From the Lab to the World: CISR Research Panel Discussion
Date: Friday, April 11, 2025 from noon to 1 p.m.
Location: Library 103 or Zoom.
Please join the Center for Innovation in Sustainability and Resilience (CISR) for the CISR Research Discussion: "From the Lab to the World" on April 11 at noon in person in Library 103 or virtually via Zoom.
Join the CISR Research Discussion on Zoom.
In this CISR research talk, four researchers from across campus will share their experiences on sustainability research in the lab or with models on basic and fundamental science.
Panelists:
- Kathryn A. Perrine, Associate Professor, Department of Chemistry
- Trisha Sain, Associate Professor, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
- Sriram Malladi, Assistant Professor, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
- Bo Xiao, Assistant Professor, Department of Civil, Environmental, and Geospatial Engineering
Perrine will discuss surface science, chemical mechanisms and the need for vacuum science. She will also address how fundamental studies can uncover materials properties in energy and environment challenges with regard to CO2 capture, water quality and surface chemistry of corrosion.
Sain will share more on her work on “Vitrimer-A Class of Recyclable Epoxy: Is it a suitable alternative to conventional thermosets?” Studying the degradability and long-term aging behavior of a class of recyclable epoxy to understand its structural viability as an alternative to conventional thermosets involves a wide range of experiments and the development of a numeric-theoretic approach to unravel how mechanics, chemistry and environment might play roles in deciding the sustainability of this material as a green alternative in the future.
Malladi will share his work on developing a sustainable, noise-free environment using local resonator-based metastructures by designing structures that effectively absorb ambient vibrations from structural elements. By integrating piezoceramic materials, these metastructures not only mitigate vibrations but also convert the harvested mechanical energy into electrical energy. This innovative approach has the potential to enhance energy efficiency in various applications, such as self-powered sensors, structural health monitoring and smart infrastructure systems.
Xiao will share his work on “A digital twinning platform for building wildfire resilience retrofits.” U.S. existing buildings are vulnerable to wildfire events and reducing or eliminating this vulnerability is critical for meeting national health goals. Recent work by Xiao's team focuses on investigating the environmental (i.e., carbon) and health (i.e., social) impacts of building wildfire resilience retrofits using digital twin-based modeling framework as well as determining the benefits and burdens of building wildfire retrofits under future climate scenarios.
Intersections of Environmental Humanities and Political Ecology: CISR Research Discussion
Date: Monday, April 7, 2025 from noon to 1 p.m.
Location: AOB 201 or Zoom.
Please join us for a CISR research discussion with Dr. Mark Rhodes presenting "Living Memorials: Environmental Humanities and Political Ecology Intersections with Commemorative Practices".
Commemorative practices surround us in our daily lives: our money and stamps, streets and buildings, towns and lakes, and our surrounding landscapes filled with museums, parks, graveyards, and monuments. This work, however, explores a lesser-discussed realm of commemoration through the use of plants. While the American Ornithological Society has banned the use of eponyms, or a name honoring a person, in common bird names, no such regulatory body exists for varieties of plants. This presentation provides an overview of the Living Memory Lab’s efforts over the past four years to use historical, ethnographic, and text-based methods to better understand the haphazard processes, and potential impacts, of naming varieties of plants after people.
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Multi-Robot Systems for Marine and Agricultural Resilience: CISR Research Discussion
Date: Wednesday, February 12, 2025 from noon to 1 p.m.
Location: GLRC 202 or Zoom.
Please join us for a CISR research discussion with Dr. Jungyun Bae presenting "Sustainable Autonomy: Multi-Robot Systems for Marine and Agricultural Resilience".
This talk explores cutting-edge advancements in autonomous multi-robot systems for marine and agricultural applications, focusing on sustainability and resilience. It showcases research in marine autonomy using T-AUV (Tethered Autonomous Underwater Vehicle) systems with centralized coordination algorithms and wave energy charging, as well as agricultural automation for small farms using ground robots to address labor shortages and climate change challenges. The presentation will highlight how these technologies can minimize human intervention in marine and agricultural operations, provide cost-effective solutions for tasks such as lavender harvesting, and demonstrate potential implications for broader agricultural automation.
Electrical Energy Transitions: CISR Research Discussion
Date: Monday, November 11, 2024 from noon to 1 p.m.
Location: Library 103 and Zoom.
Join a research presentation and discussion by Chee-Wooi Ten, professor of electrical and computer engineering, Power Systems Engineering Research Center (PSERC) site director, director of the Institute of Computing and Cybersystems’ Center for Cyber-Physical Systems (ICC CPS), and Fall 2024 CISR Faculty Fellow.
Ten is leading research projects and development opportunities to build a more sustainable and resilient electrical energy system for Michigan Tech and the Western Upper Peninsula. This work involves complex systems engineering, integration of domains such as efficiency and vehicle electrification, and partnerships with campus and community stakeholders. In this talk and discussion, Ten will share more about some of his current work and reflect on the opportunities for integrated partnerships that can advance a more sustainable and resilient electrical energy system for the campus and the region.
A recording of this discussion can be found at this link.
Community Resilience Planning: CISR Research Discussion
Date: Monday, October 28, 2024 from noon to 1 p.m.
Location: Zoom
Join CISR for a virtual research talk with John Van de Lindt, Harold H. Short Endowed Professor of Structural Engineering at Colorado State University and co-director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)-funded Center of Excellence for Risk-Based Community Resilience Planning. This center has developed IN-CORE, a platform that models the impact of natural hazards on communities for risk-based community resilience planning. The presentation will provide an overview of IN-CORE, including the science behind measuring community resilience, and several examples of improving community resilience through retrofits and/or policies. At the end, the community web applications developed for community partnerships and a video showcasing a soon-to-be-released IN-CORE Studio for users will be shown.
A recording of this discussion can be found at this link.
Food and Forest Resilience: CISR Research Discussion
Date: Wednesday, March 6, 2024 from noon to 1 p.m.
Location: Library 103 and Zoom.
Join a discussion on research and engagement opportunities in the thematic area of Food and Forest Resilience. Panelists Valoree Gagnon and Tara Bal (both CFRES) and Maria Janowiak (USDA/NIACS) will seed the conversation. Attendees will also get a chance to learn more about the Center for Innovation in Sustainability and Resilience (CISR) resources to support research development. Feel free to bring lunch.
Climate Resilience and Community Partnerships: CISR Research Discussion
Date: Wednesday, February 21, 2024 from noon to 1 p.m.
Location: Library 103 and Zoom.
Join a discussion on upcoming opportunities for team proposals in the thematic area of Climate Resilience and Community Partnerships. Panelists Evan Lanese and Rachael Pressley (WUPPDR); Chris Van Arsdale (Houghton & Keweenaw Counties Emergency Services Coordinator); and Pengfei Xue (CEGE) will seed the conversation. Attendees will also get a chance to learn more about the Center for Innovation in Sustainability and Resilience (CISR) resources to support research development. Feel free to bring lunch.
Mass Timber Research at Michigan Tech and Beyond: CISR Research Discussion
Date: Thursday, January 18, 2024 from noon to 1 p.m.
Location: Library 103 or Zoom.
Join a discussion on upcoming opportunities for team proposals in the thematic area of Mass Timber Research. Panelists Mark Rudnicki and Xinfeng Xie (both CFRES) will seed the conversation. Attendees will also get a chance to learn more about the Center for Innovation in Sustainability and Resilience (CISR) resources to support research development. Feel free to bring lunch.
Wind, Water, and Waves: Technological Innovations in Sustainability and Resilience: CISR Research Discussion
Date: Wednesday, November 8, 2023 from noon to 1 p.m.
Location: Library 103 or Zoom.
Join a discussion on upcoming opportunities for team proposals in the thematic area of Wind, Water, and Waves: Technological Innovations in Sustainability and Resilience. Panelists Hassan Masoud, Fernando Ponta (both ME-EM) will seed the conversation. Attendees will also get a chance to learn more about the Center for Innovation in Sustainability and Resilience (CISR) resources to support research development. Feel free to bring lunch.
Mobility Infrastructure: Sustainability, Resilience, and Current/Future Research Directions: CISR Research Discussion
Date: Thursday, October 26, 2023 from noon to 1 p.m.
Location: Library 103 or Zoom.
Join a discussion on upcoming opportunities for team proposals in the thematic area of Mobility Infrastructure: Sustainability, Resilience, and Current/Future Research Direction. Panelists will seed the conversation: Jeff Naber (ME-EM), Pasi Lautala, and Tim Colling (both CEGE) will be in-person, and Jamie Leonard and Eric McDonald from Michigan Clean Cities Coalition will join remotely. Attendees will also get a chance to learn more about the Center for Innovation in Sustainability and Resilience (CISR) resources to support research development. Feel free to bring lunch.
Hydrogen and Emerging Gas Technologies as Tools of Sustainability and Resilience: CISR Research Discussion
Date: Tuesday, September 26, 2023 from noon to 1 p.m.
Location: Library 103 or Zoom.
Join a discussion on upcoming opportunities for team proposals in the thematic area of Hydrogen and Emerging Gas Technologies as Tools of Sustainability and Resilience. David Shonnard, Robert Handler (both Chem. Eng.), and Jeff Allen (MEEM) will help seed and moderate the discussion. Attendees will also get a chance to learn more about the Center for Innovation in Sustainability and Resilience (CISR) resources to support research development. Feel free to bring lunch.