April 28, 2009
Graduating senior Andrew Krause has been studying how to reduce ASU greenhouse gas emissions in an area that is often overlooked -- the conference room. His capstone project for a degree from ASU's School of Sustainability uses computer modeling to investigate how Parking and Transportation decisions affect ASU's carbon footprint.
Krause’s project advisor is Dr. George Basile, Executive Director of ASU’s Decision Theater. Basile leads a multi-disciplinary team that develops tools to help decision makers to better "see" and understand the past and present, as well as predict the future.
Asked if he was creating a tool for parking and transit decision making, Krause hesitated. “Calling it a ‘tool’ implies that there is a way to determine the best decision,” he said. Still, understanding transportation planning, parking policy, and their intended and unintended effects on greenhouse gas emissions can only benefit Parking and Transit Services. In fact, his study of how decision making affects emissions is now under consideration as an ongoing student project at ASU.
For his project, Krause was able to tap the expertise of half a dozen faculty members from three different schools – something he counts among his greatest achievements during his time at ASU. "SOS helped open up a broad understanding of the world," says Krause. "A trans-disciplinary degree allows you to really understand the depth of a problem and more efficiently propose a solution."
After graduation, Krause will continue his work as a financial analyst for a Phoenix-based solar company. He will also begin a three-month consulting job based out of San Francisco aimed at highlighting sustainable strategies for a large restaurant group.