Submissions are now being accepted for a special issue of the journal Agronomy, guest edited by Drs. Michel Lecoq and Arianne Cease, focused on any of these broad themes surrounding modern locust management:
—the biotic and abiotic factors that affect population and behavioral dynamics (including the potential role of climate change), —surveys and monitoring, —forecasting, —management technologies, —governance, —the impact of outbreaks (economic, social, and/or environmental), —or related research.
In honor of the 50th Anniversary of Earth Day, we are reaffirming our commitment to protecting and promoting the natural environment and local communities. Access to healthy environments is of primary importance, now more than ever.
The coronavirus pandemic has challenged our economic, social, and cultural systems, dramatically changed our daily lives, and created added uncertainty to future plans. At the Healthy Urban Environments Initiative (HUE), we are committed to protecting the health and safety of our community of researchers, innovators, and stakeholders. We are concerned about the impact of increasing urban heat during social distancing requirements and the greater vulnerability to COVID-19 for those in areas of poor air quality especially in the upcoming hot summer months.
Cities are at the center of the COVID-19 pandemic, but what happens in cities once a pandemic takes hold? What systems are failing? Are cities prepared to simultaneously deal with this pandemic and extreme weather events like hurricanes and heat waves? Can we ever return to any semblance of "normal" and if not, how can we transform to create more positive futures? Today, we hear from a group of experts as they reflect on what the COVID-19 pandemics means for our public health systems, critical infrastructure, the research being done in cities, and ultimately – urban resilience. Our guests were Dr. David Eisenman (@deisenman), Dr. Timon McPhearson (@timonmcphearson), Dr. Mike Chester (@mikhailchester), and Dr. Nancy Grimm (@DrNitrogen). Alysha Helmrich and Dr. Bernice Rosensweig (@brr_nyc) conducted two of our interviews for this episode. Our host, Stephen Elser (@stephen_elser) wrote a haiku based on the conversations in this episode:
COVID changed the game. We must transform our cities And build back better
If you have questions, comments, or suggestions for future episodes, e-mail us at futurecitiespodcast@gmail.com or find us on Twitter @FutureCitiesPod. Learn more about the Urban Resilience to Extremes Sustainability Research Network (UREx SRN) at www.sustainability.asu.edu/urbanresilience.
2019 WE Empower finalist, Paulina Salach Antonetti, is the co-founder of SPOON Food Tours, a sustainable culinary experience in Puerto Rico. The organization is committed to working with small, mom-and-pop businesses in the food/agricultural industry to foster a locally grown food experience. SPOON makes strides towards being sustainable by eliminating plastic cups and straws as well as locally sourcing eco-friendly ingredients.
The Office of Health Futures at ASU Knowledge Enterprise is hosting a virtual discussion on pandemics this Friday, May 8th from 10:30 AM - 12:00 PM MST that will be open and free for members of the ASU Health Futures and Health Leadership Councils, as well as senior leaders, faculty, staff, and students at ASU, and those within our surrounding communities.
The conversation will be moderated by Christine Cassel, M.D., a renowned expert in geriatric medicine, medical ethics, and quality of care, and will feature prize-winning New York Times bestselling author John Barry (author of The Great Influenza: The Story of the Deadliest Pandemic in History) and Richard Carmona, MD, MPH, FAC, the 17th Surgeon General of the United States, Chief of Health Innovations at Canyon Ranch, and Distinguished Professor at the University of Arizona).
Joseph Aubert was looking to make a career change when he discovered corporate sustainability. Excited by the opportunity, he applied to Arizona State University’s Master of Sustainability Leadership (MSL) program.
“My impression of the MSL was that it flipped that paradigm, and was much more 'macro' in scale, focusing on the big picture instead of the day-to-day management,” Aubert said. “A culture of sustainability needs to start at the top, which is where I want to be.”
This May 2020, Aubert is graduating from the program and will continue his journey to help bring about meaningful change in the world. In the following Q&A, get acquainted with Aubert and his future plans.
A native of Southern California, Sydney Lund had been taught to be environmentally conscious from a young age. But it wasn’t until her undergrad that her passion for sustainability was awakened.
“During undergrad, I started formally learning about sustainability themes within the classroom where I became extremely passionate about the subject and received a certificate in sustainability leadership,” Lund said. “After graduation, I went to teach English in Costa Rica.”
We all know that trees provide all sorts of benefits to people, right? But different trees provide different benefits and trees will only provide those benefits if we can make sure they stay healthy.
In this episode, Stephen Elser (@stephen_elser) interviews Jenna Rindy (@msjerindy), a PhD student at Boston University, about her research urban tree research. She tells us about how two species of oak tree vary in how much soot they remove from the air, and why that's so important for human health. We then discuss how human-caused fragmentation of forests affects tree health, and how that in turn affects us. We wrap up with a brief conversation about some challenges that climate change brings to urban forests.
Jenna wrote a haiku about her research:
Trees help cities to breath But cities can hurt trees too. What is the real cost?
If you have questions, comments, or suggestions for future episodes, e-mail us at futurecitiespodcast@gmail.com or find us on Twitter @FutureCitiesPod. Learn more about the Urban Resilience to Extremes Sustainability Research Network (UREx SRN) at www.sustainability.asu.edu/urbanresilience.
Although he had been taught to live sustainably before he even knew the meaning of the word, Dan Colton’s interest in sustainability wasn’t sparked until he got to — of all places — law school.
“I was in law school taking classes such as Environmental Law, Water Law, and a newly formed class called Sustainability," Colton said. "I realized then that there are some incredibly powerful tools in our society that can help us responsibly use the world's resources in a way that protects them and makes them available for future generations. From that point on, I was always looking for ways to tie my profession back in to my interest in sustainability.”
The sustainability challenges facing society require novel approaches to use-inspired science with local-to-global impact. The Global Futures Research Accelerator* empowers ASU Sustainability Scientists and Scholars to develop an enterprise research strategy to increase competitiveness, funding success, partnerships and societal impact.
This is your opportunity to develop a proactive capacity-building research strategy; build resources, infrastructure, expertise and training necessary to assemble and empower transdisciplinary teams; and set targets and identify tactics for improving proposal volume, quality, conversion and win rates. Read the flyer to learn more.
Applications are open now and must be submitted by June 12. Early to mid-career faculty and research professors should apply. Apply now at globalfutures.asu.edu/accelerator.
As we enter our first stretch of 100 degree days, we here at the Swette Center are reminiscing back to the cool, crisp mornings of the winter. On one of those mornings the ASU grad leadership cohort had the pleasure of visiting several farms in the Yuma area. While many of these operations have packed up for their yearly transition to the summer season in Salinas, CA we can’t help but notice the stark contrast between our present COVID-19 reality and the relative calm of December.
As an undergraduate student at Bennington College, which highly cultivates students to be multifaceted, I cannot imagine a better way to have spent the six weeks dedicated to my fieldwork term than at the Center for Gender Equity in Science and Technology and Center for Biodiversity Outcomes at Arizona State University.
Being at the centers and seeing researchers and staff with expertise in research, STEM, computer science, curriculum and education, and other interdisciplinary areas work together to manifest a project that showcases the transdisciplinary nature of STEM was nothing short of inspirational.
Earth Month 2020 wrapped up with a Wrigley Lecture featuring Meg Lowman, National Geographic Explorer and director of the TREE Foundation. Dr. Lowman has dedicated three decades to the exploration of tree canopies and is one of the first pioneers in the field of treetop science. Her talk was originally presented via Zoom on April 28 and drew over 300 attendees.
You can watch the event on YouTube. In her presentation, Lowman talks about tree canopy exploration, inclusivity in science, and how her research can be applied to create sustainable practices on local and global scales.
In response to this Dear Colleague letter, the National Science Foundation has awarded 202 RAPID awards totaling almost $32 million dollars. Arizona State University has received 6 awards, the top single university to receive an award.
Recently, GIOS receptionist Shaundiin Yazzie shared two initiatives led by her sisters. These include the production and distribution of 3D-printed face shields led by IndigeDesign Collab and a food pantry distribution led by a registered dietician. The initiatives were covered in a news broadcast by local station ABC15 Arizona.
Shaundiin's sister Eunique Yazzie invites you to watch a video about the IndigeDesign effort, join a Facebook group to get involved, make a donation, or volunteer to deliver supplies. Sister Denee Bex, whose outpatient nutrition consultations are for Navajo elders, the malnourished and immunocompromised, is building a list of people and organizations willing to donate.
These opportunities are shared here as a courtesy and may be shared with your networks as well, if appropriate. Please don't hesitate to contact Shaundiin if you have any questions.
Zoya Lytvyn, one of the 2019 WE Empower Awardees, is the founder of Novopecherska, a K-12 school that brings quality education to Ukraine’s children. Lytvyn’s mission is to create future change makers by helping its young students develop the necessary skills to succeed. The Novopecherska School provides a world-class education to its students and designs teaching courses that provide quality education in Ukraine’s school system. Overall, Lytvyn’s company is recognized by Microsoft as one of the 100 most innovative schools globally and has helped to change the lives of more than 4 million students in Ukraine.
An instructor in the School of Sustainability at Arizona State University, she and her colleague Maria Coca Ascencio, a graduate of the Executive Master of Sustainability Leadership program, have recently been voted on to the executive board of the ASU Chicano/Latino Faculty & Staff Association (CLFSA) for leadership positions. De Mesa is serving as president-elect and Coca Ascencio is secretary of the association.
Inspired by her love for nature but dismayed by its degradation, Taylor Reimann was determined to pursue sustainability from an early age.
“Growing up, my family continued to frequent our favorite Arizona gems, but over time things began to look different,” Reimann said. “These things were hard for me to see, and as I got older I realized that it wasn’t just my home that was suffering, this was happening in a lot of people’s backyards. When it came time to decide on a career path, there was nothing I felt stronger about than sustainability.”
As we begin the final week of the spring semester it is interesting to reflect on the stark contrast between this year and the final week of classes from years past. This year the campus is unusually quiet; the library carrels are empty, the lawns are vacant, and few footsteps are heard in the halls. While no-one can predict what the fall will bring, we are hoping that it brings back students and the bustle of student activity that charges our vibrant campus.
Many scientists have found that past diseases have been linked to wild animal markets, including the recent coronavirus pandemic. Past evidence has predicted these outbreaks, but nothing has been done to prevent them from occurring.
Submissions are now being accepted for a special issue of the journal Agronomy, guest edited by Drs. Michel Lecoq and Arianne Cease, focused on any of these broad themes surrounding modern locust management:
