SUNY Senate Sustainability Research Conference Call at 3PM Feb. 15, 2013
Present on Call: Robert Ewy (SUNY Potsdam), Michael Sperazza (SUNY Stony Brook),
Shishir Singh (Empire State College), Michael Hoffman (Cornell), Junaid Zubairi
(SUNY Fredonia), Mark Bremer (SUNYIT), Ivar Strand (Research Foundation), Richard
Smardon and Sean Nicholson (SUNY/ESF).
After introductions it was announced that 4 out of 10 awards from the SUNY Energy
Smart Campus Collaboration Grant Program were awarded to projects stemming from
the SUNY Senate May 2012 Workshop. These projects include:
 Heavy Metals in Soil: New Paltz, Cobleskill and ESF
 Waste Education: Brockport, Fredonia and SUNY Albany
 Sustainability Path: SUNY IT
 Climate Data: Stony Brook and ESF
Deb Howard SUNY Sustainability coordinator is working on a possible next round of
funding.
Ivar Strand announced that he and Shadi Shahedipour-Sandik are working on the RFP for
the second round of the Research Foundation Collaboration Grants, which should be
released, around March 1st, and proposals due by May 1st. The total amount available
should be around $700,000. The last round funded 6 projects at $100,000 each and 3 at
$54,000 each. These proposals will be peer reviewed as well.
Rick Smardon reported that he and other SUNY faculty/staff presented at a briefing
workshop for SUNY sustainability coordinators at the SUNY Global Center on February
8th (lots of travel adventures getting home!). Alternative renewable energy systems were
covered as well as implementation issues. Deb Howard is planning future upcoming
sessions on use of the STARS sustainability rating system and building sustainability into
SUNY curriculums.
Mark Bremer (SUNY IT) reported that he has been working with Julian DautremontSmith from Alfred State on a peer review system for improvement of STARS utilization
as well as tracking. There will also be an Innovation in Teaching Technology meeting
June 6-8 at the Alfred State Campus. SUNY IT and Morrisville are working on virtual
and real time teaching tools for developing wind and solar energy systems.
Michael Sperazza of Stony Brook reported that they just completed and off campus
program In Costa Rica, which they plan on doing next year. This program included
developing renewable sources of energy, reforestation, and marine system restoration.
Rick Smardon reported that he will be leading a panel on Sustainability Research at
SUNY Brockport April 20, 2013. This meeting is called “Environmental, Economic and
Social Sustainability: An Interdisciplinary Approach” (we will send out program
announcement).
A number of call participants suggested that we needed another meeting of the working
groups to rejuvenate activity. We might be able to use the SUNY Brockport meeting for
this purpose or explore a separate meeting. R. Smardon will work with Ivar, Deb Howard
and Shadi Shahedipour-Sandik to explore this. The next call is scheduled for mid –April.
RCS