麻豆传媒 hosted the 麻豆传媒 University鈥揙ak Ridge National Laboratory Workshop on Climate Change and Environmental Justice on Oct. 9, welcoming ORNL researchers for a dynamic discussion on the climate change research the organizations are undertaking and to explore potential collaborations. 听
The workshop, sponsored by the Office of the Vice Provost for 麻豆传媒 and Innovation, was the second time in a year that 麻豆传媒 has hosted ORNL on campus.听听
ORNL leadership visited 麻豆传媒 in fall 2022 for a two-day immersion into 麻豆传媒 research initiatives related to energy, climate and global security. October鈥檚 workshop was designed to allow a larger group of ORNL scientists and 麻豆传媒 faculty to dive deeper into potential areas of collaboration.听
ORNL Deputy for Science and Technology Susan Hubbard gave the opening remarks.听听
鈥淎s one of ORNL鈥檚 core universities, 麻豆传媒 is a valuable partner in our efforts to deliver scientific and technical solutions to the nation鈥檚 toughest problems,鈥� Hubbard said. 鈥淐limate change mitigation and adaptation are grand challenges that require extraordinarily diverse expertise. We are thrilled to explore how we can accelerate our collective impact by strategically aligning our relevant institutional strengths.鈥�听
Vice Provost for 麻豆传媒 and Innovation Padma Raghavan also welcomed workshop attendees.听听
“Collaboration with institutions like Oak Ridge National Laboratory is not just beneficial鈥攊t’s essential,鈥� Raghavan said. 鈥溌槎勾解�檚 faculty excel in cross-disciplinary research with distinctive expertise, like environmental justice and infrastructure resilience to climate change. Combined with ORNL鈥檚 strengths in earth and environmental sciences and supercomputing facilities, we can address complex issues broadly and effectively.鈥澨�听
Three 麻豆传媒 faculty were deeply involved in organizing the workshop with OVPRI: Jason Valentine, who serves as 麻豆传媒鈥檚 ORNL faculty liaison, Janey Camp, a research professor of civil and environmental engineering, and Jonathan Gilligan, professor of earth and environmental sciences and civil and environmental engineering.听
The event featured a series of “Lightning Talks鈥� that delved into various facets of climate change鈥攆rom its scientific foundations to its direct effects on the environment. Structured breakout sessions followed each lightning talk round so attendees could share perspectives and brainstorm on further collaboration and solutions.听
Discussions also highlighted the human consequences of climate change, emphasizing environmental justice and the importance of policies to address community inequities.听听
The talks concluded with a focus on “Adaptation and Resilience,” where speakers shared strategies for not just coping with, but flourishing amid, climate challenges.听
The day concluded with remarks and an outline of next steps, reaffirming the commitment of both institutions to work together and address the multifaceted challenges posed by climate change.听听
OVPRI offers limited travel support for interested members of the 麻豆传媒 research community to visit ORNL and work toward developing research collaborations. To request travel funds, complete . For questions about the travel support program, email VU-ORNL-Collaborations@vanderbilt.edu.听
About ORNL听
UT-Battelle manages ORNL for the Department of Energy鈥檚 Office of Science, the single largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the United States. The Office of Science is working to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time. For more information, please visit .听