Global Environmental Impact Symposium WELCOME
Global Environmental Impact Dr. Teik C. Lim Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs
G L O B A L E N V I R O N M E N TA L I M PA C T- P R O G R E S S Completed: ü Enhanced the Shimadzu Institute for Research Technologies – greater research in environmental science and built faculty strength in this area. ü Enhanced the continuing and professional education aimed at environmental effects, regulation & compliance. ü Established a UNESCO chair with a focus on water. Planning (select items): ü Strengthen existing and develop new interdisciplinary programs including sustainable urban design. ü Expand the current sustainability institute to a university level center with stronger ties to academic programs. ü Develop programs in Environmental Health and Safety (EH&S), including a master’s degree, training certifications and undergrad specialization. ü Enhance focus in water resources, planning and policy § New programs and initiatives water resources, conservation, pollution, and disaster mitigation (water & human settlements, Tanzania study abroad program, water for peace project, etc.) § Strengthen interdisciplinary research in urban water resources, water quality and environment § Develop strong ties to Texas Water Resource Authorities and other regional/national/international agencies to enhance research and training efforts § Build strengths in analytics related to water planning & policy 2
G L O B A L E N V I R O N M E N TA L I M PA C T CAPPA SSW Diane Jones Allen Joowon Im Zhen Cong NEW FACULTY Adrian Parr (Since Fall ‘17) COS COE COED Kathleen Smits Luke Frishkoff Sunand Michelle Hummel Dan Welling Santhanagopalan Elijah Wostl Caroline Krejci Michael Zaretsky 3
G L O B A L E N V I R O N M E N TA L I M PA C T SSW Environment and CAPPA Disasters POSSIBLE NEW/ Sustainable Social behavioral ENHANCED Urban Design aspects of global ACADEMIC environmental PROGRAMS impact COS COE Bio & Sustainable Urban Environmental Design Analysis (Prof MS) Environmental Health and Safety (EH&S) EES/ Environmental Engineering of Track Biomedical Systems Environmental Chemical Science Engineering 4
G L O B A L E N V I R O N M E N TA L I M PA C T Possible New/Enhanced Focus Areas ü Sustainability and global impact ü Sustainable solid waste management ü Environmental health and safety ü Chemical contamination & chemical manufacturing ü Water resources, planning and policy ü Invasive species § Urban water resources ü Land-atmosphere interactions § Water quality and environment ü Underground infrastructure construction and renewal § Analytics related to water planning & policy technologies § Disaster recovery ü Exposome Project (EES, Environmental Chemistry) ü Energy management, sustainability, and efficiency ü BRIT-Biology Collaboration in Plant Biology (Considering a § Power management and control new Center for Plant Research) § Sustainable energy technologies ü Social behavioral aspects of GEI research theme § Campus-wide facilities to increase energy savings § Social vulnerability and resilience and operational efficiencies § Community engagement and outreach ü Center for Environments Excellence and § Interdisciplinary and multilevel approach to global Environmental Training Agency (DED) environmental impact 5
Global Environmental Impact Symposium
Global Environmental Impact Dr. Duane Dimos Vice President, Office of the Vice President for Research
UTA Strategic Plan 2020: Bold Solutions | Global Impact Global Environmental Impact “UTA will address critical issues that affect our planet, including climate change, energy water, disasters, and pollution. By analyzing global population dynamics, we will develop an understanding of our world – and solutions for its problems – through avenues ranging from environmental economics to history.”
Update on UT Arlington • Carnegie Foundation Research 1 institution (initially R1 in 2015, reaffirmed in 2018) • Research Expenditures exceeded $100M, 30 % growth in three years, broad portfolio Restricted Research expenditures exceeded $45M (Tier 1 criteria) in 2018 for the 1 st time • • Graduated > 200 PhDs each of the last 5 years • With a newly elected National Academy of Engineering member and two new national academy hires, we met all Tier 1 criteria this year Total Research Expenditures ($M) 120 $101.1 Gifts 100 $94.2 NSF Corporat 9.3% $86.1 22.1% $77.9 e/Local 9.3% 80 DHHS/ 17.3% 22.1% NIH 7.8% 17.3% 60 7.8% 7.8% 13.1% 7.8% State 6.8% 40 13.1% 12.4% 6.8% 3.4% 12.4% 20 3.4% DOD Other Federal DOE 0 DOC 2015 2016 2017 2018
Global Environmental Impact: Water • A. Parr (CAPPA Dean) – UNESCO Chair for Water and Human Settlements • Collaborative Laboratories for Environmental Analysis & Remediation (K. Schug, Chemistry) Assessing and monitoring how oil and gas extraction activities in Texas can impact o water quality as a result of the fracking process • Urban Water Institute (D.J. Seo, Director) Numerous projects related to flood control and flood warning o • Biology – Numerous projects related to environmental ecology and impacts of water quality of health of the environment • English – Climate history, relationship with people & their natural environments • Political Science – Disaster recovery
Global Environmental Impact: Energy • Energy Systems Research Center (W-J. Lee, Director) Microgrid for power management research o Research with ONR on ship board power (D. Wetz, A. Davoudi, R. Madani) o • Center for Renewable Energy, Science & Technology (co-Directors: B. Dennis, MAE and K. Rajeshwar, Chem) Developing a commercially viable technology for natural gas to liquid fuel production o • Energy storage: Li-ion batteries and other • Solar energy materials Sol-gro: entrepreneurial start up based on UTA patent (W. Chen, Physics) o • Energy management in big data centers (D. Agonafer, I/UCRC)
Global Environmental Impact: Environmental Issues • Solid Waste Institute for Sustainability (S. Hossain, Director) Waste management issues throughout our area o International engagement – Winter School, Ethiopia contract, many others o • Chemical contamination – EES, Chemistry, Civil Eng. • Greener chemical manufacturing – Chemistry • Invasive species – Biology
Global Environmental Impact: Climate • A. Winguth (EES) – Assessing historic global warning for insights today o NSF Big Ideas – Navigating the New Arctic o NSF: https://www.nsf.gov/news/special_reports/climate/ o DOE: https://www.energy.gov/science-innovation/climate-change o DoD: https://www.globalchange.gov/agency/department-defense o DoD Center for Climate and Security o https://climateandsecurity.org/tag/department-of-defense/ o National Center for Atmospheric Research: https://ncar.ucar.edu/ • D. Nygren (Physics) proposal to develop new programs: Our Planetary Future
National Institutes of Health (NIH) provides funding opportunities to investigate Global Environmental Impact • Recent themes relevant to Global Environmental Impact: Environmental health and sustainable development internationally o Effects of pollution on health o Effects of climate change on health o Distribution of health-related resources after natural disaster o Health effects of climate-related disasters o Effects of climate change-affected pathogens and pollutants o Sustainable solutions for mitigating pollution-related health effects o • Keep in mind, NIH funding opportunities may be: Focused on a specific condition, disease, or population o Limited to specific institutes within NIH o
Two Institutes Have Strong Focus on Global Environmental Impact The mission of the National Institute of Fogarty International Center and its NIH Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) is to partners invest in research on a variety of discover how the environment affects people in topics vital to global health. Topics relevant order to promote healthier lives. to environmental impact include: • Global environmental health & stewardship • Climate change • Disaster health effects • Household air pollution o Manmade: Chemical and oil spills • Implementation science o Natural: Hurricanes and tsunami • Infectious diseases • Disaster research response • Preparedness • Nanomaterials and the environment • Endocrine disruptors • Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes • Exposure biology
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