BBISS Hosts Lighting Talks for Sustainability Next Grantees

Georgia Tech researchers representing 25 research projects that received Sustainability Next seed grants, presented their work during two lightning talk sessions on August 27 and September 5, 2024, at the invitation of Brook Byers Institute for Sustainable Systems (BBISS). Participants were also offered the opportunity to network, discuss connections to resources and opportunities for collaboration, and engaging with community stakeholders.

Three themes emerged from these sessions:

• Many research teams need access to data sets that are difficult to acquire for logistical or financial reasons.
• Some available data sets are not very extensive, or do not accurately represent the diversity of people and perspectives present within the group or geographical area studied.
• Many research teams engaged with community groups as part of their project, or were looking for community partners to complete or enhance their project.

The networking sessions facilitated numerous connections. Eunhwa Yang’s team studies how environmental factors and building construction methods can impact the sleep quality of people with mild cognitive impairment who live in under-resourced communities. Yang expressed a need for more reliable data collection and transmission systems, given that internet access in the homes of study participants can be unreliable. She connected with Jung-Ho Lewe, whose work often revolves around IoT (internet of things) devices that use free or low-cost low-bandwidth cellular data networks. Yang also connected with the Center for Sustainable Communities Research and Education to look for additional opportunities for community engagement.

The participants also discussed the promise and the hurdles of engaging directly with community partners. Ameet Pinto, BBISS associate co-director for interdisciplinary research and associate professor in the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, said, “If available datasets are not representative of the communities being served, then community-engaged research can fill those gaps. Such research requires that trust-based relationships be cultivated, and this takes time and resources to foster trust and find common ground.”

Attendees seemed to appreciate the opportunity to talk with their colleagues, not only about their projects, but also about engaging directly with communities. The events were well attended with several people coming to both sessions. Pinto adds, “The Sustainability Next seed grants are not just about helping brilliant ideas get off the ground; they are also about bringing together a community that can coalesce around thematic challenges and make a transformative and lasting societal impact. By hosting these lightning-talk sessions, BBISS helps to bolster such a community.”