An Introduction to the John Muir Institute of the Environment

1. An Introduction to the John Muir Institute of the Environment Environmental Policy and Management Graduate Program Fall Orientation September 17, 2019

2. Overview of the Muir Institute • Five major centers and programs, supporting over 300 faculty, staff and students • Center for Watershed Sciences • Center for Health and the Environment/Western Agricultural Center for Health and Safety • Center for Spatial Technologies and Remote Sensing (CSTARS) • UC Davis Natural Reserve System • Bodega Marine Reserve, McLaughlin Reserve, Stebbins Cold Canyon, Jepson Prairie, Quail Ridge, Lassen Volcanic National Park Partnership EPM Orientation September 2019

3. Center for Health and the Environment (CHE) Examining the effects of environmental agents, including chemicals, particles and air-borne pollutants, on the health of humans, animals and ecosystems Director: Kent Pinkerton Center for Watershed Sciences (CWS) Solving critical water issues facing California and beyond Director: Jay Lund Center for Spatial Technologies and remote Sensing Developing research methods that use applications of core geospatial technologies to promoting sustainable environments Director: Susan Ustin Natural Reserve System Outdoor laboratories to field scientists, classrooms without walls for students, and nature’s inspiration to all Director: Andrew Latimer

4. Our mission is to discover, research, and solve pressing environmental and human health challenges at a time of unprecedented social connectedness, technological development and planetary change.

5. A global network of researchers

6. Major Research Themes in the Environmental Nexus • Human Health, Behavior and the Global Commons • Sustainable Resource Use • Environmental Pollution and Resilience • Policy and Collective Decision Making • Visualizing Change with Big Environmental Data EPM Orientation September 2019

7. Muir Institute Research Specialties • Research for real word impact in the areas of water, sustainable food systems, public health, air quality, climate, resource conservation and biodiversity • Collecting, visualizing and modeling big environmental data to provide novel insights • Solving complex challenges at the interface of human health, the economy and the environment EPM Orientation September 2019

8. Our Initiatives • At the Muir Institute, we translate our vision into practice though bold initiatives. These efforts help to galvanize the Muir Institute and its centers of excellence into global problem solvers. Our initiatives include: • One Climate (Muir Institute’s “Big Idea”) • Wild Energy • Polar Forum • World Water (CWS’ “Big Idea”) • Big Environmental Data EPM Orientation September 2019

9. One Climate (a “Big Idea”) • About One Climate | One Climate is an initiative dedicated to creating a sustainable, just and habitable world and the pathways to get there. • One Climate will lead the way towards planetary resilience by catalyzing a diverse nexus of change-makers – integrating across disciplines and with partners to scale solutions for maximum global impact. We will apply our expertise to achieve three critical climate outcomes: • Removing carbon buildup and preventing future pollution • Helping people, animals and ecosystems adapt to the impacts of climate change • Inspiring and equipping the next generation to fine new ways for us all to thrive • One Climate will do this by: • Creating the world’s most comprehensive, state-of-the-art carbon farm, “Project Carbon” • Establishing the Global Sustainability Summit Center in Sacramento • Driving innovative research through showcase projects and preparing the next generation to take action: • Environmental and Climate Justice, Marine Conservation and Blue Carbon, Wildfires and Human Health • For more information, please contact Sara Nichols, Associate Director of Strategic Initiatves, Muir Institute. EPM Orientation September 2019

10. Wild Energy Initiative • Motto | Where energy, life, and the environment work together. • Statement of Purpose | The Wild Energy Initiative facilitates research and education on interactions between energy systems and Earth, including its systems and species, to address exigent global change and sustainability issues. • Current Initiative Projects: • Solar Energy Potential of the Largest Commercial Buildings in the United States • Synergies of Solar Energy across a Land-Food-Energy-Water Nexus • Sustainability of Utility-Scale Solar Energy: Critical Ecological Concepts • The Desert Danaus Project at Ivanpah Solar Electric Generating System • The PV-Annual Plant Nexus Project in the Mojave Desert • The UC Davis Agrivoltaic Demonstration Site • For more information, please contact Assistant Professor Dr. Rebecca R. Hernandez. EPM Orientation September 2019

11. Polar Forum • Mission | To engage the public in polar research and education to foster awareness of climate change impacts on the unique natural, cultural, and societal features of the Polar Regions. • Outreach Objectives: • To highlight the Polar Regions as an exemplar of the urgency of climate change and strengthen the role of UC Davis as a world leader in environmental education. • Engage the community through unique outreach events, bridge the gap between UC Davis’ world-class polar research expertise and the public, and act as a conduit of expertise on polar issues to the media, policy makers and University of California system. • Encompass a uniquely broad array of disciplines – from sea ice dynamics and atmospheric chemistry, to paleoclimatology, anthropology, and Native American studies. • For more information on the Polar Forum, please contact Pernille Sporon Boving or Dr. Eric Post. EPM Orientation September 2019

12. World Water (a “Big Idea”) • Objectives and Vision: • Bring UC Davis’ interdisciplinary expertise to bear on solving local and global water challenges. • Expand UC Davis leadership in managing one of the world’s most precious resources by pioneering 21st century water science, engineering, management and policy. • To leverage the California Model of water management to deliver solutions for a wide range of water challenges at home and abroad. • Goals: • Establish a hub for global education in water science and management • Launch “Water without Borders” to provide scientific expertise and promote social justice for water issues around the world • Create the California Water Science Center—a sweeping new private-public-academic water partnership • For more information, please contact Dr. Jay Lund, Director for the Center for Watershed Sciences. EPM Orientation September 2019

13. Big Environmental Data • Mission | To lead the way in collecting, visualizing and modeling big environmental data to provide unprecedented insights into our changing world. • Ongoing activities: • We are solidifying the Muir Institute’s position as a locally, regionally and globally recognized center of excellence in Big Environmental Data through the following activities and partnerships: • Elsevier Inc., • Muir Institute Data Science Scholar (Dr. GunaManogaran) • CSTARS - one of the strongest environmental remote sensing and geospacial data groups in the United States (Dr. Susan Ustin, Director CSTARS). • Ongoing discussions with Microsoft and applications of AI EPM Orientation September 2019

14. About the Barn • Please feel free to use the “Corral” area of the Barn for all school related activities (studying, meetings, group projects, etc.) • You can reserve the Conference Room and Loft areas by emailing reserve-the-barn@ucdavis.edu • The Barn hours are 8:00am to 5:00pm - please be sure to leave the Barn by 5:00pm, and keep voices low during office hours to respect Barn staff • Available Barn supplies: • Wifi (eduroam) • Water (in the kitchen) • Mini fridge (in the Corral, please do not use the kitchen refrigerator) • For printing, pleasure refer to Campus Printing Services and Computer Centers • Sign up for the JMIE listserve by emailing Mabel Oen, Executive Assistant, to find out about Barn events including the Muir Institute Coffee Hour (join us, it’s fun!) • Don’t forget to stop by and say hello, we look forward to having you enjoy the Barn with us! EPM Orientation September 2019

15. Director: Benjamin Houlton Prof. Benjamin Houlton, Land Air and Water Resources and Chancellor's Fellow. Research specialties: Global biogeochemical cycles, climate change, gene to biosphere relationships, coupled human-environmental systems, computational modeling, and others. EPM Orientation September 2019

16. Associate Directors Prof. Susan Ustin Associate Director of Research Director of CSTARS Sara Nichols Associate Director of Strategic Initiatives Prof. Mark Schwartz Associate Director of Education EPM Orientation September 2019

17. Muir Institute Staff George Sheer IT Technical Staff Jenny Nickell Human Resources Diane Kruger Chief Administrative Officer Mabel Oen Executive Assistant Asheley Greenlee Finance Lindsey Dunn Finance EPM Orientation September 2019

18. THANK YOUhttps://johnmuir.ucdavis.edu For any general questions, please feel free to contact Sara Nichols, Associate Director of Strategic Initiatives