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Sustainability News

Sustainability student talks on ABC15 about Arizona Sustainability Alliance grant

View Source | September 4, 2018

Sustainability student Tearsa Saffell talks on ABC15Arizona State University School of Sustainability undergraduate student Tearsa Saffell was interviewed on ABC15 Arizona morning news for her involvement with the Arizona Sustainability Alliance, a nonprofit organization with a mission to create and support cutting-edge, project-based sustainability solutions in Arizona. The organization recently won a $5,000 Community Heroes grant to expand their program bringing vertical gardens into low-income schools.

"We bring in vertical gardens and have the students help us set them up, and then they're able — for the entire school year — to work with the gardens, and maintain them, and harvest them and eat the delicious food," Saffell said in the interview. The first graders "say how much they love eating vegetables and how excited they are to pick them and eat them, so it's really great to see."

Saffell is a Food Systems Priority Lead for the Arizona Sustainability Alliance. Along with majoring in sustainability, she is working toward a certificate in Food System Sustainability.

Watch Saffell's interview on ABC15 Arizona.

Meet sustainability alumnus Sean McGraw

August 28, 2018

Sean McGraw FOR EnergySchool of Sustainability alumnus Sean McGraw founded FOR Energy while he was still an ASU student, and now it’s among the fastest-growing companies in the United States (number 1,215 to be exact, according to Inc. Magazine’s annual list). FOR Energy helps homeowners in Arizona and Nevada use energy more efficiently by conducting energy audits and completing home improvements — things like installing solar panels or energy-efficient windows, sealing leaky ducts, and improving insulation. The company’s 2017 revenue was $2.2 million — not bad for an idea that came to McGraw one day in a renewable energy class at ASU.

Read on for why McGraw switched his major to sustainability and what he believes is the most important factor that has contributed to FOR Energy’s success.

Question: What was your “aha” moment when you realized you wanted to study sustainability?

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Meet School of Sustainability Freshman Dustin Grief

August 22, 2018

Student Dustin Grief posing for senior photoThis is Dustin Grief’s first full week as a School of Sustainability student at Arizona State University, but he already has three credit hours toward a degree. While he was in high school in Mesa, Arizona, Grief participated in the Collegiate Scholars Academy, a program that allowed him to earn ASU credit for his AP Environmental Science class (which translates to SOS 110 - Sustainable World at ASU).

The Collegiate Scholars Academy gave Grief the inspiration to pursue a sustainability degree. Every few weeks, School of Sustainability instructor Colin Tetreault would visit Grief’s AP Environmental Science class to talk about sustainability, energy and the environment.

“I was mesmerized every time he came to speak, and so I knew that I wanted to continue down the path of sustainability,” Grief said. “After talking with Colin and doing some research and a tour of the university, I decided that ASU would be the best fit.”

Grief answered a couple questions for us about his background and what he hopes to accomplish in the future.

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Arizona, Italy connection via study abroad cultivates possibility for ASU students

View Source | August 15, 2018

Someone tending to a vegetable gardenA gourmet meal led to a food-for-thought opportunity for a handful of Arizona State University students this summer.

As a result of discussions sparked at Dinner 2040 — a meal-tasting-turned-panel-talk in Phoenix — between a local organic farmer, an ASU professor and a former project coordinator in the School of Sustainability, five students added a comparative farming practicum to their coursework for the Italian Language and Culture in San Severino Marche study-abroad program coordinated by the ASU Study Abroad Office. A longstanding program led by Associate Professor of Italian Juliann Vitullo, students take immersive Italian language courses in a 13,000-inhabitant Italian town, San Severino Marche.

“Students got an inside look at co-op produce. They saw 10 farms and got to witness infrastructure developing with CSA (community-supported agriculture), the business and the lack of infrastructure for farming in Phoenix,” Vitullo said.

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Study abroad programs in Cuba, Costa Rica teach students about sustainability

August 2, 2018

3 ASU students show ASU pitchfork hand signals on a street in CubaDuring spring 2018, 14 Arizona State University students spent nine days in Havana, Cuba through the School of Sustainability program, “Cuba: Unlocked and On the Edge of Rapid Transitions.” This study abroad opportunity, offered in partnership with the Council on International Educational Exchange, allowed students from six ASU colleges to dive deeper into areas of energy systems, food systems, waste management, social equity and economy.

Students lived with host families during the program to better understand what it’s like to be Cuban during a time of economic struggle coupled with an increase in tourism due to the country’s newly opened borders. Through various off-the-beaten-path learning experiences, such as visiting urban gardens and volunteering in neighborhoods and waste facilities, students were able to interact with Cuban citizens and observe first-hand some of the complex issues exacerbated by the burst of tourism.

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Sustainability students graduating at high rates, winning elite scholarships

July 31, 2018

Student wearing maroon and gold graduation own walks among graduatesThe statistics are in: 81 percent of Arizona State University freshmen who enrolled in the School of Sustainability in fall 2013 graduated from ASU in four years. This is higher than the university’s overall four-year graduation rate.

Though all of the students included in the 81 percent started out in the School of Sustainability, about seven percent of them changed their major at some point.

“It’s okay if a student changes their major during their time at ASU,” said Lisa Murphy, Director of Academic Services at the School of Sustainability. “It’s important that students find the right major for them.”

Still, even with a small percentage of students shifting gears, the School of Sustainability holds one of the highest graduation rates at ASU. As of spring 2017, 1,098 students have graduated from the School of Sustainability since it opened in 2007.

ASU students, including students from the School of Sustainability, are winning more prestigious scholarships and fellowships than ever before.

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ASU sustainability alumnus Andy Stein named to '36 Under 36' list

July 17, 2018

Andy Stein smilingArizona State University School of Sustainability alumnus Andy Stein was just named to the seventh annual “Double Chai in the Chi: 36 Under 36” list, selected by the Jewish United Fund of Metropolitan Chicago’s Young Leadership Division (YLD). The list highlights the societal contributions of Chicago’s young Jewish population.

“To see so many people creating new opportunities that better our community is truly inspiring,” said Alex Entratter, current YLD campaign chair and former honoree. “This is just the beginning of a bright future for these individuals and the community they are impacting."

Stein graduated from ASU with a Master of Sustainability Solutions. While at ASU, Stein was concurrently a Project Manager for the Walton Sustainability Solutions Initiatives. Now, Stein is a Sustainability Program Coordinator at Northwestern University, where he focuses on the university’s Built Environment Program. He has a particular interest in sustainable building practices and incorporating sustainability into business operations.

When asked by the “36 Under 36” list’s organizers to describe himself in 10 words or less, Stein responded: “Passionate about creating a healthy and sustainable future for everyone.”

Meet sustainability alumna Diane Trimble

July 12, 2018

Diane Trimble stands with Dean Chris Boone at the School of Sustainability convocation as she receives her master's degreeDiane Trimble now has two degrees from Arizona State University, but the journey to those achievements wasn’t easy. Trimble dropped out of college in Nevada in the mid-1990s, but in recent years, she wanted to become a better role model for her sons and community. Thus, she enrolled in online classes at Arizona State University through the Starbucks College Achievement Plan partnership and earned a bachelor’s degree in organizational leadership in 2016. But she didn’t stop there. This year, Trimble graduated from the Executive Master of Sustainability Leadership (EMSL) program in the School of Sustainability.

We asked Diane questions about how her ASU education has changed her life for the better and what sustainability means to her.

Question: What was your “aha” moment when you realized you wanted to study the field you majored in?

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Meet sustainability master's student Anthony Contento

July 10, 2018

Anthony Contento stands near a sign for his business, Contento RecyclingAnthony Contento, an Arizona State University School of Sustainability student, wasn’t looking to get a master’s degree. But after he found out about the Master of Sustainability Leadership, he couldn’t help but enroll. It was the perfect opportunity to learn how to apply sustainable practices to his family's New York business in construction and demolition debris recycling.

On top of working on his master’s degree, Contento recently earned a LEED Green Associate certificate because, he said, “the area of green building is closely related to construction and demolition debris recycling.”

Contento answered a few questions for us about how he will use his sustainability degree to build a more sustainable future in New York State, where he lives.

Question: What was your “aha” moment when you realized you wanted to study sustainability?

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Student helps expand bike share program, LEED certification in Phoenix neighborhood

July 9, 2018

Ethan McCloskeyDuring a four month internship, Ethan McCloskey, a Bachelor of Science student at the School of Sustainability, used his drive and work ethic to participate in the Stardust Affordable Housing Internship with the City of Phoenix. The department was so impressed with his work that now, after graduation, he is employed with his former supervisor expanding on the projects he worked on as an undergrad.

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Julie Ann Wrigley creates new sustainability scholarship

July 5, 2018

ASU student walks across the stage at School of Sustainability convocationJulie Ann Wrigley isn’t one just to talk about what needs to happen in society. She takes action. At Arizona State University alone, Wrigley has invested more than $50 million dollars in something she believes deeply in: sustainability.

Without Wrigley’s investments in ASU, the university wouldn’t be the leader in sustainability that it is today. Her philanthropy at the university started in 2004, when she joined ASU President Michael M. Crow at a pivotal retreat where many of the world’s sustainability leaders discussed challenges facing our planet and what a university could do to address them. At this retreat, the vision for an interdisciplinary sustainability institute was born.

Wrigley helped make this vision a reality with an initial gift of $15 million dollars. In doing so, she became the co-founder of ASU’s Global Institute of Sustainability, a dynamic hub of research, education and solutions. After Wrigley invested another $25 million in the institute, it was renamed after her in 2014.

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Meet sustainability alumna Genevieve Pearthree

July 2, 2018

Genevieve Pearthree smilingArizona State University School of Sustainability alumna Genevieve Pearthree knew what she wanted to do in a career and forged her own educational path to get there. After creating her own bachelor’s degree in California, as she explained in the interview below, Pearthree graduated with concurrent ASU master’s degrees: a Master of Science in Sustainability in 2018 and a Master of Urban and Environmental Planning in 2017.

In April 2018, Pearthree attended the American Planning Association’s national conference in New Orleans and was awarded the American Institute of Certified Planners Student Project Award for Applied Research. She received this award for her grant-funded work discussing affordable housing in Ketchum, Idaho — a small city that relies heavily on tourism. Pearthree also serves on the School of Sustainability Alumni Board and is involved with the American Planning Association and the Arizona Planning Association.

Pearthree is now an Associate Planner with the City of Flagstaff’s Current Planning department, working with planners and developers to shape Flagstaff's urban form and meet long-term city goals around sustainability, walkability, public transit, open space preservation, affordable housing, historic preservation and more. She took a break from her busy schedule to talk sustainability and offer advice for current and future School of Sustainability students.

Question: What was your “aha” moment when you realized you wanted to study the field you majored in?

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ASU sustainability alumnus gears up for carbon-neutral road trip

View Source | June 29, 2018

John Martinson shows off his Tesla at Green Living AZ event in Scottsdale, ArizonaTo Arizona State University alumnus John Martinson, “range anxiety” — the fear of becoming stranded in an electric vehicle after the battery dies — is a state of mind, not an actual concern.

With a bit of planning, a cross-country road trip in an electric vehicle is possible. And Martinson should know: On July 1, he’s embarking on a monthlong father-son road trip from Arizona to Canada and back in his new Tesla, which advertises up to 310 miles of range.

Completing an ambitious road trip in an electric vehicle may worry some people, but for Martinson, it’s another way to live his values. Martinson is a recent graduate of the ASU School of Sustainability’s Executive Master of Sustainability Leadership program, and he’s also the school’s alumni board president. Before he graduated from the school, Martinson co-owned the successful China Mist Tea Company for 34 years. He believes in natural capitalism, which is a business model that takes into account the value of earth’s natural resources and ecosystems.

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Graduate student rides the solar curve to a Master of Sustainability Solutions

June 27, 2018

Devon RoodDevon Rood completed her Solar Duck Curve and Sustainable Storage Options project in April 2018 as the culminating project for her Master of Sustainability Solutions (MSUS) degree.

Working with Arizona Public Services (APS), Rood’s goal was to evaluate the most sustainable energy storage option out of the three potential options APS was considering. These included pumped hydro energy storage, compressed air energy storage, and Lithium-ion batteries.

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Real-World Learning Experiences site helps professors teach hands-on sustainability

June 26, 2018

Four students stand on a hillside and look off to the horizonAs a professor, it can be hard to implement real-world projects and activities into lesson plans. That’s why a team of Arizona State University sustainability researchers, staff and students created a website, “Real-World Learning Experiences for Sustainability,” to help instructors design different kinds of applied projects and implement them into coursework.

“We wanted this to be an open access tool to help facilitate real-world learning — not just at ASU, but anywhere in the world,” said Sydney Lines, Project Coordinator for Sustainability Connect, a platform for applied projects in sustainability problem solving at the Julie Ann Wrigley Global Institute of Sustainability. Lines designed the RWLE website using content developed by Katja Brundiers, a School of Sustainability Assistant Research Professor; Aaron Redman, a School of Sustainability doctoral student; and Dorothy Trippel Broomall, a School of Sustainability alumnus and adjunct faculty member.

The RWLE are divided into four levels: beginner to advanced, or freshman to senior. Each level revolves around a different concept: bringing the world into the classroom, visiting the world, simulating the world and engaging the world. The website provides a toolkit for each level of learning, including activities connected to the School of Sustainability’s core competencies, downloadable resources, links to videos and other assets, and featured real-world examples.

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Meet sustainability master's student Danielle Leoni

June 25, 2018

Chef Danielle Leoni wearing a chef's coat and smilingArizona State University Executive Master of Sustainability Leadership student Danielle Leoni certainly has enough accomplishments under her belt without a master’s degree. She is the executive chef and co-owner of The Breadfruit & Rum Bar in downtown Phoenix; she owns her own business, Leoni's Focaccia; and she was recently named as a 2018 James Beard Foundation Women's Entrepreneurial Leadership program fellow. Last summer, Leoni was awarded a “Seafood Sustainability Seal” by the James Beard Foundation after she participated in its Smart Catch sustainable seafood program.

Even having accomplished all of that, Leoni is driven to learn and do more in the realm of sustainability — thus, her enrollment in the EMSL program in the ASU School of Sustainability. Read on for why she chose the program, how she balances all of her responsibilities and how she hopes other restaurants will incorporate sustainability into their practices.

Question: Why did you decide to join the EMSL program?

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Meet sustainability alumna Haley Paul

June 22, 2018

Portrait of ASU sustainability alumna Haley PaulWhen we heard that Arizona State University School of Sustainability alumna Haley Paul became Audubon Arizona’s new policy manager, we knew we had to catch up with her. Paul graduated with a Master of Science in sustainability with a thesis examining the 1980 Groundwater Management Act and its impact on agriculture in south-central Arizona. After receiving her degree, she went on to work in fields related to water resources and water conservation before landing at Audubon Arizona in April 2018.

Paul answered several questions for us including how she became interested in sustainability and advice she has for current ASU sustainability students.

Question: What was your “aha” moment when you realized you wanted to study the field you received a degree in?

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Meet sustainability alumnus Adam Gabriele

June 5, 2018

ASU student Adam Gabriele poses on a farmArizona native Adam Gabriele loves to learn. He has a bachelor’s degree in political science, a master’s degree from the School of Sustainability, and now he’s working on a doctorate from ASU’s School for the Future of Innovation in Society.

Gabriele’s mix of interests led him to pursue a unique research topic while at the School of Sustainability. His scientific paper, called “Living in a Wounded World: Sustainability and Psychological Trauma,” explored the psychosocial benefits of agricultural therapy for combat veterans impacted by PTSD and moral injury. “The results strongly suggest that sustainable agricultural can be of powerful clinical benefit to traumatized veterans and that sustainable behaviors and values in general increased as trauma symptoms decreased,” Gabriele wrote.

Read on for how Gabriele got inspired to do this research and what sustainability means to him.

Question: What was your “aha” moment when you realized you wanted to study the field you majored in?

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ASU students perform 'Positively Ghostly' scenes in Apache Junction

View Source | June 5, 2018

Two ASU students act out a scene for "Positively Ghostly" performanceIn the city of Apache Junction, at the foothills of the Superstition Mountains, graduate students from Arizona State University performed a series of theatrical scenes related to the city’s history. This event, called “Positively Ghostly,” brought to life tales of ghosts and lost treasures gathered from local residents, and illustrated the Old West history ingrained in the city. These performances allowed residents to connect with local legends and landscapes while reflecting on the value that their city brings to Arizona.

“Positively Ghostly” was a collaboration between the city of Apache Junction, ASU School of Sustainability students involved in Project Cities, and ASU Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts students. The event was part of a wider tourism project called “Positively Apache Junction” led by Project Cities, a university-community initiative within ASU's Sustainable Cities Network.

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Meet sustainability senior Austin Crane

June 4, 2018

Austin Crane participating in a weeds crew community service projectSchool of Sustainability undergraduate Austin Crane has achieved a lot in the past year. Besides working on his bachelor's degree, Crane has been interning at Ewing Irrigation & Landscape Supply as a sustainability intern.

Since he started at Ewing in the summer of 2017, Crane has helped implement a variety of sustainability projects, including a sprinkler controller recycling program and community service events. He’s also made changes to the way Ewing’s employees are engaged in sustainability by creating training materials and relaunching a company-wide “Green Team.”

“Ultimately, my work is concerned with spreading the word about sustainability and letting people know that living sustainably is easy and doable,” Crane said. “I believe that we as sustainability professionals can only be successful if we can convince people to join us on our quest.”

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