After the Green New Deal
2023-03-03 13:00 - 15:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | UCLA Perloff Hall, DeCafe, 365 Portola Plaza, Room 1302, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, United States
Join UCLA AUD’s Critical Studies program for a symposium on the changes and research that have proliferated from the Green New Deal. Join in on the conversations with Kate Aronoff, Daniel Aldana Cohen, and Billy Fleming.
REGISTER HERE

Healthy Campus Initiative Community Garden Mulch Workshop
2023-03-03 14:00 - 15:00 | jane b semel Healthy Campus Initiative Community Garden, Sunset Canyon Recreation Center, 111 Easton Dr, Los Angeles, CA, 90024, United States
Join the jane b semel HCI Community Garden in its third workshop of the quarter with UC Master Gardeners! The Mulch Workshop will be taught by UCLA’s Master Gardener Dr. James Bassett! Learn about the benefits, how-tos, and and dirty details of mulching! Plotholders are highly encouraged to attend this workshop! There will be FREE MULCH to all plotholders to apply to their plots under the guidance of our resident UC Master Gardener and the experienced garden team.
REGISTER HERE

Hygiene Refill Station
2023-03-06 12:00 - 15:00, 2023-03-07 12:00 - 15:00 | Bruin Walk, 308 Westwood Plaza, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, United States
There will be a variety of products out, including shampoo, dish soap, and so many more! Everything is free!
Students are welcome to bring their empty bottles to refill with hygiene products they need such as shampoo, body lotion, hair conditioner, and more.

Electrifying for EJ: Instagram Live with Jamal Lewis, Rewiring America
2023-03-07 09:45 - 10:45 | Online
Join Just Solutions Collective for an IG Live with Jamal Lewis, Director of Policy Partnerships & Equitable Electrification at Rewiring America! They’ll be chatting about electrification, what it looks like, and the implications for environmental justice and BIPOC-frontline communities.
Instagram account for livestream: @justsolutions_org

Grand Rounds in Population and Public Health: Reducing the Health Care Carbon
2023-03-07 11:45 - 13:15 | HYBRID: USC Zilka Neurogenetic Institute (ZNI), Herkoltz Room 111, and Zoom, 1501 San Pablo St, Los Angeles, CA, 90033, United States
The Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, and the Southern California Environmental Health Sciences Center present guest speaker Jodi Sherman, MD, with a talk titled:
“Balancing Patient Safety and Pollution Prevention: Sustainable, Equitable Health Care”
Jodi Sherman, MD, is Associate Professor of Anesthesiology of the Yale School of Medicine, Associate Professor of Epidemiology in Environmental Health Sciences, and founding director of the Yale Program on Healthcare Environmental Sustainability in the Yale Center on Climate Change and Health. Dr. Sherman also serves as the Medical Director of Sustainability for Yale-New Haven Health System.
Dr. Sherman is an internationally recognized researcher in the emerging field of sustainability in clinical care. Her research interest is in life cycle assessment (LCA) of environmental emissions, human health impacts, and economic impacts of drugs, devices, clinical care pathways, and health systems.
REGISTER HERE
Lunch will be served for in-person attendees following the event.
Welcome remarks by Flora L. Thornton Chair Howard Hu, MD, MPH, ScD
Moderator:
Rob McConnell, MD
Professor of Population and Public Health Sciences
Keck School of Medicine
Panelists:
Najmedin Meshkati, PhD
Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Viterbi School of Engineering
Arash Motamed, MD, MBA
Clinical Associate Professor of Anesthesiology (Clinician Educator)
Medical Director of Keck Hospital Main OR Anesthesia Inpatient Service
Keck School of Medicine
Bhavna Sharma, PhD
Assistant Professor of Architecture
USC School of Architecture

Webinar - Opportunities for Enhanced Near-term U.S.-China Climate Action: The Food System
2023-03-07 17:00 - 18:15 | Online
Registration is free, but required. REGISTER HERE.
The food system contributes about 34% of total global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, with China and the United States as the first and third largest emitters, respectively. Among the greatest opportunities for emissions reductions in the food system are reducing and repurposing food loss and waste, along with improvements in fertilizer use efficiency. Join to hear from issue-experts on how the U.S. and China can tackle emissions, while concurrently improving soil and human health, meeting global food demand and achieving sustainable development goals.
Agenda
5:00 p.m. Discussion is opened by Moderator, Jennifer Turner, Director, China Environment Forum, Wilson Center
5:05 p.m. Reducing Food Waste and Fertilizer GHG Emissions in the U.S.

Professor Whendee Silver, UC Berkeley

5:15 p.m. Reducing Food Waste and Fertilizer GHG Emissions in China

Hu Min, Principal and Co-Founder, Innovative Green Development Program (iGDP)

5:25 p.m. Challenges and Opportunities of Converting Food Waste to Fertilizer in US and China

Professor Karen Mancl, Ohio State University

5:35 p.m. Moderated Audience Question and Answer
6:05 p.m. Speaker Closing Remarks
This meeting is co-sponsored by the California-China Climate Institute and the Wilson Center’s China Environment Forum.

White House Forum on Campus and Community-Scale Climate Solutions
2023-03-08 10:00 - 12:30 | Online
The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) and the University of Washington (UW) will convene U.S. Government officials with climate, sustainability, and resilience leaders and educators from colleges and universities across the country for a virtual forum. These stakeholders will showcase how innovative ideas and actions can advance climate change efforts on college campuses while benefitting the surrounding communities and beyond. The discussions will include:
Making campuses more sustainable and resilient, including pathways to demonstrating net-zero emissions;
Ensuring that students have the knowledge and skills to lead in the clean industries of tomorrow and to plan, deploy, and maintain the climate-smart infrastructure needed;
Providing climate information services to states, municipalities, and indigenous communities; and
Serving as proving grounds for new climate solutions and strategies to bring them into the innovation ecosystem.
Speakers Include:
Sally Benson — Deputy Director for Energy and Chief Strategist for the Energy Transition, OSTP
Maya Tolstoy — Dean, College of the Environment, University of Washington
Alexandra Isern — Assistant Director for Geosciences, National Science Foundation
Laura Petes — Chief of Staff for Climate and Environment and Assistant Director for Climate Resilience, OSTP
Please REGISTER HERE to join virtually.
A full agenda is available here.

Net Zero Accelerator Info Session
2023-03-08 12:00 - 13:00 | Online
The application for the 2023 Net Zero Accelerator is now live!
Come learn more about our one-of-a-kind program, first launched in 2019, which is focused on piloting net zero (carbon, energy, water, and waste) solutions in the built environment.
You can learn more about the NZA at NetZeroAccelerator.org.
REGISTER HERE

Building Electrification – Stories from the Home Front
2023-03-09 08:00 - 17:00 | Online
This webinar will explore the barriers and opportunities to electrifying California’s homes and buildings from those with firsthand experience — contractors, homeowners, and property owners. With a focus on lower-income residents and economically-challenged businesses, we will address both political and financial solutions that can help the state transition to clean, healthy homes and buildings.
REGISTER HERE

Coastal Justice Lab - Public Launch
2023-03-09 12:00 - 13:30 | HYBRID: UCI Law | EDU 1111 and Zoom, 401 E Peltason Dr, Irvine, CA, 92697, United States
Coastal regions, including public trust lands, are of unique importance to environmental and climate policy, infrastructure development and ecosystem management. They also raise unique challenges for disadvantaged communities, including those who live and work along the “Hidden Coast” – low-lying lands and non-oceanfront tidal and estuarine zones that account for 80% of the national shoreline.
The Coastal Justice Lab is a joint program led by Azul, a Latinx-led and -serving environmental justice organization focused on coastal and marine conservation, and the Center for Land, Environment, and Natural Resources at UCI Law. The Coastal Justice Lab is unique among efforts to advance environmental justice in coastal regions. It focuses on legal and interdisciplinary research to ensure that the work of federal, state, and local agencies, planning and regulatory proceedings, and compliance and enforcement initiatives advance principles of environmental justice and community involvement and ownership. The Coastal Justice Lab’s work includes policy proposals, draft legislation, convening reports, facilitated dialogues and peer-reviewed research to support ongoing community and agency initiatives.
Speakers include:
Emma Cervantes, California Sea Grant Law and Policy Fellow, California State Lands Commission
Marce Gutiérrez-Graudiņš, Founder and Executive Director, Azul
Gregg Macey, Associate Director for Environmental Justice, Center for Land, Environment, and Natural Resources, UCI Law
Yessica Ramirez, Environmental Justice Liaison, California State Lands Commission
Sumi Selvaraj, Environmental Justice Manager, California Coastal Commission
Noaki Schwartz, Deputy Director of Communications, Environmental Justice, and Tribal Affairs, California Coastal Commission
REGISTER HERE | Zoom webinar available for remote participation (link sent with registration confirmation).

Reimagining Rights in the Americas Conference - Keynote by E. Tendayi Achiume & Closing Reception
2023-03-10 16:00 - 18:30 | UCLA Meyer and Renee Luskin Conference Center, Laureate Room, 425 Westwood Plaza, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, United States
The Reimagining Rights in the Americas Conference is ten days of activities arranged around a historic first for UCLA: hosting the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights’ (IAHCR) Period of Sessions.
Tendayi Achiume is the Alicia Miñana Chair in Law at UCLA School of Law and former faculty director of the Promise Institute. She recently finished her period as UN Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance.
A human rights scholar and influential leader at the intersection of human rights and racial justice, Professor Achiume will speak on Climate Justice and Climate Reparations from a Racial Justice Perspective. She will be joined by IACHR Commissioner Margarette May Macaulay for a perspective from the Inter-American Commission.
The closing reception at 5:45pm will take place in the Luskin Courtyard South.
REGISTER HERE

Lydia Kallipoliti, "The Power of S**t"
2023-03-13 18:30 - 20:00 | CA
Lydia Kallipoliti is an architect, engineer, and scholar, and is Assistant Professor at The Cooper Union’s Irwin S. Chanin School of Architecture. Her research focuses on the intersections of architecture, technology and environmental politics and more particularly on recycling material experiments, theories of waste and reuse, as well as closed and self-reliant systems and urban environments.

Webinar - Methane Webinar Series: Reducing Methane Emissions from the Solid Waste Sector
2023-03-14 17:00 - 18:15 | Online
Registration is free, but required to attend. REGISTER HERE.
Today, the solid waste landfills sector accounts for 20% of global methane emissions, and is the third largest source of anthropogenic methane emissions in the United States. Additionally, it is anticipated that the total generation of municipal solid waste (MSW) will increase by 70% by 2050 as a result of a growing population. This increase in waste generation has the potential to drive a proportionate increase in landfill gas (LFG), which is primarily methane and carbon dioxide (CO2) — the two greatest contributors to global warming.
As two large economies, China and California are now taking actions to reduce methane emissions from the solid waste sector. Since different policies and technologies are adopted in the two jurisdictions, both sides can share lessons-learned and experiences with one another. Join us to hear from issue-experts on these topics, including about the launch of a new California-China Climate Institute report which focuses on lessons-learned from California.
Agenda
5:00 PT Discussion is Opened by Moderator, Ken Alex, Director, Project Climate, Center for Law, Energy, and Environment, UC Berkeley
5:00 PT Opening remarks

Jiang Lin, Nat Simons Presidential Chair in China Energy Policy, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

5:05 PT Introduction of Waste Methane Report

Rixin Zhu, Methane Policy Fellow, California-China Climate Institute

5:25 PT Commentary and Reactions on Addressing Waste Methane

Matthew Harrison, Manager of the Short-Lived Climate Pollutant Policy Section, California Air Resources Board
Dr. Xiao Liu, Project Director, Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH

6:00 PT Open Discussion and Audience Q & A
6:20 PT Closing Remarks

Dr. Meian Chen, Innovative Green Development Program (iGDP)

This webinar series is organized by the California-China Climate Institute, in partnership with the Innovative Green Development Program (iGDP). Supported by Climate Imperative and IGSD.

Free Food from the Dining Halls
2023-03-14 22:00, 2023-03-16 22:00 | Conference Room 1 in the Student Activities Center Basement, 220 Westwood Plaza, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, United States
Bruin Dine is a program serving leftover hot food from the UCLA dining halls FREE to all UCLA students, and is also looking for volunteers to help run these events (sign up at https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/11skt8Eys4hfeP4IKQFncG4Ct8ECivES6bjPjAfu20qE/edit#gid=1001346100 — UCLA email login required).
If the sign-up list is full, please place your name on the waitlist; if the waitlist is full, hang tight. Bruin Dine will release more volunteer dates in the weeks to come, and also asks that volunteers arrive at their meeting location at 9 pm before the event begins. More details about your shift will be confirmed with you via email and text.
If you also know of anyone who is in need of food, please send them the details to this event! Attendees must also bring their own containers and utensils!

How Biohydrogen Can Help Fight Climate Change
2023-03-15 08:00 - 09:00 | Online
Hydrogen, particularly green hydrogen produced from water electrolysis using renewable electricity, has received the lion’s share of attention due to its essential role in helping the world reach net-zero emissions by 2050. By comparison, little attention has been paid to biohydrogen (Bio-H2), a type of hydrogen produced from organic waste streams (e.g., agricultural waste).
Please join the Center on Global Energy Policy at Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs to discuss key findings from its latest report on hydrogen, The Potential Role of Biohydrogen in the Net-Zero World: The Production and Applications of Carbon-Negative Hydrogen. The report explores the current state of play for Bio-H2 and its potential contribution to decarbonization efforts by examining its production options, carbon footprint, cost, potential applications, and policy options.
Moderator:

Anne-Sophie Corbeau, Global Research Scholar, Center on Global Energy Policy at Columbia SIPA

Panelists:

Emanuele Bianco, Programme Officer, International Renewable Energy Agency
Zhiyuan Fan, Ph.D. student and Research Associate, Center on Global Energy Policy at Columbia SIPA
Doris Fujii, Head of Hydrogen and CCUS Analysis, bp
Yushan Lou, Research Associate, Center on Global Energy Policy at Columbia SIPA

This webinar will be hosted via Zoom. Advance registration is required.
REGISTER HERE
Upon registration, you will receive a confirmation email with access details. The event will be recorded, and the video recording will be added to our website following the event.

Engineering Jobs Across Climate
2023-03-15 09:00 - 11:00 | Online
Meet innovative companies hiring software engineers across industries.
REGISTER HERE
About Terra.do job fairs
Action-packed job fairs each month, giving candidates upfront access to hear from companies about their climate solutions and why you should join them.

Hear about dozens of open roles, in a single event
Engage directly with CXOs and hiring managers
Get vetted by Terra.do and move into recruiters’ “priority lists”
Free for candidates to attend

Visions of Reproductive Justice Series: Perspectives on Climate Justice, Public Health, and Reproductive Justice
2023-03-15 12:15 - 13:30 | Online
Join the Emmett Institute on Climate Change and the Environment and the Center on Reproductive Health, Law, and Policy for a virtual discussion about the intersection of climate change and reproductive justice.
REGISTER HERE

UCLA Farmers Market
2023-03-15 14:00 - 18:00 | Bruin Plaza, 308 Westwood Plaza, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, United States
Biweekly market (last market of the quarter) with fresh produce and local farmers in Bruin Plaza!

Webinar: Carbon Capture and Storage and What it Means for Environmental Justice
2023-03-16 10:00 - 11:30 | Online
Join Just Solutions Collective in a webinar to explore precisely what carbon capture and storage, or CCS, is and how the technology works. CCS is often purported as a just environmental solution, aiming to reduce the levels of decades of carbon emissions in the earth’s atmosphere. However, many environmental and climate justice advocates point to the harmful impacts CCS technologies have on our communities.
Speakers will also discuss how CCS fits into the current landscape of federal funding opportunities and what EJ communities can expect with increased support for this technology. Lastly, they will examine if we can save the planet without CCS and what options are available as potential alternatives to this solution.
REGISTER HERE

Innovative approaches for building disaster and climate change resilient communities
2023-03-16 10:00 - 11:30 | Online
The University of the West Indies through the Office of Global Affairs, together with the Institute of the Environment and Sustainability at UCLA and the Clara Lionel Foundation will host a webinar themed, Innovative approaches for building disaster and climate change resilient communities.
Join the conversation via Zoom on Thursday, March 16, 2023 at bit.ly/CaribbeanResilienceWebinar
This webinar seeks to capture some of the best Caribbean-based practices and case studies on disaster resilience and climate change adaptation.
Expert panellists will present innovative strategies and processes that have been adopted and produced encouraging results.
Opening Remarks
Marilyn Raphael, Director, UCLA Institute of the Environment and Sustainability
Keynote Speaker
Krystle Francis
Program Manager, Climate Resilience Initiative Clara Lionel Foundation
Panelists
Dr. Stephen Commins
Lecturer, Department of Urban Planning, and Associate Director for Global Public Affairs Luskin School, UCLA
Dr. Therese Ferguson-Murray
Deputy Dean and Senior Lecturer, School of Education, The UWI, Mona Campus
Ms. Marissa McMillan
Watershed Planner, Trinidad and Tobago Water and Sewerage Authority

UCLA Anderson Energy Innovation Conference - Decarbonizing the Future
2023-03-17 09:30 - 18:00 | Marion Anderson Hall Grand Salon, 110 Westwood Plaza, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, United States
RSVP required | UCLA Anderson’s Energy and Cleantech Association is thrilled to host the annual Energy Innovation Conference on Friday, March 17. This year’s theme is “Decarbonizing the Future.” The event will feature panels on electric mobility, carbon management, cleantech finance and women’s representation in the industry. Professionals and MBA students will learn from leaders and subject matter experts and engage in discussion about career development in cleantech.
Breakfast and lunch will be provided.
The expert panels will be followed by a networking happy hour.
REGISTER HERE

Environmental Justice Series Symposium — with Angela Johnson Meszaros
2023-03-17 14:00 - 16:00 | UCLA Mildred E Mathias Botanical Garden, La Kretz Garden Pavilion, 707 Tiverton Dr, Los Angeles, CA, 90095
Angela Johnson Meszaros is is a Managing Attorney at Earth Justice.
Angela’s docket focuses on working with communities of color on issues related to air pollution, energy, and the urban environment. For over 30 years, Angela has used a range of tools to enhance the health, safety, and quality of life in communities impacted by environmental hazards including providing technical assistance to community members to support their effective advocacy on behalf of their communities, litigation, legislative drafting, policy advocacy, and media engagement.
Refreshments will be served.
REGISTER HERE
About the series
The struggle for environmental justice defines many of the communities that make up Los Angeles. This winter we welcome you to come and hear from some of the region’s leaders about the issues communities have faced, continue to face, and to learn from their activism and commitment.
All events to be held at UCLA Mildred Mathias Arboretum, La Kretz Garden Pavilion. Google Map

WISE-LA Spring Brunch
2023-03-19 11:00 - 14:00 | Greenleaf Kitchen & Cocktails, 1239 Abbot Kinney Blvd, Los Angeles, CA, 90291, United States
Join the Women Investing for a Sustainable Economy (WISE)-L.A. chapter for a fun brunch to meet and connect with others involved in the sustainable investment space in LA.
Feel free to bring your colleagues/friends in the industry who you think would benefit from this incredible WISE community!
REGISTER HERE

Anjali Bansal: The Opportunity to Drive Value Creation Through Climate Investing
2023-03-22 08:00 - 09:00 | Online
About the event
When applied to large-scale problems, technology and innovation can help create solutions with an outsized impact on climate outcomes.
There is an extraordinary opportunity to build and scale technology-led solutions that can accelerate low-emissions and climate-resilient development pathways and drive impact for people and planet.
Investment in these climate technologies is required across the capital continuum – from early-stage venture capital funding to large public funds. For developing nations such as India, which are critical participants in achieving global sustainability, climate technologies must encompass adaptation, resilience, and mitigation to drive maximum value creation.
REGISTER HERE
About the speaker
Anjali Bansal is the Founding Partner of Avaana Climate and Sustainability Fund – investing in technology and innovation-led start-ups catalysing climate solutions and sustainability. Previously, Anjali was the Non-Executive Chairperson of Dena Bank, appointed by the Government of India to steer the stressed bank’s resolution and merger with Bank of Baroda.
Prior to that, Anjali was a Global Partner and Managing Director with TPG Growth PE, responsible for India, SE Asia, Africa and Middle East. She was also a strategy consultant with McKinsey & Company in New York.
Anjali has invested in various successful start-ups including Nykaa, Delhivery, Urban Company, Darwinbox, Farmart, and climate tech startups like Turno and Eeki. She serves as an independent director on leading boards including Tata Power, Nestle, and Piramal Enterprises. She has been appointed on the Board of ONDC (Open Network for Digital Commerce) and GIFT City, and chairs the Climate Council within IVCA. She is a Member of the Evolution Review Committee for Niti Aayog, India’s premier policy think tank chaired by the Indian Prime Minister. Anjali has also previously chaired the India board of Women’s World Banking, and served on the boards of GSK Pharma, Siemens, and Bata.

Planes, Trains and Automobiles: Electrifying Everything
2023-03-22 09:00 - 12:00 | Online
Electric vehicle adoption has significantly progressed in the past few years, and the technologies and regulations to electrify other kinds of transportation has also accelerated. For years, we have talked about light duty electric vehicles, but total transportation electrification means electrifying every single way in which we move people and goods. This Summit will highlight the wider world of electric transportation including electric vertical take-off and landing, airplanes, ports, school buses, and micro-mobility to explore the current state of the market and what is needed for mass adoption.
REGISTER HERE

Emerging Research: Air Pollution Health Outcomes and Valuation
2023-03-22 09:00 - 13:00 | Online
The California Air Resources Board (CARB) Research Division invites you to attend a public meeting to hear information about emerging science in the areas of assessing air pollution related health outcomes and approaches for valuation of health outcomes.
The purpose of this meeting is to hear information about emerging science in the area of air pollution and health in order to better understand the current available research and methodologies to assess and quantify health outcomes and benefits. This meeting will involve several presentations by academic and governmental experts on topics including health outcomes and valuation.
The scientific health experts are listed below:
Irva Hertz-Picciotto, M.P.H., Ph.D., Environmental and Occupational Health, UC Davis
Michael Jerrett, Ph.D., Environmental Health Sciences, UCLA
Rob Scot McConnell, MD., Population and Public Health Sciences, USC
Penelope JE Quintana, M.P.H., Ph.D., Environmental Health, SDSU
Bhavna Shamasunder, M.ES., Ph.D., Urban and Environmental Policy, Occidental College
Tracey Woodruff, M.P.H., Ph.D., Reproductive Health and the Environment, UCSF
The presentations will be followed by questions and a panel discussion with health experts under contract to CARB (see list of scientific health experts below). Afterwards there will be a period of public comment.
REGISTER HERE
Please register for the Public Meeting of Emerging Research: Air Pollution Health Outcomes and Valuation. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email with information about how to join the webinar by computer or by telephone.
This webinar will be recorded. A link to the recording will be sent to registrants two weeks after the meeting date. The meeting agenda will be made available a week in advance of the meeting, and meeting slides will be made available the day of the meeting online.

Renewable Energy Trends in Higher Ed: Different Solutions for Different Institutions
2023-03-22 11:00 - 12:00 | Online
Colleges and universities are buying more renewable energy than ever. Their strategies are evolving and increasing, including: onsite, offsite, PPAs, Utility Green Tariffs, Retail Renewables, unbundled RECs, and emerging approaches. This webinar, which is based on a recent analysis of the state of renewable energy in higher education, will highlight several innovative examples of how institutions are navigating this complex landscape. Participants will hear case studies about Brown University’s community solar projects, Loyola Chicago’s journey from RECs to 100% renewables via retail, and more. Join this webinar to learn what’s happening across the sector and what might work for your institution.
REGISTER HERE
Presenters
Jessica Berry, Director of the Office of Sustainability, Brown University
Jess is the director of the Office of Sustainability and provides leadership and management across the University to enhance sustainability at Brown. She works closely with the associate provost of sustainability and key stakeholders to identify opportunities for integrating sustainability principles into University operations, including the development of a long-term Sustainability Strategic Plan and net-zero strategy. Jess has worked in the environmental field for over 20 years and holds a B.S. and M.S. in environmental studies and natural resources. She can be found mountain biking, skiing or in the Vermont mountains with her family.
Aaron Durnbaugh, Director of Sustainability, Loyola University Chicago
Aaron supports faculty and staff across Loyola’s campuses and academic centers in creating the most sustainable and transformative education experience possible. He serves on the Executive Committee of the Chicago Wilderness Alliance, Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning’s (CMAP) Environment and Natural Resources Working Committee, the Illinois Green Alliance’s Drawdown Steering Committee, and is the interim Chair for the Advisory Committee for the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education’s Sustainability Tracking, Assessment and Rating System (STARS). Previously, he served as the Deputy Commissioner leading Chicago Department of Environment’s Natural Resources and Water Quality Division (NRWQ). The Department of Environment was the lead agency developing and implementing the Chicago Climate Action Plan. NRWQ educated the public on climate change issues through the Chicago Center for Green Technology, Chicago Conservation Corps, and Greencorps Chicago. NRWQ created mitigation opportunities through open space protection in the Calumet region, green infrastructure financing and various urban forestry projects. During his time in City government, Durnbaugh oversaw the City of Chicago’s climate adaptation strategy engaging stakeholders in built environment, public health and the natural environment. He holds a Master’s Degree in Geography and Environmental Studies and is a LEED™ accredited professional.
Dr. Wolfgang Bauer, University Distinguished Professor, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Michigan State University
From 2001 to 2013, Dr. Bauer served as chair of the Department of Physics and Astronomy and from 2009 to 2013 as founding director of the Institute for Cyber-Enabled Research. For the last decade he has worked primarily on MSU’s Energy Transition Plan, with a stint as Senior Consultant (2013-2018) and subsequently Associate Vice President for Administration (2018-2020). He oversaw the development of MSU’s 10 MW portfolio of solar carports, which became operational in 2018 and was the largest solar carport project in the United States at that time.
Chris O’Brien, Vice President, Business Development, Coho Climate Advisors
Chris leads business outreach and solution delivery efforts with a focus on the higher education market. He brings more than 20 years of energy, sustainability, and strategic advisory services including as Director of Sustainability at American University, where he led participation in the Coho-facilitated 53 MW Capital Partners Solar Project. Chris also previously served as Director of Higher Education Programs at Edison Energy. In his side career/hobby in the beer industry, he authored the award-winning book Fermenting Revolution: How to Drink Beer and Save the World. He serves on the board of directors of the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE).

Conversations on Informality: Providing Sustainable Electricity to Urban Informal Settlements of the Global South
2023-03-23 08:00 - 09:00 | Online
Providing basic services to informal urban settlements has been a historical challenge for cities of the global south. One of the defining features of ‘informality’ in settlements has been their lack of access to basic services. This seminar complicates that discussion by asking how to marry the concerns of sustainability and steady electricity provision in informal urban settlements. Dr. Mensah will present his research on electricity provision in Accra’s slums, while Dr. Kitio will focus on the overall macro picture of fitting sustainability into service provision in informal settlements of the global south. In particular, the seminar features research conducted by Eugenie L. Birch, co-Director of Penn’s Institute for Urban Research, and James Mensah entitled “Powering the Slum” and funded by the Kleinman Centre for Energy Policy at the University of Pennsylvania.
The “Conversations on Informality” Seminar Series of the Penn IUR Forum on Urban Informality bring together leading scholars and practitioners for an exchange across academic disciplines and in policy.
This event is a part of Energy Week at Penn, a week of energy-focused events across Penn’s campus. Browse and register for other Energy Week events: www.energyweek.upenn.edu
REGISTER HERE
