Abstract: College campuses provide living laboratories for addressing environmental concerns through research collaboration, as well as opportunities to educate large groups of individuals in promoting sustainable practices through service learning and applied research experiences. The session will provide an overview of several campus sustainability initiatives at The Ohio State University and the University of Kansas. A panel of behavior analysts and campus sustainability experts will discuss resources, strategies, and challenges in extending behavior change efforts through cross-disciplinary collaborations. A central theme of this discussion will be the reduction of electric energy consumption. The goals of the session are to (a) plan a multi-site collaborative green behavior change research project on reducing electric energy consumption on college campuses beginning in the 2012-2013 academic year, and (b) form a consortium/network of university personnel and students to collaborate on this and future research initiatives.
Conference attendees who plan to participate in this breakout session are asked to add this event to their personal schedules (below) to help with discussion planning.
Nancy Neef, Ph.D., is a professor at The Ohio State University. She has focused on translational research in behavior analysis that illustrates both key principles of behavior and a wide array of applications. Her work, typically co-authored with her graduate students, has resulted in more than 70 publications and has been cited more than 11,000 times. Dr. Neef has secured almost 4 million dollars in grants supporting her research and students. She has also helped to support the research of others in her former role as editor of the Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, associate wditor for 4 journals, and on the editorial board of 11 journals. A fellow of the Association for Behavior Analysis International, Nancy has received the American Psychological Association, Division 25's Outstanding Applied Research Award and the Western Michigan University Alumni Achievement Award.
Aparna Dial is the director of Energy Services and Sustainability at The Ohio State University, where she is responsible for all strategic and operational aspects of energy purchasing, energy conservation, recycling and waste reduction. She has an undergraduate degree in civil engineering from Osmania University, India, an M.S. in civil and environmental engineering from Utah State University and an MBA from The Fisher College of Business at OSU. Aparna has worked for the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality in the Division of Surface Water (Enforcement Unit) and the Ohio EPA (Division of Air Pollution Control). Prior to working in her current capacity she was the director of environmental affairs at OSU and dealt with Engineering Review of Construction Projects, Air, Water, Hazardous Waste, and Asbestos issues and compliance with environmental regulations. Aparna has over 18 years of experience in the area of sustainability with direct experience in strategic planning, project management, environmental compliance and enforcement. Aparna serves on Ohio State’s President’s and Provost’s Council on Sustainability, chairs the Mayor's Green Team for the City of Columbus, and is a board member of the Solid Waste Authority of Central Ohio, Net Impact Advisory Board, and the Central Ohio Sustainability Alliance Advisory Board.
Derek Reed, Ph.D., BCBA-D, is a use-inspired translational researcher who applies principles of behavioral economics to promote socially meaningful behaviors. His interest in this area began as an undergraduate psychology major at Illinois State University and continued at Syracuse University, where he earned his master’s and doctoral degrees in school psychology. After a clinical internship at the May Institute, he was employed as an assistant director of clinical services, research, and training at Melmark New England. Throughout Dr. Reed’s career, his professional responsibilities have challenged him to work collaboratively across numerous disciplines, while maintaining a rigorous approach to translational science. His interests led him to the University of Kansas, where he is presently an assistant professor in Applied Behavioral Science, a courtesy faculty member in Environmental Studies, and a research and teaching affiliate for the KU Center for Sustainability. His Laboratory in Applied Behavioral Economics is currently investigating ways to understand sustainable behaviors through economic principles, as well as applying these principles in campus and community based research related to recycling and energy conservation. Dr. Reed has published over 40 peer-reviewed papers and book chapters, has co-edited two books, is the co-editor of the Division 25 Recorder Newsletter, and serves on the editorial boards of Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis and Behavior Analysis in Practice. |