Mission Statement
We aim to foster inclusive, collaborative, interdisciplinary research and education to advance sustainability in arid lands through environmental resilience, resource management, climate adaptation, biodiversity protection, community engagement, and policy development.
For more information on the Sustainability iRDA cluster, contact: eakalak.khan@unlv.edu
Members
- Andrea Wirth
University Libraries - Aya Shata
School of Journalism and Media Studies - Barbara Roth
Anthropology - Charlotte Wyatt
Black Mountain Institute - Eakalak Khan
Civil and Environmental Engineering and Construction - Edgar Ramirez de la Cruz
Urban Affairs - George Rhee
Physics & Astronomy - Haroon Sahotra
Civil and Environmental Engineering and Construction - Hikmet Loe
Art - Liliana Garcia
School of Music - Marie-Odile Fortier
Civil and Environmental Engineering and Construction - Marla Royne Stafford
Business - Mary Ludwig
History - Monika Neda
Mathematical Sciences - Nicholas Irwin
Business - Nicole Pietrasiak
School of Life Science - Phillip Zawarus
Architecture - Sean Neiswenter
School of Life Science - Steffen Lehmann
Architecture - Sue Wainscott
Research & Education - Zhijian "ZJ" Wu
Mathematical Sciences - Hannes Bauser
Geoscience - Zach Perzan
Geoscience
Focal Areas
-
Environmental Science & Engineering
Lead: Eakalak Khan (College of Engineering)
Marie-Odile Fortier (College of Engineering)
Nicole Pietrasiak (College of Sciences) -
Social Sciences & Community Engagement
Lead: Aya Shata (College of Urban Affairs)
Barbara Roth (College of Liberal Arts) -
Technology & Modeling
Lead: Phillip Zawarus (College of Fine Art)
Eakalak Khan (College of Engineering) -
Renewable Agriculture
Lead: Zach Perzan (College of Sciences)
Nicole Pietrasiak (College of Sciences) -
Desert City Urbanization
Lead: Steffen Lehmann (College of Fine Art)
Phillip Zawarus (College of Fine Art) -
Climate Change Adaptation
Lead: Sean Neiswenter (College of Sciences)
Nicole Pietrasiak (College of Sciences)
Zach Perzan (College of Sciences) -
Renewable Energy in Arid
George Rhee (College of Sciences)
Marie-Odile Fortier (College of Engineering)
Funding Targets
| Agency | Program | Deadline |
|---|---|---|
| NSF | Design for Environmental Sustainability in Computing (DESC) | September 12, 2025 |
| NSF | Centers of Research Excellence in Science and Technology (CREST Centers) | December 06, 2025 |
| USDA | Conservation Innovation Grants - On-Farm Trials | July 2025 |
| DOE | Environmental System Science (ESS) | February 29, 2025 |