Weekly Sustainability Research and Practice Seminars Show Breadth of Faculty Expertise
Each semester, WCU’s Office of Sustainability (OoS) organizes a number of events that promote environmental awareness and climate consciousness; encourage commuting alternatives; promote reduced consumption of resources as well as reuse and recycling; and other “green” subjects. Among these are weekly Sustainability Research and Practice Seminars that feature WCU experts in various fields as well as some non-WCU guest speakers.
Sustainability Research and Practice Seminars take place every Wednesday at noon (except
spring break week, 3/16/22) via Zoom or in person in Sykes 255 A/B, except the March
30 seminar, which will be in Sykes 252. At 50 minutes each, they introduce an array
of topics related to sustainability in easily digestible segments. They are free and
open to both campus and community. All programs are recorded and posted on the OoS Sustainability Education tab. Scroll down for the Zoom link.
Jasmin Tahmaseb McConatha, psychology professor, launched the 2022 spring series on February 2, discussing her research into “Coping with Grief and Loneliness: The Healing Power of Green Spaces.” Noting that “We are wired to interact with nature, water, plants, animals, and other people,” she pointed out that people spending just two hours a week outdoors report improved psychological well-being. Her students Georgina Hanna, Katherine Ford, Carolyn Cusmano, and Nicole Lyman also presented their research in the emerging field of eco-therapy.
This week, on February 9, Megan Fork, assistant professor of biology, talks about her research on microplastic aquatic pollutants in “Invisible Trash: Emerging Contaminants in Streams and Rivers.”
Below is the complete spring 2022 Sustainability Research and Practice Seminars series.
Zoom link: https://wcupa.zoom.us/j/93758729168?pwd=S2haNG8rVmRxenQ2ekkwSEZVb3lxdz09
Meeting ID: 937 5872 9168
Passcode: 432173
February 16
Christina Rosan, Temple University Department of Geography and Urban Studies, and Professor Megan Heckert, Geography & Planning: Planning for Resilience and Equity through Accessible Community Technology: A Research Agenda
February 23
Tonya Thames-Taylor, History: Removing Confederate Statues, Now What? Sustainability and Reimagining Space
March 2
Heather Wholey, Anthropology and Sociology: Climate Crisis Impacts to Cultural Heritage Resources: Think Globally, Act Locally
March 9
Tabassum Ruby, Women’s and Gender Studies, with students Madeline Mulcahey and Christine Recchi: Considering Sustainability from the Perspective of Accountability: Rethinking Consumerism and the Environment
March 23
Alex Cohen, Marketing: How Inaccessible Retailer Websites Affect Blind and Low-Vision Consumers: Their Perceptions and Responses
March 30 (location change: Sykes 252)
Jason A. Bartles, Languages and Cultures: Climate Fiction and Solarpunk: Imagining Pathways toward Brighter Futures
April 6
Seth Jacobson, Director, WCU Center for Civic Engagement & Social Impact: Student Basic Needs Insecurity at West Chester University
April 13
Michelle O’Connor Kensey, Nursing: Incorporating Global Sustainable Healthcare Practices of Skin-to-Skin Care after Childbirth into a Small Suburban U.S. Hospital
April 20
Lauri Hyers, Psychology, with students Shannon Hoffman, Hannah Brown, Alyssa Caporellie, Lindsay Corkery, and Katherine Nuzhny: Effects of Environmental Volunteerism on Well-being and Climate Change Efficacy
April 27
Rodney Mader, English: Local Botany and the Posthuman
Learn more about West Chester University's Sustainability efforts and programs >