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Sustainability Meetup Series Gets Back to its Roots
On Thursday September 6, 2018, The University of Houston Office of Sustainability officially relaunched the Sustainability Meetup series. Starting in 2015 as a conversation with architect Bruce Race, the meetups are designed to make it “easier for people interested in sustainability issues to connect with each other and learn about pressing issues that impact the University of Houston campus, the community and the world”. This time, the Office was delighted to partner with Memorial Park Conservancy to educate the campus community about the vital role of soil biology in sustainability.
Conservation Program Manager Daniel Millikin was the featured speaker for the September meetup and has roots deep in soil science. Prior to joining the Memorial Park Conservancy staff, he served as the Lead Horticulturalist for Hermann Park Conservancy, and previously operated an organic, edible-focused landscaping company.
"So many soil testers and supposed experts out there are still only looking at soil chemistry when we are finding out more and more that it’s the biology that counts.” Says Millikin.
Sustainability in the news
City of Houston Selected to Join 100 Resilient Cities Global Network
Mayor Sylvester Turner and Michael Berkowitz, president of 100 Resilient Cities - Pioneered by the Rockefeller Foundation, today announced that Houston is joining the 100RC Network, a $164 million global effort to build urban resilience around the world. Through the partnership with 100RC, Houston will create and implement a comprehensive Resilience Strategy to enhance the city's long-term vision to build resilience to the shocks-such as hurricanes and flooding - and stresses that can weaken the fabric of a city on a day-to-day or cyclical basis, such as affordable housing and mobility.
Houston's membership in the 100RC Network is being sponsored through $1.8 million in funding by Shell Oil Company (Shell), which has a long history of applying technical and strategic solutions to some of the most complex projects and challenging environments in the world.
UH Energy Launches New White Paper Series
The energy initiative at the University of Houston has launched a white paper series, aimed at providing leaders from industry, nonprofits and regulatory agencies with information they need to navigate the changing energy landscape. The first paper, "Driving the Future/A Scenario for the Rapid Growth of Electric Vehicles," was produced by the Gutierrez Energy Management Institute in conjunction with UH Energy. The institute, known as GEMI, is based in the UH Bauer College of Business.
Ramanan Krishnamoorti, chief energy officer at UH, said the series will be produced by faculty from across the university, tapping expertise in a variety of disciplines, from business to law, technology and the natural sciences. It will be available on the UH Energy website, with print versions distributed to key decision-makers across a variety of related fields.
Bike Share Program Expands to UH Community
The University of Houston has partnered with Houston BCycle to install numerous bike share stations around campus. Although they can be used for short trips across campus, the bicycles are intended to connect students, staff, faculty and visitors to the growing network of BCycle stations across the city. A map of those stations is available online. Bringing a bike share program to UH has been a year-long collaboration with Houston Bike Share and supported through a federal grant provided to Houston City Council.
Former Sustainability Student Worker Wins Scholarship
Jacob "True" Furrh, an environmental science and civil engineering major, and Rachel Sanchez-Ruffra, a biology major, were selected as recipients of Hollings Environmental Science Scholarships. Both are students in the University of Houston's College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics.
The Hollings Scholarship, instituted in 2005, pays tribute to Senator Ernest Hollings of South Carolina, an advocate for ocean policy and conservation. The scholarship supports undergraduate education in the environmental sciences through scholarships and internships with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
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Food for Thought
New Green Place to Eat in Houston
Flower Child, a health-focused eatery with locations in several states, has finally announced the opening date for its first Houston outpost. The new eatery will debut in the revamped Uptown Park development on September 12, bringing with it the sunny, shabby chic vibe found in its other outposts. Interiors include mismatched colorful furniture, hanging vine plants, and vibrant pop art murals bearing peace signs and flowers.
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Climate Change Threatens Midwest's Wild Rice, A Staple For Native Americans
Each year, Dylan Jennings harvests wild rice from the lakes and rivers near his home in northern Wisconsin. He and a partner use a canoe, nosing carefully through rice beds and knocking rice kernels into the boat's hull using special sticks. "It's a really long process," he says. "It starts with identifying the area where you are going to go ricing and knowing those areas in a very intimate way."
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Scholarships & Opportunities
Campus Safety Health & Environmental Management Association Scholarship
CSHEMA offers a $3,000 scholarship (and a waiver to attend the CSHEMA annual conference) to encourage the study of environmental and occupational health, safety, and related disciplines. The program is open to all college undergraduate students preferably enrolled in majors geared toward an EHS career (such as, but not limited to, environmental science, fire protection, health physics, industrial engineering, industrial hygiene, occupational health, safety, etc.) enrolled in 12 credit hours per semester, trimester, or quarter.
Apprentice Ecologist Scholarship
The Apprentice Ecologist Initiative awards three scholarships to the authors of the three best Apprentice Ecologist essays. Applicants should embody the spirit of the Apprentice Ecologist Initiative by demonstrating personal leadership and environmental stewardship in their project. Winning essays have been 750 to 1,500 words long. Middle school, high school, or undergraduate college/university students (ages 13-21) are eligible to apply. Register and upload your favorite photo with the essay. For more information or to apply, please visit the scholarship provider's website.
Alpha Gamma Rho Horticulture Scholarship
George Staby has provided scholarships limited to current AGR undergraduates who are enrolled with a declared horticulture-related major in entomology, environmental horticulture, horticulture, landscape gardening, landscape horticulture, ornamental horticulture, pest control, plant breeding, plant pathology, plant science (with horticulture emphasis), pomology, and/or vegetable crops who have completed at least three courses in the department of their declared major. Applicants must supply a current transcript and send an essay. Financial need will not be a determinant in the selection process.
Green Jobs
Part-time openings and internships
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