The Wisconsin Research, Innovation and Scholarly Excellence initiative’s newest program — RISE-EARTH — was announced by University of Wisconsin Chancellor Jennifer Mnookin Friday.
The Wisconsin RISE Initiative was first announced in February as UW’s investment in addressing and solving environmental issues as they arise. Initiatives within the program will focus on strategic hiring of faculty and increased research with high student involvement, according to UW News.
RISE-EARTH will look at renewable energy systems that go beyond new technology and into aspects of sustainability such as energy storage, sighting, transmission and transportation, according to dean of the Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies Paul Robbins.
This expands on the transportation and quality relating to transport systems. RISE-EARTH also works on the building of technology and energy systems that, for example, can store carbon in the ground instead of its release into the atmosphere, Robbins said.
The RISE-EARTH initiative looks towards the next generation of faculty leadership to create solutions for relevant environmental issues. The goal is to identify a problem, then hire a range of faculty surrounding the issue in order to work together and create solutions, according to Robbins.
The program’s focus on hiring faculty in order to solve environmental problems causes a ripple effect of sustainability learning improvement at UW, according to Robbins. Through this program, environmental courses will be increased, new faculty advisors will be made available, more research labs will be created for students to work in, and increased opportunity for field experience will become available, Robbins said.
Robbins widely supports the initiative and its addition to UW’s continual leadership in sustainability efforts.
“This makes a big difference,” Robbins said. “If you knew you were coming to a place where they are doing the cutting research, doing the community related agricultural work to protect soils, you’re going to want to come to UW.”
Faculty hires will come from different departments, bringing together a range of knowledge to solve problems in the most efficient and environmentally friendly way possible. Bringing professionals from every college and department to create solutions and collaborate also solves the decentralization of differing corners of the university, Robbins said.
“Every college and department sets its own priorities, which lets a lot of innovation happen,” Robbins said. “By hiring a lot of people all at once, it focuses the institutional mind.”
Though the initiative was announced recently, it will take a few years to feel the effects, according to Robbins.
“Students who are here now may not feel the immediate effects … when you talk about over the course of four years, new classes come in, they’re gonna notice that the curriculum is much more expansive, there will be things you can take at the university you can’t take now,” Robbins said.
Robbins said RISE-EARTH will create a range of new educational opportunities for students at all levels and the campus will benefit from it. New sustainable technology ideas created by students and staff can be experimented on campus, like planting on Bascom Hill or new building insulation, according to Robbins.
“Everything we do now, bends the curve in the future, so by doing this now, it’s on the right track,” Robbins said.
