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Speakers and Knowledge Dissemination
Despite the challenge of moving our programming online, the Sustainability Council’s technical expertise and experience with e-conferencing meant we were well prepared for it. This year represents our largest slate of events and perhaps our largest cumulative audience, in numbers and in geographic reach.
Lecture Series
Our lecture series entered its second year, the first to be programmed by the Sustainability Council Research Steering Committee (Ken Caine, Cindy Gaudet, Leanne Lefsrud, and Sheena Wilson). We aimed to spotlight a mix of University of Alberta experts, alumni and academics from beyond Alberta with bi-weekly events.
Sustainability Council staff developed a process for delivering online events smoothly and effectively. The kick-off lecture with Mother Earth Essentials’ Carrie Armstrong reached a record 450 people, putting our process to an immediate test. Throughout the year, council staff handled pre-recorded productions, a zoom bombing, film screenings, large panels and breakout rooms. Our 19 events drew a total audience of 1,882 and featured 26 speakers.
Schedule of events
Carrie Armstrong
Indigenous Healing Plants
Sep 30, 2020
450
Fahrook Hamzeh
Hidden Waste: Lean construction for sustainability
Oct 14, 2020
47
Kira Hunt
Biomimicry: Design Inspired by Nature
Nov 18, 2020
162
Tanya Kalmanovitch
Tar Sands Songbook live performance
Dec 2, 2020
110
Tanya Kalmanovitch
Tar Sands Songbook workshop
Dec 3, 2020
20
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Disciplinary range of speakers
Speakers were selected to cover a broad disciplinary range, from engineering to ethnology, critical thinking to creative arts.
Sustainability Awareness Week
Held annually since 2008, Sustainability Awareness Week presents five days of engagement and learning opportunities for the campus and surrounding community. A week-long event series focuses the general university community’s attention on sustainability issues. The Sustainability Council plans, coordinates and promotes Sustainability Awareness Week with partners delivering roughly half of the events. By providing student groups, campus, and community partners the opportunity to present their work, we are also building capacity for the university’s sustainability champions.
Sustainability Awareness Week was held October 26–30, 2020 with two to four online events each day. Our keynote presentations put a spotlight on each of the University of Alberta’s five Signature Areas, showing how their research aligns with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals and raising the profile of early career researchers.
Signature Area Keynotes at SAW 2020
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A smaller slate of exclusively online events resulted in increased participation and geographic reach. Event attendance ranged from 20–70 participants. Certificate in Sustainability undergraduate students showcased their sustainability research through a virtual exhibit with projects related to waste reduction, climate change monitoring and more.
SAW 2020 attendance
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4
Count
517
Sum
SAW 2020 geographic reach
Diversity Reporting
The Sustainability Council assesses and strives to increase the diversity of speakers invited to present at our major events, including the Lecture Series and Sustainability Awareness Week, as well as the people we feature in our news and profiles.
Diversity of speakers
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