Research and White Papers - Curriculum & Executive Training
A Closer Look at Applied Sustainability Centers
In March 2008, the Aspen Institute released a comprehesive snapshot report analyzing Sustainability Centers across the country. Apen Institute examines issues such as composition, funding and focus. This study was funded by the ASC at the University of Arkansas.
Yearly Extraction of Central America’s Land Cover for Carbon Flux Monitoring
The Center for Advanced Spatial Techology's study discusses methods for aggregating disparate geo-spatial data for analyzing carbon emmissions from the Central America land mass. This paper demonstrates one of the many tools available at the University of Arkansas that can be used to analyze a complex system and create a set of data that can be used to affect change within that system.
U of A Curriculum
The University of Arkansas is currently developing a curriculum that will allow students to graduate with credentials in sustainability. ASC will post more information as it becomes available.
Executive Training 2008
The Applied Sustainability Center offered two sustainability workshops for area business people. The first was a "Breakfast with a Buyer". The panel included Wal-Mart associates, John Stoll, packing innovation; Jamie Grace, product component innovation; Laura Phillips, innovations for improved customer value; and Kim Brandner, supply chain transparency and innovation. The second workshop, "Understanding Business Sustainability". The workshop combined the expertise of a former Wal-Mart buyer with the sustainable business consultant who has educated hundreds of Wal-Mart and Sam's Club buyers, division merchandise managers and general merchandise managers on the benefits of sustainability: 1. Wal-Mart's sustainability goals, objectives and priorities, and how the effort is organized, 2. What sustainability characteristics Wal-Mart and Sam's Club buyers increasingly seek - in products, packaging, and production processes from all suppliers, 3. How to begin to leverage sustainability for competitive advantage, including how to create opportunities for sustainability in your products; what attitude and approach to adopt in order to win with sustainability; how to build the right team for success; and, how to communicate with your buyers around sustainability.