ASU Thrive, Arizona State University's new digital magazine, is now available free of charge to iPad users through Apple's App Store. The magazine features Adobe’s Digital Publishing Suite and will be released three times per year. Stories are presented via text, video and audio, combining groundbreaking design and an interactive format. It is designed for those who regularly follow ASU’s colleges, programs, centers and institutes, and those who teach and learn at the university.
ASU Thrive's editorial focus will parallel the ASU Charter: a public research university measured not by whom it excludes, but by whom it includes and how they succeed; one that advances research and discovery of public value; and an institution that assumes fundamental responsibility for the economic, social, cultural and overall health of the communities it serves. The digital magazine will follow the progress being made across the university in these areas.
CBO Director, Leah Gerber has joined the Ecosystem-Based Fisheries Management task force. Task force scientists will work together in a series of meetings to create a practical blueprint that fisheries managers can use to operationalize ecosystem-based management. The team will provide recommendations in 2016.
Susan Clark-Johnson, executive director of the Morrison Institute for Public Policy and a member of the Board of Directors for Sustainability at ASU, has died at age 67. Through her role as a board member, Clark-Johnson advised and assisted the ASU Wrigley Institute in accomplishing its mission to promote "human prosperity and well-being for all, while protecting and enhancing the earth's life support systems."
Among her many accomplishments was the creation of the Morrison Institute's State of Our State Conference, which has become an annual signature event featuring panel discussions, reports and interactive discussion regarding Arizona’s key challenges and opportunities. She also played an integral role in the early stages of the Kyl Center for Water Policy's formation.
Hannah Wells, who graduated from the School of Sustainability in 2011, recently passed her three-year anniversary with Crius Energy as Manager of Sustainability and began her MBA in Sustainability Management part-time at Presidio Graduate School. Wells is also coordinating a volunteer trip to Nicaragua for her company, in collaboration with GRID Alternatives, to install off-grid solar systems on 40 families' homes in March.
"After graduating from ASU I have been on a path to change the way our country uses energy, and to support corporations in being environmentally conscious...My education from the School of Sustainability prepared me to create the change I wish to see in the world and gave me the skills needed to lead this charge."
To demonstrate ASU's dedication to sustainability and embeddedness in the community, students from the School of Sustainability will lead the clean-up of University of Phoenix Stadium after Super Bowl XLIX concludes. More than 20 students have volunteered to sort recyclable items from non-recyclables, thereby diverting them from landfills.
Sustainability is a primary reason for ASU’s involvement in Super Bowl-related events. The university even has a booth at Super Bowl Central in downtown Phoenix to showcase its advancements in the field. The booth is covered with solar panels, and visitors may play hands-on football games powered by solar energy.
The Super Bowl is also working to strengthen its sustainability efforts, and is now lauded "the greenest professional sports championship in the United States." Jack Groh, Environmental Program Director of the National Football League, discussed these efforts during a Sustainability Series lecture titled "Greening the Super Bowl" hosted by the ASU Wrigley Institute.
Leah Gerber is the director of Arizona State University's Center for Biodiversity Outcomes; a professor of ecology, evolution and environmental science in the School of Life Sciences; and a senior sustainability scientist in the Julie Ann Wrigley Global Institute of Sustainability. Using both field and modeling approaches, she examines important questions at the intersection of conservation science and policy.
In this video, she discusses her biodiversity research, its contribution to sustainability and how it correlates with the mission of the recently-established Center for Biodiversity Outcomes.
Arizona State University is pleased to announce the launch of its new Biomimicry Center, established in partnership with Montana-based Biomimicry 3.8. We invite you to the March 3 launch ceremony, held at 5:30 p.m. in the Carson Ballroom of Old Main on ASU's Tempe campus.
The Center is dedicated to advancing nature-inspired, sustainable solutions to the most complex challenges humanity faces. Join us for an important conversation between ASU President Michael Crow and Janine Benyus, co-founder of Biomimicry 3.8 and renowned author of Biomimicry: Innovation Inspired by Nature. A reception will follow at 7:00 p.m.
Senior Sustainability Scientist Leah Gerber has joined the Fishery Ecosystem Task Force, a team charged with establishing fisheries management standards that focus on entire ecosystems rather than single species. The Lenfest Ocean Program created the task force - made up of natural and social scientists - to address the need for fisheries management to consider the interconnections between fishing, fished species, humans and the well-being of the larger marine environment.
"This task force will take the next step in making ecosystem-based fisheries management a reality," says Tim Essington, chair of the Fishery Ecosystem Task Force. "We are working closely with managers and stakeholders to ensure our work will be useful and won't just sit on a shelf."
The task force will provide recommendations in 2016 after holding a series of meetings.
Congratulations to DCDC researcher, Enrique Vivoni, who was awarded a Leopold Leadership Fellowship!
Arizona State University hydrologist Enrique Vivoni has been awarded a Leopold Leadership Fellowship –– a prominent North American program focused on communicating environmental science to a wide audience.
He becomes one of 20 Leopold Leadership Fellows for 2015 selected for their outstanding scientific qualifications, demonstrated leadership ability, and strong interest in sharing their knowledge beyond traditional academic audiences.
The Fellows will receive two weeks of intensive communication and leadership training in how to deliver information about their research to journalists, policymakers, business leaders and the public.
Vivoni is an associate professor in the School of Earth and Space Exploration and the School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment, one of ASU’s Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering. He is internationally recognized in the fields of distributed hydrologic modeling, ecohydrology of semi-arid regions, North American monsoon studies and integration of engineering tools for advancing hydrologic science.
Water in the southwestern United States and northern Mexico is a contentious issue that traverses disciplinary boundaries. Vivoni’s research activities focus on the intersection of hydrology and its allied disciplines – ecology, meteorology and geomorphology – for improving understanding of water resources in this region.
A hallmark of his research achievements has been the collaborative studies of the shared water resources between the U.S. and Mexico.
"I am honored to be chosen as a Leopold Fellow and I look forward to serving as a focal point for water resources issues in the southwestern U.S. and northern Mexico," Vivoni said. "The leadership skills developed through the Leopold Leadership program will be useful for addressing societal needs related to water resources sustainability."
The Leopold Leadership Program, based at Stanford University’s Woods Institute for the Environment, is a competitive fellowship for outstanding academic environmental scientists who are actively engaged in outreach to decision-makers and the public about their work. Each year, the program selects up to 20 midcareer academic environmental scientists as fellows.
The program was founded in 1998 to fill a critical gap in environmental decision-making: providing the best scientific knowledge to government, nonprofit and business leaders, and the public, to further the development of sustainable policies and practices.
The list of 2015 Fellows is below, and more information about the program is available at Leopold Leadership.
Over the last five years, the Farmers Market @ ASU Tempe - which started as a pilot market in 2009 and began being held monthly in Spring 2010 after an overwhelming response - has provided fresh and local food for students, faculty, staff and the Tempe community while raising awareness about healthy eating and sustainability.
To examine extreme weather's impacts on urban environments, the ASU Wrigley Institute's Sustainable Cities Network convened municipal and nonprofit leaders for a conference on the subject. It featured a diverse panel of experts from multiple organizations - including the National Center for Atmospheric Research - who described the effects of extreme weather on human health, economies and urban infrastructure.
The event was part of the American Meteorological Society's annual conference, and was an opportunity exclusive to SCN members. Attendees included representatives from planning, public works, community development and other city departments, as well as local policymakers. The conference provided them with a holistic understanding of some of the issues Arizona's communities are facing, or will face - information that may aid in future decision-making.
Do you know someone who is interested in a career in wildlife conservation and management?
If so, encourage them to attend the Arizona Game and Fish Department's Wildlife Management Career Exploration Panel being held in north Phoenix from 9 a.m. until noon this Saturday, Jan. 24, 2015. The event, which is geared toward high school and undergraduate college students, is free, but pre-registration is required to attend. More specific information will be sent to participants after they register.
Participants will have the opportunity to hear from a panel of current Game and Fish employees who will provide an overview of their responsibilities, job activities, and their background experience. These panelists will include:
A wildlife manager (game ranger)
A wildlife biologist
A wildlife health specialist/veterinarian
A wildlife education specialist
The panel presentations will be followed by a short question-and-answer session with all panelists along with an opportunity to meet the individual panelists to ask more specific questions. Representatives from local colleges and wildlife non-profit organizations will also be available to showcase educational and volunteer opportunities.
Children younger than 18 years of age must be accompanied by an adult.
Remember, space is limited, and pre-registration is required in order to attend the event. To register, click here.
Can't make the event but still want to view it? You can sign up to receive information about a webcast of the event by clicking here.
Arizona State University's Center for Biodiversity Outcomes, a unit of the ASU Wrigley Institute, recently formalized a partnership with nonprofit The Earth Genome. The partnership is envisioned as an opportunity to promote the organizations' shared goals of developing the solutions needed to conserve and sustainably manage life on earth.
The center will connect its affiliated faculty with The Earth Genome to build information systems and tools that will enable the world’s governments, multi-laterals, non-governmental organizations, corporations and investors to incorporate the environment into their decision-making and long-term cost calculations. In doing so, improved outcomes for both society and natural systems are expected.
The McDowell Sonoran Conservancy (MSC) has created a new position of Director of the McDowell Sonoran Field Institute, the organization's research arm. This is a unique position in that MSC leads the country in managing urban/preserve interface (30,000 acres) and in the citizen science research MSC does to inform preserve management.
On January 8, ASU’s Sustainable Cities Network (SCN) and the American Meteorological Society (AMS) convened municipal and nonprofit leaders in order to discuss the impacts of extreme weather on local government. Held at the Sheraton in Downtown Phoenix as part of the AMS annual conference, this gathering was an exclusive session for SCN members to meet and learn from climate experts.
American Meteorological Society panelists gather with SCN members. Photo credit: William von Dauster, NOAA
Attendees came from planning, public works, community development and other city departments in order to gain insights on this pressing topic. Local level policymakers were also present from the cities of Goodyear, Casa Grande and Tempe. In total, 13 communities and public sector agencies were represented from around the Valley and state, in addition to representation from one nonprofit organization.
The event featured a diverse panel of experts from organizations such as the National Center for Atmospheric Research, the University of Arizona, Portland State University, the University of Chicago and many more. Panelists also came from various academic backgrounds and presented on a variety of topics, describing the effects of extreme weather on human health, economies and urban infrastructure.
The broad range of speakers provided attendees with a holistic perspective of some of the issues Arizona communities are currently facing, and will face in the future. Municipal attendees were provided an opportunity to ask clarifying questions, especially in terms of how climate facts and predictions relate to decision-making at the municipal level.
Increases in both temperature and the intensity of precipitation events were discussed in the context of the infrastructure required to sustain a high quality of life with these predicted changes. Arizona is already known for having extreme weather as a norm, so coping with further changes is something that panelists viewed as vital.
On the topic of the urban heat island effect, Dr. Mary Hayden with the National Center for Atmospheric Research discussed the importance of mapping cooling centers in the urban core. Dr. Amir Jina with the University of Chicago discussed Arizona’s predicted rising future mortality rate due to extreme heat. This is already a pressing issue, as the Maricopa County Public Health Division estimated that 1,050 cases of heat associated mortality occurred in an eight-year period from 2006-2013.
Discussion of mitigation and adaptation strategies focused on city and region-specific solutions. Panelists fielded questions on several different topics, such energy usage, water scarcity, climate modeling and climate communication. Attendees found the information helpful in aiding decision-making and providing uniform narratives on climate science and its greater impacts.
The Sustainable Cities Network is a unit of the Julie Ann Wrigley Global Institute of Sustainability.
This past December, representatives from around the world gathered in Lima, Peru to discuss our collective course on climate change. Megan Barry, a Fall 2014 graduate of the School of Sustainability's Master’s in Sustainable Solutions program, attended the historic conference. She shares her experience in this month’s Student Spotlight.
How did you snag a seat at the Lima Climate Change Conference?
I was serving as a research assistant to climate scientist Sonja Klinsky at the time. One aspect of my work was to analyze the various meanings of the term “transformation” with regard to climate change and climate finance. The conference was a perfect venue for this research because “transformation” is frequently used in this context.
We are excited to be presenting our 17th annual CAP ASM and poster symposium on January 16th from 8 am - 4 pm at ASU SkySong, Building 3, Synergy I and II rooms. The program lists the agenda for the day and abstracts for the over 50 posters being presented, which is a record for CAP symposiums. We will be printing a limited number of programs and hope that most attendees will access abstracts and other information electronically.
Attendees should note that we will be in a new space at SkySong this year. Building 3 is to your right when you enter on SkySong Boulevard. We urge attendees to carpool (parking is to the south of Building 3), bike, or take the 72 bus from the Tempe Transit Center. The Synergy I and II rooms are accessed via the lobby of Building 3. Just follow the signage.
"Here’s why mass-poisoning pikas is a terrible idea (and not just because look at their fat little faces)"
Science writer Bec Crew blogs in Scientific American about the impacts of pika poisoning on Qinhai-Tibetan plateau.
Crew cites CBO Advisory Board member, Andrew Smith and doctoral student Maxwell Wilson's important studies on pika published recently in the journal Ambio.
The CAP-LTER-Conservation Alliance Community Wildflower Survey has been selected for funding from the Central Arizona Conservation Alliance research grants program. The project, lead by CBO advisory board member, Sharon Hall will pilot a community-based research and educational program to monitor the long-term ecological impacts of the urban environment in native Phoenix-area Sonoran Desert preserves.
ASU Facilities Development and Management strengthened the university’s commitment to a sustainable approach to design while adding close to 300,000 square feet of academic, office and retail space during 2014.
Recently completed projects include College Avenue Commons, a mixed-use building in the heart of Tempe, as well as the renovation of areas at the Downtown Phoenix and Polytechnic campuses. Sustainable features of the development include a second card-access bicycle parking facility, an additional bike valet station and energy-efficiency technology.
ASU Thrive, Arizona State University's new digital magazine, is now available free of charge to iPad users through Apple's App Store. The magazine features Adobe’s Digital Publishing Suite and will be released three times per year. Stories are presented via text, video and audio, combining groundbreaking design and an interactive format. It is designed for those who regularly follow ASU’s colleges, programs, centers and institutes, and those who teach and learn at the university.
Arizona State University hydrologist Enrique Vivoni has been awarded a Leopold Leadership Fellowship –– a prominent North American program focused on communicating environmental science to a wide audience.
