Simonen’s primary research focus is reducing the environmental impact of building materials, and she’s been recognized for her dedication to sustainability by media groups and the University of Washington. She’s one of many UW professors seeking solutions to climate change through their scholarship.
In fact, CBE is a major hub of climate science, from experimental construction design and materials to imagining new narratives about the ways that humans can inhabit the planet. However, the structure of academia can get in the way of productive collaboration to decarbonize the planet. The problem, Simonen reports, is that some faculty are unaware of the research being performed outside of their disciplines.
Is there a way to break through knowledge barriers and foster climate change collaboration within and without CBE? Simonen and other faculty think they’ve found it: CBE’s new Climate Solutions Community of Practice (CoP), a group dedicated to generating climate solutions across disciplinary frameworks that encourages student, staff, and faculty participation.