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UREx NYU lead to present at UNESCO event

December 8, 2020

Dec. 9: Rae Zimmerman, the NYU lead for ASU's Urban Resilience to Extremes Sustainability Research Network, will present a new UREx researcher-practitioner paper on GI and stormwater management as part of the "Innovative Initiatives 2" session.

The presentation will take place on Wednesday, December 9, 2020, from 14:25 - 14:40 CET time (6:25 a.m. AZ time). See p. 5 of the program for more details.

Read the paper, and register for the event.

Climate policy and action: The next four years

December 7, 2020

What are the challenges and opportunities facing the incoming Biden Administration as they confront the realities of climate change? What will be their likely priorities—domestically and internationally—and how will they engage the diverse collection of stakeholders?

Join us for a special interview by Emmy-award-winning television journalist and Global Futures Fellow Frank Sesno with former White House Senior Director for Energy and Climate Change John E. Morton, who was responsible for coordinating policies and strategies on international energy and climate change issues for the Obama administration.

Hosted by the Julie Ann Wrigley Global Futures Laboratory, this one-hour live Zoom event starts at 10 AM MT on Friday, Dec. 18. Register via Zoom.

ASU launches Sustainable Maryvale StoryMap

December 7, 2020

ASU’s Community Capital Lab, led by sustainability scientist Mark Roseland, has published the Sustainable Maryvale StoryMap. Developed in collaboration with ASU’s Design Studio for Community Solutions, the tool focuses on a Phoenix, Arizona neighborhood to demonstrate how we can localize the Sustainable Development Goals. The Lab proposes using six forms of Community Capital to redirect local systems toward community sustainability by localizing the SDGs. Sustainable Maryvale demonstrates the value of this approach at the neighborhood level and how it can be replicated in neighborhoods across the US and beyond.

The Sustainable Maryvale StoryMap has been submitted to the 2020 ArcGIS StoryMap Competition for the Sustainable Development Goals hosted by ESRI and the Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN). Winners will be announced in February 2021. ASU is one of more than 850 university members of the SDSN. The SDSN was established in 2012 to mobilize global scientific and technological expertise to promote practical solutions for sustainable development, including the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals.

Sustainability storytelling students premiere short-form documentaries

December 4, 2020

Join sustainability scientist Peter Byck, producer and director of carbon nation and carbon cowboys, for a premiere of his students' work this semester. The event format will be to showcase one film, then do a Q&A with the filmmakers, then repeat for the second film. Join via Zoom on Friday, December 11, at 10:00 a.m. Arizona time.

The Visitors demonstrates how the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of wildlife and parks to human health and well-being, while addressing waste management and other pressing sustainability challenges.

Inseparable provides a perspective on the COVID-19 pandemic as a wake-up call to our inextricable connection to the Earth and an opportunity for us to reconnect to nature to find peace amidst increasing uncertainty.

Call for proposals: 2021 Babbitt dissertation fellowships

December 2, 2020

The Babbitt Center for Land and Water Policy at the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy announces a call for proposals for their Babbitt Dissertation Fellowship.

The Lincoln Institute of Land Policy established the Babbitt Center for Land and Water Policy in 2017. The Babbitt Center is focusing on the Colorado River Basin, beginning in Arizona and Colorado and expanding throughout the Basin. The Babbitt Center takes a four-pronged approach to securing a better water future: 1) research; 2) innovation; 3) build and strengthen partnerships; and 4) education. Read more.

The center invites applications from doctoral students who are conducting dissertation projects in fields that address the Babbitt Center’s primary interest areas in improving the integration of land use and water management and policy. This fellowship provides an important link between the Lincoln Institute’s education mission and its research objective by supporting scholars early in their careers. Apply by March 1.

Applications open: Grad certificate in environmental communication and leadership

December 2, 2020

Several years ago ASU's Center for Biodiversity Outcomes developed the Environmental Leadership and Communication Graduate Certificate to empower students to communicate with the press, the public, policymakers and other relevant stakeholders. This certificate is a 15-credit course of study consisting of 12 elective credits in policy, management, communication, leadership, a student’s subject of interest and a capstone 3-credit course in Environmental Leadership and Communication (BIO 578). This is the only required course and may be taken at any point during the student’s certification.

Sustainability scientist Leah Gerber will be teaching the required course BIO 578 in Spring 2021 and would like to reach a wider student audience, both with the course and the certificate. Contact Gerber with questions.

Crow, Schlosser, Ellis join Foreign Policy dialogue on reimagining education

December 2, 2020

Join Foreign Policy magazine in partnership with Arizona State University for a fascinating look at the future of higher education as a catalyzing force for meaningful social change. Learn more and register.

As the world continues to grapple with the fallout of COVID-19, the pandemic serves as an urgent warning that we are approaching tipping points across societies, economies, and ecosystems. With less than 10 years to reach the Sustainable Development Goals, the UN has called for a decade of action that will define humanity’s long-term future.

How can education serve to ignite transformational leadership and change? Tune in to hear from leading thinkers:

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ASU postdoctoral position in Public Interest Technology/Responsible Innovation

December 1, 2020

The School for the Future of Innovation in Society (SFIS) at Arizona State University is seeking a post-doctoral research fellow for a one-year position on a sponsored project related to public interest technology (PIT) and responsible innovation (RI).

The project is funded under the Public Interest Technology-University Network (PIT-UN), organized by New America Foundation and seeks to study three institutions (ASU, Howard University and Estrella Mountain Community College) to identify what they do and could do across their missions and functions to implement PIT comprehensively and strategically. PIT generally refers to “the study and application of technology expertise to advance the public interest/generate public benefits/promote the public good.” It is largely cognate with tech-for-good, responsible innovation, and other similar terms.

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Nancy Gonzales named ASU's next university provost

December 1, 2020

Nancy Gonzales has been named Arizona State University’s next executive vice president and university provost. Gonzales is currently dean of natural sciences, overseeing six interdisciplinary schools and departments. She has been active in developmental and clinical psychology research with culturally diverse populations for more than 25 years, with continuous National Institutes of Health funding as a principal investigator on grants since 2001. Gonzales is also an ASU alumna and a first-generation college student who is fully dedicated to our mission of access and inclusion.

In her new role, Gonzales will be responsible for the Academic Enterprise of ASU and will lead a complex organization that provides a multitude of opportunities and challenges to ensure the university continues progress toward its charter and goals. She will engage in all aspects of the day-to-day operations of the university as well as developing and supporting long-term strategic initiatives to drive student and faculty success. Her duties also will include advancing academic excellence through the faculty recruitment, retention and renewal processes, and growing the quality, scope and scale of both campus immersion and online programs.

Gonzales’ appointment is subject to approval by the Arizona Board of Regents. She will serve as provost pro tem and work with current Executive Vice President and University Provost Mark Searle until June 30, 2021, when he steps down and moves into the role of University Professor. Gonzales will start her official term as executive vice president and university provost on July 1.

Read more at ASU Now.

Women entrepreneurs: building inclusivity and tackling world-scale challenges

November 27, 2020

Sustainability scholar Amanda Ellis co-hosted this on-demand episode of the Intersectionality and Inclusion series, sponsored by the Saïd Business School, University of Oxford. The event featured three women entrepreneurs who were honored by the WE Empower UN SDG Challenge, which Ellis co-chairs.

An abriged event description follows. Read more and register for the on-demand episode.

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Gerber, Maynard, Neuberg elected AAAS Fellows

November 25, 2020

Two young women performing scientific experiment on a labFive outstanding Arizona State University faculty spanning the physical sciences, psychological sciences and science policy have been named as Fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS).

Sustainability scientists Leah Gerber, Andrew Maynard and Steven Neuberg join Ying-Cheng Lai and John McCutcheon; all are being honored for their career contributions to science, innovation or socially distinguished efforts to advance science and its applications.

The AAAS, publisher of the journal Science, is the world’s largest general scientific society. Election as a fellow is an honor bestowed upon AAAS members by their peers. Within that general framework, each awardee is honored for contributions to a specific field.

The five new ASU faculty members' election this year brings the total number of AAAS Fellows affiliated with ASU to 86. There are 489 newly elected AAAS Fellows this year.

Read the ASU Now story to learn about the ASU AAAS 2020 Fellows’ individual scientific achievements.

Morton to lead ASU's Knowledge Enterprise

ASU Now | November 24, 2020

Dr. Sally C. Morton is an internationally recognized statistician known for her pioneering work on the use of statistics and data science to help patients and their health care providers make better decisions. During her career, she has led complex organizations at both academic and industrial institutions including serving as dean of the College of Science at Virginia Tech, chair of biostatistics at the University of Pittsburgh, vice president for statistics and epidemiology at RTI International and head of the RAND Corporation Statistics Group. She will join ASU on Feb. 1.

Read the full article on ASU Now.

Dec 10: Virtual Seminar on Transportation Electrification

November 24, 2020

SRP and ASU faculty, staff and students are invited on Dec. 10, 2020, from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. to participate in an informative seminar and discussion around enhancing sustainable transportation in Arizona. Registration is required.

ASU and SRP have a decades-long history of working together on issues facing the Phoenix metropolitan area, the state of Arizona and the U.S. Southwest and are unique contributors to the advancement of transportation. Together we have created an interdisciplinary and cross-functional strategic partnership on transportation electrification (TE) that enhances the value each organization brings to their stakeholders and to the broader community. This partnership’s goals are to identify strategies and approaches to enhance electric vehicle (EV) adoption in residential and commercial domains and to meet ASU’s and SRP’s TE and carbon reduction goals with a focus on four key pillars:

  • Policy and pricing strategies
  • Education and awareness
  • Infrastructure and charging locations
  • Behaviors and choices

What one action should the Biden Administration take on science, tech, climate?

November 20, 2020

Future Tense has launched a new series called the Future Agenda, in which experts call for one specific, concrete action they would like to see the Biden administration take on technology, science, climate change, etc.

Examples include the FTC prioritizing right to repair, the FCC expanding E-Rate, and changing a FEMA rule that is making it harder for many to prove they lived in homes that were destroyed in natural disasters (and thus making it hard for them to claim funds they are entitled to).

Pieces will be about 800-1,000 words, and will be running between now and Inauguration Day.

ASU has been invited to put forth authors for Future Tense's consideration. Use this form to pitch your idea or email Michelle Schwartz at sustainability.concierge@asu.edu.

Future Tense is a partnership of Slate, New America and Arizona State University that examines emerging technologies, public policy and society.

Ellis is co-author of Gender Equality and Governance Index report

November 20, 2020

A new report, The Gender Equality and Governance Index: Empowering Women for the Prosperity of Nations, was released at the November 2020 meeting of the International Leadership Association meeting in Washington DC, and immediately thereafter at the Women Political Leaders Forum in Reykjavik, Iceland.

It brings together some of the most up-to-date and comprehensive databases on gender discrimination in the world, to cast a light on why the economic and political empowerment of women is vital not just for human prosperity but also for our future peace and security.

Sustainability scholar Amanda Ellis, director for global partnerships in the Julie Ann Wrigley Global Futures Laboratory, was one of three authors.

Workshop: Progress, challenges and opportunities for sustainability science

November 19, 2020

The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine will convene a virtual public workshop, Progress, Challenges, and Opportunities for Sustainability Science on November 30, December 1, and December 2, 2020 (Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday). Register now.

The workshop will review the state of cutting edge research that can help societies meet the goals of sustainable development, and provide scientific input to the ongoing discussions of the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) Grand Challenges in Science initiative and the Nobel Prize Summit “Our Planet, Our Future” that will be held in Spring 2021.

The workshop has been designed by a Steering Committee that includes GIOSI board members Pamela Matson (co-chair) and William Clark (co-chair), 2007 Wrigley Lecturer Partha Dasgupta, as well as Arun Agrawal, Ruth DeFries, Carl Folke, Robert O. Keohane, Diana Liverman, and Stephen Polasky.

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United Nations 75th Anniversary Dialogue: Faculty experts provide insights

November 18, 2020

In January, the start of the UN's 75th anniversary, Secretary-General Antonio Guterres launched the world’s biggest conversation on building a better future for all. The vision was to spark conversations ("UN75 dialogues") in all settings – from classrooms to boardrooms, parliaments to village halls – on priorities for the future, obstacles to achieving them, and the role of international cooperation in making progress.

ASU hosted an event November 17 seeking technical, scientific and academic input from ASU faculty. Twenty participants joined the event to share observations, experiences and recommendations regarding the next 25 years of the United Nations, with each faculty member completing a UN75 survey prior to attending.

Some of the questions guiding the discussion included:

  • In recovering from the pandemic, what should the UN / international community prioritize, and what can universities do to help?
  • How can complexity research benefit the UN?
  • What global trends, such as climate change or armed conflict, are most critical to our future?
  • What are the critical challenges and opportunities over the next 25 years that will influence our actions to address the SDGs and issues of sustainability?
  • How can the UN and the international community integrate knowledge (in the broadest sense) into SDG action, and what is beyond the SDGs?

Survey results and dialogue feedback, including the ideas and solutions generated at this event, were disseminated online and through UN75 partners and were presented to world leaders and senior UN officials at meetings and events. A student dialogue was scheduled for December 15.

Call for Abstracts - Commons in Space conference

November 18, 2020

The Interplanetary Initiative at ASU is pleased to announce a call for individual presentations, special sessions, and webinar panel discussions. The Commons in Space conference will bring together scholars and practitioners to address issues of the commons beyond the bounds of our planet. The conference will cover topics including the satellites and space debris increasingly congesting orbital space, mining of celestial bodies, diverse perspectives on space as a global commons, protection of dark night sky, going beyond Antarctica and High Sea regulations as models for space law, and much more.

Organizers welcome different types of contributions. The live events during the conference focus on panel discussions. Those webinar panels are debates related to research and policy and include Q&A with the audience. Webinar panels topics can be submitted directly or will be based on individual talks submitted. Individual contributions are pre-recorded videos. They also invite non-traditional contributions such as interviews, short films, or other artistic works. Submit abstract here.

Key Dates

  • Abstract Deadline: Jan 15, 2021
  • Acceptance Notification: Jan 25, 2021
  • Deadline for prerecorded presentations: Feb 15, 2021

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NSF opportunity for mid-career faculty across directorates

November 13, 2020

Nov. 23: Knowledge Enterprise research development office hosts a kick-off to learn more about the proposal requirements. The session will be recorded and available afterwards; contact Faye Farmer.

An academic career often does not provide the uninterrupted stretches of time necessary for acquiring and building new skills to enhance and advance one's research program. Mid-career scientists in particular are at a critical career stage where they need to advance their research programs to ensure long-term productivity and creativity but are often constrained by service, teaching, or other activities that limit the amount of time devoted to research.

The Mid-Career Advancement (MCA) offers an opportunity for scientists and engineers at the Associate Professor rank (or equivalent) to substantively enhance and advance their research program through synergistic and mutually beneficial partnerships, typically at an institution other than their home institution. Projects that envision new insights on existing problems or identify new but related problems previously inaccessible without new methodology or expertise from other fields are encouraged.

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New funding opportunity: Strengthening American Infrastructure

November 13, 2020

The U.S. National Science Foundation’s Directorate for Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences is initiating a new line of research aimed at strengthening and potentially transforming critical infrastructure in the U.S. The initiative is a collaboration involving all NSF research directorates and is described in a new Dear Colleague letter, Strengthening American Infrastructure.

Strengthening American Infrastructure is a human-centered, cross-disciplinary research activity engaging social and behavioral scientists with researchers from a wide range of fields including engineering, computer science, education, biology, mathematics, physical sciences and geosciences. Strong, effective infrastructure stimulates innovation and job growth, provides safety and security, improves our quality of life and facilitates community well-being for many years into the future.

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