2018 H I GH LI GHTS
Global Futures Proactive management and livability of our planet. [pg. 3]
Community of Sustainability Scientists, Scholars and Fellows exceeds 500 members Arizona State University’s expert sustainability community is growing. In spring 2018, ASU surpassed 500 Sustainability Scientists, Scholars and Fellows in the Julie Ann Wrigley Global Institute of Sustainability. The year concluded with 531 members — experts from fields across all sectors who accelerate the pace of discovery and solutions in sustainability.
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Global Engagement
Full speed toward a sustainable future Global Futures, launched in January 2018, is taking the field of sustainability to the next level. As the innovation headquarters of researchers, governments, academia, industry, nonprofits, philanthropists and more, the initiative is optimizing options for proactive, forward-looking management and livability of our planet. Led by Peter Schlosser, one of the world’s leading earth and environmental scientists, Global Futures leverages ASU’s proven ability to work seamlessly across disciplines to address complex, global challenges.
“Global Futures is a platform from which to take a broad look at the trajectory of our planet and the role of global society in shaping it, to gather and synthesize knowledge from many frameworks and to fundamentally alter how we manage the planet in ways that achieve sustained habitability.” — P E TER SCHLOSSER Vice President & Vice Provost of Global Futures
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Global Engagement
Leading sustainability solutions What was once seed-funded is now permanently established. An extended investment from Rob and Melani Walton’s charitable foundation allows the Rob and Melani Walton Sustainability Solutions Service to continue to further the university’s efforts to become a global leader in sustainability education and applied research. With this extended investment, the Solutions Service will complement the existing Executive Master of Sustainability Leadership, the Global Sustainability Studies Program, the Rob and Melani Walton National Teachers’ Academy and the Rob and Melani Walton Sustainability in Science and Technology Museums program.
“Rob and I believe the breadth of the sustainability challenges across the globe require a comprehensive strategic approach,” said Melani Walton. “The permanent establishment of the Solutions Service will allow for more effective programming in all of the university’s sustainability initiatives.”
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Global Engagement
Transforming food systems The world’s food systems are in critical need of an overhaul and leaders who can drive sustainable action. With a major gift from Sweet Earth Foods founders Kelly and Brian Swette, ASU established the Swette Center for Sustainable Food Systems with the goal of educating the next generation of consumers and decision-makers through the first sustainable food systems degree program. In 2018, former U.S. Deputy Secretary of Agriculture Kathleen Merrigan was appointed the Swette Center’s first executive director. Merrigan brings decades of experience in agriculture, sustainability and food systems to ASU. Her leadership will strengthen ASU’s global impact on research, policy and education in food systems.
“Kathleen Merrigan is eminently qualified to lead the new ASU Swette Center for Sustainable Food Systems, given her extensive background in agriculture, food sustainability and food systems. She has been involved with sustainable food systems at nearly every level and understands every facet of it, providing an abundance of knowledge for our students.” —M ICHAEL CROW, ASU President
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Global Engagement
Global, scalable solutions The Global Consortium for Sustainability Outcomes funded 12 new and two continuing sustainability solutions projects to be implemented and scaled in 10+ countries. All GCSO-funded projects must create far-reaching, on-the-ground impact; must be collaborative and outcomes focused, involving two or more GCSO member institutions; and must integrate non-academic “implementers� such as governments or nonprofits. Project topics varied vastly and included: off-grid renewable energy, post-disaster agricultural resilience, managing plastic waste, sustainable public purchasing in cities, local food economy solutions, scaling green infrastructure, sustaining biodiversity and biocultures, climate resilience planning and implementation, and scaling sustainability education models.
2018 project locations
Ireland
Germany
Hong Kong
United Kingdom
United States Mexico
Nepal Ecuador Bolivia
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Uganda
Philippines
Global Engagement
Global Locust Initiative Locusts have afflicted humanity throughout history, with devastating consequences. It’s no surprise that locusts are one of the 10 plagues in the biblical book Exodus. These insects are species of grasshoppers that can swarm in the millions and wipe out fields of crops in the blink of an eye. That’s why Global Locust Initiative, an ASU program directed by Arianne Cease that aims to study and manage locust outbreaks, was established in 2018. Not long after launching, the initiative earned a half-million-dollar grant to pilot a project in Senegal. The grant, from the Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance — a part of the U.S. Agency for International Development — marks the first time an ASU program has been awarded an OFDA grant. For her locust research and solutions implementation work, Cease has garnered funding from several other organizations including the Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research, the National Science Foundation and the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Senegal
Watch video: ASU KEDtalk bit.ly/KED18Cease
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Global Engagement
Global Drylands Drylands provide a variety of ecosystem services to support nearly one third of the world’s human population. Global Drylands Center, an initiative led by Distinguished Sustainability Scientist Osvaldo Sala, in 2018 conducted projects with scientists all over the world to ensure a sustainable future for these arid ecosystems.
Case in point: Nearly half a century ago, the most important framework guiding research in drylands — the pulse-reserve paradigm — was born. Since this framework was due for an assessment, GDC brought together 20 international scientists to rigorously test it. As a result, the GDC symposium created an improved framework on which dryland ecology can continue to build.
Resilience to hurricanes The Urban Resilience to Extremes Sustainability Research Network collaborated with the International Institute of Tropical Forestry to support hurricane recovery in 8
urban areas. This effort focused on San Juan, Puerto Rico — a UREx SRN network city and one of the Caribbean islands recovering from Hurricanes Irma and Maria.
Global Engagement
On-the-ground learning in Nepal As ASU senior sustainability scientists Nalini and Netra Chhetri know, some educational experiences are more effective outside the classroom. That’s why the wife-and-husband pair of professors have directed a three-week study abroad program in Nepal for several years.
In 2018, 14 ASU students from various majors participated in five main activities: They led STEM projects for schoolchildren, attended workshops to design an eco-park protecting Rhino Lake in Chitwan National Park, produced high-quality biochar, installed a fully operational solar irrigation system serving an indigenous community and learned from sustainable farmers in Pokhara.
credit: Vital Voices Partnership
Empowering female entrepreneurs Awardees of the inaugural WE Empower U.N. SDG Challenge — a global business competition for female entrepreneurs advancing the U.N. Sustainable Development Goals, for which the ASU Wrigley Institute is a lead partner — joined the U.N. Global Goals Week for a productive schedule of learning, training and networking.
The five awardees, representing all of the U.N.’s regions, were chosen to participate based on the vitality of their innovative sustainable businesses that impact everything from biodiversity to human trafficking. Listen: Future Cities Podcast bit.ly/fut18cities
Arizona Impact
Strategies for Arizona cities The Sustainable Cities Network connects local cities to explore and address sustainability challenges, which in 2018 included greening policies, drought planning/resiliency, energy efficiency, alternative fuel options for fleets, bus rapid transit for a 20-minute city, zero waste, water conservation strategies for HOAs and options for composting biosolids. Through these projects, SCN involved six cities, two organizations and two School of Sustainability classes: SOS 321 (Policy and Governance in Sustainable Systems) and SOS 498/594 (Urban Sustainability Best Practices Application).
Making events green SCN, in collaboration with its steering committee cities Glendale, Mesa and Phoenix, completed the network’s first Greening Events Implementation Guide. This guide provides event planners with information and best practices to host sustainable events in a cost-effective manner.
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Arizona Impact
Solutions for Valley Communities Apache Junction has new strategies for waste management, understanding homelessness, sustainable tourism planning, off-leash dog parks and more, thanks to Project Cities — a program led by the Sustainable Cities Network. Apache Junction was the inaugural partner of the program, which plugs ASU students and faculty into real-world projects that make cities better places to live. Projects with Apache Junction involved more than 220 students and 10 faculty from eight ASU departments. After wrapping up activities with Apache Junction, students began tackling new sustainability challenges with Project Cities’ 2018-2019 partner, Glendale.
Urban ecology program going strong For more than 20 years, ASU’s Central Arizona–Phoenix Long-Term Ecological Research program has been studying the Phoenix urban ecosystem from a holistic, interdisciplinary and social-ecological perspective. The National Science Foundation has funded CAP LTER through grants since 1997, and announced that the fourth phase of CAP LTER research will be fully funded through 2022. CAP LTER researchers will continue to explore new social-ecological frontiers of urban ecology in residential landscapes, urban bodies of water, desert parks and preserves, flora and fauna, and urban design and governance.
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Arizona Impact
Building resilience in Maricopa County communities With a $15 million grant from the Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust, ASU scientists launched the Knowledge Exchange for Resilience initiative with the goal of making the people and communities of Maricopa
County more resilient. Resiliency means that residents can not only respond to long-term stresses, but also can survive shocks such as floods and then get back to their regular lives as quickly as possible.
Stardust Center The Stardust Center for Affordable Homes and the Family evolved to advocate for a regional approach to affordable and workforce housing that integrates family well-being, community health and sustainability. In 2018, Stardust began partnerships with Vitalyst Health Foundation and 12
the Arizona Partnership for Healthy Communities to engage a wider audience in its mission, and launched a successful panel discussion series that brought together a range of participants, including local governments, nonprofits, businesses, students and faculty.
Climate Change
Changes in snowpack impacting water rights Mountain snowpack is melting earlier, altering the timing of runoff. This puts pressure on reservoirs and causes problems for water regulators and farmers. To help stakeholders find solutions, the U.S. Department of Agriculture awarded $4.9 million to an interdisciplinary team of researchers from ASU and four other institutions.
Visualizing climate data in real time PolarGlobe is a largescale, web-based, fourdimensional visualization tool allowing climate data access to anyone with an internet connection. This tool, developed by Senior Sustainability Scientist Wenwen Li, is capable of illustrating changes in the atmosphere vividly in real time.
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Climate Change
Making rice sustainable with solar-powered technology For centuries, farmers have grown rice by flooding fields with fresh water, requiring more than two times the water needed for wheat or maize. We use a third of the world’s freshwater resources just to cultivate rice. What’s more, waterlogged soil is the perfect home for microbes that release methane, a greenhouse gas that traps more heat than carbon dioxide. By contributing 20 percent of the world’s man-made methane emissions, rice production drives climate change, which then threatens the water supply. But “we can’t just tell people to stop eating rice, the most important staple food in the world,” said Senior Sustainability Scientist Rimjhim Aggarwal. Aggarwal is working to transform the rice production process through a solar-powered drip irrigation technology developed by her partner, Jain Irrigation. The technology applies water to the rice plants’ roots in more precise amounts at strategic times.
Climate Change
Climate change education for island nations Small island nations are feeling the effects of climate change more strongly than most places. During a visit to Fiji, ASU faculty, staff and students working to expand the reach of Solar-Powered Educational Learning Libraries (SolarSPELLs) discovered that residents wanted to learn about climate change. “Fiji was the first country to specifically request actionable climate change content” on their SolarSPELLs, said the initiative’s founder Laura Hosman. In response, Hosman and her team are developing content that “mirrors an identified need for education on
how to address and mitigate the impact of climate change that Fijians are experiencing daily.”
Harnessing CO2 to reduce the cost of biofuel Two ASU research teams, headed by sustainability scientists Willem Vermaas and Bruce Rittmann, were awarded a total of $4.5 million by the U.S. Department of Energy. These teams are developing innovative approaches for making microalgae more efficient in capturing waste carbon dioxide and converting it into biodiesel and other transportation fuels. This process can also be used to produce sustainable products such as healthy animal feeds, nutritional supplements and green chemicals. 15
Urban Heat
Urban Heat
Combating urban heat Maricopa County is one of the fastest-growing regions in the nation. Coupled with climate change, this growth is leading to increased urban heat and air pollution. To combat these issues, the Maricopa County Industrial Development Authority approved a three-year, $2.99 million research grant to establish the Healthy Urban Environments Initiative at ASU.
Modeling the future A team of researchers led by ASU completed some of the most sophisticated modeling of the effects of climate change on growing urban centers in the U.S., finding that some of today’s proposed solutions will provide only a fraction of relief from the projected heat.
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This initiative takes a solutions-based approach to heat mitigation and air quality improvement, capitalizing on the ASU Wrigley Institute, its School of Sustainability and its partners around the world. Charles Redman, the founding director of the School of Sustainability, is co-directing HUE along with Matthew Fraser, a professor in the School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment.
Urban Heat
in the Valley Phoenix Phoenix was named as a finalist in Bloomberg Philanthropies’ 2018 Mayors Challenge on the strength of its proposal for a first-of-its-kind “HeatReady” program. The city partnered with ASU, particularly Senior Sustainability Scientist David Hondula, on this program to identify, track, prepare for and respond to the dangers of extreme urban heat. The “HeatReady” program aims to be a comprehensive approach to heat management, akin to what other cities have done for catastrophic storms.
Tempe A team from ASU’s Urban Climate Research Center conducted several projects with the city of Tempe to mitigate urban heat, including: researching how shade affects how we experience heat, examining how Tempe can be better designed to alleviate heat, using statistics to implement better policies, and conducting for city staff workshops on dealing with extreme weather events.
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Energy
Big power from a small container With a $2 million grant from the Office of Naval Research, Senior Sustainability Scientist Nathan Johnson is working to improve his solar-powered, electrical grid-in-a-box for use in far-flung corners of the world where traditional power doesn’t reach.
Record-breaking solar cells Thanks to ASU scientists, perovskite/silicon tandem solar cells are becoming more and more efficient. The team surpassed their previous recordbreaking efficiency by nearly two percentage points, predicting they’ll be nearing 30 percent tandem efficiency within two years. Enhancing efficiency brings down the cost of solar electricity, allowing this source of renewable energy to become a viable option for more people.
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Plastic
Biodegradable plastics made from bacteria By employing cyanobacteria — a photosynthesis-happy bug — Senior Sustainability Scientist Taylor Weiss is developing environmentally friendly bioplastics that dissolve in a matter of months. “Essentially, because the average usage-lifetime of a disposable plastic bag in the U.S. is 12 minutes, yet take hundreds of years to degrade, we’re looking to bioplastics to create the benefits of disposability without the long-term negative consequences.” —TAYLOR WEISS
Don’t flush those contact lenses ASU researchers reported the first nationwide study that shows consumers may be unknowingly contributing to plastic pollution by discarding used contact lenses down the drain. Senior Sustainability Scientist Rolf Halden and his team discovered that 15 to 20 percent of contact lens wearers flush them down the toilet or sink. From there, these lenses typically are conveyed to wastewater-treatment plants, where they are fragmented into microplastics that accumulate in sewage sludge — an abundant material routinely applied on land for sludge disposal and soil conditioning. 19
Biodiversity
Making the most of conservation money With limited funding, it's a challenge to bring back threatened or endangered species. A new decision-making tool developed by Leah Gerber, director of the Center for Biodiversity Outcomes, helps conservation scientists decide how to conserve the greatest number of species. The tool, called the Recovery Explorer, was developed in collaboration with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service in a two-year project supported by the National SocioEnvironmental Synthesis Center. Recovery Explorer can be used to evaluate potential consequences of alternative resource allocation strategies. “In my view, one of the most promising possibilities of the tool is that it can be used to estimate what outcomes will be gained for a given investment,� Gerber said.
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Business
Giving retailers tools for responsible products Transparent supply chains are good for business, since more consumers and investors are demanding to know how and where products are made, what they are made of and how to properly dispose of them. The Sustainability Consortium — an organization co-run by ASU and the University of Arkansas — has developed a measurement and reporting system to increase this transparency in order to build a world where sustainable products are our everyday products.
The Sustainability Consortium in 2018
More than
$200B
worth of consumer products from companies such as Kroger, Marks & Spencer, Walmart, Amazon and Walgreens are now managed using TSC’s system of tools and resources.
90%
of consumer goods covered
100+
members , including many of the world’s biggest brands
2,000+ users of TSC tools
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Business
Benefits from better fishing management It’s not always good to follow the status quo, Senior Sustainability Scientist Joshua Abbott found — particularly when it comes to recreational fishery management. Abbott was lead author on a study that determined that worldwide reforms to recreational fishery management could create valuable benefits.
According to Abbott, current regulations promote congested fisheries, short and inflexible fishing seasons, and wasteful discards of catch. A “rights-based” management approach could introduce more flexibility and accountability while providing financial benefits totaling $1 billion in value annually in the U.S.
Circular economy pays The Resource Innovation and Solutions Network Incubator is a niche business accelerator for entrepreneurs in the early stages of waste-to-product innovation with the goal of moving a circular economy in the Phoenix area
3
Patents Filed
43
Internships
22
12
Products Launched
forward further and faster. This goal was supported in 2018 as 13 ventures from the RISN Incubator created 43 jobs and generated more than $4.1 million in revenue.
13
43
Companies Incubated
2.95
$
million Capital Raised
Jobs Created
4.1
$
million Revenues Generated
Partnerships
ASU, Major League Baseball team up ASU sustainability students engaged with baseball fans to help Salt River Fields — spring training home of the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Colorado Rockies — minimize and manage its waste. “Recycle Rally” was the stadium’s first zero waste project during spring training. Students also conducted waste audits to inform a best-practices plan for MLB and the stadium.
Students present strategies to Mayo Clinic
credit: Peter Pallagi, Mayo Clinic
School of Sustainability Change Agents led by instructor Colin Tetreault presented recommendations and strategies to the Mayo Clinic corporate sustainability committee. The students were tasked with three projects: to reimagine sustainability for Mayo Clinic from a brand and engagement perspective, to create a sustainability-based toolkit for Mayo Clinic talent recruiters, and to formulate a campaign for Mayo Clinic to engage the community through sustainability.
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Partnerships
Keeping Olympic marathon spectators cool Standing for hours within crowds of people in hot, sunny and humid conditions is a recipe for heat illness — but that’s what spectators at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic marathon may be contending with. To help Tokyo city officials and the Tokyo Olympic Committee prepare for extreme heat and mitigate heat illness, ASU Senior Sustainability Scientists Jenni Vanos and Ariane Middel were part of a team that measured and mapped out microclimates along the marathon course to identify hotspots where spectators may face discomfort or illness due to a cocktail of highheat factors.
Vanos, Middel and colleagues from around the U.S. and Japan published the journal article detailing their findings and recommending adaptive urban design and coping strategies, which included: changing the route to avoid specific spots prone to extreme heat, improving shade and vegetation, providing ventilation, preparing public health officials and emergency responders, and establishing cooling centers. Vanos said that many of the recommendations would support sustainable development in Tokyo beyond the Olympics as part of the “Olympic Legacy.”
Understanding land degradation ASU’s Decision Theater and Conservation International unveiled a new tool designed to help decisionmakers understand the type and 24
extent of land degradation in a given geographical area, and the costs and benefits associated with specific policy interventions.
Events
Wrigley Lecture Series
Funded through the generous support of Julie Ann Wrigley, the Wrigley Lecture Series brings to ASU internationally known thinkers and problem-solvers to engage directly with students and the wider community.
WATCH VIDEO: bit.ly/wls18reck
WATCH VIDEO: bit.ly/wls18thom
WATCH VIDEO: bit.ly/wls18patel
Housing for inclusive and equitable cities Jonathan Reckford, CEO of Habitat for Humanity International, discussed how developing sustainable communities that is inclusive and equitable for all residents are dependent upon creating affordable housing opportunities.
Navigating Island Earth To Nainoa Thompson, Hawaiian master navigator and President of the Polynesian Voyaging Society, the connection between his long-distance ocean voyages and sustainability is simple. It’s about malama honua — caring for our Island Earth — and engaging with youth and communities around the world to reestablish a vital connection with nature. The world that food made Award-winning writer, activist and academic Raj Patel argued that injustices in our modern food system date back to the use of the plow, and that the “cheapness” of everything in our food industry as a result of capitalism is impacting our health, well-being and planet.
Watch: Discover more Wrigley Lectures: bit.ly/wrigleylecture 25
Events
Smithsonian Water/Ways exhibit touring Arizona Members of 12 rural communities throughout Arizona are getting the chance to explore the past, present and future of water’s environmental and cultural impact in the state when the Smithsonian Institution’s Museum on Main Street exhibition Water/Ways visits their town between 2018 and 2020. One of the components of this exhibit is WaterSim Arizona, an immersive visualization tool used to explore the complexity of water supply and demand. This tool was developed by ASU’s Decision Center for a Desert City, and Water/Ways was partially sponsored by ASU’s Rob and Melani Walton Sustainability Solutions Service.
Smithsonian Water/Ways Tour Sites Arizona Community Foundation Affiliates Smithsonian Water/Ways Tour Sites Arizona Community Foundation Affiliates
2018 Sustainability Solutions Festival
1
month
15 33,702 events
attendees
The Sustainability Solutions Festival celebrated its fifth year by highlighting connections that are vital to build a positive future that includes economic prosperity, social wellbeing and environmental health. Events focused on celebrating solutions and facilitating partnerships that can propel solutions to a global scale.
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Events
Phosphorus for all of us More than 50 Sustainable Phosphorus Alliance participants — representing diverse fields in agriculture, supply chain economics, green chemistry, regulatory policy and industry — met at ASU’s Tempe campus to tackle key phosphorus management challenges.
“This is such a vastly complex issue that requires the collaboration of all those who handle nutrients — from the mines and fertilizer companies that produce them to the wastewater treatment plants, compost facilities and manure managers that recycle them,” said SPA Program Manager Matt Scholz.
Free sustainability films To engage the wider community, the ASU Wrigley Institute sponsored free sustainability film screenings followed by a Q&A with sustainability experts or community leaders. Films included: “The Age of Consequences,”
“Dominion,” “To the Ends of the Earth,” “Out in the Night,” “The Black Power Mixtape 1967-1975,” “The House I Live In,” “Gray Area: Wolves of the Southwest,” “Angry Inuk,” and “An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth to Power.” 27
SOS Stats
Sustainability Enrollment Applied Biological Sciences & Sustainable Horticulture
2400
Food System Sustainability Cert. 2200
Energy and Sustainability Cert. Interdisciplinary Studies and Sustainability
2000
Sustainable Tourism Public Policy and Sustainability
1800
Engineering and Sustainability
1600
Business and Sustainability
1400
1200
Sustainability Minors
1000
800
Sustainability Grad Students
600
400
Sustainability Undergrad Majors
200
0
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
(Note: Some students are enrolled in more than one academic plan.)
1 = 0.002748
New program! The School of Sustainability launched the first completely online 16-hour GRI Standards Certified Training Course to teach the world’s most widely adopted non-financial sustainability reporting system from the Global Reporting Initiative. 28
SOS Stats
Alumni Employment SUSTAINABILITY
Bachelor’s
Employed or Graduate School
93%
69%
Sustainability-Related
(of Employment Rate)
SUSTAINABILITY
Master’s
Employed or Graduate School
96%
92%
Sustainability-Related (of Employment Rate)
SUSTAINABILITY
PhD
Employment Rate
100% 100%
Sustainability-Related (of Employment Rate)
New certificate! To provide training in the economic theory and the methodological tools of environmental and resource economics, the School of Sustainability kicked off its Graduate Certificate in Environmental and Sustainability Economics in 2018. 29
Students
Mentoring future leaders In the new Frasier Global Mentorship Program, School of Sustainability undergraduate students are matched with a mentor — a sustainability executive who can provide meaningful exposure to diverse cultures, values, policies and communication. Over the course of one semester, mentees cultivate a relationship with their mentor and strengthen their career-readiness skills while exploring challenges and opportunities related to sustainability professions in the global context. The program culminates in an immersive on-site experience, offering students an in-depth learning opportunity with their mentor and host organization. Costs associated with travel and accommodation are supported by the Frasier Global Mentorship Program.
Julie Ann Wrigley creates new sustainability scholarship Even after investing $50 million dollars in sustainability at ASU, Julie Ann Wrigley established a new scholarship for students enrolled in the School of Sustainability: the Rob Melnick Scholarship in Sustainability Solutions. The scholarship was named in honor of Professor Melnick’s 10 years of leadership and service to the ASU Wrigley Institute and the university, and was increased with a matching investment from ASU President Michael Crow. One sustainability student each year will earn the scholarship in support of an education, research or service activity addressing a specific sustainability challenge.
Students winning elite scholarships School of Sustainability students are winning more prestigious scholarships and fellowships than ever before. Here are a few from 2018: Sarra Zebra Tekola: Ford Foundation Fellow Elyse Kats, Kelly Baker, Danielle Vermeer: Doris Duke Conservation Scholars Karen Ibarra: Udall Undergraduate Scholarship 30
Class Notes
Alexia Bednarz BA 2013
was recognized as a “Sustainability Champion” by Arizona Forward during a ceremony in which she received an Award of Distinction. Bednarz was also our 2018 Outstanding Alumnus. Maximilian Christman BS 2014
began a new job as Manager of Sustainability at California Institute of Technology and had sustainability research from his Barrett, the Honors College thesis published in the Journal of Arid Environments. Nathan Gassman BA 2014 took a position as Subway’s Manager of Global Sustainability. Hannah La Luzerne BS 2013 earned her master’s degree in Human Dimensions of Natural Resources from Colorado State University. Sean McGraw BS 2011
founded FOR Energy while he was still an ASU student, and in 2018 it was named one of the fastest-growing companies in the U.S. according to Inc. Magazine.
What’s new with you?
Debbie Namugayi MA 2014
acted as the master of ceremonies for the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education 2018 conferences. Haley Paul MS 2010
landed a position as Policy Manager with Audubon Arizona. Genevieve Pearthree MS 2018
won the American Institute of Certified Planners Student Project Award for Applied Research for her grant-funded work discussing affordable housing in Ketchum, Idaho. Andy Stein MSUS 2015
was 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. Garrett Wong BS 2016 was hired as Membership Manager of Green Sports Alliance, fulfilling his dream to work in sports.
Whether about a new job or a newborn, we love when alumni share their updates with us! Email yours to sosalumni@asu.edu .
Faculty Recognition
Welcome to the faculty members who joined us in 2018
Craig Calhoun
Daniel Fischer
Chuan Liao
Kathleen Merrigan
Stephanie Pfirman
Jennifer Vanos
sos.asu.edu/faculty 30
Faculty Recognition Joni Adamson, Department of English Editor, New Directions in Sustainability and Society series, Cambridge University Press Fellow, Benjamin N. Duke Fellowship of the Research Triangle Foundation, National Humanities Center Shauna BurnSilver, School of Human Evolution and Social Change Editor, New Directions in Sustainability and Society series, Cambridge University Press Arianne Cease, School of Sustainability New Innovator in Food and Agriculture Research Award, Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research
Trisalyn Nelson, School of Geographical Sciences and Urban Planning Research Professional of the Year Award, Association of Pedestrian and Bicycle Professionals Martin Pasqualetti, School of Geographical Sciences and Urban Planning Distinguished Alumnus Award, University of California, Riverside Symposium Chair, Geography 2050 Symposium
K. David Pijawka, School of Geographical Sciences and Urban Planning Special Recognition Award for a Public Nicole Darnall, School of Sustainability Outreach Plan, American Planning Association, Arizona Chapter Abe Fellow, Social Sciences Research Council Bruce Rittmann, School of Sustainable Engineering and the Hallie Eakin, School of Sustainability Built Environment Research Excellence Award, American 2018 Stockholm Water Prize, Association of Geographers, Human Stockholm International Water Institute Dimensions of Global Change Specialty Group Osvaldo Sala, School of Life Sciences, School of Sustainability Donald Fixico, School of Historical, Regents’ Professor, Arizona Board Philosophical and Religious Studies of Regents Regents’ Professor, Arizona Board President, Ecological Society of America of Regents Honorary Member, Asociación Argentina de Ecología Stewart Fotheringham, School of Geographical Sciences and Urban Planning Billie Turner, School of Geographical Sciences and Urban Planning, School Regents’ Professor, Arizona Board of Sustainability of Regents Presidential Achievement Award, Association of American Geographers Kelli Larson, School of Geographical Outstanding Alumnus Award, Sciences and Urban Planning, School University of Texas at Austin of Sustainability Distinguished Alumnus Award, Department of Geography and Environmental Resources, Southern Illinois University 33
Practices
Carbon neutrality Launched in June 2018, the ASU Carbon Project purchases and generates carbon offsets for difficult-to-mitigate ASU carbon emissions. The project is partially funded by a price on carbon for ASU-sponsored air travel. The ASU Carbon Project is offsetting more than 45,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide through Community Offset Bundles — verified market
offsets coupled with local tree plantings to combat urban heat island, enhance walkability and shade, and improve air quality. ASU is aiming to achieve climate neutrality for Scope 1 and 2 emissions (building and purchased electricity emissions) by 2025 and for Scope 3 emissions (commuting and travel emissions) by 2035.
Ranking high ASU earned a top-five spot for sustainability in Sierra Magazine’s annual “Cool Schools” report. It also ranked #7 nationally in the
2018 Sustainable Campus Index, a publication of the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education.
Sustainability at ASU has a remarkable philanthropic legacy, led by the transformational investments of Julie Ann Wrigley and the Rob and Melani Walton Fund of the Walton Family Foundation. Campaign ASU 2020 will advance world-class initiatives that address the greatest sustainability challenges of our time. asu.edu/give
Sustainability Education
Food Systems
Biomimicry
Energy and Society
Sustainable Communities
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trees
water
energy
2.5
480
900,000
fully grown
gallons
BTUs
greenhouse gases
1,550
pounds
sustainability.asu.edu schoolofsustainability.asu.edu Š 2019 Arizona Board of Regents.
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&
GIOS-019-4-3800
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Enduring solutions for a better world.
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