{"id":4699,"date":"2025-06-09T16:01:34","date_gmt":"2025-06-09T20:01:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/artsci.case.edu\/magazine\/?p=4699"},"modified":"2025-07-03T12:45:14","modified_gmt":"2025-07-03T16:45:14","slug":"a-climate-for-shared-responsibilities","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/artsci.case.edu\/magazine\/2025\/a-climate-for-shared-responsibilities\/","title":{"rendered":"A Climate for Shared Responsibilities"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"AnWhen <\/span>Shejuti Wahed<\/b> realized some<\/span> Case Western Reserve University <\/span><\/a>classmates were buying lab coats they might only need for one academic year and then discard, she took action to reduce the waste. Wahed launched a lending program to not only create a sustainable solution\u2014but offer a practical alternative for students who couldn\u2019t easily afford a new lab coat.<\/span><\/p>\n

Soon, leaders in the university\u2019s <\/span>Climate Action Network<\/span><\/a>\u2014which facilitates sustainability projects\u2014were providing Wahed with organizational support, mentorship and networking opportunities.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"A

Shejuti Wahed received an award this past spring from CWRU\u2019s Office of Energy and Sustainability for her work involving sustainability and climate initiatives. She is pictured with Dean Tufts, the university\u2019s vice president for Campus Planning and Facilities.<\/p><\/div>\n

This academic year, Wahed helped organize the campus Climate Action Month, with events ranging from film screenings and tree plantings in Cleveland neighborhoods to a \u201cclimate hope\u201d book club\u2014to counter the ecological despair she knows young adults increasingly feel.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cClimate anxiety is very real, especially for my generation,\u201d said Wahed (CWR \u201925), who graduated in May.\u00a0 She studied neuroscience and psychology to better understand how events\u2014including rising temperatures and destructive wildfires and hurricanes\u2014can exacerbate mental health challenges and inspire peers to pursue sustainable solutions. \u201cEnvironmental problems don\u2019t exist in a vacuum,\u201d she added. \u201cThey affect every part of our lives.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Such a multidisciplinary approach is a hallmark of the <\/span>College of Arts and Sciences<\/span><\/a>, home to decades of climate-related research on topics ranging from how melting Arctic ice is challenging geopolitical relationships to how more intense storms increase erosion around the Great Lakes.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"A

Peter Whiting<\/p><\/div>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re a microcosm of how science\u2014and the humanities\u2014come together to address a global problem,\u201d said <\/span>Peter Whiting<\/b><\/a>, PhD, a professor of Earth, Environmental and Planetary Sciences and interim dean of the college from mid-2024 to earlier this year.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

That vision of shared responsibility permeates the university\u2014especially across the college\u2019s diverse disciplines\u2014from biology and chemistry to anthropology, economics, psychology, political science, cognitive science and more. Courses emphasize critical thinking, equipping students to analyze complex data and communicate with policymakers and the public. Meanwhile, community initiatives focus on practical impact through discoveries and inclusive local partnerships.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe have an ethical responsibility, not just to generate research but to translate knowledge into action,\u201d Whiting said. \u201cOur students are the ones who will piece together new technologies, shape public policy and nurture a more sustainable culture. Yes, the situation is urgent, but the capacity for innovation is greater than we often realize.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Recent data from global climate agencies underscore the urgency: Heat records were shattered in 2023 and again in 2024, exceeding 2.79 degrees <\/span>Fahrenheit<\/span> above pre-industrial levels. Meanwhile, unprecedented southern California wildfires in early 2025 underscore that the world is seeing more frequent and severe disasters.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

What follows are just a few of the many examples of work related to climate happening throughout the college and university.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

\"A

A.W. Omta | Photo by Matt Shiffler<\/p><\/div>\n

Catalyzing climate knowledge<\/h2>\n

A.W. Omta<\/b><\/a>, PhD, stood at the front of his \u201cWeather and Climate\u201d class last fall, drawing arcs on a whiteboard representing different emission scenarios. The lines climb steeply as he explains how rising carbon concentrations could push global temperatures up by as much as 6 degrees Fahrenheit by the year 2200.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe greatest source of uncertainty is our own future behavior,\u201d said Omta, a visiting assistant professor of Earth, Environmental and Planetary Sciences. \u201cWe have a responsibility to future generations\u2014any emission reductions we do now will affect their lives.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Logan Corrales<\/b>\u2014a rising second-year mechanical-engineering major\u2014is taking classes like Omta\u2019s to immerse herself in the science behind greenhouse gases, convinced that understanding the data will help shape legislation and community action.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhen you see exactly where greenhouse gases come from, it\u2019s easier to see what can be done,\u201d said Corrales, who is involved with the Ohio Student Association, a grassroots advocacy organization that counts climate as one of its top priorities. \u201cIt\u2019s not entirely hopeless, but if we don\u2019t act on what we know, it will only get worse.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Her classmate, environmental engineering major <\/span>Josie Adsett<\/b>, agrees. Passionate about green infrastructure\u2014such as rain gardens and environmentally friendly wastewater systems\u2014Adsett (CWR \u201925), who graduated in May, sees pairing her engineering knowledge with deeper insight into weather and climate as essential.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cEducation is key,\u201d she said. \u201cEven small temperature shifts can have a huge impact decades from now, so the more people who understand and share solutions, the better.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Both students see the direct relevance of what they\u2019re learning, and that\u2019s by design. Across the college, faculty intentionally link classroom theory to real-world applications.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"A

Cyrus Taylor<\/p><\/div>\n

For instance, <\/span>Cyrus Taylor<\/b><\/a>, PhD, co-led a new seminar last fall on regional climate action planning, in which students participated in a regional decarbonization project funded by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The project is a collaboration with campus partners and faculty at nearby universities to help the City of Cleveland create a plan to reach net-zero emissions\u2014that is, balancing greenhouse emissions with measures to remove or offset them\u2014by 2050.<\/span><\/p>\n

The seminar\u2019s undergraduate and graduate students were responsible for developing a course in regional climate-action planning that could be a resource for other cities nationally as they undertake similar plans. The course development continued through the academic year.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cStudents are not just learning about climate change, they\u2019re actively working on solutions,\u201d said Taylor, the Albert A. Michelson Professor in Physics and a former longtime dean of the college. He led the seminar with <\/span>Matthew Hodgetts<\/span><\/a>, PhD, the George B. Mayer Visiting Assistant Professor in Urban and Environmental Studies in the Department of Political Science.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThere appear to be no courses anywhere that really address these [regional planning] issues,\u201d Taylor said. He and Hodgetts hope their course will be a significant resource for groups around the country doing regional climate-action planning in the years ahead.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll admit, the outlook can feel grim, but I try to stay hopeful. Even small progress can push things in the right direction.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u2014 Logan Corrales<\/strong>, a mechanical-engineering major<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Climate research across disciplines<\/h2>\n

Throughout the college, researchers are striving to understand how a warming planet alters people\u2019s lives\u2014both locally and globally\u2014and what can be done to protect communities and ecosystems alike.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"A

Albert Colman<\/p><\/div>\n

Amid accelerating changes, <\/span>Albert Colman<\/b><\/a>, PhD, sets his sights on both a far-distant past around the globe as well as current-day Cuyahoga County.<\/span><\/p>\n

For example, he has investigated climate impacts from the separation of Antarctica and South America tens of millions of years ago, and is analyzing the chemistry of fossil tooth enamel from grazing animals in East Africa from more than 3 million years ago to better understand prehistoric climates.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c<\/b>We are trying to deduce changes in the amount and patterns of precipitation,\u201d said Colman, an assistant professor of Earth, Environmental and Planetary Sciences.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cSuch changes play a major role in shaping landscape ecology, which may, in turn, have influenced the evolution of pre-humans in gaining the ability to walk on two legs,\u201d Colman said. He also is developing real-time air quality monitoring in Cuyahoga County, aiming to augment government monitoring.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe want to detect neighborhood-scale variations in air quality\u2014what people are actually breathing,\u201d he said. \u201cWe also want to relate air quality to larger transitions toward green-energy production and the electrification of transportation, evaluating the potential public health benefits that may derive from actions primarily designed to reduce carbon dioxide emissions to the atmosphere.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Colman\u2019s courses combine data analysis with hands-on fieldwork\u2014giving students firsthand experience in studying how air, water and soil interact with human activity. This work increasingly occurs in urban environments, where students connect real-world measurements to broader climate and public health challenges.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe can\u2019t just measure a problem and walk away,\u201d Colman said. \u201cWe owe it to the communities most affected by air pollution to work toward meaningful solutions.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

To understand planetary warming in a broader context, <\/span>Darin Croft<\/b><\/a>, PhD, studies fossils in Bolivia\u2019s Quebrada Honda Basin, where life thrived 13 million years ago\u2014when global temperatures were nearly 7 degrees Fahrenheit higher than today.<\/span><\/p>\n

By examining fossils of mammals, reptiles and ancient plants, Croft, a professor at the School of Medicine, who also teaches biology, shows how past temperature rises radically altered entire landscapes.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re getting into uncharted territory with today\u2019s climate,\u201d Croft said. \u201cSometimes you have to go deeper in time to get conditions that are similar.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

As the college\u2019s climate research continues and expands, it will also have a prominent place in the university\u2019s new $300 million <\/span>Interdisciplinary Science and Engineering Building<\/span><\/a> (ISEB<\/span>)<\/b>, slated to open in fall 2026. Designed around several multidisciplinary \u201cclusters,\u201d the facility is expected to accelerate discovery by teams of scientists and engineers.<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n

\"A

Sarah Bagby<\/p><\/div>\n

Sarah Bagby<\/b><\/a>, PhD\u2014co-leader of the ISEB\u2019s ecology and climate cluster\u2014is working with architects and fellow cluster leads to design labs that meet researchers\u2019 evolving needs.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re planning shared equipment rooms and communal workspaces\u2014anything that encourages spontaneous problem-solving,\u201d said Bagby, an assistant professor of biology, who studies northern Sweden\u2019s rapidly thawing permafrost and its release of greenhouse gases. \u201cIf the right people are just a short walk away, you never know what ideas will come about.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Such broad, interdisciplinary approaches to address global issues are exactly what major federal funders expect to see, said <\/span>Grant Goodrich<\/b><\/a>, PhD, executive director of the university\u2019s Great Lakes Energy Institute, which works with faculty across campus to secure grants to further advance solar energy, water quality, sustainable manufacturing and other focus areas.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBold, integrative solutions move the needle for society,\u201d he said. \u201cWhen you connect all the dots\u2014science, policy and community partnerships\u2014you get real momentum.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\"An

Cassi Pittman Claytor | Photo by D Marsz Photography<\/p><\/div>\n

Building trust beyond campus boundaries<\/h2>\n

By 2017, a recycling site in East Cleveland had spiraled into a sprawling dump that the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency later ordered closed, leaving neighbors to endure noise, dust and environmental harm. For <\/span>Cassi Pittman Claytor<\/b><\/a>, PhD, an East Cleveland native, the Robson Junior Professor and an associate professor of sociology at the college, it felt too close to home; too close to people she knew.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cEnvironmental harm isn\u2019t abstract,\u201d she said. \u201cWhen it affects your own community and people you know, it\u2019s clear that everyone should have a voice in decisions about their health and future.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

That belief led Pittman Claytor and fellow CWRU Climate Action Network members <\/span>Brian Gran<\/b><\/a>, PhD, <\/span>Ina Martin<\/b><\/a>, PhD, and Taylor to conduct focus group sessions in East Cleveland, Cleveland\u2019s Glenville neighborhood and with CWRU faculty, students and staff. Their goal: to provide a platform for the university community and local residents to voice their concerns about how changing conditions, including rising temperatures and fierce weather, affect their daily lives\u2014and who should address them.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cClimate work can\u2019t stay within university walls,\u201d said Martin, director of research cores and operations in the university\u2019s Office of Research and Technology Management. \u201cOur neighbors have a wealth of insights into their own challenges\u2014and real ideas for addressing them.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

For Gran, a professor of sociology, genuine two-way dialogue between members of the campus and nearby neighborhoods was key.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThis was about listening\u2014really listening\u2014to community members who\u2019ve lived these realities,\u201d Gran said. \u201cThey should have a central voice in shaping solutions.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The researchers\u2019 approach gained broader attention when Pittman Claytor detailed it during a workshop in February hosted by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine in Washington, D.C., and focused on higher education and advancing sustainability initiatives.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHigher education has a responsibility not only to educate, but also to act,\u201d Pittman Claytor said. \u201cThat means reducing our own carbon emissions and engaging and collaborating with the people whose lives are most affected.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Pittman Claytor also aims to launch a social-impact lab that conducts research, works with local policymakers and industry and collaborates on solutions to address community concerns around sustainability.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThis isn\u2019t just about collecting data,\u201d she said. \u201cIt\u2019s about neighbors, families and our shared future.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cClimate education here isn\u2019t about a single class or program\u2014it\u2019s embedded across disciplines. Our goal is to prepare students to see climate issues through multiple lenses, equipping them to contribute to solutions no matter their field of study.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u2014 Cyrus Taylor<\/strong>, the Albert A. Michelson Professor in Physics<\/p><\/blockquote>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

When Shejuti Wahed<\/b> realized some Case Western Reserve University <\/a>classmates were buying lab coats they might only need for one academic year and then discard, she took action to reduce the waste. …Read more.<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":481,"featured_media":4701,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"spay_email":""},"categories":[70],"tags":[],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/artscimedia.case.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/147\/2025\/06\/09125634\/GettyImages-2154948176_Getty-Images.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/artsci.case.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4699"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/artsci.case.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/artsci.case.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/artsci.case.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/481"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/artsci.case.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4699"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/artsci.case.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4699\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4936,"href":"https:\/\/artsci.case.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4699\/revisions\/4936"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/artsci.case.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4701"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/artsci.case.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4699"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/artsci.case.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4699"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/artsci.case.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4699"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}