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 Fracking and injection wells are hot-button topics that are cause for concern for many local residents, but this is not the first time this region has dealt with environmental concerns. Coal mining, iron mining and brickworks are the backbone of southeast Ohio. Because these activities occurred prior to most environmental regulations, the impact of these industries is still felt.
Natalie Kruse Daniels, an Ohio University Voinovich School associate professor of environmental studies, explains that when we mine coal, we expose minerals that used to be buried deep underground. These exposed minerals create a metal-rich acidic discharge that can be washed into streams.
"We hear a lot in the media about how environmental regulations and laws affect business, but when you don't have regulation on these industries, the impact can be enormous," she says. "We have to realize we live in a pretty clean environment because we regulate these industries."
Join Kruse Daniels for her Science Café talk about the region's history of mining and the environmental impact, "The Mining Legacy of Southeast Ohio: Learning from Past Mistakes," at 5 p.m. on Wed., Feb. 3 in the Baker Center Front Room.
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Students who are interested in exploring environmental issues are in luck: The Common Experience Sustainability Film Series, hosted at the Athena Cinema, is returning for the spring semester to inspire greater environmental awareness. On selected Wednesday evenings this spring, bring a friend to watch documentaries and discuss their impact in earth's shifting ecosystems.
The seed for the Sustainability Film Series was planted in meetings with the Common Experience Project on Sustainability and the Kanawha Project, a faculty and student program working to improve campus-wide environmental literacy. The film series was born in 2012 when the University College, under the direction of David Descutner, utilized the Common Experience Project to focus on climate change.
"We want to reach all students on campus expanding their educational experience to understand the many complexities of sustainability, emphasizing the solutions as well as the challenges," Loraine McCosker, environmental studies outreach coordinator, said. "We want to foster them into impacting the world in an environmentally positive way."
 Film screenings are paired with panel discussions - usually including at least one faculty member, one student, and one community member who break down the local effects of the film topics. One of last year's films on greening the public school diet was followed by a forum with a local seventh grade student, the Athens County superintendent of schools, the leader of the Food Studies theme in Ohio University's College of Arts and Sciences, and others.
"We make it really diverse," McCosker said. "This year, two filmmakers and an academic from South Carolina will be among our panelists. We want to gather as many focuses on the many aspects of sustainability as we can."
The films will be screened for free at 7 p.m., at the Athena Cinema, located at 20 S. Court St. in Athens. Topics in this year's film series will include in-depth analyses of food waste, seeds, cotton, coal and more.
Films in the Spring 2016 series include: - Bag It - Is Your Life Too Plastic? (Feb. 10)
- Bikes v. Cars (Feb. 24)
- Inhabit - A Permaculture Perspective
(March 9) - Seeds of Time (March 30)
- Angel Azul (April 13)
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 A report co-authored by Ohio University Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Affairs Executive-in-Residence Michael Zimmer on accessing capital for energy-efficient building was released at Building Innovation 2016: The National Institute of Building Sciences (NIBS) Annual Conference and Expo, held in Washington, D.C. The NIBS Council on Finance, Insurance and Real Estate (CFIRE) report, Financing Energy-Efficiency and Renewable-Energy Projects, highlights the importance of expanding access to capital that builds environmental resilience and sustainability.
"Financing improvements and modernization in buildings is very challenging in today's economic environment," Zimmer said. "Including elements of sustainability creates permanence and longer-term strategies that can be taken to enhance the underlying value of buildings in a very economically positive way."
The report recommends expanding access to capital through public policy goals, risk management, and equity investment structures that focus on energy-efficient building development investments. It also discusses three key tools - Real Estate Investment Trusts, Master Limited Partnerships, and Yieldcos - to accessing public capital markets. As government spending tightens, the private sector is providing most capital needed to invest in renewable building techniques, and the report essentially asks public officials to improve access to public capital markets to enable more widespread green building.
 Zimmer's part in authoring the study was especially valuable, combining his environment and public policy perspective as a Voinovich School executive with his background as a Russ College of Engineering executive. He was recently named the 2016 Financial Insurance and Real Estate Committee Secretary to the NIBS Board of Directors. Zimmer is currently working with Ohio University on food, energy and water development issues; energy efficiency, technology and finance; and public-private partnership development issues in the Appalachian region, and is an expert on energy policy, corporate sustainability and clean tech transactions.
Read the full report here.
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The 2016 Ohio University Student Research and Creative Activity Expo will be held from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., Thursday, April 14, at the Convocation Center. The annual event attracts more than 700 student presenters from dozens of disciplines. More than 2,000 students, faculty, staff, community members and local middle school and high school students attend to learn more about how Ohio University students are engaged in research, scholarship and creative activity. Judging will be from 9:00-11:30 a.m. Judges need to come to the Convocation Center by 8:45 a.m. Most sessions are done by 11 a.m. Top reasons for being an Expo judge:
- Free pizza!
- Enthusiastic students presenting their research and creative works
- Meeting other faculty and staff from across campus
- Giving out money! (actually we give it out, but you pick who gets it)
If interested, please email male-bru@ohio.edu that you can participate and state a preference for a session. [Note, you cannot judge your own department]. __________________________________________
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The Ohio University research division will be hosting a workshop to provide an overview of the Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) and Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) programs as well as tips for writing competitive applications. The speaker, Dr. William Timmons, has extensive experience with SBIR and STTR submissions. Timmons received his BS, MS, and PhD in Biomedical Engineering from Case Western Reserve University. He has led multiple startup companies from inception through market entry, and, through his consultancy, he has worked with many large and small client companies, universities and all levels of government, often combining these diverse players into consortia to pursue novel opportunities. Currently, there are three possible dates for the workshop: March 8, 10, or 15. Interested faculty, staff and students should participate in the following doodle poll by Monday, Feb. 1: http://doodle.com/poll/fuxsqr2eyv2vq8w3. The workshop will last roughly 1.5 hours, beginning at 9:40 a.m., and will be followed by a repeat session at 11:50 a.m. Then, in the afternoon, from 2 - 4 p.m., faculty may schedule 20-min individual meetings with the speaker. Faculty interested in setting up a 20-minute meeting with Dr. Timmons should email Roxanne Male'-Brune at male-bru@ohio.edu. |
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 Ohio University graduates with an interest in the legislative process who will have completed a bachelor's degree by December, 2016 are encouraged to apply for the paid Ohio Legislative Service Commission (LSC) fellowship program. The program spans 13 months, from December, 2016 until December 31, 2017, and offers full state of Ohio employee benefits in addition to $28,000 per year and an opportunity to earn a $2,000 bonus. A total of 22 fellows will work with party caucuses in either the Ohio House or Senate, while two additional fellows in telecommunications will work directly with the LSC research and fiscal staff, engaging in research, speechwriting and other administrative tasks. Work as an LSC fellow will benefit anyone seeking additional understanding of state government and the legislative process, while advancing the careers of those seeking employment in the legislature, state government or other public service arenas. Aspiring fellows may apply to either the legislative fellowship by April 1, 2016, or the telecommunications fellowship by April 30. For more detailed information and to apply, click here. |
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An international expert in grant writing and development will be leading two half-day workshops for Ohio University faculty members and graduate students on Monday, Feb. 8, and Tuesday, Feb. 9.  The workshops will be led by Djenana Jalovcic, an accomplished educator, policy advisor and development practitioner with more than 20 years of international experience working in Asia, Africa, Europe and Central America focused on disability and gender in the health, education, social and employment sectors. Jalovcic has directed more than 20 reform initiatives with a total value of more than $30 million in conflict and post-conflict environments and countries in transition. This will be Jalovcic's second visit to OHIO as she also led workshops here in February 2015. "Djenana brings a tremendous amount of knowledge and experience to these workshops, and she is an excellent instructor," OHIO Vice Provost for Global Affairs and International Studies Lorna Jean Edmonds said. "She has accomplished a great deal, and her track record with grant writing and development is outstanding." All OHIO faculty members and graduate students are invited to take part in either of the workshops, which will be held in Yamada International House Room 009 at the following times:
- Monday, Feb. 8, from 1 - 5 p.m.
- Tuesday, Feb. 9, from 8 a.m. - noon
The workshop will also be live streamed for those who cannot attend in person. For more information or to sign up for the event, please contact Marian Carr in the Office of Global Affairs and International Studies at carrm@ohio.edu.
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Are you publishing a print or digital journal, newspaper, magazine, or blog? Are you interested in creating a publication or learning more about the current student publishing landscape? Bobcats Publish is a partnership between Alden Library and Ohio University Press to promote student publishing on campus. The partnership will be host a roundtable discussion on March 24, 2016 from 1 - 2:30 p.m. and a display of student publications open to the public from 3 - 5 p.m. on the same day.  Passionate and thoughtful students produce research and creative work every semester. Bobcats Publish will connect you to other students and mentors to help bring your research and ideas to a bigger audience. Join this gathering of student writers, editors, and publishers for a conversation on the routes and aspects of student publication at Ohio University. Interested students should contact the event sponsors, listed below, by February 5 for full information on how to participate and what to expect. A list of participating publications will be announced on March 1. For more information, contact Marc Blanc at mb859113@ohio.edu, Editor of Jettison, jettisonmag.com or Gillian Berchowitz, berchowi@ohio.edu, director and editor-in-chief, Ohio University Press, ohioswallow.com.
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TODAY: Balkans Study Abroad Registration Deadline
Feb. 1
More information
TODAY: Jeff Finkle Fellowship Deadline
Feb. 1, 5 p.m.
More information
Ecolunch Seminar Series
Feb 3, 11:50 a.m. - 12:45 p.m.
Irvine 159
Science Cafe: Natalie Kruse Daniels
Feb. 3, 5 p.m.
Baker Front Room
More information
Voinovich Scholar Showcase
Feb 5, 2 - 3 p.m.
The Ridges Bldg 21
TAD Services Workshop
Feb. 9 & 10, 3:30 - 4:30 p.m.
More information
Spring Film Sustainability Series: Bag It!
Feb 10, 7 p.m.Athena CinemaMore informationVenture Cafe: Technological Innovation Challenges
Feb 11, 5:30 - 7 p.m.Baker 240Student Senate Alumni Society Advocacy Forum
Feb. 18 5:30-7:30 p.m.Ohio StatehouseAmerican Public Works Association Scholarship Deadline
Feb 26
More information
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John Glazer, director of TechGROWTH Ohio, was presented with the Holzaepfel Economic Growth award at the Athens Area Chamber of Commerce dinner on Jan. 28.
Presenter Geoff Morgan praised his work and said, "Since 2007, TECHGrowth has assisted more than 500 companies, raised in excess of $30 million in seed and angel capital, and invested $6.2 million in 12 portfolio companies. The economic impact of their activities is measured in the hundreds of millions of dollars."
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Impact & Innovation is a newsletter for the students, faculty and professionals of the Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Affairs.
Have an article idea? Contact Laura Alloway, Voinovich School Director of Marketing and Communications.
Impact & Innovation is written and created by undergraduate students Diana Wiebe, M.C. Tilton, Jasmine Grillmeier and Daniel Kington.
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