Weekly Newsletter

March 15, 2021

Dear colleagues-

Spring is getting busy with several important events; tomorrow we will be hosting two speakers with deep international policy expertise, Dr. Frances Colón and Amb. Anne Slaughter Andrew, for a distinguished lecture on science diplomacy. On the 25th, we hope you can join us for an event we’ve been planning for since last winter, the Environmental Justice Symposium, which will include performances, films, student research posters and an undergraduate session. Many of your colleagues will be presenting, and we’d love to have your students attend and take part in this unique event that will bring together scholars from around the state. We are also excited to take part in the Spring 2021 Ecological Science and Engineering student-led symposium March 30-31.

This week, our shout out goes to three affiliates in the College of Liberal Arts. First, our amazing former associate director and EJ champion extraordinaire Laura Zanotti (ANTH) was recognized for her research accomplishments and Melissa Remis (ANTH) received recognition in advancing and supporting women in the university. Additionally, Leigh Raymond (Poli Sci), former director of the Center, was awarded a fellowship at the Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences at Stanford University. Congratulations all!

Upcoming Events

Science Diplomacy: US and Latin America in a New Era of Cooperation

TOMORROW, March 16 | 3:00 - 4:00 PM

Join us for this Discovery Park Distinguished Lecture featuring Dr. Frances Colón, science and environmental policy expert and science diplomat during the Obama administration. After her presentation, she will be joined by Anne Slaughter Andrew, Former U.S. Ambassador to Costa Rica in the Obama Administration, for a follow-up discussion. More information and link to register here.

2021 Environmental Justice Symposium

March 25 & 26, 2021

The 2021 Environmental Justice Symposium is taking place next week!

The Symposium will be composed of four panels organized around the following themes:

Dimensions of Environmental Justice and the Midwest
Pollutants, Toxins, Health and Justice
Gender, Inclusion, and Justice
Conflict, Disaster, and Climate Change

There will also be working group sessions on Friday afternoon focused on these four areas as well as the New Carbon Economy. Read more about the Symposium in this Purdue Today article.

Registration is required to attend the Conference - register by clicking here.

Global Soil Biodiversity: Establishing Common Ground For Sustainability
Featuring Dr. Diana Wall, Colorado State University

April 5, 2021 | 1:30 - 2:30 PM

Soil biodiversity, estimated at 25% of all known species on earth, is crucial for life aboveground. There is growing scientific evidence indicating that soil biodiversity and the ecosystem functions and services they provide can optimize the successful implementation of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

In this talk, Dr. Diana Wall will discuss the state of knowledge on the emerging field of soil biodiversity science and implications for sustainability under current and future environmental change. More information here.

Click here to register for this seminar.

Informational Brief on Indiana Wetlands

Following the success of our virtual forum in February on Indiana wetlands, we're excited to release a new informational brief on the abundant benefits of isolated wetlands within the state. The brief's creation was led by researchers from our Water Challenges signature research area, Indiana University, Notre Dame, and IUPUI, with assistance from the Purdue Policy Research Institute.

View the brief here.

Affiliates in the News

Team creating virtual reality-based training program to thwart cybersecurity attacks
Purdue Today | March 2021

Led by Center affiliate and Building Sustainable Communities SRA affiliate Mesut Akdere (PPT), researchers from Purdue and Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service (TEEX) are creating an artificial intelligence-powered, virtual reality-based cybersecurity training program for public safety officials. The joint three-year project received a $1.5 million Homeland Security National Training Program/Continuing Training Grant from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security in November 2020. Read more about the project.

Purdue team predicts next-generation microbiome research promises agricultural advances
Purdue Ag News | March 2021

A group of Purdue scientists, including Center affiliate Anjali Iyer-Pascuzzi (Botany & Plant Path), recently authored a review of agricultural microbiome work for the journal Nature Plants. The review gathers comprehensive knowledge about the microbiomes of soil, plants, and insects and uses agricultural context to provide actionable items for farmers moving forward. Read more about the study here.

What Problems Does Organic Cotton Solve?
Sapiens Magazine | March 2021

Center affiliate Andrew Flachs (ANTH) recently had a featured article in Sapiens magazine on the organic cotton agriculture practices of India and the surprising benefits organic farming yields to Indian growers. Read the article here.

Purdue Anthropology Professors Awarded
Purdue Ag News | March 2021

Melissa Remis, C4E affiliate and Anthropology Department Head, received the Violet Haas Award, given by the Susan Bulkeley Butler Center for Leadership Excellence. The Violet Haas Award recognizes individuals, programs or departments at Purdue that have effectively facilitated the advancement of women in hiring, promotion, education and salary, or have generally enhanced a positive professional climate for women at Purdue. Congratulations Melissa!

Laura Zanotti, former associate director of C4E, was recently selected as a winner of the 2020 Purdue Liberal Arts Excellence in Discovery and Creative Endeavors (EIDCE) Award. EIDCE awards are the college's highest recognition for scholarly achievement in your field. Congratulations Laura!

Growing food and protecting nature don’t have to conflict – here’s how they can work together
The Conversation | March 2021

Center affiliate Thomas Hertel (AG ECON) recently published a piece in The Conversation on the importance of growing food in an environmentally sustainable way - something that has become even more important in the wake of the global COVID-19 pandemic. Read the article here.

2021 ESE Symposium

March 30th & 31st

Join Purdue ESE for their 14th annual symposium examining how we as humans govern the complexities of adapting as a society to mounting issues worldwide. The symposium will reflect on the many events of 2020 – including the coronavirus pandemic, environmental crises, and social injustices – and think collectively about how we should move forward in 2021 and beyond. The symposium will also include a keynote speaker, interactive panel discussions, and an art contest and exhibition.

Read more about the Symposium here.

Funding Opportunities

COVID-19 Funding Opportunities – This list is updated frequently.

Limited Submission: DOE-OS Materials and Chemical Sciences Research for Direct Air Capture of Carbon Dioxide
DOE announces its interest in receiving applications from single investigators and from teams for support of experimental and theoretical efforts to advance fundamental understanding of the capture of carbon dioxide (CO2) from dilute sources including combined capture and chemical conversion of CO2. Although direct air capture of carbon dioxide (DAC) generally refers to the capture of CO2 from ambient air, this FOA also considers the removal of CO2 from partially concentrated air (e.g., building HVAC exhaust) and from natural fluids (e.g., the ocean and surface waters) that received their CO2 directly from ambient air. Applicant institutions are limited to no more than two pre-applications or applications as either a single-institution applicant or as the lead of a multi-institutional team.
Internal deadline: Preproposal due in InfoReady by March 22 (template)
Sponsor deadlines: March 30 – Pre-application; May 18 Application

NASA-ROSES Biodiversity: Marine, Freshwater, and Terrestrial Biodiversity Survey of the Cape (BioSCape) Airborne Campaign Science Team
For BioSCape, NASA plans to fly the four instruments mentioned above (i.e., PRISM, AVIRIS-NG, HyTES, and LVIS) aboard two NASA aircraft: the Gulfstream III, based at the NASA Langley Research Center, and the Gulfstream V, based at the NASA Johnson Space Center. The three research themes for the BioSCape campaign are: a. the distribution and abundance of biodiversity in the GCFR, b. the role of biodiversity in ecosystem functions within the GCFR, and c. the feedbacks between global change, biodiversity change, and ecosystem services in the GCFR. Deadline: July 16 – Step 1; August 17 – Step 2

Visit our website!