Sustainable Carolina will host its annual Sustainability Research Symposium on Tuesday, April 16 from 10 am – noon in the Wilson Library Pleasants Family Assembly Room. This year marks the second year of the event, which brings together researchers from across Carolina for lightning talks. The researchers will discuss how their work pushes sustainability forward.
“An exciting part of our work in Sustainable Carolina is actively connecting to the research, education, and service pillars of the university,” said Chief Sustainability Officer Mike Piehler. “This event shines a light on the amazing research on campus and makes connections to our sustainability practice.”
Speaker Schedule
- 10 am: Mike Piehler, professor in the UNC Department of Earth, Marine, and Environmental Sciences and director of the UNC Institute for the Environment and Sustainable Carolina, will talk about Carolina’s blue carbon.
- 10:15 am: Lindsey Smith Taillie, associate professor at UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health Department of Nutrition will talk about creating healthier, more sustainable and more equitable diets.
- 10:30 am: Abhishek (Abhi) Bhatia, a Ph.D. candidate in the Carolina Health Informatics Program, will discuss flood evacuation notices in South India.
- 10:45 am: Tamlin Pavelsky, professor in the UNC Department of Earth, Marine and Environmental Sciences, will explain how his team uses satellite data to track the world’s water.
- 11 am Antonia Sebastian, assistant professor in the UNC Department of Earth, Marine, and Environmental Sciences & the Environment, Ecology and Energy Program will talk about mapping climate risks.
- 11:15 am: Anna Patterson, project director at the UNC Environmental Finance Center will share insights on stormwater management
- 11:30 am: Chloe Hall, student at UNC-Chapel Hill and winner of last year’s Excellence in Sustainability Research Prize, will share her work with microplastics at the Highlands Field Site.
- 11:45 am: Kathleen Gray, research associate professor and director of the Center for Public Engagement with Science, will discuss opportunities for students to get engaged in environmental and sustainability work.
View a PDF of the speaker schedule here.
Guests are invited to attend the entire program, or the talks they find most interesting. The researchers will be available for questions following their talks.
Students wishing to present their sustainability work should consider entering the Celebration of Undergraduate Research, which takes place on Monday, April 29. Sustainable Carolina will judge sustainability-related work at this event and award first, second and third prizes.
Celebrating Earth Day at Sustainable Carolina
(Jon Gardiner/UNC-Chapel Hill)
The Sustainability Research Symposium is just one of four Earth Month events hosted by Sustainable Carolina.
On Monday, April 15 from 11 am – 1 pm, we’ll host a campus cleanup, meeting on the side of the Stone Center, on Bell Tower Drive. Staff, students and faculty are invited to join, and are encouraged to wear closed toe shoes.
On Wednesday, April 17 from 2 – 4:45 pm, we’ll hold our student-focused celebration, Festival on the Green Roof. UNC Transportation and Parking, Carolina Dining Services, UNC Office of Waste Reduction and Recycling, Green Games, UNC EHS – Stormwater Program and UNC Libraries will table at the event. By visiting all of these groups, students can complete a “passport,” and receive this year’s Earth Day t-shirt, designed by a Carolina student. Students can also grab a small cup of ice cream from Maple View Farms (vegan options available).
On Friday, April 26 from 9 am – 12 pm, our Spring BioBlitz, in collaboration with the UNC Department of Biology, will take place in Battle Grove Regenerative Stormwater Area. During this time, students will use the iNatualist citizen scientist app to make wildlife observations.
Campus-wide Events
For information on Earth Month events sponsored by other University departments and student organizations, visit our Earth Day webpage.