April News & Updates
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Colleagues: Are you planning to attend the Glasgow Climate Change Conference (COP 26)? SoGES is responsible for managing CSU’s participation as an official observer organization in the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). CSU can request that a small number of people receive credentials for the annual meetings of the UNFCCC Conference of Parties (COP). In advance of the nomination process, please email aleta.weller@colostate.edu so we know who from CSU is planning to attend, whether they would like to be part of the CSU delegation, and any potential CSU side events or exhibits.
Upcoming Events
April 9 | Robert Schorr on the Sustainability Happy Hour
On this episode of the Sustainability Happy Hour, we'll talk with Robert Schorr, Zoologist with the Colorado Natural Heritage Program and Director of Climbers for Bat Conservation, about how climbers, biologists, and land managers are working cooperatively conserve bats and their habitat. Free livestream broadcast, 3-3:50pm. LEARN MORE.
April 27 | Dynamic Antarctica, More than Just a Slab of Ice
Join us for a virtual Antarctic Lecture Series event. Speaker: Andrew Fountain, Professor of Geology, Portland State University. Free Zoom Webinar, 7-8pm. More details will be announced soon. Check the SoGES events calendar for updates.
April 29 | Changing Times in Washington DC: Opportunities and Challenges for CSU
A SoGES Managing the Planet panel discussion: What do the new Presidential Administration and Congress mean for students, faculty, staff and the future of higher education? Our panel of CSU leaders, President Joyce McConnell, Provost Mary Pedersen, and Vice President for Engagement and Extension Blake Naughton, will discuss the changes underway in Washington and how these are altering the landscape for research, education, and engagement in land grant institutions and other U.S. universities. Free Zoom panel, 5-6pm. REGISTER HERE.
May 4 | Climate Change and One Health Workshop
Save the date! Join SoGES and the One Health Institute for a series of three virtual workshop panels. Topics will include: 1) Anticipating change in vector-borne disease distribution; 2) Drought impacts on livestock production in rural communities; and 3) Forest fire impacts on human, animal, and environmental health. More details will be announced soon. Check the SoGES events calendar for updates.
News & Highlights
Kathleen Galvin Honored with Distinguished Service Award
Kathleen Galvin received the Baylor Anthropology Department Distinguished Service Award for her career-long and continuing scholarship and contributions to cultural anthropology and global environmental change science. Galvin is Assistant Director of Educational Programs for SoGES, Director of the Africa Center, and Professor in the Department of Anthropology.
Land Use-Induced Spillover: A Call to Action to Safeguard Environmental, Animal, and Human Health
A recent paper co-authored by Johnathan Patz calls for interdisciplinary collaborations to formulate an integrated, holistic set of science-based policy and management measures that effectively and cost-efficiently minimize zoonotic disease risk. READ MORE. Patz is a member of the SoGES External Advisory Board and Director of the Global Health Institute at the University of Wisconsin - Madison.
Sustainability Spotlight video: Edward Hall
Edward Hall works to advance sustainability through ecosystem science. His research crosses traditional disciplinary boundaries, linking physical and ecological sciences and scales from single-cell microbiology to integrated watershed analyses of coupled human and natural systems. WATCH HERE. Hall is a SoGES 2020-21 Resident Fellow and Associate Professor in the Department of Ecosystem Science and Sustainability.
Resistance and adaptation in the Colombian Pacific Coast
Marcela Velasco recently published the report “Resistance and adaptation in the Colombian Pacific: A look from our communities to our territory, our own governments, the environment and the economy” for Jenzera, an ethnic rights NGO in Columbia. The report aims to support inter-ethnic dialogues between local Colombian communities. LEARN MORE. Velasco is a SoGES 2018-19 Resident Fellow and Associate Professor in the Department of Political Science.
Researchers Aim to Taper Fashion Industry’s Carbon Footprint
A recent SOURCE article featured the SoGES 2020-22 Global Challenges Research Team, Measuring Carbon Footprint of Alternative Business Models in the Fashion Industry. Led by Sonali Diddi, Associate Professor in the Department of Design and Merchandising, the team is conducting an interdisciplinary study to quantify the fashion industry's carbon footprint and ultimately create a tool to help decision makers navigate carbon reporting. The article also featured former Student Sustainability Center Director Sara Van Hatten. READ MORE.
New Paper on Congestion Pricing
Stephan Kroll co-authored the recent paper "Learning to accept welfare‑enhancing policies: an experimental investigation of congestion pricing," published in the journal Experimental Economics. READ MORE*. Kroll is a SoGES 2013-14 Resident Fellow and Professor in the Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics. *Note: This paper may require a subscription. Try logging in through your institution.
Report on the Just Transition Listening Project
"Workers and Communities in Transition" is a report on the first major effort to center the voices of over 100 workers, activists, organizers, and indigenous leaders facing transition in their communities. Co-authored by Dimitris Stevis, the report tells the story of those affected by workplace closings, climate change, and major shifts in local and regional economies. LEARN MORE. Stevis is co-founder of the CSU Center for Environmental Justice and Professor in the Department Political Science.
Bunn and Team Win Grant to Forecast Conservation Land-Use Futures in South Africa
David Bunn and his research group have won a $750,000 award from NASA to develop an “ecological forecasting” system for South Africa’s Kruger National Park and the surrounding region. The proposal will enable scientists to better study and support conservation in and around Kruger. LEARN MORE. Bunn is a member of the Africa Center Executive Committee and Professor in the Department of Anthropology and Geography.
Opportunities and Other Events
John Fetcher Upper Yampa Water Conservancy District Scholarship
The Colorado Water Center invites undergraduate students and master’s candidates to apply for a scholarship provided by the Upper Yampa Water Conservancy District. Up to two $2,000 one-year scholarships are available for full-time university students working on a water-related degree program from any major. Apply by May 18th. LEARN MORE.
Thriving Cities Challenge Applications Due April 15th
The Salazar Center For North American Conservation invites teams to submit ideas to advance climate resilience and racial equity through nature-based solutions in their communities. LEARN MORE.
Whose Water is it? Environmental Injustice and Water Privatization
As our water resources in the West become increasingly scarce, protecting everyone's access to water is crucial. Concern from water stakeholders grows as water rights change hands for incredible prices. Current trends may jeopardize equity and accessibility of water. The CSU Center for Environmental Justice and the Colorado Water Center will host a webinar with a panel of experts to discuss these issues on April 19 from 4-5:30pm. LEARN MORE.
Earth Day Events
Celebrate Earth Day 2021 with a variety of virtual events and multi-day virtual festivals.
• Colorado State University - Earth Month
• City of Fort Collins and CSU - Earth Day Challenge
• Sustainable Living Association - Earth Day Fort Collins
• Earth Day Network - Three Days of Climate Action
Human Nature Blog
Carrie Chennault, 2020-2021 Sustainability Leadership Fellow and Postdoctoral Fellow at Colorado State University
Nathan Hahn, 2020-2021 Sustainability Leadership Fellow and Ph.D. Candidate in the Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology and the Graduate Degree Program in Ecology
Aude Chesnais, Senior Researcher for the Native Lands Advocacy Project and SoGES Visiting Fellow
Interdisciplinary Minors
Global Environmental Sustainability Minor (GES)
Our flagship minor, the GES program provides a deep understanding of the complexity surrounding the problems we face and the solutions that we need to implement to address climate change, biodiversity, pollution, public health, oceans, food security, and development on a global scale. LEARN MORE.

Sustainable Water Interdisciplinary Minor (SWIM)
Jointly offered by the Colorado Water Center and SoGES, this minor focuses on water issues from social, political, economic, and ecological perspectives. Students gain knowledge of the complexities of water use and management. LEARN MORE.

Role of Sustainability in Peace and Reconciliation Studies Minor (SPRS)
This minor focuses on social, philosophical, and education aspects of peace and reconciliation and how these can address issues of sustainability. LEARN MORE.

Sustainable Energy Minor (SEM)
Jointly offered by the CSU Energy Institute and SoGES, this minor focuses on the many dimensions of sustainable energy and breaking down traditional barriers that separate the science and engineering of energy from the social, economic, and political aspects of energy. LEARN MORE.

Online minor enrollment is available. Visit the SoGES education and training webpage to learn more, download the minor course check sheets, and set up an advising appointment.
Building a Sustainable Future
SoGES addresses complex and global challenges by propelling sustainability research, educating future sustainability leaders, and connecting with the community. CLICK HERE to learn more about our School, our mission, and ways you can support our work.
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