Tag: sustainability

2026 Ecological Economics Summer Schools and Conference

If you are a PhD student, postdoc/early-career scholar, or practitioner who is interested in sustainability, ecological economics, and macroeconomic transformations, please take a look at the following opportunities.

Where: Pisa, Italy

This summer school – now in its 5th year – is designed for PhD and post-doc students. In special cases, master’s and bachelor’s students may also be eligible. A maximum of 60 participants will be admitted.

The summer school is full-time and involves approximately 23 hours of class attendance and 52 hours of individual study. After completing the final exam, on Saturday 11 July, students will recieve 3 ECTS (European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System).

FACULTY

  • Keynote lecture: Giulia Romano (Università di Pisa)
  • Mario Biggeri (University of Florence, ITA)
  • Leonardo Boncinelli (University of Florence, ITA)
  • David Cano (University of Pisa, ITA)
  • Simone D’Alessandro (University of Pisa, ITA)
  • Tiziano Distefano (University of Florence, ITA)
  • Elisa Giuliani, Vice-Rector for Sustainability and the 2030 Agenda – Università di Pisa
  • Ralph Hall, (Virginia Tech, USA)
  • Tommaso Luzzati, (University of Pisa, ITA)
  • Igor Matutinovic, Zagreb School of Economics and Management
  • Emilio Padilla Rosa, Universitat Autonoma Barcelona
  • J. Christopher Proctor, Bocconi University – Institute for European Policymaking
  • Marcela Villarreal, former Director of the Partnerships and UN Collaboration Division at the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)

Learn more and apply here.

When: September 7-9, 2026

Where: Florence, Italy

This summer school offers an intensive introduction to Ecological Macroeconomics, with a special focus on its relevance for the Global South. Participants will receive a solid grounding in the foundations of Ecological Economics and Post-Keynesian Macroeconomics, and will learn key modelling approaches used to analyse sustainability transitions in diverse socio-economic contexts.

The programme covers Input–Output analysis, Stock-Flow Consistent modelling, and System Dynamics, providing participants with the conceptual and technical tools needed to explore the interactions between economic structures, environmental constraints, and social outcomes. A core component of the school is hands-on training on how to build Integrated Assessment Models (IAMs) that incorporate biophysical limits, distributional dynamics, inequality, and policy scenarios.

Participants will work through practical modelling labs using Vensim and R, enabling them to implement dynamic models, run simulations, and analyse alternative development pathways. The school aims to equip a new generation of researchers—especially from and for the Global South—with state-of-the-art modelling skills to address climate, energy, and development challenges.

FACULTY

  • Tiziano Distefano (University of Florence, ITA)
  • Simone D’Alessandro (University of Pisa, ITA)
  • Guilherme Morlin (University of Pisa, ITA)
  • David An (University of Florence, ITA)
  • Vinicius Centeno (University of Florence, ITA)

Learn more and apply here.

When: September 10-12, 2026

Where: Florence, Italy

Ecological Macroeconomics is an emerging field at the intersection of macroeconomics, ecological economics, and complexity science. It develops modelling frameworks that embed economies within biophysical limits, explicitly address inequality and social justice, and explore de- and post-growth futures through scenario analysis rather than optimisation.

This inaugural international conference aims to bring together scholars, early-career researchers, students, and practitioners working on ecological macroeconomic theory and modelling, with a particular interest in applications to the Global South and policy design for a just transition.

Learn more and apply here.

Recording of Dr. Arlene Blum’s Seminar

I’m pleased to share below a recording of Dr. Arlene Blum’s seminar entitled “Climbing your own Everest: Mountains & Molecules.” In this talk, Arlene explores her amazing career as a pioneering mountaineer and impactful chemist. 

At the end of the seminar, I reminisce on how Arlene kindly supported the first class I taught while a postdoc at Stanford. It is truly remarkable to see what she has accomplished with the Green Science Policy Institute that was only an idea being developed back in 2007. 

Workshop – Advancing Agriphotovoltaics (APV) in Virginia

On August 6 and 7, the Center for Advanced Innovation in Agriculture (CAIA), the Center for Future Work Places and Practices (CFWPP), and the Power and Energy Center (PEC) at Virginia Tech will be hosting a workshop on Advancing Agriphotovoltaics (APV) in Virginia.

The workshop will bring together industry leaders, policy makers, agricultural professionals, and other key stakeholders to:​

  • Establish a network to support APV advancement in Virginia,​
  • Develop collaborative strategies for supporting APV during the renewable energy transition, and​
  • Explore opportunities and challenges in APV identified by diverse stakeholder perspectives​.

The following panels will be held on August 6 to inform a series of facilitated group discussions on August 7.

Agriculture Panel (Moderator: Prof. John Fike, School of Plant and Environmental Sciences, VT)

  • Eric Paulson, Executive Secretary of the Virginia State Dairymen’s Association (VSDA).
  • Meredith Ledlie Johnson, Policy Systems and Environmental Change Programming Manger, Virginia Cooperative Extension (VCE).
  • Jim Riddell, Government Affairs Specialist, consultant, and representative of the Virginia Cattlemen’s Association.

Solar Developers Panel (Moderator: Prof. Ralph Hall, School of Public and International Affairs, VT)

  • Lauren Wheeler, GIS Analyst for the Timmons Group in the Energy and Renewables practice and leads the Virginia permitting team.
  • Iain Ward, Founder and CEO of Solar Agricultural Services, Inc. (SolAg).
  • Jesse Robertson-DuBois, Director, Sustainable Solar Development, BlueWave.
  • Katie Hill, Director of Environmental Compliance at Strata Clean Energy.

Utilities Panel (Moderator: Nam Nguyen, Executive Director, VTES)

Policy Panel (Moderator: John Ignosh, Senior Extension Specialist, Biological Systems Engineering, Virginia Tech)

  • Dana Ashford, Acting Director of USDA-NRCS Ecological Sciences Division.
  • Aaron Berryhill, Solar Program Manager, Virginia Department of Energy.
  • Samantha Levy, Conservation and Climate Policy Manager, American Farmland Trust.
  • Carrie Hearne, Commission on Electric Utility Regulation.

The workshop is made possible by funding received from 4-VA.

Talking Transitions: How Cities Navigate the Green Transition

I recently had the pleasure of participating on Episode two of Talking Transitions, a new podcast series (hosted by David Weston) from FORESIGHT Climate & Energy and EY that focuses on how the transition to a sustainable economy may impact the energy and resources industry, the financial services sector, and Government.

In our poadcast, Prof. Abbas El-Zein (University of Sydney in Australia), George Atalla (EY’s Global Government and Public Sector Leader), and I delved into the transitions cities and urban areas are facing and their role in shifting to a sustainable economy.

You can listen to the podcast and the series on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

2023 Study Abroad Program

The three main components of our 2023 study abroad program in Italy are now open for any student to apply. Virginia Tech students who are accepted into the VT program will be automatically enrolled into each part of the program.

VT Students: The application portal will remain open for the next week, so please apply this week if you would like to be considered for the program. Please also make sure you apply for a GEO Scholarship (due March 15th).

Non-VT/International Students: I hope you will considered applying to one or more parts of the program via the links below. In 2022, we had over 20 countries represented in the Pisa summer school that hosted around 40 students. It was a really engaging and culturally rich experience for everyone involved in the program.

Get Out There with SPIA – Slides & Recordings

Please find below links to the 3-minute presentations given during the “Get Out There with SPIA” event held on February 10. The slides from the event can be accessed here. 

If you have any questions about a specific program/course, please reach out to the lead faculty member(s) listed below. The first two summer programs have an application deadline of February 15, so please apply before then if you would like to be considered for one of these. 

Washington, D.C. Semester, Leadership through Policy & Governance (WSLG) (Summer) & U.S. Congressional Oversight in Action (Winter)

Study Abroad in Italy (Florence, Pisa, and the Apuan Alps), Sustainable Transitions in Employment, Economic Welfare, and the Environment (Summer)

Support Provided by the VT Global Education Office

Washington, D.C. Semester in Global Engagement (WSGE) (Fall and Spring)

UAP 2004 Real Estate (Summer, online course)

SPIA 2005, 2006, & 2014 Urban Analytics (Summer, online course)

Homeland Security Policy (HSP) Graduate Certificate (open to seniors) (Video)

Study Abroad, Sustainable Policy Making & Planning in Europe (Summer)

  • The 2023 program is full. If you are interested in the 2024 program, please make sure you apply early in the fall semester. 
  • Contacts: Ralph Buehler, ralphbu@vt.edu; Todd Schenk, tschenk@vt.edu

2023 Study Abroad Progam in Florence/Pisa, Italy

If you are a rising senior or graduate student at Virginia Tech and are looking for a unique sustainability-related study abroad experience, please find me on the Drillfield on Wednesday (September 21) to learn more about the planned 2023 Florence-Pisa program in Italy or signup for the information session that will be held from 3-4pm on Friday, October 14.

If you are unable to attend the study abroad fair or information session, please complete this simple form to be kept informed of program updates.

Recording of SPIA Seminar with Dr. Tiziano Distefano

Please find below a recording of Dr. Tiziano Distefano’s SPIA Seminar that explores how the Ecological Macroeconomics (EM) and Integrated Assessment Models (IAMs) developed for Italy and France could be adapted to study the US economy.

SPIA Seminar (9/16, 12-1pm)

What is the relationship between climate change and increasing inequality? How can a different paradigm and representation of the world help advance a more sustainable future?

In this seminar, Dr. Tiziano Distefano (an Assistant Professor at the University of Florence) will explore how Ecological Macroeconomics (EM) and Integrated Assessment Models (IAMs) can be used to merge diverse knowledge, data, and methodologies to address complex environmental problems and their connections with the socio-economic system. Dr. Distefano will present his EM-IAM research focused on Italy and France, and will discuss how this analysis approach could be applied to the US.

When: September 16, 12-1pm (EST)

Location: Room 111, Architecture Annex

Zoom: Register here