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


Institute Events

1. Sustainability Series: Equity - Inclusiveness - Empowerment


Other Events - Off Campus

2. GreenBiz Webcast: Changing Behavior through Meaningful Work: The Journey to 100% Engagement

3. Imagination and Climate Futures Initiative Lecture: Paolo Bacigalupi

4. 2015 Quality of Life Conference: The Future of Quality of Life


News and Announcements

5. Arizona joins voices from around the world to share views on climate change

6. Can the Pope's climate encyclical spur corporate action?

7. ASU team fuses art, engineering to create stretchable batteries

8. Arizona State University (ASU) has observer status to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change

9. Want to connect with climate skeptics? Just listen

10. Researchers link Ebola news coverage to public panic on social media

11. Can a carpet factory run like a forest?

12. Arizona Clean and Beautiful: National Pollinator Garden Network Launches Million Pollinator Garden Challenge

13. UGEC Viewpoints: Implementing the Urban Sustainable Development Goal in Atlanta and Delhi

14. How to outsmart waste

15. UGEC Viewpoints: Urbanisation, wetland retreat, and heat island development in Yaounde, Cameroon

16. ASU experts advise World Bank Group on climate change investment

17. UGEC Viewpoints: Green Cities and Smart Cities: The potential and pitfalls of digitally-enabled green urbanism

18. Arizona Clean and Beautiful: E-recycling with a Twist

19. Research on human movement could lead to development of 'assistive homes'

20. ASU biology alum helping save the world's tigers

21. ASU, Banner Health launch major effort to fight neurodegenerative diseases

22. Students see ASU rocket club as step toward career


Other Jobs

23. Science Coordinator, Monarch Joint Venture

24. Cleanup Project Manager, Department of Ecology, State of Washington



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EVENTS

Institute Events

 

          NEW!

          Sustainability Series: Equity - Inclusiveness - Empowerment

(Thursday, October 15, 2015) Darren Chapman, TigerMountain Foundation will present Equity - Inclusiveness - Empowerment at 6:00 p.m. at the Changing Hands Bookstore, 6428 S McClintock Dr, Tempe. More information and RSVP.




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Other Events

On Campus

 

          American Sign Language in Higher Education Workshop

(Monday, June 22, 2015) The American Sign Language (ASL) faculty in the Department of Speech and Hearing Science invites ASU faculty and staff to the ASL in Higher Ed workshop. This workshop is for those interested in gaining a better understanding of the challenges and language of deaf and hard-of-hearing students. The goal is to provide staff and faculty the tools to enable deaf and hard-of-hearing student success across disciplines. This workshop is introductory, no prior experience with sign language is necessary. This free workshop meets from 2:30-4:30 p.m. in Stauffer Communication Arts (A Wing), STAUF A13. Be prepared for complete immersion in deaf language, as no voices are permitted! This is a fun, comfortable zone, with no grade at the end! Just a better understanding of deaf culture and casual conversation in ASL. More information and registration (space is limited).


          Democracy Conference 2015: By the People

(Thursday-Saturday, December 3-5, 2015) Arizona State University will be hosting a conference on participatory democracy, civic engagement and citizenship education. The event will be designed to share research findings, engage in provocative and meaningful discussions, learn from accomplishments and failures, and be inspired by innovative approaches, strategies, policies, tools and practices. The conference will bring together academics, students, practitioners, researchers, appointed and elected public officials, teachers, administrators, members of community organizations, and all those interested in participatory democracy, public engagement and citizenship education. The conference will combine academic presentations with practical workshops, We are interested in attracting theoretical and empirical contributions that are related to the three conference themes. Submission of abstracts is April 15, 2015. More information.


Off Campus


          NEW!

GreenBiz Webcast: Changing Behavior through Meaningful Work: The Journey to 100% Engagement

(Tuesday, June 23, 2015) In this webcast, leaders and practitioners will discuss their experiences in influencing human behavior and creating an organizational culture for the greater good. You will learn how leading practitioners are developing programs that influence employee behavior and work to create a purposeful organizational culture of sustainability. From 1:00-2:00 ET (10:00-11:00 AZ). More information and registration.


          Advanced Water Education Workshop: Extreme Weather Events

(Tuesday-Wednesday, July 7-8, 2015) A workshop by Arizona State University’s Decision Center for a Desert City and Arizona Project WET at the University of Arizona for middle and high school teachers and water educators. Find out how city planners, scientists, engineers, and water managers plan for and collect data about extreme weather events. From 9:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. daily at the Decision Center for a Desert City, Brickyard Orchid House, 21 E. 6th St, Ste 126B, Tempe. More information and registration.


          19th Annual Green Chemistry and Engineering Conference

(Tuesday-Thursday, July 14-16, 2015) The 19th Annual Green Chemistry & Engineering Conference (GC&E), will be held in the Washington DC area. As the longest running green chemistry conference in the United States, GC&E invites scientists, decision-makers, students, and advocates to come together, compare findings, and discuss the science of the future. Share your research with an engaged audience of your peers from around the world; learn from scientific trailblazers who are designing more sustainable chemistries and processes; find out how green innovations are inspiring new businesses and product lines. More information and registration.


          8th Annual Conference of the Academy of Innovation and Entrepreneurship

(Thursday-Friday, August 20-21, 2015) Ryerson, Tsinghua and Oxford universities are pleased to announce that the 8th Annual Conference for the Academy of Innovation and Entrepreneurship (#AIE2015) will be held for the first time in Toronto, Canada. The AIE Conference was first held in 2008 at Tsinghua University in Beijing, consistently ranked as one of China's top institutions for higher learning, and has previously been hosted at the prestigious Oxford University in London, England. A truly international conference, the AIE has attracted more than 1,500 participants from more than 27 countries over the years. This year, conference participants will have the unique opportunity to experience Canada as an innovation nation. The AIE Conference provides a broad platform to convene scholars from around the world to present research and to stimulate discussions on critical research issues and new developments in Innovation and Entrepreneurship. We are currently welcoming proposals from current and emerging scholars, policymakers and industry partners, please see the Call for Papers. Deadline for proposals is April 15, 2015. For more information, please visit the conference website or contact Diana Cucuz at cucuzd@ryerson.ca.


          NEW!

          Imagination and Climate Futures Initiative Lecture: Paolo Bacigalupi

(Thursday, September 17, 2015) In Paolo Bacigalupi’s most recent science fiction novel, “The Water Knife,” Phoenix is dried up and California and Nevada are not too far behind. The millions of people who rely on the Colorado River to survive are not only thirsty, but fighting for their lives. It’s a compelling story that captures a not-so-distant future. Will Phoenix eventually collapse? Will the river dry up? New York Times-bestselling author Paolo Bacigalupi will visit Phoenix to discuss “The Water Knife,” and the future of the Colorado River as part of ASU’s Imagination and Climate Futures Initiative. At the Tempe Center for the Arts, 7:30 p.m. Check for tickets starting August 25.

 

Workshop for PhD Students: Socio-Environmental Synthesis Research Proposal Writing

(Monday-Wednesday, September 28-30, 2015) SESYNC will host a 2½-day workshop designed to prepare graduate students to apply for graduate-level research opportunities at SESYNC. This workshop will provide graduate students with: introductions to SESYNC, socio-environmental synthesis research, team science, bridging natural and social sciences, and actionable science; networking opportunities to build professional relationships with other students, particularly those from different disciplines; and training sessions on the methods, challenges, and strategies associated with writing successful proposals, especially those related to the type of work SESYNC supports. The workshop is aimed at graduate students in the natural, social, and computational sciences; humanities; communications; and business studies. There is no fee to attend; attendees will receive support for travel, meals, and accommodations. Find complete details here. Deadline for applications is July 15, 2015.


          Conference on Complex Systems 2015

(Monday-Friday, September 28-October 2, 2015) The annual European Conferences on Complex Systems (ECCS) have become a major venue for the Complex Systems Community since they were started in 2003. For the first time, this year, the conference will be held in North America to foster and multiply contacts between the European, North American and Asian communities working in this domain. CCS’15 will be a major international conference and event in the area of complex systems and interdisciplinary science in general. To be held at the Hilton Doubletree Fiesta Inn, Tempe. More information.


          NEW!

          2015 Quality of Life Conference: The Future of Quality of Life

(Thursday-Saturday, October 15-17, 2015) The International Society for Quality-of-Life Studies (ISQOLS), along with co-host ASU Lodestar Center for Philanthropy and Nonprofit Innovation, invite researchers from all disciplines, policy makers and practitioners from across the globe to participate in the 2015 Quality of Life Conference "The Future of Quality of Life." Join an exciting convening of quality of life thinkers to explore ideas, new approaches, and innovative thinking about dimensions of quality of life that impact us all, including immigration and inclusion, climate change and issues of resources, rapid urbanization and fascinating cultures intersecting in one of the US's largest cities. October 15 - 17, 2015 in Phoenix. More information.


          AASHE 2015 Conference & Expo

(Sunday-Wednesday, October 25-28, 2015) AASHE 2015 Conference & Expo, themed Transforming Sustainability Education, will convene a diverse group of campus representatives including faculty, students, sustainability officers, staff, administrators and presidents together with business, non-profit, government and community members for a sustainable celebration. Expected to draw approximately 2,100 participants, AASHE’s annual conference remains the largest stage in North America for sharing effective models, policies, research, collaborations and transformative actions which advance sustainability in higher education and beyond. It will be held in Minneapolis, Minnesota. For more information.

 

Chacmool 2015: Shallow Pasts, Endless Horizons: Sustainability & Archaeology

(Saturday-Monday, November 14-16, 2015) The Chacmool Archaeological Association and the Department of Anthropology present the 2015 Chacmool Conference being held at the University of Calgary. We encourage you to explore sustainability with us at the 48th Annual Chacmool Conference. The deadline to submit abstracts is May 1st, 2015. Abstracts can be submitted on our website here or to our Registration Coordinator at 2015chacmool@gmail.com. More information.


          21st Century STEM: Integrate to Innovate Conference

(Thursday-Sunday, January 21-24, 2016) The Science Foundation AZ and the STEM AZ Education Collaborative are proud to partner to bring you the 21st Century STEM: Integrate to Innovate Conference. STEM integration is critical for developing the knowledge and skills our students, businesses, and communities desire and deserve. Critical thinking, creativity, and innovation are both goals and outcomes of educational practices that promote a transdisciplinary approach to STEM education. At the 21st Century STEM: Integrate to Innovate conference participants will engage in diverse sessions to explore and enhance STEM educational practices. Sessions will not only be outstanding learning opportunities for educators, many of them will include how business, informal education, early childhood experiences, and K-16+ classrooms create a nexus of learning that result in the 21st century graduate prepared for tomorrow’s world. The conference will be held at the Phoenix Convention Center, 100 N Third St, Phoenix. For more information.




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NEWS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS


          NEW!

          Arizona joins voices from around the world to share views on climate change

When it comes to the future of our planet, we're all in this together. That's why the World Wide Views Alliance organizes worldwide events to gather the input not of experts, but of “ordinary” citizens who are nevertheless stakeholders in global issues. Read more.


          NEW!

          Can the Pope's climate encyclical spur corporate action? (From GreenBiz.com)

In his widely anticipated encyclical on climate change and poverty, “Laudato Si,” Pope Francis addresses his call to action to “every person who inhabits this planet," noting that the degradation of the planet will have “grave consequences for us all.” Read more.


          NEW!

          ASU team fuses art, engineering to create stretchable batteries

Origami, the centuries-old Japanese paper-folding art, has inspired recent designs for flexible energy-storage technology. But energy-storage device architecture based on origami patterns has so far been able to yield batteries that can change only from simple folded to unfolded positions. They can flex, but not actually stretch. Read more.


          NEW!

Arizona State University (ASU) has observer status to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)

Over 1,600 NGOs and IGOs are admitted as observers to the UNFCCC. The various NGOs have formed themselves into different "constituency" groups, including environmental NGOs (ENGOs), business and industry organizations (BINGOs), indigenous organizations (IPOs), and research and academic institutes (RINGOs). As an academic institution, ASU will be part of the RINGO constituency, which holds informal meetings throughout the COP. Observer groups such as ASU also have the opportunity to apply to sponsor a side event at the COP, at which research findings can be presented. If you would like to attend COP 21/CMP 11 as part of the ASU observer delegation and/or would like to receive notifications from the UNFCCC secretariat, please email ASU's Designated Contact Person, Emoline Fox at the College of Law, at emoline.fox@asu.edu or call 480.965.3365 by close of business Friday June 19. At this point, it is unclear how large a delegation ASU will be able to send to the Paris conference, so, depending how many people are interested in attending, it may be necessary to establish a selection process.


          NEW!

          Want to connect with climate skeptics? Just listen (from GreenBiz.com)

Americans respect those who stand up for what they believe, who go to the mat even if they don’t agree with you — and this holds especially true for the politically conservative. When the Senate version of the House’s Waxman-Markey climate bill failed to even get a vote in 2010, and then withered on the vine, a counterproductive decision was made by the folks who really wanted that measure to pass: Never bring up climate change when talking with a skeptic or conservative. Ignore the debate. Read more.


          NEW!

          Researchers link Ebola news coverage to public panic on social media

Using Twitter and Google search trend data in the wake of the very limited U.S. Ebola outbreak of October 2014, a team of researchers from Arizona State University, Purdue University and Oregon State University has found that news media is extraordinarily effective in creating public panic. Read more.


          NEW!

          Can a carpet factory run like a forest? (from GreenBiz.com)

In her recent Living Future unConference 2015 keynote address, author and biologist Janine Benyus presented the vision of a built environment that is functionally indistinguishable from the “wildland next door” and announced that Interface, the world’s leading carpet tile manufacturer, will be taking on this call to action in a pilot project called “Factory as a Forest.” Read more.


          NEW!

Arizona Clean and Beautiful: National Pollinator Garden Network Launches Million Pollinator Garden Challenge

In an unprecedented collaboration, dozens of conservation and gardening organizations joined together today to form the National Pollinator Garden Network and launch a new nationwide campaign – the Million Pollinator Garden Challenge. Designed to accelerate growing efforts across America, the Network is launching the Challenge in support of President Barack Obama’s call to action to reverse the decline of pollinating insects, such as honey bees and native bees, as well as monarch butterflies. Read more.


          NEW!

UGEC Viewpoints: Implementing the Urban Sustainable Development Goal in Atlanta and Delhi

Negotiations are underway to set objectives and targets and establish a framework for implementing Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), to be adopted by the United Nations in September 2015. SDGs differ from their precursors, the Millennium Development Goals, in that they are meant to apply universally to all countries. We define universality as the ‘appropriateness’ of goals, targets, and indicators for global adoption. Universality is particularly important for cities, as acknowledged in Urban SDG 11, which calls to “Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable.” Read more.


          NEW!

          How to outsmart waste (from GreenBiz.com)

The key difference between upcycling and reusing waste is that with upcycling the original intention of the object changes. For example, if a painter uses a painted canvas for a new painting, he is reusing the canvas. But if instead that same painter takes the canvas apart, uses the wood to make a frame and uses the fabric to make a purse — that’s upcycling. Read more.


          NEW!

UGEC Viewpoints: Urbanisation, wetland retreat, and heat island development in Yaounde, Cameroon

Ever since Luke Howard published his study on the urban heat island in London in 1818, the phenomenon has been reported on worldwide. The urban heat island (UHI) refers to a situation where city temperatures are higher than those of the neighbouring rural areas. Read more.


          NEW!

          ASU experts advise World Bank Group on climate change investment

To determine how investment in the developing world can impact and be impacted by climate change, the World Bank Group and its private sector arm, the International Finance Corporation, traveled to Arizona State University for expert sustainability advice. Read more.


          NEW!

UGEC Viewpoints: Green Cities and Smart Cities: The potential and pitfalls of digitally-enabled green urbanism

Since its early days, the discourse around “smart cities” has included environmental sustainability as one of its core principles. The application of new digital technologies to urban spaces and processes is celebrated for its ability to increase the well-being of citizens while reducing their environmental impacts. Read more.


          NEW!

          Arizona Clean and Beautiful: E-recycling with a Twist

AZStRUT is a local non-profit e-recycling agency with a twist. Instead of just recycling collected materials for revenue, they actively pursue avenues in which they can use their collected materials to educate. Their name, AZStRUT, is an acronym for Arizona Students Recycling Used Technology. High school students learn to fix the donated computers. AZStRUT then turns around and donates the renovated computers to schools and non-profits in need. But the pursuit to engage students doesn’t stop there. Read more.


          NEW!

          Research on human movement could lead to development of 'assistive homes'

Imagine living in a house that knows you and can anticipate your activities when you’re home. Imagine how this technology can help in the development of “assistive homes” for the elderly, and workspaces featuring built-in, ergonomic components that can improve workers’ health. Read more.


          NEW!

          ASU biology alum helping save the world's tigers

Around the world, the tiger is in critical danger. According to the World Wildlife Fund, fewer than 3,200 tigers are alive in the wild today. But one former Sun Devil’s love for the big cat has spurred her to take action to change that. Read more.


          NEW!

ASU, Banner Health launch major effort to fight neurodegenerative diseases

Arizona State University and Banner Health announced a new research alliance to advance the scientific study, treatment and prevention of Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and other neurodegenerative diseases. Read more.


          NEW!

          Students see ASU rocket club as step toward career

When test-firing different propellant options, it’s a good idea to let the local police and fire departments know, said Lauren Brunacini, ASU’s Daedalus Astronautics former club president. Read more.

 

Arizona Forward Seeks Statewide Entries for 35th Annual Environmental Excellence Awards Program

Arizona Forward is now accepting nominations for its 35th annual Environmental Excellence Awards program, the state's oldest and largest competition of its kind. The event - known as the Academy Awards of the local environmental community - is presented in partnership with SRP and recognizes significant contributions to the sustainability of the Grand Canyon State. This signature program now embraces projects throughout Arizona, with all categories dedicated to its expanded geographic focus. In taking a fresh approach to the historical program, Arizona Forward is unveiling two new award categories, including the Governor's Award For Arizona's Future, as well as a Healthy Communities category. All categories are now open to entries throughout Arizona for the first time ever! Entry deadline is June 30, 2015. For more information.


          Arizona Department of Water Resource Drought Program

May 2015 drought summary is online.


          May Southwest Climate Outlook

          The May 2015 Southwest Climate Outlook is online.

 

CLIMAS Podcast: May 2015 Southwest Climate Podcast

Tune into the Southwest climate podcasts on iTunes or Southwest Climate Change Network.




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OPPORTUNITIES

Institute Job Openings

 

Postdoctoral Research Fellow (Resilience of Coupled Infrastructure Networks)

          To apply to this position, please send application materials to giosjobs@asu.edu.




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Other Jobs

 

Volunteer Program Coordinator, HandsOn Greater Phoenix - City of Phoenix Public Works

          Application deadline June 29, 2015. More information.

 

Eight PhD positions, Leverage Points for Sustainability Transformation, Leuphana University

          PhD 1: Institutional dynamics in sustainable transformation

PhD 2: Institutional dynamics in sustainable transformation, with special focus on energy or food/agricultural systems

          PhD 3: Human-nature connections and institutional dynamics

          PhD 4: Conceptualizing and quantifying human-nature connections (conceptualization)

          PhD 5: Conceptualizing and quantifying human-nature connections (quantification)

          PhD 6: Sustainability-related knowledge creation and use (opportunities for change)

PhD 7: Sustainability-related knowledge creation and use (sustainability conceptualization and opportunities for change)

          PhD 8: Inter- and transdisciplinary knowledge creation in action

          Application deadline June 30, 2015. More information.


          Sustainability Coordinator, University of Pennsylvania  

          Application deadline June 30, 2015. More information.

 

James and Mary Pinchot Fellow in Sustainability Studies, Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies

Review of applications begins July 1, 2015. More information.


          TISED Endowed Chair in Sustainable Engineering and Design

Application deadline August 15, 2015. More information.


          NEW!

          Science Coordinator, Monarch Joint Venture

          More information.


          NEW!

          Cleanup Project Manager, Department of Ecology, State of Washington

More information.


          Energy Manager, Weber State University

          More information.


          Senior Sustainability Data Analyst, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

          More information.


          Manager of Sustainable Development, MGM Resorts International

More information.


          Manager, Recycling Programs, Keep America Beautiful, Washington, D.C.

More information.


          Energy and Utility Manager, University of Nevada-Las Vegas

More information.


          Part-time Executive Assistant, Arizona Public Health Association

More information.


          Coordinator of Sustainability Education, Central College, Pella, Iowa

More information.


          Director, Institute on the Environment, University of Minnesota

More information.

 

Postdoctoral Fellowship in Urban Social-Ecological Systems, The New School

More information.


          Field Institute Director, McDowell Sonoran Field Institute, Scottsdale, Arizona

          More information.


          Research Professor-Open Rank, Ecosystem Services, Idaho State University

More information.




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