The WUSTL Photosynthetic Antenna Research Center (PARC) is offering several unique opportunities in March and April for the public to tour sustainably-focused facilities, meet with scientists, and learn more about energy technologies in development at Washington University. The events are geared toward the general public, and teachers and students are encouraged to attend.
The Science in St. Louis Seminar Series will take place on three consecutive Saturdays in March. PARC graduate student Kaitlyn Faries will be hosting the series focused on renewable energy and the environment, and all talks will be presented on a level understandable to students. The seminars will take place in Brauer Hall on Saturdays from 10:30-11:30 a.m., and will be available as a live video stream via AdobeConnect. Light refreshments will be served. Detailed information on the speakers, seminar location, and video streaming can be found on the Science in St. Louis website.
- Saturday, March 15: Photosynthesis: It’s Not Just About Plants!
Chris Kirmaier, PhD, research professor of chemistry - Saturday, March 22: Greenhouse Gases to Fuels: The Magic of Catalysis
Liviu Mirica, PhD, associate professor of chemistry - Saturday, March 29: Affordable Ethanol: Unlocking the Secrets to the Plant Cell Wall
Marcus Foston, PhD, assistant professor of energy, environmental & chemical engineering
Co-sponsored by PARC and the International Center for Advanced Renewable Energy and Sustainability(I-CARES), Events & Topics in Energy & the Environment offers guided tours of two sites with significant sustainable features. Free bus transportation will be provided, departing from the foot of the Brookings Hall steps at 3:30 p.m. Participants may also meet the tour group at the site and should get in touch with Erin Plut (eplut@wustl.edu) for directions. Register for either of the below tours here.
- Wednesday, March 26: Alberici Facility Tour, 4:00-5:30 p.m. (bus departs Brookings Hall steps at 3:30 p.m.)
Achieving LEED Platinum certification, the property features a rehabilitated manufacturing facility turned office building and parking garage designed to capture and use as much natural light as possible. Other sustainable features include extensive use of native prairie plants, recycled materials, retention ponds for storm water runoff, and a wind turbine. - Wednesday, April 23: Sustainable Land Lab Tour, 3:45-5 p.m. (bus departs Brookings Hall steps at 3:30 p.m.) As the result of the Sustainable Land Lab Competition, four St. Louis vacant lots are the new home for five demonstration projects that test new ways to think of vacant space. From a franchise-model urban farm co-existing next to an intimate bistro built out of re-used shipping containers, to a sunflower lab piloting efficiency of plant-based soil remediation, Old North St. Louis is home to what will truly be a Sustainable Land Lab.