February 2023
ISS Announces Afternoon Keynote Speaker,
Larry Confino
Larry Confino is an independent director and producer with over 25 years of experience. Confino has recently turned his attention to creating a documentary film series highlighting renewable energy and sustainability solutions which are sprouting up across the nation.
His series, The 50 States of Sustainability, is airing now on KUER, PBS stations on Saturdays at 4:00 pm. The primary focus of the series is to highlight innovators in sustainable practices who are combining perspectives from the upper management of companies to non-profits, government agencies, and young leaders. The 50 States of Sustainability provides education and inspiration intended to spark change from within every industry.
Confino will be presenting as the afternoon keynote speaker at the ISS and will be discussing topics such as; the teamwork necessary to make a difference, how companies are able to collaborate with younger staff members to create change, and his dedication to his projects.
Register for the ISS to see Confino and many other influential leaders in sustainability on the Intermountain Sustainability Summit website.
WSU Recognized for Sustainability Efforts
Weber State University has been selected as a top 30 semifinalist for the ecoAmerica 2023 American Climate Leadership Awards! Selected from a group of over 145 applicants, WSU sustainability efforts and the Campus Strategic Electrification Plan put our campus in the running for a $50,000 award to continue achieving sustainability goals! The winner will be announced on March 29th as a part of the 2023 American Climate Leadership Awards' Broadcast.
The program will be broadcast over Zoom, registration is open for the event on the ecoAmerica website.
Get Involved on Campus for Black History Month
Black History Month is here! Weber State will be hosting a free event to students and the public on Wednesday, February 21, from 12:30-2:00 pm in the Shepherd Union Ballrooms. The president and chairman of the Prisoners of Conscience Committee and the Black Panther Party Cubs, Fred Hampton Jr., will be speaking at the event.
Other local groups to get involved with include the WSU Men of Color Club, a place for those on campus who identify as men of color to collaborate and discuss issues, gain access to resources, and be supported by their peers. The club launched the ‘Every Man Needs a Suit’ program in 2022, providing a suit to eligible students who are preparing for interviews, auditions, internships, etc.
Black students of all backgrounds are welcomed to attend the weekly Black and Belonging Group meetings. This is a safe space for students to gather and process racial trauma and experiences of discrimination. Aiming to foster healing in the larger community, this group meets in Room 280 of the Student Services Center on Thursdays from 3:00 pm - 4:30 pm.
There is still an open call for BIPOC Artists to submit their artwork to be displayed at Weber State's Intermountain Sustainability Summit this upcoming March. This is an effort to demonstrate the importance of social equity within the future of sustainable development and promote WSU BIPOC artists to local leaders in sustainability. Submit your art on the ISS webpage by February 17th.
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New Noorda Engineering, Applied Science and Technology Building is Complete
Weber State University in partnership with VCBO Architecture, Colvin Engineering, and Big-D Construction, has completed its state-of-the-art Noorda Engineering, Applied Science and Technology building! The building is roughly 140,000 square-feet and was designed to be exceptionally efficient with a low environmental footprint as well as to incorporate education into all elements of the building. Students walking through the building will notice exposed mechanical and electrical systems, diagrams depicting building energy flow, and art with scientific and engineering principles at its roots.
As with all new construction at Weber State, Noorda is built to be carbon neutral capable. The Noorda building gets all of its heating and cooling energy from under the A2 parking lot. A ground-source field system heats and cools water as necessary for the spaces in the building to stay comfortable. The natural gas provided to this building is strictly used for the Bunsen burners in class labs. An efficient envelope, high quality glazing, a cool roof, one hundred percent LED lighting, and state of the art heat pump HVAC systems ensure that this building is not only top of the line in terms of educational facilities, but does so with minimal environmental impact. The Noorda building represents the latest coalescence of WSU’s approach to maximize efficiency and electrify its building stock. It will serve many students for decades to come.
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Submit you Research to the Student Poster Contest
The Intermountain Sustainability Summit invites you to submit posters for the Student Poster Contest to showcase your sustainability research or projects!
Student Posters related to sustainability are welcome for submission through Thursday, February 23, 2023. Posters must be based on a student project for a class, internship or independent study that relates to sustainability, and includes the name of a project mentor or advisor. To learn more about poster categories, qualifications, and submission instructions, visit the Student Poster Contest website.
Connect Your Class with Sustainability
Faculty, it’s that time again! If you address sustainability-related topics or challenges in your courses, and many of us do, let students know that by linking the SUS attribute to your course. The deadline to submit for a SUS attribute is March 1st for upcoming summer and fall courses. There is an easy three-step process to apply.
First, review the criteria and prepare your syllabus to include at least two explicitly sustainability-focused learning outcomes. Then, complete the SUS Attribute Request Form. Finally, create and launch a “1.7 Course Attribute Request” in Curriculog where you will attach your request form and syllabus.
If you would like help through the process, two drop-in help sessions are available via Zoom on Thursday, February 16th from 12:00 - 1:00 pm and Wednesday, February 22 from 3:00 - 4:00 pm. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Alice Mulder at amulder@weber.edu.
Join the Worldwide Climate/Justice Teach-In!
Help the world-wide community of activists working to make climate a class!
The Worldwide Teach-In is a project of the Graduate Programs in Sustainability at Bard College in New York, in conjunction with partners worldwide and the Open Society University Network, with the goal of mobilizing hundreds of thousands of people (from universities, colleges, K-12 schools and more) on or around March 29, 2023 to focus on the critical climate justice work ahead, and on our shared resilient future.
On Wednesday, March 29, Weber State students and faculty will be participating in the Worldwide Climate/Justice Teach-in. As a campus-wide event, there will be four sessions, from 8:30 am - 12:30 pm, in the Shepherd Union Ballroom. Each session will include:
· A welcome to the global initiative,
· A brief presentation on the overarching climate change picture,
· Three 5-minute faculty flash talks on key climate and disciplinary connections/engagement to address climate change issues and solutions, and
· An interactive Q & A discussion and creation of personal next steps for engagement.
If you teach online or at a different time there are still many options to participate! Recordings of presentations from the 2022 Teach-In are available, as well as resources in Canvas and many other possibilities. See the Teach-In webpage for ideas and links. Faculty are asked to give some time to connect to climate change challenges and solutions. All perspectives, tools and skills are needed to reduce climate changing emissions and foster resilience and adaptive strategies in our communities. Join in this collective effort! Professors, bring your classes and indicate your plan to participate!
Clear The Air Challenge
The Clear the Air Challenge is a month-long competition created by the Salt Lake Chamber, UCAIR, and TravelWise Tracker to encourage Utahns to reduce vehicle emissions, improve air quality and reduce traffic congestion by driving less and driving smarter.
Weber State University hosts an internal Clear the Air Challenge each February to encourage friendly competition within the campus community through Travelwise Tracker. Participants aim to reduce the most CO2 by taking alternative methods of transportation.
Join Team Weber for a chance to win weekly prizes, or be one of the top three participants and receive a gift-card award!
Study with the Sustainability Clubs
The Sustainable Clubs will be holding weekly study sessions for the Spring 2023 semester! Sessions will be held every Thursday from 4:30 - 5:30 pm in the Shepherd Union Fireplace Lounge.
If you are interested in meeting like-minded students who are passionate about sustainability, come join us! We will provide tea and snacks, so don’t forget your reusable mug!
February Green Badge
Participate in the Green Badge Program and start earning your badges today! February’s Badge is “Transportation & Air Quality.”
Learn about air quality issues related to the Great Salt Lake and transportation by participating in the Clear the Air Challenge, talking to your representatives, offsetting your carbon emissions, and more.
Nine people earned January’s “Zero Waste & Sustainable Purchasing” Badge. Way to go!
Green Team Updates
Congratulations to the Study Abroad department as well as the Foreign Languages department on their move to Gold! Keep up the good work!
Events
Black History Month Speaker: Fred Hampton Jr.
Wednesday, February 8
12:30 pm - 2:00 pm
Shepherd Union Ballrooms
Jazz Festival
Saturday, February 11
7:30 pm
Val A. Browning Center, Austad Theater
Get Tickets
Learning Huddle: Managing Stress
Wednesday, February 15
6:00 pm
Register Here
Geoscience & Society: Forest Fires
Friday, February 17
Tracy Hall, RM 214
1:00 pm - 2:00 pm
More Info
ISS BIPOC Art Submissions
Friday, February 17
Submit Your Art
President's Day
Monday, February 20
Campus Closed!
Student Poster Contest Deadline
Thursday, February 23
Geoscience & Society: Dust! Causes and Consequences of a shrinking Great Salt Lake
Friday, February 24
Tracy Hall, RM 214
1:00 pm - 2:00 pm
More Info
Social Media and Electric Vehicles Research Survey
Wednesday, March 1
Take the Survey
Geoscience & Society: Climate Change and Natural Hazards
Friday, March 3
Tracy Hall, RM 214
1:00 pm - 2:00 pm
More Info
Intermountain Sustainability Summit
Thursday, March 23 - Friday, March 24
Shepherd Union Ballrooms
Register Here
Worldwide Climate/Justice Teach-In
Wednesday, March 29
8:30 am - 12:30 pm
Shepherd Union Ballrooms
Indicate Your Plan to Participate
News & Resources
Your guide to the Inflation Reduction Act
Satellite images show the startling difference between Utah's 2022 and 2023 snowpacks
Morgan County landowners finalize conservation easement on 5,000-acre parcel
Four Utah refineries now produce cleaner Tier 3 fuels, and the fifth says it will soon