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Conference for Sustainability IGERTs 2

Social-Ecological Transformations and Sustainability

October 8-10, 2009

A Graduate Student Conference

Hosted by ASU’s IGERT Fellows in Urban Ecology

Arizona State University

School of Sustainability

Tempe, AZ 85287

Overview

History

Requirements

Agenda

Field Trips

Logistics

Event Location and Maps

Attending with Travel Grant

Attending without Travel Grant

Meals

Overview

The second Conference for Sustainability IGERTs (C4SI2) is a graduate student led conference focused on the challenges and opportunities of IGERT Fellows conducting sustainability research and the substantive intellectual issues associated with a transition to sustainability. Over 40 IGERT Fellows from more than 20 IGERT programs throughout the country have been accepted to attend. The C4SI2 agenda will be built in large part by the working group topics submitted by the Fellows in their applications and will seek to maximize opportunities for discussion, learning and follow-up products. The agenda will also include topical discussion panels, two keynote speakers and two poster sessions. All daytime conference events will take place on the ASU main campus in Tempe (see Logistics for details).

History

In the fall of 2007, a group of frostbitten IGERT Fellows gathered at the University of Alaska Fairbanks to participate in the inaugural Conference for Sustainability IGERTs (C4SI) hosted by the Fairbanks Resilience and Adaptation IGERT. C4SI provided a unique opportunity for students and faculty to drive the agenda of the conference in real-time through a series of working groups and plenary sessions aimed at common issues surrounding the sustainability of social-ecological systems and interdisciplinary research and education. The result was by all accounts an intellectually and socially rewarding experience — and one that all felt was worthy of continuing.

Requirements

Poster Session Instructions. All students attending are required to bring the following posters: (1) History and summary of their home IGERT (we encourage you to create this in a collaborative way with your home IGERT colleagues!); and, (2) Summary and description of your own research. Posters should be 36″ high and no wider than 48″.

IGERT.org Discussions. Please join IGERT.org and then join in on the discussion leading up to (and follow up on) C4SI2. Instructions were included in your acceptance letter. Please contact the IGERT.org administrators if you have trouble logging in.

Agenda

October 7 (Thursday)

Arrivals (pick up conference folders on check-in)

8pm: Social at the Vine (SW Corner of Apache and Rural, Tempe)


October 8 (Thursday)

8am-12pm:

Morning Session (Carson Ballroom, Old Main)

8-9:

Breakfast and Welcome by ASU students and faculty

9-10:

C4SI2 Keynote Speaker: ASU President Michael Crow

10-11:

Introductions

11-11:15:

Overview of IGERT: Vikram Jaswal, NSF Program Directory, IGERT

11:15-12:

C4SI Past, Present and Future: Gary Kofinas, UAF, IGERT PI

12-1:

Lunch (Old Main)

1-4:30pm:

Afternoon Session (Old Main)

1-2:15:

Charge for Conference & Discussion (led by Charles Redman, ASU, IGERT PI)

2:15-3:15:

Breakout Groups: Conference Themes

3:15-3:30:

Break

3:30-4:30:

Plenary Discussion on Breakout, Working Groups and Charge for Tomorrow

5-8pm:

Evening Session (GIOS 4th Floor)

5-6:15:

Poster Session I: IGERT Themes and Approaches (GIOS 4th Floor)

6:30-8:30:

Dinner at Engrained (Memorial Union 2nd Floor)

7-8:

Evening Panel at Engrained. The IGERT Experience: Lessions Learned and

Future Directions: Ed Hackett, ASU, Former Directory of Social and Economic Sciences with NSF; Nilsa Bosque, Perez, IGERT PI, University of Idaho; IGERT Fellow Representative

8:30-?:

Social at Four Peaks (optional)



October 9 (Friday)

8:30am-12pm:

Morning Session (GIOS 481)

8-9:

Breakfast (GIOS 481)

8:30-9:

Plenary Meeting to Organize Working Groups

9-12:

Working Group Sessions I: Big Ideas (Old Main)

12-1:

Lunch (Old Main)

1-4:30pm:

Afternoon Session (Old Main)

Working Group Sessions II: Challenges and Methods in Sustainability Research

5-7:30pm:

Evening Session (GIOS 4th Floor)

5-6:30:

Poster Session II: Student Research

6:30-7:30:

Evening Panel- Careers after IGERT and the Job Search:

Abigail Anthony, Energy New England, University of Rhode Island IGERT Alumni; Sarah Grineski, University of Texas- El Paso, ASU IGERT Alumni; Tapan Parikh, University of California- Berkley, University of Washington IGERT Alumni; Amy Pocewicz, The Nature Conservancy, University of Idaho IGERT Alumni.

Optional:

Visit ASU Art Musuem: “Defining Sustainability” Opening Night

(Optional) 7:30-9:30:

Naomi Shihab Nye (Award-Winning Poet, Writer, Anthropologist, and Educator): Arizona Humanities Council Lecutre at Tempe Mission Palms Hotel

Remainder of the Evening is Open


October 10 (Saturday)

8:30am-12pm:

Morning Session (GIOS 102)

8-9:

Breakfast (GIOS 102)

8:30-11:

Working Groups I & II Re-group and Working Group Sessions III: Emergent Issues

11-12:

Working Groups Report Back to Plenary Discussion (GIOS 101)

12-1:

Lunch (Old Main)

1-4:30pm:

Afternoon Session (GIOS)

1-2:

Working Groups Report Back to Plenary Discussion (Cont.)

2-3:30:

Plenary Discussion with Selected Faculty and Students as Respondents

3:30-3:45:

Break

3:45-4:30:

Action Items and Next Steps

5:15-10pm:

Evening Session (Desert Botanical Gardens)

5:15:

Bus Departs for DBG from Mission Palms Hotel

5:30-6:30

Desert Botanical Gardens Walk

6:30-10:

Banquet
Discussion and Farewell

Field Trips

Sunday, October 11th (details to come)

  • Urban Research Tour of Phoenix
  • Superstition Wilderness hike
  • South Mountain Park and Preserve hike

Logistics

Event Location

Most of the conference events will be at the ASU main campus just across the street from the hotel. The first day, conference events including breakfast and lunch, will be at Old Main (Map) which is about a 15 minute walk from the hotel. Other events will take place at the Global Institute of Sustainability (Map), a short distance from Old Main. These details will be included in your conference packet

Attending with Travel Grant

Travel Information
For those of you who received a travel grant, please submit 2 flight options each (for arrival and departure) to Sara Eeds by Wednesday August 26 at sara.eeds@asu.edu. In the subject line put C4SI2 Travel arrangements. In the email please include;

  • Your full name as it appears on your identification
  • Date of your arrival and departure and your departure city
  • Your date of birth (needed for ticket purchase)
  • Your gender (needed for ticket purchase)

ASU will arrange your flight arrival and departure.

Hotel Information
All conference attendees will be staying at the Four Points Sheraton in Tempe, AZ located on the southeast corner of Rural and Apache Blvd. bordering campus to the southeast (Map). The Four Points has an airport shuttle service available for transporting you to and from the hotel upon your arrival and for your departure flights. For airport pickup, call the Four Points at 480-968-3451. Please note that the hotel does not have a courtesy phone at the airport.

The hotel maintains a list of conference attendees. When checking in you must have a credit card; please refer to the “Conference for Sustainable IGERTs 2.” The conference pays for your room and room tax only. All other expenses or purchases by you or charged to your room will be paid by you.

Attending without a Travel Grant

Travel Information
Travel arrangements will be made by conference attendees.

Hotel Information
All conference attendees will be staying at the Four Points Sheraton in Tempe, AZ located on the southeast corner of Rural and Apache Blvd. bordering campus to the southeast (Map). The Four Points has an airport shuttle service available for transporting you to and from the hotel upon your arrival and for your departure flights. For airport pickup, call the Four Points at 480-968-3451. Please note that the hotel does not have a courtesy phone at the airport.

There are a limited number of rooms at special pricing available at the conference hotel. If you are attending without a travel grant you have an option to coordinate your hotel accommodations with Sara Eeds at sara.eeds@asu.edu. You must contact her by August 31 to take advantage of the special pricing. In the subject line put “C4SI2 HOTEL ARRANGEMENTS.” Please include in your email:

  • Your full name as it appears on your identification
  • Date and times of your arrival and departure
  • Your date of birth (needed by ASU travel office)
  • Your gender (needed by ASU travel office)

Meals during the Conference for All Attendees

Three breakfasts, three lunches and 2 dinners are provided for all conference attendees October 8-10. Meals are not provided on the optional field trip day. Details on meals and meal choices will be sent to you closer to the event date. Vegetarian and non-vegetarian options will be available at each meal, however if you have a specific dietary need or food allergy, please send specific information to Gail Ryser at c4si2@asu.edu no later than September 7, 2009. We will make every reasonable effort to accommodate your need.

If you have any questions or concerns, please email c4si2@asu.edu.