2013 AEESP Conference and CAREER Workshop: Environmental Engineers and Scientists of 2050, July 14-16, 2013 in Golden, Colorado

Colorado School Of Mines, Golden CO

Investigators

Abstract

CBET 1324580 Linda Figueroa The purpose of this proposal is to partially support the 2013 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 funding would also be used to partially offset the U.S. expenses of invited speakers to attend the conference. The 2013 AEESP Research and Education Conference will be hosted by the Colorado School of Mines (CSM) and the University of Colorado, Boulder (CUB) and Denver (UCD) and held on the CSM Campus in Golden, Colorado. The Conference will be held July 14-16, 2013. The team of Colorado Universities was selected to host the 2013 Conference through a competitive proposal process. The AEESP 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 2013 Conference is approximately 400 attendees, including graduate students and early-career faculty. The theme of the Conference is the Environmental Scientist and Engineer of 2050, which will help to prepare faculty and students to be globally competitive by promoting dialog and increasing awareness of different global perspectives and to be ready for the challenges of the future. Incorporation of professional practitioners at this year?s Conference aims to attract, train, and retain a more diverse, globally integrated, and competitive science and engineering workforce. The integration of research and education within the Conference technical sessions, coupled with the workshops held in conjunction with the Conference, will lead to innovation in course and curriculum development. Members of groups underrepresented in environmental engineering will be recruited to participate in the workshops, particularly the CAREER workshop. This will include graduate students, post-doctoral researchers, and early-career faculty members. Four nationally-prominent individuals (Lisa Jackson-EPA, Glen Daigger-CH2MHill, George Tchobanoglous-UC Davis and Susan Powers-Clarkson) have been invited to deliver keynote speeches at the Conference on topics that include global perspective, future of our field and the evolution of our educational breadth and mission. 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. 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.).