Engineering Sustainability 2009

April 19 - 21, 2009 - Pittsburgh, PA

“On behalf of the Mascaro Center for Sustainable Innovation at the University of Pittsburgh and the Steinbrenner Institute for Environmental Education and Research at Carnegie Mellon University, we are pleased to announce Engineering Sustainability 2009: Innovations that Span Boundaries, to be held April 19-21, 2009, in Pittsburgh, Pa. As with our 2005 and 2007 events, this focused conference will bring together engineers and scientists from academia, government, industry, and nonprofits to share results of cutting-edge research and practice directed at development of environmentally sustainable buildings and infrastructure. • The built environment, which includes buildings, the transportation grid, and water collection and treatment systems, helps to sustain our economy and way of life, but at the cost of heavy resource use and waste generation. Buildings alone consume a substantial percentage of the materials produced globally each year and require significant amounts of energy for operation. Transportation grids are material-intensive, and the maintenance requirements of aging infrastructure in the developed world are stressing the abilities of municipalities to maintain viable systems. Renewal of urban water infrastructure with new, more sustainable systems delivering higher performance is a critical need, as failing infrastructure systems in many cities impact economic vitality and quality of life for residents. Stormwater management systems in many cities are inadequate and based on old paradigms, exacerbating flooding problems and leading to sewer overflows. Water also is interlinked with energy production and use, as significant amounts of water are required for energy generation, and production of high purity water with current membrane technologies requires significant amounts of energy. • The theme of the conference is Innovations that Span Boundaries: Hence, we particularly are interested in contributions that demonstrate cross-disciplinary and/or cross-cultural collaboration. • We look forward to seeing you in Pittsburgh in 2009!

Contact:
Gena Kovalcik
gmk9@pitt.edu
University of Pittsburgh, Carnegie Mellon University
412-624-9698
Web site: http://www.mascarocenter.pitt.edu/conference/about.php