problems of wasted food, the issues embedded in consumer behaviors related to food consumption and loss, the potential for public-private collaboration to implement regional system solutions and the great potential in partnerships between universities and cities. From 10:15-11:45 a.m. MST. More information and RSVP.
Free Film Screening: The Path of Resistance
(Wednesday, June 1, 2016) The Path of Resistance explores the front-line communities living along the proposed route of the Keystone XL Pipeline and their fight to stop the project. Doors open 6:30 p.m.; showtime 7:00 p.m. at Harkins Valley Art Theater, 509 S. Mill Ave, Tempe. More information and RSVP.
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On Campus
The New Normal: Women of Color Innovations and Achievements through STEM Entrepreneurship
(Friday-Sunday, May 20-22, 2016) The Center for Gender Equity in Science and Technology at Arizona State University (ASU) through its National STEM Collaborative is pleased to co-host the inaugural Women of Color in STEM Entrepreneurship Conference at ASU SkySong. The conference is a collaborative effort to advocate for increased participation of women of color in entrepreneurship experiences and small business enterprise; to advance entrepreneurship education and entrepreneurial student engagement; and to transform the ways that entrepreneurship is viewed, taught and experienced in higher education. More information and registration.
Fourth Annual Conference on Governance of Emerging Technologies: Law, Policy and Ethics
(Tuesday-Thursday, May 24-26, 2016) The conference will consist of plenary and session presentations with discussions on regulatory, governance, legal, policy, social and ethical aspects of emerging technologies, including (but not limited to) nanotechnology, synthetic biology, biotechnology, genomics, personalized medicine, stem cell and regenerative medicine, human enhancement technologies, telecommunications, information technologies, surveillance technologies, geoengineering, neuroscience and robotics. The conference is premised on the belief that there is much to be learned and shared from and across the governance experience and proposals for these various emerging technologies. To be held at the Tempe Mission Palms Hotel and Conference Center, Tempe, Arizona. Abstracts due January 31, 2016. More information.
Phenomenology and Sustainability: Interdisciplinary Inquiries in the Lived-World of Persons, Communities, and the Natural Work
(Thursday-Monday, May 26-30, 2016) Our theme, “Phenomenology and Sustainability,” announces a broad area of concern related to the well-being of persons, communities, the natural world and their interrelationship. “Phenomenology and Sustainability” seeks to question the suppositions underlying scientific and humanistic projects and unreflective practices that might thwart sustainable relationships or impede their full realization. In addition, it welcomes the articulation across a broad range of contexts of guiding principles and practices or illustrative concrete applications that might enhance the development of such relationships. To be held at Arizona State University at the Downtown Phoenix campus. More information.
Off Campus
i.d.e.a. Museum Exhibit: Underwater FantaSea
(Friday, February 12-Sunday, May 29, 2016) The i.d.e.a. Museum, Mesa, AZ collaborated with researchers from Arizona State University's Center for Biodiversity Outcomes to develop the Underwater FantaSea exhibit. Celebrate the oceans by diving into our exhibit that features artwork by artists who bring together a mix of fascinating sea life and imaginative beauty to take you on a fanciful journey under the sea. You'll meet amazing creatures, explore the depths of the underwater world and discover your own connection to the ocean. Underwater FantaSea will provide an opportunity to learn about the importance of oceans, how they impact you impact you, as an individual, and how you can do your part to keep them healthy--even if you live hundreds of miles from them. More information.
Arizona Department of Environmental Quality Waste Program Workshop
(Tuesday, May 24, 2016) ADEQ encourages community members, businesses and government agencies to attend this no-cost workshop. Topics include: Solid Wastes; Hazardous Wastes; Hazardous Waste Manifest and Reporting; Pollution Prevention; Underground Storage Tanks; and myDEQ, an online RCRA EPA ID Registration. Seating is Limited. Registration is required. From 9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. at ADEQ Phoenix Office, 1110 W Washington St, Phoenix. Please visit for registration. Professional Development Hours (PDHs) are available for this workshop. If you have questions about this event, please contact the Waste Inspections and Compliance Unit at wastecompliance@azdeq.gov.
Fourth Annual Conference on Governance of Emerging Technologies: Law, Policy, and Ethics
(Tuesday-Thursday, May 24-26, 2016) The conference will consist of plenary and session presentations with discussions on regulatory, governance, legal, policy, social and ethical aspects of emerging technologies, including (but not limited to) nanotechnology, synthetic biology, biotechnology, genomics, personalized medicine, stem cell and regenerative medicine, human enhancement technologies, telecommunications, information technologies, surveillance technologies, geoengineering, neuroscience and robotics. The conference is premised on the belief that there is much to be learned and shared from and across the governance experience and proposals for these various emerging technologies. To be held at the Tempe Mission Palms Hotel and Conference Center, Tempe. More information.
Myths and Facts Surrounding Solar
(Wednesday, May 25, 2016) Please join Brandon Cheshire, owner of SunHarvest Solar for an engaging presentation on the myths and facts surrounding rooftop solar in Arizona. Presentation will be followed by a Q & A opportunity and refreshments will be provided. This is a free and open to the public presentation, though space is limited, so please RSVP. From 5:00-6:00 p.m. at CO+HOOTS, 221 E. Indianola Ave, Phoenix 85012.
Green Building Lecture Series: Green Innovative Built Projects: Energizing a 1979 Home
(Thursday, June 2, 2016) What are some of our citizens and building professionals doing to create better homes? What is possible considering budget and space constraints? Come see and hear about successes with projects that exemplify principles of resource conservation, comfort, healthy living and improved home value. From 7:00-8:30 p.m. at the Granite Reef Senior Center, 1700 N Granite Reef Rd, Scottsdale. More information.
Sustainability and Textiles
(Monday-Thursday, June 6-9, 2016) Sustainability in Fashion and Textiles is a four-day series of lectures, discussions, panels, and hands-on workshops focusing on sustainability and technology in fashion and textiles. This year an optional fifth day has been added to close the loop on the conference in a mindful way, as well as add a full day of site visits to relevant industry locations. Designed for industry professionals as well as academics wishing to broaden their understanding of sustainability and how to support its integration into the industry. This interdisciplinary program is important for designers, technologists, educators, and those involved in creation or production, as well as those seeking greater business and professional knowledge. At the Fashion Institute of Technology, State University of New York. More information and registration.
LeanPath Webinar: Tips for a Waste-Free Kitchen from Dana Gunders
(Wednesday, June 8, 2016) This webinar will explore tips to reduce that waste, from at-home to commercial food-service kitchens. Dana will highlight some of the checklists, recipes, and practical strategies from her book released in late 2015, Waste-Free Kitchen Handbook: A Guide to Eating Well and Saving Money By Wasting Less Food. After a short presentation, LeanPath’s Andrew Shakman will join Dana for a facilitated discussion of how many of the tips can apply to food-service operations, and ideas you can put to work in your operation. At 10:00 a.m. PDT. More information and registration.
VERGE Hawaii: Asian Pacific Clean Energy Summit
(Tuesday-Thursday, June 21-23, 2016) The Hawaii State Energy Office has partnered with the GreenBiz Group to launch VERGE Hawaii — Asia Pacific Clean Energy Summit. VERGE Hawaii will explore innovative clean energy policies, models, technologies and infrastructure and sets the stage for immediate actions and plans needed to deliver on Hawaii’s ambitious goal of 100% renewably powered energy by 2045. Further, this VERGE event will serve as a platform for Hawaii’s energy leaders and stakeholders to engage, learn and contribute. More information.
2nd Annual International Conference on Computational Social Science
(Thursday-Saturday, June 23-25, 2016) This 2nd Annual International Conference on Computational Social Science is an interdisciplinary event designed to engage a broad community of researchers - academics, industry experts, open data activists, government agency workers, and think tank analysts – dedicated to advancing social science knowledge through computational methods. This event affords the opportunity to meet and discuss works in which social systems and dynamics are investigated in a quantitative way through large datasets that are either mined from various sources (e.g. social media, communication systems) or created via controlled experiments or computational modeling. Hosted by the Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL. More information.
KDD2016: 22nd ACM SIGKDD Conference on Knowledge Discovery and Data Mining: KDD Workshop on Data Science for Food, Energy, and Water
(Sunday, August 14, 2016) Recognizing the need for orchestrated efforts to address the many interrelated data scientific challenges for the security of Food, Energy and Water, the goal of this workshop will be three-fold: 1. To introduce the emerging area of “data science for food, water and energy (DS-FEW)” to the KDD community; 2. To invite scientists and practitioners in the FEW domains to the KDD community, and interest them in leveraging our technology and expertise; 3. To innovate new technology, leveraging existing KDD technology where appropriate, to address the challenges we face in FEW, by bringing together a multi-disciplinary audience and enticing them to synergize. This workshop is part of the entire conference which occurs from August 13-17. Call for papers submission deadline is May 27, 2016 and the notification date will be June 13, 2016. For more information.
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Understanding climate and energy through environmental humanities
Environmental humanities is a rapidly growing field focused on the study of human imagination, perception, behaviors and the relationship with their surrounding environments, both social and natural. Arizona State University humanist research is led by sustainability scholar Dr. Joni Adamson. Her research defines how and why, in the face of seemingly non-imminent danger, humans choose to act as they do and what would make them shift direction rapidly. Read more.
Designing solar-powered cyanobacteria for production of biofuels
Green chemicals and biofuels are projected to become major players in the economy. This is incredibly important as CO2 levels rise and fossil fuel use becomes a liability. Read more.
Meet Our Alumni: Jeffrey Jennings
Jeffrey Jennings graduated from the School of Sustainability in 2012 with a Bachelor of Arts, focusing on Society and Sustainability. He also has a Professional Science Masters in Science and Technology Policy from ASU’s School for the Future of Innovation in Society. He currently works as a sustainability project coordinator for Arizona Public Service, where he focuses on corporate social responsibility and how to make APS a more sustainable company. Read more.
Solar Impulse Update
The solar-powered airplane, Solar Impulse 2, spent about nine days in the Valley of the Sun, at Phoenix Goodyear Airport, after completing the 10th leg of its Round-the-world flight late on Monday, May 2, recreating the first leg of the 2013 "Across America" flight from Moffett Field south of San Francisco to Phoenix. Thousands of visitors saw the plane at several Goodyear Airport public events, and Pilots Bertrand Piccard and André Borschberg visited a number of special solar facilities in the area, before wrapping up their stay with a brief congratulatory speech to graduates of ASU's Fulton Schools of Engineering, as they had in 2013. Twelve hours later, Bertrand Piccard was at the controls for the next leg, with a 3:00 a.m. 5/12/16 departure for Tulsa, Oklahoma, where they now watch for a break in the weather to carry on to New York City. Then a four-day flight will get the Solar Impulse across the Atlantic, with a stop or two in Europe and Africa before completing the journey back in Abu Dhabi, where it began in March 2015. Needing to replace overheated batteries upon arriving in Hawaii last July, they delayed the second half of the 22,000 mile trip for nine months, resuming the flights last month. More details and updates at http://blog.solarimpulse.com/.
Solar's outlook just got a little bit brighter
Companies making solar panels have faced the same choice for decades. Their sun-soaking panels could be efficient or cheap, but not both. Time to start erasing that rule. Researchers within the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering have wedded two types of solar technologies, putting solar panels a step closer to being cheaper and more accessible. Read more.
Electricity you can eat
Health food just took on a whole new meaning. Engineers have created an edible supercapacitor that can wipe out E. coli or power a camera from inside the body. Foods like activated charcoal, gold leaf, Gatorade, seaweed, egg white, cheese, gelatin and barbecue sauce can store and conduct electricity. Sandwich them together, and you have a supercapacitor — a high-capacity electrical component that can store electrical energy temporarily. Read more.
UGEC Viewpoints: Nature-based solutions for cities: A new tool for sustainable urban land development?
Nature-based solutions are living solutions inspired and supported by the use of natural processes and structures, and are designed to address various environmental challenges in an efficient and adaptable manner, while simultaneously providing economic, social, and environmental benefits. The core idea of NBS is to use the benefits of ecosystem services to prevent a system from crossing a certain threshold/tipping point, such as critical air temperatures, water shortages, or water levels that could lead to dangerous flooding. Read more.
The next big thing for the human microbiome
The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy announced a new National Microbiome Initiative to foster the integrated study of microbiomes across different ecosystems. Ferran Garcia-Pichel, dean of natural sciences in Arizona State University’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, attended the event in Washington in his role as founding director of ASU’s Biodesign Center for Fundamental and Applied Microbiomics, which was launched in concert with the White House’s new initiative. The center will bring together researchers from diverse fields to identify the basic governing principals of microorganisms and how they may affect health, food production, climate change, forensics and other issues. Read more.
ASU Research Computing is seeking research images/visualizations from our community!
With your permission, we would like to use these images for future marketing materials and our digital signage. In addition, the Coalition for Academic Scientific Computation (CASC) is soliciting research images from member institutions - there is a potential that these images will be featured on the CASC website and brochure - both of which are highly visible at the federal level. (More about CASC here: http://casc.org). If you would like to submit your visualizations for consideration, please contact Marisa Brazil as soon as possible. The deadline is May 31st! We would LOVE to have ASU featured in these materials!
ASU entrepreneurs find big success
A nanoparticle-coating systems company was the biggest winner in the New Venture Challenge entrepreneurship competition at Arizona State University. LN Tech won $45,000 in cash at the competition. Read more.
Four PhD studentships at ICTA-UAB María de Maeztu Unit of Excellence to address anthropogenic climate change
The Institute of Environmental Science and Technology at the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (ICTA-UAB) offers four scholarships to candidates who would like to pursue their PhD degree at ICTA within the Strategic Research Programme ICTA-UAB María de Maeztu, Programme for Units of Excellence in R&D (MDM-2015-0552). The positions are related to the call “Ayudas para contratos predoctorales para la formación de doctores 2016” of the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (MINECO). Deadline for pre-applications is 8:00 p.m. (CET) on 22 May 2016, and please write to pr.mdm.icta@uab.cat for further information or to apply for the positions. More information.
EERE Postdoctoral Research Awards 2016
The Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) Postdoctoral Research Awards support EERE's mission in energy efficiency and renewable energy by offering recent Ph.D. recipients the opportunity to conduct applied research at universities, national laboratories, and other research facilities. Application deadline is May 20, 2016. More information.
Summer Institute on Sustainability and Energy, University of Illinois-Chicago
Water and energy have long been thought of, and addressed as, two separate issues. With the advent of systems thinking, life cycle assessment, and other interdisciplinary analysis strategies, this deep connection between water and energy has been widely acknowledged only recently. The 6th annual Summer Institute on Sustainability and Energy: Nexus program will: explore the relationship between energy and water through systems approach, with an eye towards environmental and agricultural impacts; explore the use of water, especially in energy extraction (fracking) and generation; and highlight the role of the grid in energy issues, emphasizing three specific areas: smart grid, storage for the grid, and the distribution of energy. Across all topics, participants will examine where the United States is to date, potential paths moving forward, and obstacles and opportunities for each path. Situated on one of the largest bodies of freshwater on Earth and playing host to a large and complex grid system, Chicago will be the focal point of discussions of the nexus. The program will occur from August 4-17, 2016 in Chicago. Application deadline is July 1, 2016. More information.
Arizona Department of Water Resource Drought Program
April 2016 drought summary is online.
April Southwest Climate Outlook
The April 2016 Southwest Climate Outlook is online.
CLIMAS Podcast: April 2016 – An Exceptional El Niño - (For All the “Wrong” Reasons?)
Tune into the Southwest Climate podcasts on iTunes or Southwest Climate Change Network.
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OPPORTUNITIES
Coordinator, Sustainability Connect and Food Systems Transformation Initiative
Instructions to Apply: To review and apply go to ASU Human Resources, click on Current ASU Employee or External Applicants, and in the “Requisition ID” section, type 22857BR.
Faculty Associate, School of Sustainability, Online
Application deadline May 15, 2016. More information.
Postdoctoral Fellowship (Transitions and Implementation) in Urban Resilience to Weather-Related Extreme Events
Application deadline May 31, 2016. More information.
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Lake Erie Coast and Islands Project Manager, The Nature Conservancy, Sandusky, Ohio
Application deadline May 25, 2016. More information.
Assistant Director for Education, Reilly Center, University of Notre Dame
Application deadline May 27, 2016. More information.
Extension Education, Water Resources, Michigan State University
Application deadline June 1, 2016. More information.
Scholar-In-Residence, Trottier Institute for Sustainability in Engineering Design, McGill University
Application deadline June 15, 2016. More information.
Postdoctoral Researchers, Abrupt Change in Ecological Systems, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Application deadline June 15, 2016. More information.
Science and Policy Internships, Environmental Law and Policy Center, Various locations, USA
Application deadline July 15, 2016. More information.
Executive Director, University Supply Chain, Arizona State University
Southwest Organizer, National Young Farmers’ Coalition, Durango, CO (or remotely in Southwest)
Postdoctoral Fellow, Social Sciences, Climate, Ecosystem, and Fire Applications, Desert Research Institute, Reno, Nevada
Scientific Web Developer/Designer, National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis, University of California-Santa Barbara
Job #20160165 more information.
Health and Environmental Investigator IV, Local Hazardous Waste Management Program, Department of Public Health, Seattle and King County, Washington
Assistant Director, Environmental Science and Policy, University of Maryland
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