{"id":3346,"date":"2024-09-19T16:20:53","date_gmt":"2024-09-19T16:20:53","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/mywatchseries.me\/?p=3346"},"modified":"2024-09-24T16:07:15","modified_gmt":"2024-09-24T16:07:15","slug":"department-of-energy-awards-saint-louis-university-nearly-1-million-to-create-a-climate-resilience-center","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/mywatchseries.me\/index.php\/2024\/09\/19\/department-of-energy-awards-saint-louis-university-nearly-1-million-to-create-a-climate-resilience-center\/","title":{"rendered":"Department of Energy Awards Saint Louis University Nearly $1 Million to Create a Climate Resilience Center"},"content":{"rendered":"

SLU\u2019s Climate Resilience Center is one of 10 projects in 10 states funded by the DoE<\/em><\/p>\n

ST. LOUIS \u2013\u00a0<\/strong>Saint Louis University has received a $964,848 grant from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to create a Climate Resilience Center at SLU. The project is one of 10 centers funded by the DOE in states nationwide. Funding was announced Aug. 15.<\/p>\n

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Orhun Aydin, Ph.D.<\/a>, assistant professor in earth and atmospheric science at SLU\u2019s School for Science and Engineering, is the principal investigator on the three-year project, which brings together researchers from across the university working on issues around urban climate and how it impacts human health.<\/p>\n

Co-investigators include\u00a0Sarah Coffin, Ph.D.<\/a>, associate professor in urban planning;\u00a0Emily Hite, Ph.D.<\/a>, assistant professor of sociology and anthropology;\u00a0Benjamin de Foy, Ph.D.<\/a>, professor of earth and atmospheric science;\u00a0Liz Hasenmueller, Ph.D.<\/a>, associate professor of earth and atmospheric science;\u00a0Vasit Sagan, Ph.D.<\/a>, professor of earth and atmospheric science and computer science;\u00a0Enbal Shacham, Ph.D.<\/a>, professor of behavioral science and health equity; and\u00a0Jason Knouft, Ph.D.<\/a>, professor of biology.<\/p>\n

The project, \u201cAdvancing Development and Climate-Resilient Adaptation Practices via Community-Driven Urban Transformation,\u201d will undertake high-resolution modeling of heat islands in St. Louis City and St. Louis County and offer ways to build resilience into existing buildings and future developments.<\/p>\n

Heat islands exist when high urban density causes temperatures in cities to rise above the temperatures in the surrounding, less-dense parts of the region. Heat is also one of the driving factors in premature deaths in Missouri.<\/p>\n

Aydin said St. Louis\u2019 unique climate resilience challenges and undergoing efforts for sustainability plans make here and now an ideal time to utilize generative AI to inform resilience plans for weather extremes by smart geodesign.<\/p>\n

\u201cHeat islands aren\u2019t just about the temperature,\u201d Aydin said. \u201cIn St. Louis, with our humidity, 90 degrees can be suffocating. The stress on those experiencing the heat is different.\u201d<\/p>\n

The research team will create a network of high-precision weather sensors in St. Louis City and County. The sensors will be built in Aydin\u2019s AI-CHESS (Artificial Intelligence for Coupled Human-Environment System Analysis for Sustainability) Lab at SLU. The sensors will give the team access to real-time weather data in the region, allowing them to follow up with an AI model for high heat exposure based on climate models from the Department of Energy.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe will be able to investigate the impact of green spaces and sustainable development,\u201d Aydin said. \u201cIncreasing green spaces will reduce the impact of heat islands and improve shade equity to lower-income neighborhoods.\u201d<\/p>\n

In addition to the climate models, the research team will also evaluate the energy efficiency of homes within the heat islands of St. Louis City and County.<\/p>\n

Community partner\u00a0EnergyCare<\/a>, a non-profit whose mission is to help low-income, vulnerable people find safety from extreme temperatures, will conduct home audits and provide assistance via better insulation or air conditioning units.<\/p>\n

\u201cThose audits are beginning now,\u201d Aydin said. \u201cWe still have enough hot weather ahead of us this year to start.\u201d<\/p>\n

The audits will help determine how much power is needed to heat and cool homes.<\/p>\n

The research team will use the data collected to create a neighborhood dashboard that will be shared with the city and county.<\/p>\n

The Center benefits from a research team pulled consisting of a variety of academic departments at SLU. All eight members have research rooted in climate change but are each tackling it through the lens of their own expertise.<\/p>\n

The team also brings in strengths from the institutions they represent, in particular,\u00a0Taylor Geospatial Institute<\/a>\u00a0and the\u00a0WATER Institute<\/a>\u00a0at SLU.<\/p>\n

Coffin, director of SLU\u2019s urban planning and development program, brings expertise in urban design to aid in future development plans. Hasenmueller and Knouft, both members of SLU\u2019s WATER Institute, will look at how to create more green spaces that can withstand the flooding and drought conditions that the region can face.<\/p>\n

Looking at people\u2019s perceptions and experiences with heat will fall to Hite, an anthropologist, while Shacham brings a public health and equity lens to the project.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have a wide variety of expertise among the investigators,\u201d Aydin said. \u201cThey each make up an important aspect of the project. Our government and community partners will also be an integral part of the final action and implementation of any research findings.\u201d<\/p>\n

Saint Louis University<\/h2>\n

Founded in 1818, Saint Louis University is one of the nation\u2019s oldest and most prestigious Catholic institutions. Rooted in Jesuit values and its pioneering history as the first university west of the Mississippi River, SLU offers more than 15,200 students a rigorous, transformative education of the whole person. At the core of the University\u2019s diverse community of scholars is SLU\u2019s service-focused mission, which challenges and prepares students to make the world a better, more just place.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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About Parul Dubey<\/a><\/h3>\n<\/p>\n
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