Agenda for Student Development Session at ISIE 2007 Conference
University of Toronto
June 17, 2007
1-2 pm
Panel Members:
- Ramesh Ramaswamy, Resource Optimization Initiative
- Professor Brad Allenby, Arizona State University
- Robert Lucacher, Mervyns LLC
- Diana Bauer, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
The session will be structured as 30-40 minutes of panel discussion, followed by 20-30 minutes of student questions. The following topics will guide the discussion:
Ramesh Ramaswamy
- Discuss the role played by non-governmental organizations (NGO) in the field of industrial ecology worldwide and especially in developing countries.
- Share experiences from ROI initiatives and feedback from recent projects in different areas.
- Provide guidance to participants interested in a career with an NGO.
Brad Allenby
- Provide guidance based on career in industry and academia
- Discuss the future directions of industrial ecology and which qualities will be needed by future leaders in industrial ecology.
Robert Lucacher
- Discussion of business careers related to industrial ecology and the opportunities available.
- How can students be preparing themselves to succeed in a career at the interface of industrial ecology and business?
Diana Bauer
- Discussion of current E.P.A. research interests and funding initiatives along with prospects for the future.
- Discussion of opportunities for funding, internships, and post docs with the U.S. E.P.A.
- Share experience and advice for students considering a career in the public sector.
Ramesh Ramaswamy
Resource Optimization Initiative
Professor Ramaswamy is the Director of the Resource Optimization Initiative (www.roi-online.org), a not for profit institution created to perform research that applies Industrial Ecology in developing countries. He received his BS in Physics from Madras University, his MBA from the Indian Institute of Management in Ahmedabad, and his ATIM from the Institute of Management at Delft. Ramaswamy’s background is in business and he has held numerous senior executive positions in leading Indian companies. He has been working in the field of industrial ecology for over 15 years and has published numerous articles, book chapters, and books including: Applied Industrial Ecology – A New Platform for Planning Sustainable Societies (2003). Currently, Prof. Ramaswamy serves on the governing council of ISIE as well as the membership committee. He is also on the Editorial Board of the Journal of Industrial Ecology.
Braden R. Allenby
Arizona State University
Braden R. Allenby is currently Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering, and of Law, at Arizona State University, having moved from his previous position as the Environment, Health and Safety Vice President for AT&T in 2004. Dr. Allenby received his BA from Yale University in 1972, his JD from the University of Virginia Law School in 1978, his Masters in Economics from the University of Virginia in 1979, his Masters in Environmental Sciences from Rutgers University in the Spring of 1989, and his PhD in Environmental Sciences from Rutgers in 1992.
He is currently Chair of the AAAS Committee on Science, Engineering, and Public Policy; a Batten Fellow in Residence at the University of Virginia’s Darden Graduate School of Business Administration; and a Fellow of the Royal Society for the Arts, Manufactures & Commerce. Until recently Dr. Allenby was also President of ISIE. From 1995 to 1997, he was Director for Energy and Environmental Systems at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, and from 1991 to 1992 he was the J. Herbert Holloman Fellow at the National Academy of Engineering in Washington, DC. His areas of expertise include Design for Environment, industrial ecology, telework and netcentric organizations, and earth systems engineering and management.
Rob Lucacher
Manager of Environment, Energy and Government Affairs, Mervyns LLC
Rob Lucacher has managed environmental, safety and business operations for global corporations and their operating divisions for the last 25 years. His focus is on applying solutions that continuously improve business performance, environmental compliance, and corporate sustainability across the global value chain. His work experience includes Conoco, United Technologies, FMC – United Defense, Applied Materials, and Corporate Ecology Inc. Rob is currently the Manager of Environment, Energy and Government Affairs for Mervyns LLC, the leading west coast mid-tier retailer headquartered in Hayward, California.
Rob earned a BA in Environmental Studies from the University of California Santa Barbara, an MS in Natural Resources from the University of Michigan, and an MBA from the Orfalea College of Business at California Polytechnic State University at San Luis Obispo.
Diana Bauer
National Center for Environmental Research (NCER)
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
As the Assistant Center Director for Sustainability in NCER, Diana Bauer contributes to the EPA Research Strategy for Sustainability and other agency white papers, oversees sustainability extramural research at EPA, and connects the research to EPA programs. She participates in government and academic groups developing research agendas for Sustainable Materials, Environmentally Benign Manufacturing, and Science and Technology for Sustainability. In 2004, she launched the Collaborative Science and Technology Network for Sustainability (CNS), which is building research/application partnerships between multi-disciplinary researchers and decision-makers in communities related to the built environment, industrial ecology, and organizational behavior. Dr. Bauer also provides support for NCER's Technology for a Sustainable Environment (TSE) research grants under the Science to Achieve Results (STAR) program. These TSE grants currently focus on quantifying the environmental benefits of green chemistry and engineering approaches. Dr. Bauer originally came to EPA as a AAAS fellow.
Dr. Bauer received her PhD in Mechanical Engineering from the University of California at Berkeley in 1999 and a Masters degree in engineering from Princeton University in 1988. Her graduate and postdoctoral work focused on green design and manufacturing in the automotive and electronics industries. Before receiving her PhD, Dr. Bauer served as a visiting researcher in Japan, technical editor in Taiwan, and English teacher in China. She also worked as an engineer for two firms in Waltham, Massachussettes.
