Author: alayton6

Journal of Industrial Ecology Best Paper Prizes: Journal article by Layton, Bras, and Weissburg awarded Second for the 2016 Graedel Prizes

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Layton, A., B. Bras, and M. Weissburg. 2016. Industrial ecosystems and food webs: An expansion and update of existing data for eco‐industrial parks and understanding the ecological food webs they wish to mimic. Journal of Industrial Ecology 20(1): 85–98.

“Winners of the 2016 Graedel Prizes: The Journal of Industrial Ecology Best Paper Prizes” by Helge Brattebø, Reid Lifset

The Graedel Prizes were established to honor Professor Thomas Graedel, now emeritus from Yale University after an outstanding successful career as a researcher and pioneer in the field of industrial ecology (IE). The prizes are awarded to the best two papers published in the Journal of Industrial Ecology (JIE) every year; one paper written by a junior single author or first author (below the age of 36) and one paper written by a senior single author or first author.

“The winning papers, as well as the ones that were nominated but were not selected, demonstrate research of high scientific quality and relevance on a wide spectrum of topics in the field of industrial ecology.”

full article on the 2016 prize awards here

The two prize‐winning papers successfully competed among 12 nominated papers, out of which four were written by a junior author or junior first author. The paper by Ivanova and colleagues (2016), the winner in the junior author category, with a study on household consumption, was in a close race with the paper by Layton and colleagues (2016) offering a study on data and organization of eco‐industrial parks (EIPs) and food webs (FWs).

The second best paper in the junior author category by Layton and colleagues (2016) is an excellent paper with original and novel contributions to research methods for more fundamental understanding of the characteristics of EIPs and FW mimicry. In particular, the study offers significant improvements in systematic analysis of metrics and data processing for a large data set of EIPs and FWs. The paper analyzes to what extent the IE metaphor is actually implemented in EIPs, and FW structures are compared with EIP structures. The paper concludes that EIPs are less complex that their ecological counterparts, and that EIPs still have a long way to go to meet the resilient and efficient properties of natural systems. This is a valuable contribution to IE research: It improves the scientific links between ecology methods and IE methods and offers a basis for better ecosystem mimicry in circular economy initiatives. The study represents great value for the IE community and increases our understanding of the extent our metaphor actually holds. It is also valuable in terms of the data provided and analysis made of the current EIP structures. The paper is well written with proper illustrations, an excellent structure, layout and language, and with extensive data and documentation including supporting information.

full article on the 2016 prize awards here

“Layton tests feasibility of modeling industry networks after nature” by Jennifer Reiley

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From Texas A&M Mechanical Engineering News:

In nature, networks have evolved where animals and plants interact and use efficient methods to best utilize resources. Dr. Astrid Layton, assistant professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Texas A&M University, is researching whether companies can apply a similar concept of how this natural network looks and behaves in an effort to create more sustainable networks of industries.  … read more

https://spark.adobe.com/video/vxschGpSD5Fk3/embed

WFSC/ABS co-sponsored seminar with Dr. Brian Fath “Investigations of sustainability and resilience using a network of networks approach” 

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Dr. Brian Fath, Professor, Department of Biological Sciences, Towson University and Editor-in-Chief, Ecological Modelling

“Investigations of sustainability and resilience using a network of networks approach” 

Friday 21st September, 12-1pm, HFSB 102

WFSC/ABS co-sponsored seminar with Dr. Fath. He will talk about his research in the area of systems ecology and network analysis applied to the sustainability and resilience of socio-ecological systems.

Abstract: Sustainability is a system-level property of the structure and function of the system in question.  Key features of sustainable systems are energy and material resource flows and waste recovery and the presence and maintenance of autocatalytic cycles that build, dissipate, and regenerate resource gradients.  A resilient system is one that is able to successfully navigate all stages of the adaptive cycle.  This view focuses on sustaining life processes rather than piecemeal solutions to specific symptoms.  In this study, network analysis is used to assess the impact of an invasive species on the food web in a series of Nebraska reservoirs.  The introduction of the invasive species is mediated by a social network of anglers moving from place to place.  Using this approach it is possible to promote management options to control the spread of the invasive species.

For more information on Dr. Fath please visit his website: https://www.towson.edu/fcsm/departments/biology/facultystaff/bfath.html

MSC Wiley Lecture Series at Texas A&M University presents: “The Environment and Our Posterity”

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Wednesday, September 20th at 7 pm in MSC 2406

A panel discussion, moderated by Timothy M. Mulvaney from the School of Law and featuring panelist Dr. Wendy Jepson from the Department of Geography both at Texas A&M, covering the role of the US Constitution on climate change policy.

​Description: The Constitution of the United States notes in the preamble a concern for promoting the general welfare of ourselves and our posterity. In a world where the health of the environment threatens not only our welfare, but the welfare of generations to come, environmental protection is of vital importance. The Commerce Clause also affirms the right of the government to pass environmental regulation, as it gives Congress the authority “To regulate Commerce with foreign Nations, and among the several states, and with the Indian Tribes.” This clause was used to pass many federal statutes, including the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act, and the Endangered Species Act. However, the question remains as to what kind of action is appropriate for both the environment and the economy. Do some statutes to protect the environment cause undue harm to the economy? Does the harm done to our environment have a greater economic impact than the statutes passed to protect it? How far can our government go, and how far should they go, to regulate industries’ impact on the environment? The event is free and open to the public.

6th annual Campus RainWorks Challenge

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The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is launching its 6th annual Campus RainWorks Challenge, a design competition that is open to colleges and universities across the country. EPA seeks to engage with students to foster a dialogue about responsible stormwater management, and showcase the environmental, economic, and social benefits of green infrastructure practices.

Registration for the 2017 Challenge is open from September 1st through the 30th. Student teams must register in order to submit their entries by December 15th. Winners will be announced in the Spring of 2018. Each first-place team will earn a student prize of $2,000 to be divided evenly among student team members and a faculty prize of $3,000 to support green infrastructure research or training. Second-place teams will win $1,000 for student teams and a $2,000 faculty prize.

Water pollution associated with stormwater runoff requires infrastructure solutions that are innovative, resilient, and affordable. Today’s scholars are tomorrow’s design professionals. The Campus RainWorks Challenge will harness their creativity and knowledge to jointly advance the agency’s mission to protect public health and water quality.

Learn more at: www.epa.gov/campusrainworks

Shelby Warrington joins BiSSL research group as a recipient of the Clare Boothe Luce Scholars program

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Congratulations to Shelby Warrington for winning a place in the Clare Boothe Luce Scholars program, one of eight students selected.

Eight female engineering students at Texas A&M University were recently accepted into the competitive Clare Boothe Luce Scholars program, which provides funding for undergraduate research to talented female engineering students.

The $250,000 grant was awarded to Texas A&M’s Women in Engineering program this year in recognition of the College of Engineering’s commitment to supporting women’s pursuits in academia and research. The program benefits undergraduate students by providing an opportunity to pursue research for three years, helping them prepare for future academic success in graduate school.

Publication Accepted for the 2017 International Design Engineering Technical Conferences & Computers and Information in Engineering Conference (IDETC-CIE)

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I will be presenting my work titled “Designing Sustainable Manufacturing Networks: The Role of Exclusive Species in Achieving Ecosystem-Type Performance” at the IDETC-CIE 2017 conference, under the 22nd Design for Manufacturing and the Life Cycle Conference (DFMLC) division, on Monday, August 7th.

Ecology is proving to be an innovative source for design principles. Studies have examined how ecological principles can enhance sustainability in industrial networks. Ecologically inspired manufacturing networks tend to focus on supporting symbiotic relationship formation, creating a cyclical flow structure that has been shown to result in efficiency and resource consumption improvements. Despite successes, bio-inspired manufacturing networks still fail to accurately mimic ecosystem cycling. The roles of exclusive actors and specialized predators in achieving the high cycling characteristic of ecosystems is investigated here. Exclusive actors participate in the network as either only a consumer (predator) or only a producer (prey). Specialized predators consume only one producer inside the system boundary. The populations of these special actors in manufacturing networks versus ecological food webs speaks to the potential influence these roles have on the cycling the network achieves. The trends shown here suggest less exclusivity is necessary for achieving ecologically-strong network cycling.

Layton, A.; B. Bras; M. Weissburg. Designing Sustainable Manufacturing Networks: The role of exclusive species in achieving ecosystem-type performance. Cleveland, OH, 2017. ASME 2017 International Design Engineering Technical Conference.

ENGAGE summer program

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I am so excited to be working with the ENGAGE summer program at Texas A&M this week! Lots of future engineers. #ENGAGETAMU

“The ENGAGE Summer Camp is a six-day residential summer camp designed for students from underrepresented groups who are strong in science, technology, and mathematics. The camp gives students hands-on, memorable experiences while inspiring them to consider a career in engineering.

During the camp, students stay on campus in residence halls, engage in discussions with student and faculty panels, visit engineering laboratories and research centers, and work on engineering projects. Current engineering students serve as camp counselors and are with camp participants throughout the entirety of the summer camp.”

(Left to Right) Dr. David Staack (Mechanical Engineering), Dr. Bruce Gooch (Computer Science & Engineering), Ms. Johnita Jones (ExxonMobile Midstream Americas Engineering Manager & former student), Dr. Philip Ritchey (Computer Science & Engineering), Dr. Astrid Layton (Mechanical Engineering)