Sara Adams | EarthLab

Now Hiring: Grants and Program Specialist (Temporary)

Posted on March 27, 2024 at 3:55 am.

Are you passionate about environmental issues? Are you looking for a career that utilizes your grants/financial/budgets experience in service of a world where people and our planet thrive? Are you committed to centering equity and justice in your work? Apply today to be EarthLab’s next Grants and Program Specialist!

Who we are:

EarthLab is an institute that is reimagining how academia can respond to the climate crisis. Our visionary approach connects the University of Washington’s world-class research capabilities with communities from around the globe to create novel, equitable and scalable climate change solutions.

At the core of this work is our ability to provide critical technical, operational and communications support for our eight Member Organizations, UW programs and centers dedicated to addressing climate and environmental challenges. Our efficient centralized service model eases administrative loads and allows each organization to focus on what it does best: produce and share top-tier science that leads to more climate-resilient communities in the Northwest and beyond.

We’ve got big ideas for the future, which you can learn more about in our strategic plan. This will give you a solid understanding of our vision, mission and goals for the next several years. We think it’s worth perusing to help you better understand what we do.

Still with us? Great! Now here’s what we’re looking for:

We’re hiring for a full-time Grants and Program Specialist to join our Finance and Administration team. Please note: this position is a temporary, one-year position, from April 2024-March 2025. As an innovative institute working across disciplines, we’ve built complex funding with over 50 sponsored awards (grants) plus state funding, private foundation funding and individual support to keep us running smoothly and securely. This means you’ll have the chance to make a tangible impact at EarthLab by managing different types of funding sources (both grant and non-grant) that support the projects of our member organizations, while also contributing to the budgetary compliance for our administrative and central operations under federal, state and other funding agency regulations.

Now a little bit about you:

In order to thrive in this unique role, we’re hoping that you enjoy thinking through complex management systems– from the minute details of making sure our contracts are correct, to the overarching big-picture vision to help us develop sustainable policies and procedures for our organization as a whole. Reporting to our Assistant Director for Finance and Administration, you will also perform data analyses to project future budgets, analyze unit budget and financial information, and develop project management tools for EarthLab.

The culture you’ll be joining:

We acknowledge the systemic racism that exists in the environmental sector and within environmentalism at large. At EarthLab, we believe every member on our team enriches our diversity by exposing us to a broad range of ways to understand and engage with the world, identify challenges, and to discover, design and deliver solutions. If you are committed to helping us create an equitable, diverse and inclusive work environment where all voices are considered and valued, we want to hear from you.

Learn more and apply here

Sparking Climate Connections: UW Lightning Talks on Climate Change recordings are now available!

Posted on December 8, 2022 at 11:18 pm.

Written by Sara Adams

Tackling the climate challenge

Both multifaceted and complex, climate change is the greatest challenge humankind has ever faced, and its impacts are distributed unequally. There exists immense expertise and interest in climate change-related work across the University of Washington. While specific disciplinary perspectives are vital, we also know that many of the questions we seek to answer are broader and require working at the intersections of different disciplines.

Understanding the landscape of expertise

Recognizing this, the EarthLab Advisory Board of Deans saw an opportunity to bring together faculty and staff researchers to better envision the full picture of climate expertise at the UW and facilitate connections across disciplines and practice areas.

In Fall Quarter of 2022, we sent out a call to gather UW faculty and researchers whose work was in some way related to climate change. We invited faculty and researchers to submit a one-minute video recording – a lightning talk – summarizing their work. This call was amplified by the event’s 18 co-sponsors. We received a total of 110 lightning talks covering 16 different themes representing over 55 departments across the UW tri-campus.

Click here to watch the entire virtual showcase of all 100+ lightning talks

Sparking climate connections

On December 1st, 2022, we hosted a virtual showcase of all the lightning talks, followed by an in-person reception at the Foster School of Business Douglas Forum. We’re grateful to Off the Rez – Seattle’s first Native food truck – for catering and Raymond Smith for capturing the night with his camera. If you have a UW NetID, you can click here to view other images from the evening.

Left to right: Dean Maya Tolstoy and Dean Frank Hodge speak to event attendee; Food catered by Off the Rez; A group of event attendees talking.

Below is a list of all faculty and researchers who submitted lightning talks. We share this information to not only recognize their participation, but to encourage continued sparks of connection going forward. If you were unable to attend or are curious to find collaborators, we invite you to watch the talks on our YouTube channel. They are organized by theme and are captioned.

Adaptation and Mitigation

Click here to watch the ‘Adaptation and Mitigation’ playlist

Education

Click here to watch the ‘Education’ playlist

Philip Bell | Professor of Education, Shauna C. Larson Chair of Learning Sciences, Director – UW Institute for Science + Math Education, College of Education.
Tim Billo | Lecturer, Program on the Environment, College of the Environment.
Patrick Christie | Professor – School of Marine and Environmental Affairs and Jackson School of International Studies, Faculty Director – UW Canadian Studies Center.
Gordon Holtgrieve | Associate Professor – Aquatic and Fishery Sciences, Faculty Director – Future Rivers, College of the Environment.
Kerry-Ann Naish | Professor and Director, Marine Biology, Aquatic and Fishery Sciences, College of the Environment.

Energy & Infrastructure

Click here to watch the ‘Energy and Infrastructure’ playlist

Stuart Adler | Associate Professor, Chemical Engineering, Clean Energy Institute, College of Engineering.
Milad Ashtiani | Building and Materials Researcher, Carbon Leadership Forum, College of Built Environments.
Jayadev Athreya | Professor of Mathematics – Victor Klee Faculty Fellow, Professor of the Comparative History of Ideas, Co-Director – International Pacific Institute for Mathematical Sciences.
Arbella Bet-Shlimon | Associate Professor, History, College of Arts & Sciences.
Heather Burpee | Research Associate Professor/Co-Director, Department of Architecture, Integrated Design Lab, College of Built Environments.
David Ginger | Chief Scientist, Clean Energy Institute.
James W. Murray | Professor Emeritus, School of Oceanography, College of the Environment.
Lilo Pozzo | Professor – Chemical Engineering, Interim Chair – Materials Science and Engineering, College of Engineering.
Daniel T. Schwartz | Boeing-Sutter Professor – Chemical Engineering, Adjunct Professor – Materials Science & Engineering, Director – Clean Energy Institute.
Kate Simonen | Professor/Chair, Carbon Leadership Forum, Architecture, College of Built Environments.

Equity

Financial, Economic and Legal Impacts

Human Behavior (includes climate grief and eco-anxiety)

Human Health

Click here to watch the ‘Human Health’ playlist

Kristie Ebi | Professor, Center for Health and the Global Environment, Department of Global Health, Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences.
Jeremy Hess | Professor – Departments of Global Health, Emergency Medicine, and Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, Director – Center for Health and the Global Environment.
Peter Rabinowitz | Professor, Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, School of Public Health.
Zack Wettstein | Instructor, Emergency Medicine, Center for Health and the Global Environment.
Stefan Wheat | Acting Instructor, Department of Emergency Medicine.

Impacts on Food, Water and Air

Click here to watch the ‘Impacts on Food, Water and Air’ playlist

Lorenz Hauser | Richard C. and Lois M. Worthington Endowed Professor in Fisheries Management, School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences, College of the Environment.
Daniel Jaffe | Professor, Environmental Chemistry, School of Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics.
Gundula Proksch | Associate Professor – Department of Architecture, Director – Circular City + Living Systems Lab, College of Built Environments.
Jennifer Ruesink | Professor, Biology, College of Arts & Sciences.
Mark Scheuerell | Associate Professor, School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences, College of the Environment.
LuAnne Thompson | Lowell A. and Frankie L. Wakefield Endowed Professor of Oceanography, Adjunct Professor – Atmospheric Sciences, Interim Director – Program on Climate Change.
Joel Thornton | Professor and Chair, Department of Atmospheric Sciences, College of the Environment.

Measuring and Understanding Climate Change

Click here to watch the ‘Measuring and Understanding Climate Change’ playlist

Alexandra Anderson-Frey | Calvin Professor of Atmospheric Sciences, Assistant Professor, Department of Atmospheric Sciences, College of the Environment.
Kyle Armour | Associate Professor, Oceanography and Atmospheric Sciences, College of the Environment.
David Battisti | Professor of Atmospheric Sciences and Tamaki Endowed Chair, Atmospheric Sciences, College of the Environment.
Cecilia Bitz | Professor, Atmospheric Sciences, College of the Environment.
Lauren Buckley | Professor, Department of Biology, College of Arts & Sciences.
Qiang Fu | Professor, Department of Atmospheric Sciences, College of the Environment.
Greg Hakim | Professor, Atmospheric Sciences, College of the Environment.
Allison Hyatt | Researcher, Carbon Leadership Forum, College of Built Environments.
Debbie Kelley | Director Regional Cabled Array & Professor, School of Oceanography, College of the Environment.
Orest Kawka | Project Scientist, OOI Regional Cabled Array, School of Oceanography, College of the Environment.
Wendi Ruef | Research Scientist, OOI Regional Cabled Array, School of Oceanography, College of the Environment.
Michael Vardaro | Research Scientist, School of Oceanography, College of the Environment.
Roger Marchand | Research Professor, Atmospheric Sciences, College of the Environment.
Jan Newton | Senior Principal Oceanography – Applied Physics Lab, Affiliate Professor – Oceanography and School of Marine & Environmental Affairs, Co-Director – Washington Ocean Acidification Center, College of the Environment.
Becca Neumann | Associate Professor, Civil & Environmental Engineering
Alexander J.Turner | Calvin Professor of Atmospheric Sciences, Assistant Professor, Department of Atmospheric Sciences, College of the Environment.
Muyin Wang | Research Scientist/ Deputy Director, Cooperative Institute for Climate, Ocean & Ecosystem Studies, College of the Environment.

Multiple Ways of Knowing

Click here to watch the ‘Multiple Ways of Knowing’ playlist

Daniel Hoffman | Interim Director – Jackson School of International Studies, Professor – International Studies and Comparative History of Ideas, Bartley-Dobb Professor for the Study and Prevention of Violence.
Jesse Oak Taylor | Associate Professor, English, College of Arts & Sciences.
Michelle R. Montgomery | Associate Professor and Chair – Division of Social & Historical Studies, Assistant Director – Office of Undergraduate Education, UW Tacoma. Adjunct Associate Professor – School of Medicine, Department of Bioethics & Humanities, Interim Director – Undergraduate Studies, UW Seattle.

Planetary Scale Solutions

Regional Impacts

Click here to watch the ‘Regional Impacts’ playlist

Karin Bumbaco | Assistant State Climatologist, Office of the WA State Climatologist, Cooperative Institute for Climate, Ocean & Ecosystem Studies, College of the Environment.
Brian J. Harvey | Jack Corkery and George Corkery Jr. Endowed Professor in Forest Sciences, Assistant Professor, School of Environmental and Forest Sciences, College of the Environment.
Albert J. Hermann | Principal Research Scientist – Cooperative Institute for Climate, Ocean & Ecosystem Studies, Affiliate Professor – School of Oceanography, College of the Environment.
Terrie Klinger | Professor – School of Marine and Environmental Affairs, Co-Director – Washington Ocean Acidification Center.
Parker MacCready | Leo Maddox Endowed Professor in Oceanography, Research Professor, School of Oceanography, College of the Environment.
Cliff Mass | Professor, Atmospheric Sciences, College of the Environment.
Mark A. Pagano | Professor, School of Engineering & Technology.
Eric Salathé | Associate Professor, School of Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics.

Science Communication

Technological Solutions

Click here to watch the ‘Technological Solutions’ playlist

Narjes Abbasabadi | Assistant Professor – Department of Architecture, Director – Sustainable Intelligence Lab, College of Built Environments.
Renata Bura | Denman Professor of Pulp and Paper Science, School of Environmental and Forest Sciences, College of the Environment.
Anthony B. Dichiara | Associate Professor, School of Environmental & Forest Sciences, Weyerhaeuser Endowment in Paper Science & Engineering, College of the Environment.
Rick Gustafson | Professor, School of Environmental and Forest Sciences, Denman Chair of Bio-Resource Science and Engineering, College of the Environment.
Tomás Méndez Echenagucia | Assistant Professor, Department for Architecture, College of Built Environments.
Bart Nijssen | Department Chair, Allan & Inger Osberg Professor, Civil & Environmental Engineering.
Cody Schlenker | Washington Research Foundation Innovation Associate Professor of Chemistry and Clean Energy, Department of Chemistry, Clean Energy Institute, Molecular Engineering & Sciences Institute.
Stuart E. Strand | Research Professor Emeritus, Civil and Environmental Engineering.

Zoonotic Disease

Other | Self-Described

Click here to watch additional lightning talks

Briana Abrahms | Assistant Professor and Boersma Endowed Chair in Natural History and Conservation, Center for Ecosystem Sentinels, Department of Biology. (Impacts on Wildlife and Biodiversity)
Shuyi Chen | Professor – Department of Atmospheric Sciences, Associate Dean for Research, College of the Environment. (High-Impact Weather and Climate Extremes)
Catherine De Almeida | Assistant Professor of Landscape Architecture, College of Built Environments. (Waste Reuse and Circular Economies)
Nives Dolsak | Director, School of Marine and Environmental Affairs, Stan and Alta Barer Professor in Sustainability Science, College of the Environment. (Climate Governance)
Tim Essington | Director/Professor, School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences, College of the Environment. (Environmental Impacts of Climate Change on Natural Systems)
Jason Hodin | Senior Research Scientist, Friday Harbor Labs, College of the Environment. (Climate Change and Evolvability)
Maureen Kennedy | Associate Professor, Division of Sciences and Mathematics, School of Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences. (Wildfire and Forest Resource Management)
Dominic Muren | Associate Teaching Professor, School of Art + Art History + Design, College of Arts & Sciences. (Holistic Manufacturing and Ecosystems)
Elizabeth Stearns | Associate Teaching Professor, Marketing & International Business, MBA Net Impact Faculty Advisory, MBA C4C Faculty Advisor, Foster School of Business. (Systems Impacts of Business Decisions)
Abigail Swann | Associate Professor, Endowed Professor for the College of the Environment in Climate & Ecosystems, Department of Atmospheric Sciences, Department of Biology. (Understanding Climate Change and Impacts on Food and Impacts on Ecosystems)
Usha Varanasi | Distinguished Scholar in Residence – College of the Environment, Affiliate Professor – Department of Chemistry and School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences. (Nature and Health)

Future Rivers 2023/2024 Cohort Applications are Open!

Posted on November 30, 2022 at 8:44 pm.

Written by Sara Adams

Applications are open for the fourth and final Future Rivers cohort for 2023/2024!

Future Rivers is a National Science Foundation Research Traineeship at the University of Washington training the next generation of freshwater sustainability scientists. The program is designed to help graduate students gain an interdisciplinary understanding of global freshwater issues using an environmental justice lens.

The program is open to current and incoming graduate students across the University of Washington tri-campus. Up to 18 months of funding is available on a competitive basis.

Visit the Futures Rivers website to learn more about application requirements. The application deadline is January 27, 2023.

Now Hiring: Research Scientist – Hydrologist (Climate Impacts Group)

Posted on November 17, 2022 at 10:48 pm.

Written by Sara Adams

The Climate Impacts Group (CIG) at the University of Washington is hiring a new, full-time Research Scientist with a focus on hydrologic change in the northwestern U.S. The Research Scientist will work with CIG’s lead scientists to co-produce applied research, synthesize literature and engage with partners on climate impacts and adaptation related to hydrologic change in the region.

We are seeking a candidate with a background in hydrology and experience with physically-based hydrologic models, GIS software and data analysis. We are also seeking a candidate who has experience with use-inspired research and communicating with diverse audiences.

You can learn more about the position on the CIG website and apply on the UW Hires website. The team will start reviewing applications for this position on December 6, 2022.

Clean SHiFT Team Wins 2022 EPA Safer Choice Partner of the Year

Posted on November 2, 2022 at 5:26 pm.

Written by Sara Adams

The products we use to clean our spaces impact not only those who use them, but also the environments into which they are discharged. A multi-disciplinary team has been working to help with the transition to safer chemicals for cleaning, disinfecting and sanitizing food trucks in Washington.

In recognition of their efforts, the Clean Safety & Health in Food Trucks (Clean SHiFT) team received a 2022 Safer Choice Partner of the Year award from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

The Clean SHiFT team was one of 26 teams across 14 states to receive the recognition. The EPA Safer Choice program helps consumers, businesses, and facility purchasers find products that are safer for human health and the environment.

The Clean SHiFT team was a 2019-2020 EarthLab Innovation Grantee team that developed tools and educational materials to promote safer cleaning techniques and products in food trucks in Washington State. Many common cleaning products negatively impact the environment and human health. The resulting increases in exposures to chemicals are associated with acute and chronic health problems that disproportionately affect communities of color, women and children. With food trucks growing in popularity not only in our region, but nationally, there is a huge opportunity to help operators improve their health impacts.

Through a collaboration between the University of Washington, the Washington State Food Truck Association, Heritage University, PopUPjustice, and the Washington State Department of Ecology, the Clean SHiFT team conducted a survey in English and Spanish of 49 food truck operators.

The team used the survey results to develop a bilingual online toolkit (English and Spanish) that includes six steps for safer cleaning to improve air quality and reduce respiratory hazards, a storytelling instructional video highlighting the selection of Safer Choice-certified products, and a fact sheet on cleaning and disinfecting. The toolkit also features a bumper sticker that can be shared with customers to access information on safer cleaning products, including Safer Choice-certified products.

“Clean SHiFT demonstrates how valuable EarthLab’s research to practice projects are for reaching small employers and their employees with innovative products that benefit both the environment and public health,” says Nancy Simcox, lead PI of the project.

Hear from Aurora Martin of popUPjustice on what this award means to the team: 2022 EPA Safer Choice Partner of the Year YouTube video.

The Clean SHiFT team includes staff from the University of Washington’s Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Science Continuing Education Program, UW Bothell’s School of Nursing and Health Studies, popUPjustice, the Washington State Department of Ecology, the Washington State Department of Health, King and Yakima County health districts, and students from Heritage University and the University of Washington.

This work was sponsored by an EarthLab Innovation Grant which supports projects at the intersection of climate change and social justice. To learn more about the Innovation Grants program, including how to apply for the current round of grants, click here.

Now Hiring: Research Scientist (Climate Impacts Group)

Posted on October 20, 2022 at 10:18 pm.

Written by Sara Adams

The Climate Impacts Group (CIG) at the University of Washington is hiring a full-time research scientist with a focus on ecosystems and invasive species. We are seeking a candidate with a background in natural resources and experience with climate adaptation.

The Research Scientist will support co-produced research and synthesis projects led by the Climate Impacts Group’s senior scientists and work with the U.S. Geological Survey Northwest Climate Adaptation Science Center to coordinate the Northwest Regional Invasive Species and Climate Change Network. Focus areas of research and science synthesis will include climate impacts as they relate to species and ecosystems, invasive species, ecological disturbances, and landscape conservation.

Learn more about the position and apply here.

Indigenous Peoples’ Day 2022

Posted on October 7, 2022 at 12:00 pm.

Written by Sara Adams

The idea to replace Columbus Day with Indigenous Peoples’ Day was first proposed at the 1977 UN Conference by Indigenous advocates. Since then, more than a dozen states and hundreds of cities have adopted the day.

2014 marked the first Indigenous Peoples’ Day in the City of Seattle. The recognition was a result of advocacy by local Indigenous organizers since 2009. In 2021, President Biden officially recognized the second Monday in October as Indigenous Peoples’ Day.

The movement shifts the focus towards a more accurate representation of history, the resilience, and contributions of Native Americans spanning generations.

Today’s Moment

The University of Washington acknowledges the Coast Salish peoples of this land, the land which touches the shared water of all tribes and bands within the Suquamish, Tulalip, and Muckleshoot nations.

At EarthLab, we believe that centering equity and justice in environmental work includes honoring the knowledge and work of communities that disproportionately face environmental harms. This idea comes to bear when we consider the social and ecological harm Indigenous communities are experiencing due to large environmental events such as climate change, and we recognize the value and necessity of acknowledging multiple ways of knowing. The following are UW-related resources and events recognizing Indigenous Peoples’ Day.

Watch Together

Tonight (Monday, October 10th from 6:00-8:00pm)! Head to the Samuel E. Kelly Ethnic Cultural Center for a screening of ‘Imagining the Indian‘, a documentary that examines the movement that is ending the use of Native American names, logos, and mascots in the world of sports and beyond.

The event is put on by the UW Center for Anti-Racism and Community Health (ARCH), UW Office of Minority Affairs and Diversity (OMA&D), wǝɫǝbʔaltxʷ Intellectual House, and the UW School of Public Health.

Explore the Indigenous Speaker Series

EarthLab is proud to co-sponsor a virtual Indigenous Speaker Series hosted by the Northwest Indian College. The series amplifies voices of Indigenous people and promotes a dialogue about Indigenous people’s culture and traditional lived experiences.

A list of past conversations including recordings can be found here.

Walk the Walk

Experience the UW Seattle campus from a different perspective — through the Indigenous Walking Tour.

Photo of Owen Oliver and EarthLab summer interns standing under a large tree during the Indigenous Walking Tour on the UW Seattle campus. — Owen Oliver guides EarthLab summer interns through the Indigenous Walking Tour on the UW Seattle campus.

Created by recent graduate Owen L. Oliver (Quinault/Isleta Pueblo), the tour guides you through stories of place across seven locations on campus. You can pick up a copy of the walking tour booklet at the University Book Store, on the American Indian Studies website or experience the tour virtually.

Watch Gather

he EarthLab Learning Collective offered a free screening of Gather to our staff this summer. Gather is a documentary about Indigenous food sovereignty. The film beautifully captures efforts to rediscover identity through ancestral foods.

“The industrial revolution is over. Now, if we want to survive, if we want to carry on life on Earth, we need to be a part of the restorative revolution,” – Samuel Gensaw (Yurok), activist

Learn more about the film, the stories featured, and how to watch on the Gather Film website.

Be in Community

Explore these resources for UW students, faculty and staff: