Environmental Science and Design Research Institute
Students Across Disciplines Innovate in the 2022 Biodesign Challenge
Two significant environmental issues our nation faces today include invasive plant species and a lack of sustainable materials. Invasive plant species are detrimental to host environments for multiple reasons. ֱ State students are working to turn invasive plant species into a sustainable material that can help protect the environment through the 2022 Biodesign Challenge, a course and national competition to create sustainable solutions to real world problems.
Campus Grind2Energy Systems Are a Key Component in ֱ State’s Sustainability Future
The central component of the Grind2Energy systems at ֱ State University are larger versions of the in-sink garbage disposals found in many homes. The difference is that at ֱ State, these units aren’t disposing of food waste, but processing it with a purpose - as the first part of a highly sustainable innovation that creates energy and high-grade fertilizer.
On Land and At Sea
ESDRI fellow racks up the miles, all in the name of research
If you see Alicia Costello in your area, give her a wave!
Meet the 2021-2022 Biodesign Challenge Team Representing ֱ State at the BDC Summit
Five elite KSU students, from diverse backgrounds, are competing at the Biodesign Challenge international summit with their cutting-edge product.
Geography Professor Selected for AGU’s National Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Leadership Academy
Scott Sheridan, Ph.D., professor and chair of the Department of Geography, in the College of Arts and Sciences at ֱ State University, was recently selected to become an inaugural American Geophysical Union (AGU) LANDInG (Leadership Academy and Network for Diversity and Inclusion in the Geosciences) Academy Fellow.
Climate Scientist Publishes Trends in ‘Weather Whiplash’ Events
Many wonder if climate change is the reason we’ve had 'weather whiplash' or day-to-day dramatic changes from hot to cold or cold to hot. As a climate scientist, Cameron Lee, assistant professor in the Department of Geography in the College of Arts and Sciences at ֱ State, gets asked this question a lot. Looking beyond just the average temperatures and statistical means, he decided to take a more analytical look at weather whiplash and add to a growing body of climate change literature examining temperature variability trends.
Geography Researchers to Contribute to Actionable Science for Decision Makers
Timothy Assal, Ph.D., assistant professor in the Department of Geography, was awarded a grant as a co-principal investigator on a multi-institutional project, “Vulnerability of lower-ecotone aspen forests to altered fire regimes and climate dynamics in the northern Great Basin” (a three-year $299,842 total award with $89,600 going to ֱ State), which is funded by the . This collaboration includes the United States Geological Survey in Boise, Idaho, Utah State University, and the United States Bureau of Land Management.
ֱ State Announces Winners Of The Faculty Outstanding Research And Scholarship Award
ֱ State's Jonathan Maletic, Ph.D., in the Department of Computer Science and Tara Smith, Ph.D., in the College of Public Health are the winners of the 2021 Faculty Outstanding Research and Scholarship Awards (ORSAs). The ORSAs recognize the hard work and dedication of faculty members who have been with ֱ State for more than 10 years. Read more about the winners and how they display the highest levels of scholarship.
Researchers Take a Closer Look at Nitrogen in the Chihuahuan Desert, New Mexico
Researchers from ֱ State University and the University of New Mexico determined how nitrogen-fixing plants and soil microbes contribute to the overall nitrogen availability in the Chihuahuan desert in New Mexico.