ErbWire Newsletter

Climate and Energy

Erb Partners in New U-M REFRESCH Program Exploring Appropriate Technologies for Resource-Challenged Regions

The Erb Institute has successfully partnered with several U-M institute and departments on a grant proposal under the provost’s Third Century Initiative. REFRESCH (Researching Fresh Solutions to the Energy/Water/Food Challenge in Resource-Constrained Environments) seeks sustainable technology solutions for the large portion of the world’s population that does not have access to a reliable electric grid, clean water, and sufficient food.

Andy Hoffman will lead Erb’s involvement in the project, which will also provide graduate student research assistant appointments and case-study development fellowships for students.The partnership is directed by Chemical Engineering professor Johannes Schwank, also includes the Graham Institute, Energy Institute, School of Natural Resources and Environment, College of Engineering and Taubman College of Architecture. Read More

Hoffman featured in The Solutions Journal

New Hoffman article examines how social sciences could augment the proposed economic solutions to greenhouse mitigation with research on perception, decisions, consensus, and action. Discussed in this article include a series of proposed interventions to overcome the filters and biases that take place across the individual, organizational, and institutional levels of analysis. Read More

January Workshops and Town Hall focus on increasing public understanding of climate risks, choices

Led by Andy Hoffman, The Erb Institute and the Union of Concerned Scientists hosted a series of workshops titled “Increasing Public Understanding of Climate Risks and Choices: What We Can Learn from Social Science Research and Practice” Jan. 19-21, 2012 at the Ross School. Key workshop findings were presented in a public dialogue in a packed January 20 Town Hall. Read More

Student Startups

Wello Water Follow-Up

Wello CEO Cynthia Koenig announces the release of WaterWheel 2.0, a newly engineered version of the WaterWheel to be released in September 2012. Read more

Gobal Impact

Erbers honed their business and critical thinking skills while working on master’s team and MAP projects on three continents—North America, Africa and South America.

“Deschutes River Corridor and its water for Trout Unlimited,” “Building sustainable community systems in Africa,” “Ecotourism in Peru”
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Greening Markets

Sustainability rankings impact shareholder value, research shows
Conference examines the evolution of green markets 

Newsweek’s third annual Green Company Rankings released Oct. 17 will substantially influence the market, predict Thomas Lyon, who teaches sustainable business at the U-M, and Jay Shimshack, an Erb Institute visiting scholar in 2009-2010. Read more on Greening Markets

Corporate Social Responsibility

Report on MegaTrends Released

“Expect the Unexpected: Building Business Value in a Changing World,” was released by KPMG on February 14th at the launch of its Global Summit, Business Perspective on Sustainable Growth: Preparing for Rio+20. This report was produced for KPMG by Erb faculty members, Tom Lyon and Tom Gladwin, Erb Managing Director, Rick Bunch, Erb alums Kari Walworth and Justin Adams and a team of more than 20 Erb MBA/MS students. Read more

Erb students develop corporate sustainability report prototype for Aurora Organic Dairy 

Drawing from corporate social responsibility reporting best practices and standards, master’s project team members Rosemary Lapka, Neesha Modi, Lauren Start, all Erb ’12, and David Weinglass, Erb ’11, developed a prototype corporate sustainability report for Aurora Organic Dairy (AOD), the leading producer of private-brand organic milk and butter for U.S. retailers. Read more

Gifts Enhance Student Experience

Renewable Energy Scholars Award helps students pay bills and encourages entrepreneurship, professional development

Despite a sluggish economy, beleaguered federal loan guarantee program and an uncertain regulatory environment, the US Renewables Group (USRG) remains bullish on the renewable energy industry, says Jon Koch, Erb ’96, managing director and co-founder of the New York City-based firm. Founded in 2003, USRG is one of the largest private equity funds focused solely on renewable energy. USRG has mobilized more than $1 billion in equity and debt commitments to invest in renewable power, biofuel and related infrastructure. Read more

Gift promotes Erb student Startups

Entrepreneurial Erb Institute students seeking to promote sustainability will benefit from the generosity of two donors with close ties to the Institute and strong personal commitments to sustainable practices. With their gift, Dawn Evans, Erb’s Administration and Financial Affairs Manager, and her husband, Tim Mayleben, Ross School BBA ’84, will support Erb students who have promising ideas for startups by providing funds to help develop their ideas. Read more

Erb Alumni Establish New Fund to promote entrepreneurship among students

For the first time in the Institute’s almost 20-year history, Erb alumni will have their own Alumni Fund to which they can contribute. The recently established fund will support an Annual Alumni Award,  to recognize students who exhibit the greatest mission-driven entrepreneurial spirit in the Erb community.  Alumni Fund Committee Chair Doug Glancy, Erb ’06, and members Jon Koch, Erb ’96, and Ryan Waddington, Erb ‘99, also view the fund and annual award as a way to encourage more alumni Read more

Institute News and Leadership

Andrew Hoffman to lead the Erb Institute

Andrew Hoffman, the Holcim (US) Professor of Sustainable Enterprise, is the new Director of the Erb Institute.  School of Natural Resources and Environment Dean J. David Allan and Ross School of Business Dean Alison Davis-Blake announced Hoffman’s appointment Dec. 5. Read more

Institute Surveys Alumni, Students

Erb alumni spend approximately 60 percent of their time working on sustainability projects, according to the Erb Institute’s May 2011 alumni survey. Overall, Erb graduates said they are satisfied with their level of involvement with sustainability topics and the work they do.  Read more

Strategic Advisory Council helps Erb track trends

Twice a year the Erb Institute Strategic Advisory Council (SAC) meets to discuss long-range sustainability trends likely to impact global markets, society and the Institute. The 12-member council works to assure that the Institute remains in the vanguard in research and educating leaders of organizations that seek to achieve a sustainable future. Read More

Post-docs contribute to Erb’s intellectual vitality

The Institute recently welcomed Visiting Post-Doctoral Research Fellow Marlene Janzen Le Ber and Post-Doctoral Research Fellow Arnab Mitra to the Erb community.

Le Ber earned her PhD. in strategy from the Richard Ivey School of Business, The University of Western Ontario, Canada, in 2010. Building on her experience as a leader and change agent in the Canadian health care system, Le Ber studies how social systems change and how market forces can address sustainability challenges. Read More

Sustainability at U of M

Campus community embraces U-M’s commitment to sustainability

Erb Institute faculty, students and alumni were among the many who cheered President Mary Sue Coleman’s Sept. 17 announcement that the U-M will invest $14 million in new commitments to achieve environmental goals. Read more

Erb alum Drew Horning contributes to U-M sustainability assessment, goals

Drew Horning, Erb ’01 and Deputy Director of the Graham Environmental Sustainability Institute, was among the more than 500 students, faculty and staff members who contributed to the Campus Sustainability Integrated Assessment (CSIA), which provided the foundation for the U-M’s new sustainability goals.
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