A group of over 30 diverse faculty (and a couple of PhD students!) all gathered on April 19th, 2023 to build connections with peers around the topics of social equity, environmental justice, and energy research. Eighteen lightning talks took place over the course of two sessions with a 20 minute break out for discussion in between, and a networking lunch to follow.

Topics included:

• On the Wrong Side of Climate Change? An Analysis of Environmental Nonprofits’ Positions on Large Scale Solar at Local and National Levels. 

• Applying computing tools to measure and improve infrastructure planning and operations in sub-Saharan Africa

• Critique of Ecological Unequal Exchange vis-à-vis appropriation of ground rent in Resource Rich countries.

• Getting energy from our waste: Adoption of small-scale biogas technologies

• CLIMATE MIGRATION IN NEW ENGLAND: THE VIEW FROM RECEIVING COMMUNITIES

• Understanding the connections between infrastructure, vulnerability, and equity

• Extension is a core mission of the University, serving the Commonwealth.  UMass Clean Energy Extension:  Who we are. How can we help you?

• Energy optimization in computing and beyond

• Blue Justice for Small-scale Fisheries Facing Offshore Wind Development

• Generating electricity from open air

• Offshore wind turbine technology

• Home Energy Efficiency as a Predictor of Urban Rodent Abundance

• Integration of renewables into the electricity grid, risk, planning under uncertainty

• Identifying factors that affect adoption of renewable energy technologies through statistical analysis and economic experiments

• Electrocatalysis for Sustainable Chemistry 

• Analytics of Green New Deal

Many new connections were made and as well as the deepening of others. Peers were glad to learn about one another’s research and the concept of reciprocity was incorporated in the format. The intent was to make an ask, or to explain a need for future research collaboration so that audience members could potentially see themselves or their networks supporting other’s research.

Below are some highlights of the event.