Sustainability Digest 111519

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 5:00 p.m. 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 on the menu on the right of the page at Subscribe or Unsubscribe. You can also view archives here.

NEW ITEMS

(Current items remain in the Digest until they happen so don’t forget to peruse the web listing in case you missed something in the previous week.)

Please note that there will not be a Digest on Friday, November 28 (after Thanksgiving). Please send items for early December to be published in next week’s November 22 Digest.

Institute Events

1. Sustainability After School: Sustainability and Renewable Energy: The Backbone of the Next Industrial Revolution

2. Food for Thought Series

3. Webinar: Indigenous Languages: Future, Present, Past

4. Incorporating Heat into State and Local Hazard-Mitigation Planning

5. PhD Prospectus Defense: Estève Giraud

6. PhD Prospectus Defense: Eric Vahid

Other Events - On Campus

7. Eyring Technical Lecture: Electric Fields and Enzyme Catalysis

8. China Town Hall

9. ASU-Banner Neurodegenerative Disease Research Center: History and Current Research on Alzheimer's Disease Genetics: Revisiting APOE

10. Biodesign Center for Immunotherapy, Vaccines, and Virotherapy Seminar Series: Making Research Meet Practice in Environmental Biotechnology

Other Events - Off Campus

11. GreenBiz Webcast: Scalable Solutions: How to Get Your Ideas from Pilot to Planet

News and Announcements

12. Hummingbirds know — if you've got it, flaunt it

13. New grants fuel ASU bioscience research

14. Kindness can be a cure-all

15. The vertical farming industry is growing deeper roots

16. Meet sustainability sophomore Jackson Schiefelbein

17. Prey-size plastics are invading larval fish nurseries

18. Photosynthesis seen in a new light by rapid X-ray pulses

19. Rethinking corporate value with the Global KAITEKI Center

20. Jennifer Vanos awarded 2019 Climate and Health Champion Award

21. Meet Master of Sustainability Solutions student Kiana Mays

22. Board of Directors, Stardust Nonprofit Building Supplies

23. Multi-State Salinity Coalition (MSSC) Future Leaders Scholarship

24. Arizona Department of Water Resource Drought Program

Other Jobs

25. Project Associate, Washington Water Trust, Seattle, WA

26. Project Manager, Washington Water Trust, Ellensburg, WA

27. Assistant or Associate Professor of Environmental Science, Seaver College of Science and Engineering, Loyola Marymount University, Los Angeles, CA

28. Lecturer/Senior Lecturer in Environmental Science, School of Ecosystem and Forest Science, University of Melbourne, Australia

29. Morrison Institute Postdoctoral Scholar, Watts College of Public Service and Community Solutions, Arizona State University, Phoenix, AZ

30. PhD Fellowships, Department of City & Metropolitan Planning, The University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT

31. Arcosanti Youth Education Program Specialist VISTA

32. Deconstruction Associate, Stardust Building Supplies, Mesa, AZ

33. Environment America, Denver, CO

34. Staff Associate, International Research Institute for Climate and Society, Lamont Doherty Earth Observatory, Columbia University, New York, NY

EVENTS

Institute Events

NEW!

Sustainability After School: Sustainability and Renewable Energy: The Backbone of the Next Industrial Revolution

(Tuesday, November 19, 2019) Kevin Daehnke, Center for Strategic Policy Innovation, will present Sustainability and Renewable Energy: The Backbone of the Next Industrial Revolution from 12:00-1:00 p.m. in room 401, Wrigley Hall, Arizona State University, Tempe campus. This Sustainability After School event is open to School of Sustainability students and alumni only. A light lunch will be provided. RSVP required by 12:00 p.m. Monday, November 18^th. More information and registration.

NEW!

Food for Thought Series

(Wednesday, November 20, 2019) Food for Thought is a monthly interactive seminar series organized by students from the Tempe student Food Group and the Polytech Radicles club and sponsored by the Swette Center for Sustainable Food Systems. Hosted at ASU’s Tempe, Polytechnic and Downtown campuses, these seminars aim to build a community of students, faculty, staff, and others from across the region working on food system sustainability issues. From 12:30-2:30 p.m. in the Cooley Ballroom, Student Union, Arizona State University, Polytechnic campus. More information and registration.

NEW!

Webinar: Indigenous Languages: Future, Present, Past

(Wednesday, November 20, 2019) Panelists will share how they navigate the boundaries between Indigenous and non-Indigenous worlds in a multilingual panel discussion with several people from Kichwa and Waorani communities of the Ecuadorian Amazon. From 4:30-6:30 p.m MST in room 401, Wrigley Hall, Arizona State University, Tempe campus. More information.

NEW!

Incorporating Heat into State and Local Hazard-Mitigation Planning

(Thursday, November 21, 2019) This panel explores how communities develop strategies to deal with heat and associated risks while promoting greater safety and sustainability. Experts will discuss how heat as a hazard might be integrated into hazard mitigation accounting, drawing upon state and a city perspectives. This series is co-sponsored by the Sustainable Cities Network and ASU’s Center for Emergency Management and Homeland Security. From 12:00-1:15 p.m. in room 481, Wrigley Hall, Arizona State University, Tempe campus. More information and registration.

NEW!

PhD Prospectus Defense: Estève Giraud

(Friday, November 22, 2019) Estève Giraud will defend her prospectus Urban Food Autonomy: The Flourishing of an Ethics of Care for Resilient Food Systems. Faculty, students and the public are invited. At 9:00 a.m. in room 481, Wrigley Hall, Arizona State University, Tempe campus. More information.

NEW!

PhD Prospectus Defense: Eric Vahid

(Friday, November 22, 2019) Eric Vahid will defend his prospectus The Impacts of Residential Flood Irrigation on Nitrous Oxide Emissions in Maricopa County, AZ. Faculty, students and the public are invited. At 12:00 p.m. in room 102, Wrigley Hall, Arizona State University, Tempe campus. More information.

Other Events

On Campus

Tamale Tuesdays!

(Tuesdays, October 1, 2019-November 19, 2019) Are you ready for Tamale Tuesday? Sun Devil Dining will be serving local tamales on Tuesdays beginning from 11:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the Memorial Union, North Stage! Served with chips, salsa, and a drink. Visit their website to find what events are planned for the semester.

NEW!

Eyring Technical Lecture: Electric Fields and Enzyme Catalysis

(Friday, November 15, 2019) Steven Boxer, Stanford University, will present Electric Fields and Enzyme Catalysis from 1:00-2:30 p.m. in the auditorium, Biodesign Institute, Arizona State University, Tempe campus. More information.

Institute for Social Science Research: Grad Student Poster Contest

(Friday, November 15, 2019) The Institute for Social Science Research invites graduate students who are doing social science research to participate in a poster contest. This contest is open to all graduate students who are doing social science research in any field and on any campus at ASU. More information.

Produce Rescue at ASU

(Saturday, November 16, 2019) Produce On Wheels With - Out Waste (P.O.W.W.O.W.) disperses 10 million pounds of fresh, rescued produce annually to communities at various sites throughout southern Arizona and the metropolitan Tucson and Phoenix service areas. Contribute $12 to shop for up to 70 pounds of fresh produce for your family or to share with neighbors friends, or someone in need. From 8:00-11:00 a.m. in Parking Lot 59, 201 S. Packard Dr, Arizona State University, Tempe campus or North Parking Lot, 4701 W Thunderbird Rd Glendale, Arizona State University, West campus. More information.

NEW!

China Town Hall

(Monday, November 18, 2019) Great Ties Arizona and the Lodestar Dispute Resolution Center at ASU Law are delighted to partner with the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations (NCUSCR) to present the thirteenth annual China Town Hall. The live webcast will be hosted at the Beus Center for Law and Society followed by a local town hall panel discussion. From 3:30-6:30 p.m. at the Beus Center for Law and Society, W.P. Carey Foundation Armstrong Great Hall, 111 E Taylor St, Arizona State University, Downtown Phoenix campus. More information and registration.

NEW!

ASU-Banner Neurodegenerative Disease Research Center: History and Current Research on Alzheimer’s Disease Genetics: Revisiting APOE

(Tuesday, November 19, 2019) Gyungah Jun, Boston University School of Medicine, will present History and Current Research on Alzheimer’s Disease Genetics: Revisiting APOE from 3:00-4:00 p.m. in room AL1-50, Biodesign Institute, Arizona State University, Tempe campus. More information.

NEW!

Biodesign Center for Immunotherapy, Vaccines, and Virotherapy Seminar Series: Making Research Meet Practice in Environmental Biotechnology

(Wednesday, November 20, 2019) Bruce Rittmann, Biodesign Swette Center for Environmental Biotechnology, will present Making Research Meet Practice in Environmental Biotechnology from 12:00-1:00 p.m. in the auditorium, Biodesign Institute, Arizona State University, Tempe campus. More information.

Off Campus

AzSEC Eighth Annual Student Conference on Renewable Energy Science, Technology, and Policy at the Energy-Water-Food Nexus

(Wednesday-Friday, November 13-15, 2019) Graduate students and post-docs from Arizona's top universities meet every Fall semester with the state's leading renewable energy experts and researchers for the Arizona Student Energy Conference (AzSEC), an annual three-day symposium focusing on developments and exploration in the fields of renewable energy science, technology, and policy at the energy-water-food nexus. The keynote speaker will be David G. Hutchens, UNS Energy Corporation/TEP who will present “Creating a Low Carbon Future”. To be held at the Biosphere 2, Oracle, AZ. More information and registration.

Water=Life Opening Celebration

(Saturday, November 16, 2019) Discover, explore and celebrate the history and future of water in the Valley, at the kickoff event for a 9-day public art installation in Mesa’s Riverview Park (Nov. 16-24, 2019). The Water=Life temporary public art installation will consist of visual, storytelling and interactive components and visitors to the installation will be encouraged to explore a "stream," guiding them to an inner circle where a soundscape and story walk highlight the relationship we have with water in all stages of our lives and the legacy of the ancient canal system that is the foundation for the modern system in use today. From 10:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m. at Riverview Park, 2100 W. Rio Salado Parkway, Mesa. More information.

RISE 2019: Transforming University Engagement in Pre- and Post-Disaster Environments: Lessons from Puerto Rico

(Monday-Wednesday, November 18-20, 2019) Hurricane María was one of the worst and most deadly disasters in Puerto Rico's history. In the months following María, universities and colleges nationwide traveled to Puerto Rico to pursue humanitarian relief, quick response research, service learning, and student exchange. While these efforts had a positive impact, they also highlighted several areas that are in need of further study. Join universities and colleges from across the nation for a three-day conference that will explore how higher education can strengthen preparedness, response, and recovery in the face of growing threats posed by a changing climate and extreme weather as we strive to build a national platform. To be held at the University of Albany, State University of New York. More information and registration.

NEW!

GreenBiz Webcast: Scalable Solutions: How to Get Your Ideas from Pilot to Planet

(Tuesday, November 19, 2019) Join Dow and its partners to discover how collaboration and innovation are driving sustainable solutions in packaging. From 1:00-2:00 p.m. ET (11:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. AZ). More information and registration.

Arizona Green Chamber: Baking in Sustainability for Your Business

(Thursday, November 21, 2019) Join us in Chef Jennifer's kitchen for an evening discussion and about how every business can bake-in sustainable practices and look for opportunities in unusual places. Since the company’s inception in 2015, Witnessing Nature In Food (WNIF) has quickly become a leader in healthy organic dining experiences, recognized as a Gold Level Phoenix Green Business Leader and City of Scottsdale Environmental Quality Award Winner and featured in Green Living AZ magazine, The Chicago Tribune, Fox 10 News and Channel 3 News, to name a few. From 6:30-7:30 p.m. at Witnessing nature in Food Corporate Commercial Kitchen. More information and registration.

GreenBiz 20

(Tuesday-Thursday, February 4-6, 2020) GreenBiz 20 brings together a powerful community of more than 1,500 professionals from business, government, academia and NGOs to explore the pressing challenges, emerging trends and promising opportunities that will leave you feeling inspired and prepared for a successful year ahead. The conference will be at the JW Marriot Camelback Inn in Phoenix. More information and registration.

18th Annual Climate Prediction Applications Science Workshop

(Tuesday-Thursday, April 14-16, 2020) The 18th Annual Climate Prediction Applications Science Workshop (CPASW) will bring together a diverse community to share developments in research and application of weather and climate information for societal decision-making. Participants will include researchers, service producers, resource managers, planners, practitioners, social scientists, and others making weather and climate-sensitive decisions. NOAA’s National Weather Service Climate Services Branch, Arizona State University, the Arizona State Climate Office, and many climate services partners are collaborating in the organization of the 2020 CPASW. The workshop will be held in Phoenix, AZ. Abstract submissions are due by December 2, 2019. Registration will open in February 2020. More information.

NEWS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS

NEW!

Hummingbirds know — if you've got it, flaunt it

For human males (usually in their 20s), appealing to a potential mate often involves body spray, long stints at the gym and conspicuous bottle service at the club. And hummingbird males work at least as hard at the same game. A recent study from Arizona State University’s School of Life Sciences examined how male hummers use colorful plumage and display dances during courtship. Read more.

NEW!

New grants fuel ASU bioscience research

Four faculty members from Arizona State University received grants from the Flinn Foundation to further their bioscience research. The projects will work to develop a material that will help heal rotator cuff tears; create technology to map the brain’s cellular activity during opioid addiction; find genetic variants related to Type 2 diabetes in underrepresented populations; and nanoengineer cardiac tissue to fix damage caused by a heart attack. Read more.

NEW!

Kindness can be a cure-all

A smile, an encouraging word, a warm greeting, a small note of thanks — all solid examples of kindness. For years, the world of science has researched if altruistic behaviors can have a positive impact on physical and mental health: specifically, if they can lead to reductions in stress, anxiety, blood pressure and cholesterol. Read more.

NEW!

The vertical farming industry is growing deeper roots (from GreenBiz.com)

The urban indoor vertical farm industry is at an important juncture. Automation is taking root, long-term contracts with creditworthy retail and food service distributors are in the works and vertical farms are preparing to scale up. Also, the industry is about to get its first trade group, the American Association for Urban and Vertical Farming. Read more.

NEW!

Meet sustainability sophomore Jackson Schiefelbein

A native of Columbus, Ohio, Arizona State University sophomore Jackson Schiefelbein has always been driven to help others. So when he discovered the School of sustainability and ASU invited him to visit, he jumped at the chance and the rest is history. Read more.

NEW!

Prey-size plastics are invading larval fish nurseries

A new research study has revealed that larval fish species from various ocean habitats are now being threatened by plastic pollution that infects their nursery habitats — at levels on average eight times higher than those recently found in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. The study is also the first to show that larval coral reef fish and pelagic species consume plastic, as early as just a few days after they’re born. While scientists had known that adult fish consume plastic, until now it had not known whether larval fish also did so, nor the health implications. Read more.

NEW!

Photosynthesis seen in a new light by rapid X-ray pulses

The ability to transform sunlight into energy is one of nature’s more remarkable feats. Scientists understand the basic process of photosynthesis, but many crucial details remain elusive, occurring at dimensions and fleeting time scales long deemed too minuscule to probe. Now, that is changing. In a new study led by Petra Fromme and Nadia Zatsepin at the Biodesign Center for Applied Structural Discovery, the School of Molecular Sciences and the Department of Physics at Arizona State University, researchers investigated the structure of Photosystem I (PSI) with ultrashort X-ray pulses at the European X-ray Free Electron Laser (EuXFEL) in Hamburg, Germany. Read more.

NEW!

Rethinking corporate value with the Global KAITEKI Center

Yoshimitsu Kobayashi, Chairman of the Mitsubishi Chemical Holdings Corporation, visited Arizona State University on Oct. 24 to kick off the Global KAITEKI Center's activities. This center is a partnership between ASU and the KAITEKI Institute, MCHC’s think tank and research institute. Kaiteki is “the sustainable well-being of people, society and planet Earth." Read more.

NEW!

Jennifer Vanos awarded 2019 Climate and Health Champion Award

School of Sustainability assistant professor Jennifer Vanos was recently awarded Maricopa County's 2019 Climate and Health Champion award in the research category for her outstanding work in understanding the hazards and health outcomes associated with children's playspaces. Read more.

NEW!

Meet Master of Sustainability Solutions student Kiana Mays

“I’m passionate about the intersection of food and sustainability, as well as the beauty and fashion industries,” said Arizona State University student Kiana Mays. “The way we care for our bodies, on the inside and out, is truly a reflection of how we view and treat the outer world.” Read more.

Foundations of Sustainability Online Course for Professionals

How are companies applying sustainability strategies for long-term success? How can incorporating sustainability in organizational strategy positively impact revenue and reduce risk? Learn how in this 6-hour online self-paced course from the ASU School of Sustainability. Questions? Contact SustainabilitySkills@asu.edu. Learn more and enroll.

NEW!

Board of Directors, Stardust Nonprofit Building Supplies

Interested in advancing your career through nonprofit board service? Contact Stardust CEO at kjayne@stardustbuilding.org. Help give new life to discarded materials and keep them from entering the landfill.

Maricopa County Fireplace Retrofit and Propane Fire Pit Programs

The Maricopa County Air Quality Department (MCAQD) offers air pollution reduction financial incentives or grants for implementing clean air technologies. Help clear the air with these vouchers and incentives! More information.

Urban Land Institute Student Competition

The ULI Hines Student Competition—entering its 18th year in 2020—offers graduate students the opportunity to form their own multidisciplinary teams and engage in a challenging exercise in responsible land use. Teams of five students pursuing degrees in at least three different disciplines have two weeks to devise a development program for a real, large-scale site in a North American city. Teams provide graphic boards and narratives of their proposals including designs and market-feasible financial data. Register your team by December 13, 2019. More information and registration.

2020-2021 Project Cities Request for Proposals

The Project Cities program is now accepting applications from Arizona cities, towns, counties, tribal communities, and/or regional partnerships to be the partner for the Fall 2019-2020 Program Cycle. Partner communities benefit from thousands of hours of research and work by ASU students and faculty members, from a variety of disciplines, working to advance the community’s sustainability and community initiatives. This competitive selection process requires higher-level support from elected officials and key city staff, and payment of project fees to cover associated costs and ensure a successful partnership. The proposal submission deadline is November 27, 2019. More information.

EPA’s People, Prosperity and the Planet (P3) Student Design Competition

EPA's P3 Program is a unique competition that is open to teams of college/university students working to design solutions for a sustainable future. This annual, two-phased research grants program challenges students to research, develop, and design innovative projects that address real world challenges involving all areas of environmental protection and public health. Phase I serves as a “proof of concept,” where teams are awarded a one-year grant of up to $25,000 to develop their idea and showcase their research in the spring at EPA's National Student Design Expo (NSDE). These teams are then eligible to compete for a Phase II grant of up to $100,000 to implement their design in a real world setting. P3 aims to foster progress towards environmental awareness by achieving the symbiotic goals of improved quality of life for all people, economic prosperity, and protection of the planet - people, prosperity and the planet. Solicitations dates from October 1-November 19, 2019. More information.

NEW!

Multi-State Salinity Coalition (MSSC) Future Leaders Scholarship

The $2,500 scholarship is awarded to the student based on the overall evaluation of a 500-word essay about career objectives, transcript(s), a letter of recommendation, and leadership in extracurricular activities related to water resources. Application deadline is December 31, 2019. More information and application.

EPA Green Chemistry Challenge Awards

The Green Chemistry Challenge Awards promote the environmental and economic benefits of developing and using novel green chemistry. These prestigious annual awards recognize chemical technologies that incorporate the principles of green chemistry into chemical design, manufacture, and use. EPA’s Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention sponsors the Green Chemistry Challenge Awards in partnership with the American Chemical Society Green Chemistry Institute^® and other members of the chemical community including industry, trade associations, academic institutions, and other government agencies. Application are due December 31, 2019. Learn more and apply.

NEW!

Arizona Department of Water Resource Drought Program

October 2019 drought summary is online.

October Southwest Climate Outlook

The October 2019 Southwest Climate Outlook is online.

CLIMAS Podcast: October 2019: Conservation of Misery and Lapse Rate Doping

Tune into the Southwest Climate podcasts on Apple Podcasts or Southwest Climate Change Network.

OPPORTUNITIES

Institute Job Openings

Faculty Associate Pool, School of Sustainability, Arizona State University

Application deadline May – open until filled. More information.

Postdoctoral Research Scholar, Center for Biodiversity Outcomes