Conference: 2011 AEESP Conference and CAREER Workshop: Global Sustainability, Tampa, Florida, July 10-12, 2011

University Of South Florida, Tampa FL

Investigators

Abstract

Proposal Title: 2011 AEESP Conference and CAREER Workshop: Global Sustainability Principal Investigator: Jeffrey Cunningham Institution: University of South Florida Proposal No: CBET-1115178 The purpose of this proposal is to partially support the 2011 AEESP Research and Education Conference, including a workshop to assist junior faculty members with career planning and with the preparation of NSF CAREER proposals. The 2011 AEESP Research and Education Conference (hereafter referred to as the Conference) will be hosted by the University of South Florida (USF) in Tampa, Florida, July 1012, 2011. USF was selected to host the 2011 Conference through a competitive proposal process. The intellectual merit of this proposal resides in the fact that the Conference is the flagship event of the Association of Environmental Engineering and Science Professors (AEESP). This conference serves as a venue for the exchange of information between the academic and practitioner communities, particularly relating to the advancement of innovative research and the preparation of students for professional practice in environmental engineering. In this regard, the Conference benefits the practice of environmental engineering and science, improves our collective ability to educate the next generation of environmental engineers and scientists, and facilitates discovery and advancement of knowledge in our field. The Conference is typically well attended by Environmental Engineering/Science professors from throughout the United States. Anticipated attendance at the 2011 Conference is approximately 300400 attendees, including graduate students and early-career faculty. This conference is expected to result in several broader impacts, including the following. (1) The theme of the Conference is global sustainability, which will help to prepare faculty and students to be globally competitive by promoting dialog and increasing awareness of different global perspectives. (2) Incorporation of professional practitioners at this years Conference aims to attract, train, and retain a more diverse, globally integrated, and competitive science and engineering workforce. (3) The integration of research and education within the six Conference tracks, coupled with the workshops held in conjunction with the Conference, will lead to innovation in course and curriculum development. (4) AEESP will recruit members of groups underrepresented in environmental engineering to participate in the workshops, particularly the CAREER workshop. This will include graduate students, post-doctoral researchers, and early-career faculty members. (5) Four nationally-prominent individuals have been invited to deliver keynote speeches at the Conference. The participation of these nationally prominent individuals at the Conference will provide Conference attendees with perspectives and opportunities not typically available to educators and practitioners in the field of Environmental Science and Engineering. (6) A post-conference report of highlights and findings from the Conference will be published in the quarterly AEESP newsletter and will be disseminated through other appropriate channels (web site, email distribution list, etc.).