The Millennium Café in the Garden – Tuesday 9/21, 10-11am will be an opportunity to grab a cup of complimentary coffee, hear a brief introduction of two exciting opportunities, and make some new connections. This event will occur outdoors, rain or shine (the garden is covered), and just outside the MRI entrance of the MSC.
The Future of the Business of Sustainability Depends on Science
Dan Cahoy | Research Director, Smeal Center for the Business of Sustainability
Sustainability research at the Smeal College has reached new levels of activity. Our work responds to a substantial upsurge in interest in the business community; firms that previously treated sustainability as window-dressing now consider it essential to their operations and investors increasingly demand an “ESG” focus. However, the business community’s understanding of sustainability must be better informed by science and engineering disciplines to satisfy its stakeholders. This discussion highlights areas for collaboration and invites future conversations on making business more sustainable with science.
Enabling Interdisciplinary Research: 21/22 IEE Seed Grants
Lara Fowler | Assistant Director, Penn State Institutes of Energy and the Environment (IEE); Senior Lecturer, Penn State Law
IEE focuses on enabling interdisciplinary research in climate and ecosystem change; urban systems; integrated energy systems; water and biogeochemical change, and health and the environment. I will discuss IEE's currently open seed grant call and share thoughts about how to engage more broadly on these topics. Seed grant proposals are due by 5pm on 11/19/21 (see https://iee.psu.edu/funding/iee-seed-grant-program).
***The Millennium Café, a weekly interdisciplinary research dialogue started in May of 2012 has been THE venue for researchers to exchange ideas and challenges while building community across campus. The Café historically drew >75 researchers each Tuesday in the MSC Café Commons, COVID has complicated our ability to run the Café in its traditional format, and “in the garden” is the latest attempt to create ways for people to connect - particularly newer-to-PSU faculty and students.