Past Sustainable U Pop-Up Events

Invasion of the Ecosystem Snatchers! 

Wed., May 27, 2020
noon-1 p.m.
by Brie Day, Dallas College biology professor

What can you do to protect our native species and habitats? Join us as we learn why the invasion of exotic species in the United States such as Asian Tiger mosquitos, garlic mustard, cowbirds, Zebra mussels and European starlings is one of the greatest threats to ecosystem biodiversity and sustainability. We'll also explore how human activities help exotic species. This free webinar is part of the Sustainable U Lunch and Learn series produced by Dallas College and EarthX. 

About Brie Day 

Brie Day has a passion for projects that help our environment and educate students and the community about science and sustainability. Brie has taught full time at the community college level for more than 18 years, teaching more than 28 courses in the environmental and biological sciences. She currently teaches in the areas of general and environmental biology at the Eastfield campus in Mesquite, where her curriculum focuses on project-based, hands-on education, both in the lab and in the field at Samuell Farm.

Brie recently won the Eastfield College "Excellence in Teaching – Piper Professor Faculty of the Year" award. Throughout her career in higher education, Brie has worked to build K-12, university and industry partnerships for educational initiatives in the biological and environmental sciences.

Brie's education includes the completion of three years toward a doctorate (achieving ABD status) in environmental and natural resources science: evolutionary molecular genetics of salmonids from Washington State University, Vancouver. She also holds a master's degree in biological sciences: conservation biology/invasion ecology from Illinois State University and a bachelor's degree in biological sciences: ecology/evolutionary biology/behavior from the University of Maryland at College Park.​

Fo​odscaping: Grow Your Own Food in Your Front Yard

Tuesday, April 28, 2020
noon-1 p.m.
Free webinar by Dr. Kara Casy, Dallas College

Learn how to grow fresh fruits and vegetables in your front yard (or back yard) through our first Lunch and Learn webinar. See several examples of how to switch out coleus for kale and begonias for beets in any space you have available while achieving a beautiful, aesthetically pleasing design and abiding by city codes. Please visit the registration link below to participate in this event. 

View the Foodscaping webinar.

Print the Foodscaping handout on container gardening in 5-gallon containers.docx.

Smart Cities and Sustainable Development: How is the Internet of Things (IoT) Improving our Region 

Thursday, Feb. 6​

6 to 8 p.m.

Coppell Biodiversity Center
367 Freeport Pkwy
Coppell, TX 75019

Join EarthX and North Lake for an evening to explore the idea, 'what makes a 'smart city' smart?' Learn how new technologies and open access to data is transforming our communities, enhancing quality of life, and sustaining our resources for future generations. Smart Cities embrace the Internet of Things (IoT), and utilize communication technologies and strategies across all community needs and daily living. According to Business Insider, cities will need to become more efficient with collection and analysis of data as more and more people move to cities putting pressure on infrastructure, environmental, economic and social resources. 

At this event, you will hear from expert speakers from business and government about smart initiatives in our region like 5-G, autonomous vehicles, open data, building sensors, biodiversity meters, and more. 

• James Childers, Assistant City Manager, City of Irving.
  
• Jerod Anderson, Director of Enterprise Solutions, City of Coppell.
  
• Jennifer Sanders, Executive Director and Co-Founder, Dallas Innovation Alliance.
  

Efficiency is the Master Key to High Performance Buildings 

Thursday, Dec. 12
1 p.m. to 3 p.m.
Richland Campus
Wichita Building, Room 115
12800 Abrams Road
Dallas, Texas 75243

Buildings consume lots of energy. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, the residential and commercial sectors accounted for about 40% of total U.S. energy consumption. As North Texas continues to grow, more and more people will need places to live, work, play, shop and eat. Buildings, both new and existing, need to perform at a high level to provide healthy environments, energy efficiency, equity and resiliency. 

Join some of the brightest minds in the industry as we discuss how save money and energy through efficiency.

• Paul Westbrook, president of Resource Design and retired sustainable development manager of Texas Instruments, Paul was responsible for building the first semiconductor manufacturing facility to achieve a Gold Certification with the U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program.
  

• Norma Lehman, RID, LEED AP BD+C, WELL AP, principal of higher education, director of sustainability at Beck.
  

• Michael Brown, Energy Systems Design Engineer at HKS and Host of the 3P Theory podcast for architecture, engineering and construction professionals who want to learn the latest green building strategies.
  

• Jake Steiner, co-founder and partner, Smart Energy 360, an integrated energy solutions company.
  

• Ryan Sheard, account executive, McKinstry, who will discuss the new Catalyst net zero energy building at Eastern Washington University. 
  

Urban Agriculture and Food Security: Connect with the Experts

This highly interactive morning will connect you with local food producers, community groups, and educational resources.

Join us at El Centro West Campus for this fast-paced and high energy event, comprised of brief presentations or "lightning talks" with round table discussions.

Lightning talks are 5-minute presentations, containing 20 PowerPoint slides that auto-advance every 15 seconds. When one presentation ends, another begins!

After the presentations are complete, we'll transition into round table discussions where participants can have more in-depth discussion with the presenters.

The sessions are focused on three themes:

• Local urban agriculture producers.
  

• Urban agriculture resources and education.
  

• Community-based organizations improving healthy food access.
  

Lastly, be sure to follow us at @eccurbanagrr on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter to stay in touch!

Mobility Solutions for our Community

Friday October 25th 
8 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. 
Cedar Valley Campus, 3030 N Dallas Ave, Lancaster, TX 75134
Vet Tech/ Science/ M Building, Room M-121-122
Light breakfast will be served.

Speakers:

1. Michael Morris, Director of the Transportation Division, North Central Texas Council of Governments.
2. Amanda Popken, Board President of the Congress of New Urbanists, North Texas chapter.
3. Ashley Hutto, a community activist of southern Dallas.
4. Daniel Sanchez-Roldan Operations Manager, Lyft.
   
5. Sherman Livingston, Bicycle and Complete Streets Manager, City of Dallas.
   
6. Todd Plesko, DART Representative.
   

Moderator:
Miriam Gallegos, President Student's Green Club, Cedar Valley Campus​

More Information:

Dr. Maria Boccalandro, mboccalandro@dcccd.edu 
Ph. 972-860-5204