Tag: LYLE

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STEM Up Phase II Goes to Tintinto, The Gambia

STEM Up Phase II Goes to Tintinto, The Gambia

Phase II of STEM Up continues to evolve, featuring a Wi-Fi-generating computer cart to be used in combination with the solar power being produced at Tintinto Primary and Secondary School in The Gambia. Wilkie Stevenson, an alumnus of SMU Lyle School of Engineering, spent the majority of his college employment as an Undergraduate Research Analyst for the Hunt Institute where he worked on various projects, such as STEM Up, that are designed to support rural access to digital education in communities around the world. Early on in Mohammed Njie’s project research for Illuminating Tintinto, he and Wilkie began to discuss the potential of their two projects collaborating, with STEM Up going to The Gambia to be tested.

September 24, 2021, we welcomed a multi-disciplinary and multi-national audience for a demonstration of the STEM Up Phase II prototype on its way to The Gambia to be beta tested. Joining us for the demonstration was Haddijatou Lamin Njie, an International Development Expert with over 25 years of working with government, multilateral organizations, and international non-government organizations (NGOs) in The Gambia.

Ms. Lamin Njie responded to the demo with, “For me, this prototype opens doors. It is a huge entry point with so much possibility to build on and contextualize.” Considering Ms. Lamin Njie’s proven track record of leading and evaluating development programs, her words offered humbling confirmation that the STEM Up Phase II project is on the right track towards making an impact.

Wilkie graduated in 2020 amidst the global pandemic. After graduation, he continued to work on the STEM Up concept, designing a unit that will broadcast digital educational resources over Wi-Fi. Using the solar power produced at Tintinto Primary and Secondary School, the theory is to utilize low-cost and low-power servers, along with refurbished laptops, to outfit a computer lab. The Wi-Fi generated by the computer cart can also be used by other devices in addition to the supplied computers. With no internet connection in Tintinto, the STEM Up team decided to create a unique solution. Instead of attempting to provide internet to remote schools, they took the approach of downloading vast amounts of open source educational media and creating a static, offline version of the internet. This allows for a variety of educational media and digital materials to be accessible by any device connected to the open WiFi network, without internet connection. With years of pre downloaded educational media, this system will not only bridge the digital divide but will also teach computer literacy so that communities are prepared to take full advantage of the internet once they are connected. Open source materials include Wikipedia, Khan Academy, Crash Course, and Ted Talks, along with open-source K-12 educational resources. In addition, the hard drive contains the entire Project Gutenberg (one million books), WikiEM, and much more.

This redesign is the essence of STEM Up Phase II. It is essentially a computer cart functioning as a starter kit for a computer lab. The school was designed with a computer lab, but it has sat empty since its completion. The teachers and students in Tintinto Primary and Secondary School have agreed to beta test the concept and provide invaluable feedback. The goal is for teachers to be able to curate and preload materials, media, and interactive games to augment their curriculum, as they introduce computers and digital learning materials to the classroom experience.

According to Statista, “The lack of digital skills concerns a large share of the African population. In 2019, the adoption rate of digital skills stood at only 10 percent in Mozambique and 23 percent in Côte d’Ivoire, meaning that most of the people were not able to use digital devices and applications, nor access the internet.” Rural areas in Africa are lagging behind the development of urban areas due to many factors, with a major one being infrastructure which dramatically affects the level of education that teachers are able to provide their students. In recent years, the development community has started identifying the Global North vs. the Global South based on indicators like access to education and technology.  In The Gambia, a West African country surrounded by Senegal, just 48% of people have moderate, yet sometimes unreliable, access to electricity (typically in urban areas) and the remaining 52% have no access (typically remote rural areas). Solar energy and distributed generation are transforming rural communities. Organizations like Barefoot College and Janta, Mohammed’s social enterprise, seek to mitigate this lag with distributed generation that individuals and communities own. With this research, we hope to take it one step further and add access to a computer lab for rural schools.

Mohammed and Wilkie plan to travel to Tintinto village to train the teachers on the computers and to test the system’s tolerance for the conditions at the school. Risk management is an important piece of the project design, with factors such as dust, heat, moisture, and environmental conditions being considered. Technical limitations like battery life and hours of daylight for recharging after school are all variables that are also being considered in the planning stage.

Stay tuned to the Hunt Institute Digest to watch this project unfold.

To read more about the Hunt Institute’s work to develop future-focused solutions to some of the world’s biggest problems, please click here. For the latest news on the Hunt Institute, follow our social media accounts on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram. We invite you to listen to our Podcast called Sages & Seekers. If you are considering engaging with the institute, you can donate, or sign-up for our newsletter by emailing huntinstitute@smu.edu.

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Mapping the Social Enterprise Ecosystem: a student’s perspective

Scott Zuo is a student at Southern Methodist University

One of the fantastic opportunities for a select number of student researchers is to work directly with the Executive Director of the Hunt Institute, Dr. Eva Csaky. Our team members engage with the Global Development Lab pillar of the Institute, the Social Enterprise Program (SE), or the Inclusive Economic Consortium (IEC) initiative or work on a cross-cutting communication team. On occasion, there is an overlap with one or more providing an opportunity for team members to be exposed to some of the initiatives in other areas such as the Inclusive Economic Consortium (IEC) and the Social Enterprise Program. Undergraduate Research Analyst Scott Zuo’s work, where the SE and IEC intersect, represents one example of this kind of opportunity.

Beginning in the spring of 2021, Scott has been working with Dr. Csaky and other team members on research involving inclusive economy best practices. Scott’s first project involved building and updating a database of such best practices, using examples based on FinTech Awards and case studies from the IFC and UNDP. Scott and the team analyzed each of these examples through a variety of lenses, including collaboration, building access, sustainability, innovation, and more.

Ultimately, the database aims to serve a variety of purposes. For one, since a similar exercise had been done a few years prior, cases included in the initial database that no longer exist in 2021 represent opportunities for updating with new case studies. Secondly, these best practices can contribute to a global map of the social enterprise ecosystem. The examples also serve as useful models through which a framework can be developed for effective business models in the inclusive economy space.

When asked about his experience working on this project, Scott said, “The analyzing process inspired by Dr. Csaky really improved my ability of critical thinking as well as knowledge related to globalization.”

Improving the student experience at SMU is one of the benefits student workers can lean into when they work in the Institute. Undergraduates and Grad students alike can apply to positions posted on SMU’s HandShake. It is a competitive process to be chosen to join the team due to the high level of interaction student employees have with Affiliates, community partners, and leadership in the Hunt Institute.

Stay tuned to the Hunt Institute Digest for future updates on this exciting work and other projects with impact. To hear what student employees in the Hunt Institute are saying about their experience >> CLICK HERE.

To read more about the Hunt Institute’s work to develop future-focused solutions to some of the world’s biggest problems, please click here. For the latest news on the Hunt Institute, follow our social media accounts on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram. We invite you to listen to our Podcast called Sages & Seekers. If you are considering engaging with the institute, you can donate, or sign-up for our newsletter by emailing huntinstitute@smu.edu.

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End of Semester Reflection Fall 2020

Sam Borton, Hunt Institute undergraduate student worker End of Semester reflection fall 2020

Whether delving into sustainable food systems, researching methods of converting waste to energy, or examining the crossroads of 3-D printing and biodegradable plastics, the Hunt Institute is constantly buzzing with solutions to bolster the resilience of the world around us. Even in this challenge-filled semester, several projects in the Institute made great strides toward this goal.

Just to highlight a few: thanks to Janta and its installation of solar panels at the Tintinto Primary and Secondary school in The Gambia, remote learning was made possible amidst the pandemic; the Resilient Shelter team completed a market analysis of low-cost seismic protection methods for urban buildings in developing countries; and the Kijiji Project team developed a proposal for sustainable fencing for a community center in Kasisa, Tanzania. In addition, the communications team continued to showcase these projects and team members with consistency and excellence.

Despite all of these resilient solutions, though, I believe what primarily shaped this semester was the resilience of the Hunt Institute team and affiliates. We did not ignore all that was happening in the world around us, but rather we pushed through together.

Many students used their wide range of skills to contribute in a variety of ways. One such student, Undergraduate Research Analyst Scott Zuo, noted that in addition to his contributions to his primary project, “helping with other tasks and projects was a great opportunity for me to grow.” Whether in the office or remotely, the team was able to gather for our town-hall style Monday Meetings, which always began with the opportunity to connect with one another via breakout rooms. We even culminated the semester with an adapted version of our annual Thanksgiving celebration, beginning with a discussion of what team members were thankful for and ending with an entertaining trivia game that lifted everyone’s spirits.

As we hit our final deadlines and approach a much-needed winter break, it is time to reflect on this past semester and look forward to the next. I feel incredibly grateful for the hard-working, connected team we have at the Institute and all the work that was accomplished, and after witnessing the way we adapted to a hybrid system of virtual and in-person, I feel confident that this team can tackle whatever challenges come our way in the future.

Sam Borton is an economics major, the Research Team Lead with Varsha, and a contributor to the Hunt Institute Digest.

To read more about the Hunt Institute’s work to develop future-focused solutions to some of the world’s biggest problems, please click here. For the latest news on the Hunt Institute, follow our social media accounts on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. We invite you to listen to our Podcast called Sages & Seekers. If you are considering engaging with the institute, you can donate, or sign-up for our newsletter by emailing huntinstitute@smu.edu.

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Mike Brown, Hunt Institute Fellow

Mike Brown, EIT, CEM, LEED AP BD+C, Energy Systems Design Engineer at HKS, Inc. and Fellow in the Hunt Institute

As Energy Analyst & Energy Systems Design Engineer with HKS, Mike is an Energy Engineer working alongside architects and engineers to help building owners/developers create high-performance buildings that save energy and are healthy for the environment. Mike joined the Hunt Institute as a Fellow and an Inclusive Economy Consortium Leadership Council Member.

An Engineer in Training, LEED Accredited Professional, and Building Energy Modeling Professional, he has been in the green building industry for over 7 years collaborating on projects all over the U.S., for a variety of project types.

Utilizing building energy modeling and other innovative sustainability tools, he has been able to help owners save an estimated $7.2M in energy cost and over $1.3 M in water costs on both LEED and non-LEED projects.

Passionate about his profession, Michael is currently involved in a variety of professional organizations including Board Member of Texas U.S. Green Building Council, Member of North Texas National Association of Energy Engineers, and the National Society of Black Engineers.

When asked why he was drawn to work with the Hunt Institute he replied, ” I’m passionate about applying my acquired technical skills and talents to building projects that contribute to the health of individuals, the community, and the planet.  My work allows communities and clients to develop the design, construction, and operation of highly efficient and sustainable projects.  By solving technical and constructability issues, we can save energy and water, which have a direct effect on depleting resources, polluting the environment, and equitable human ecosystems.”

AFFILIATIONS
International Building Performance Simulation Association (IBPSA)
North Texas Association of Energy Engineers (NTAEE)
American Society of Heating Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air Conditioning Engineers
(ASHRAE)
American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE)
US Green Building Council (USGBC)

LEADERSHIP
North Texas Region (Texas Chapter) US Green Building Council
(Board Member 2015 –present)
DFW National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) Professionals
(President 2015-2016, Finance Chair 2016-2017)
International Building Performance Simulation Association (IBPSA)
(Vice President 2018-present)
North Texas Association of Energy Engineers (NTAEE)
(Social Media Committee Chair 2018 –present)

To read more about the Hunt Institute’s work to develop future-focused solutions to some of the world’s biggest problems, please click here. For the latest news on the Hunt Institute, follow our social media accounts on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. We invite you to listen to our Podcast called Sages & Seekers. If you are considering engaging with the institute, you can donate, or sign-up for our newsletter by emailing huntinstitute@smu.edu.

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Why We Do What We Do: Part 1

How can we help repair our world after COVID-19?

Sitting in her office on another Zoom call, the Assistant Director, Corrie Harris, works to motivate team members given the current state of affairs: an ever-changing landscape that greatly affects their ability to collaborate with in-country partners and affiliates. A series of delays, losses, and obstacles have flown in their path, yet they continue to press on.

When the shelter-in-place order was given in March 2020, the team members in the Institute quickly adjusted to remote work. The transition was seamless, as the Institute was already structured to accommodate full-time college students’ schedules by leveraging online project management and communication platforms. When other programs came to a screeching halt, the Institute persevered, taking steps to preserve the connectedness often lost with remote work. Now, given the opening of the SMU campus for the fall semester, they have a consistent system allowing for a hybrid workspace of both remote and in-person collaboration.

The question was asked, “What keeps the team going with all this uncertainty?” Harris responded, “Since I was a little girl, I have always been drawn to helping others. I am not alone. All the student workers, affiliates, and leadership at the Institute have their own version of this statement. It is why we do what we do. It is what keeps us motivated. Now with the consequences of the global pandemic at the forefront, institutes like ours need to be at the ready. Everyone here at the Institute feels it, and we keep pushing to find solutions.”

For the past two years, the Hunt Institute’s Global Development Lab (GDL) has evolved from the pilot stage to a mature program. With over sixty affiliates, an average of twenty to twenty-five student workers, and an extensive network of industry partners, the Institute has become a hub for fostering collaborative, innovative solutions. “There is something inside of us that is hard to explain, something that draws us to make the world a better place beyond what some may think is possible. Utopia may be a fantasy, but it is worth seeking and reaching for every day. It is in that reaching, seeking, and working that we help improve the lives of others. In so doing, we always improve our own lives.”

This Fall semester, we will highlight various team members as they courageously continue working on their projects in the GDL, overcoming the obstacles and uncertainty brought on by the global pandemic. Stay tuned to the Hunt Institute Digest to get a first-hand account as the story of this semester unfolds.

To read more about the Hunt Institute’s work to develop future-focused solutions to some of the world’s biggest problems, please click here. For the latest news on the Hunt Institute, follow our social media accounts on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. We invite you to listen to our Podcast called Sages & Seekers. If you are considering engaging with the Institute, you can donate, or sign-up for our newsletter by emailing huntinstitute@smu.edu

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Where Engineering and Chemistry Intersect for Global Impact

During these uncertain times, the Hunt Institute for Engineering and Humanity’s Global Development Lab has been hard at work this summer. Fellows, faculty, and industry professionals collaborate to create meaningful solutions to promote a resilient humanity. While supporting our community the Global Development addresses the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals and challenges. One collaborative interdisciplinary team is lead by two Fellows, Dr. David Son and Dr. Paul Krueger. Their project is a joint chemical and engineering approach to develop a degradable plastic to address the environmental issues of plastic waste.  It is comprised of two lab teams and a team in the Hunt Institute. Featured in the image to the left was the team in the Spring of 2020 semester. Over the Summer semester, Sami Streb joined Dr. Krueger’s lab team and Taylor Grace as the undergraduate project manager.

Currently, many biodegradable products in the market are bio-based, produced from nature (plants, animals, or microorganisms). For example, they may contain products such as polysaccharides, proteins, and lipids. However, this approach faces challenges due to high cost, weaker performance, and overlooked environmental issues. Several degradable plastics have proven to break down faster under specific environmental conditions.  Although, it  may not actually reflect the normal environment, but it may not be effectively degradable under natural conditions. Many biodegradable plastics tend to need particular waste management methods which are not always widely available. These challenges pose a gap in the market due to the composition and degradation abilities.

As a result, Dr. Son and Dr. Krueger plan to investigate various prototype plastics with predictable degradation and mechanical properties, specifically useful in applications for alleviating plastic waste. These characteristics are significant advances to biodegradable products currently leading the market. With the ability to control the plastic’s properties, they can impart certain desirable properties to the material or give predictable properties to the final plastic material.

In order to make the largest impact in the current biodegradable plastic industry, a potential deliverable for their research could be to pursue a single-use PPE similar to what is typically used due to the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020. Specifically, the project is researching the production of a degradable mask frame with adequate seal to the face, as seen in N95 respirator masks. Typically, plastic can take ~ a thousand years to degrade in a landfill where degradable plastic (or PPLs) can degrade in ~ one year. Certain plastics can be designed to begin degrading when introduced to a certain property like salt water. The teams are exploring a variety of options. One area of interest is the inevitable increase of medical waste due to the rise in single-use face coverings and analyzing the shortage of single-use respirator masks in health care facilities due to the direct interactions with infected patients. This is in alignment with the UNSDG Goal 3, “To ensure healthy lives and promote wellbeing for all at all ages.” It will also address Goal 14, “To conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas, and marine resources” due to the degradable nature of the frame. 

Stay tuned to the Hunt Institute Digest to read more about this project and other projects in the Global Development Lab.

To read more about the Hunt Institute’s work to develop future-focused solutions to some of the world’s biggest problems, please click here. For the latest news on the Hunt Institute, follow our social media accounts on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram. We invite you to listen to our Podcast called Sages & Seekers. If you are considering engaging with the institute, you can donate, or sign-up for our newsletter by emailing huntinstitute@smu.edu.

 

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Common Challenges Faced by Social Entrepreneurs

Social entrepreneurs are key to directly addressing social needs in under-resourced communities. But early-stage social enterprises face momentous obstacles. The single largest obstacle is, of course, access to funding. As the Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors points out, “For philanthropists accustomed to more traditional grantees, funding social enterprises can feel like entering uncharted territory. Donors might find themselves intrigued by the potential for change, and yet, at the same time, unsure of what to expect in a field where the unexpected is the norm.” In the 2019 Halcyon Social Enterprise Ecosystems report, almost 20% of the 624 social entrepreneurs interviewed stated that they self-financed their enterprise or relied on the support of family and friends.

Another challenge that social enterprises face is measuring their social impact. According to a 2008 report from the Center for Advancement of Social Entrepreneurship (CASE), “Impact assessment is still a crude and inexact science.” The fact that it is difficult to quantify a social enterprise’s value creation only exacerbates the first challenge of receiving funding because potential investors are looking for evidence that their investment will indeed affect change.

The above obstacles lead to yet another common problem faced by social entrepreneurs: the ability to scale. CASE identified in its research that, “There is a huge gap between early stage, seed funder money and later stage, multi- million funding.” Many investors are interested in funding the next big idea rather than investing in the expansion of an established social enterprise. Moreover, the Miller Center for Social Entrepreneurship identifies that constraints in supply chain, restraining government policies, or lack of partnership opportunities can limit the ability of a social enterprise to expand.

The objective of the Hunt Institute’s (HI) Social Enterprise Program (SEP) is to support social entrepreneurs in overcoming these obstacles in order to accelerate their social value creation. HI’s SEP provides early-stage social enterprises with a program and toolbox designed to empower them to obtain funding as well as access to a multidisciplinary network of experts and business mentors.

To learn more about the Social Enterprise Program, visit smu.edu/socialenterprise. For more case studies and examples, stay tuned to the Hunt Institute Digest.

To read more about the Hunt Institute’s work to develop future-focused solutions to some of the world’s biggest problems, please click here. For the latest news on the Hunt Institute, follow our social media accounts on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. We invite you to listen to our Podcast called Sages & Seekers. If you are considering engaging with the institute, you can donate, or sign-up for our newsletter by emailing huntinstitute@smu.edu.

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Moments that Matter

The Veteran Women’s Enterprise Center is working toward improving engagement with veteran women entrepreneurs through a series of national focus groups in 2020. The data from the focus groups will help business development and support providers across our nation improve how they engage women veteran entrepreneurs. The purpose is to gather data to advocate for additional services and adequate funding across our nation for women veteran entrepreneurs.

VR Small is the VWEC’s CEO and an Associate in the Hunt Institute. VR’s project was accepted into the 2020 Cohort for the Global Development Lab in January. Phase I of Moments that Matter was comprised of a survey to women veteran entrepreneurs in the DFW metroplex in collaboration with the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas. A report of the survey outcomes is expected to be released summer 2020. Phase II is the design and implementation of the focus groups for a deeper dive into key survey questions.

VR’s undergraduate analyst Scott Zuo, undergraduate project manager Shelby Lauren Griffith, and GDL Portfolio Manager Corrie Harris have navigated uncharted waters due to the global pandemic managing to push this project forward amid closures, delays, and ever-changing redirects. As a result, they have created an online alternative for the focus groups. Collaboration with faculty members has helped the team to design an online formulate qualitative questions for the focus group sessions. VR is also a Navy veteran and social entrepreneur. She brings an added layer of relevance to the process with her many years of experience in the small business arena.

Ultimately, this process will result in an online platform that provides a national, regional, and local overview of women veteran entrepreneurs, outlining demographics, industries, average revenues, contracts, capital secured, and more. This platform will offer metrics that clearly identify how women veteran entrepreneurs are helping to drive our nation’s economy. In addition, this data will highlight potential areas of support, such as enhanced technical assistance, access to varied financial products, and expanded contracting opportunities. Both veteran women entrepreneurs and those that partner with them will have access to this platform.

Gaining feedback from women veteran business owners about the moments that matter most during their entrepreneurial  journey will provide key decision makers and funders with a vivid illustration of the real economic impact. It will also inform them of  the ongoing challenges faced by women veteran entrepreneurs. The data from their feedback will help drive the timely allocation of funding resources to areas  that will have the greatest impact toward advancing women veteran owned businesses in our nation. In addition, this is an opportunity to highlight those who have proudly served in the military and  to share their unique experiences. Now more than ever, we need to amplify the voices of our women entrepreneurs and ensure they have the resources needed to succeed.

To read more about the Hunt Institute’s work to develop future-focused solutions to some of the world’s biggest problems, please click here. For the latest news on the Hunt Institute, follow our social media accounts on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. We invite you to listen to our Podcast called Sages & Seekers. If you are considering engaging with the institute, you can donate, or sign-up for our newsletter by emailing huntinstitute@smu.edu.

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Filling the Gap for Seismic Protection

Image from Volcano Discovery

Peru is located in a seismic zone where the South American Plate moves toward the sea over the Nazca Plate causing earthquakes as a result of the thrust faulting on the interface of the two plates.  According to Volcano Discovery, Peru endured 81 quakes in May of 2020. With the exception of an occasional break in seismic energy, Peruvians live with earthquakes as a daily condition. Dr. Nicos Makris, Hunt Institute Fellow, has been leading a research team of collaborators and students at SMU’s Lyle School of Engineering as well as internationally, to address this pressing issue. Their project in the Global Development Lab (GDL) focuses on seismic protection solutions for confined masonry urban housing. The in-country partner is Dr. Marcial Blondet who has dedicated over thirty years to researching the effects of seismic activity on masonry and adobe construction in Peru.

All projects in the GDL address the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This effort directly targets SDG #11 which seeks to ensure that growth in housing and urban development is safe, equitable, and environmentally conscious. UN Target 11.5 highlights the importance of this effort as it sets the target to “significantly reduce the number of deaths and the number of people affected and substantially decrease the direct economic losses relative to global gross domestic product caused by disasters…with a focus on protecting the poor and people in vulnerable situations” (1). 

Kostas Kalfas (Ph.D. student and researcher), Corrie A. Harris (Portfolio Manager), JuliaGrace Walker (Undergraduate Project Manager), Sam Borton (Undergraduate Research Analysis), and Dr. Nicos Makris.

Even middle-class urban residents in Peru’s urban environment often reside in poorly constructed confined masonry houses which, in the case of a severe earthquakes, are at the risk of suffering serious damage. Professional construction is expensive and beyond reach for the majority of Peruvians. For this reason, the seismic protection market is increasingly narrowing its focus to low-cost solutions. One of the goals of this project has been to evaluate existing low-cost solutions accessible for most Peruvians (2). Finding that even “low-cost” solutions are out of reach for most Peruvians, Dr. Makris makes an alternate proposition. Rocking isolation offers great potential as an innovative and economical alternative for seismic protection, but it has yet to be implemented as low-cost housing reinforcement. Makris’ emerging system of seismic protection could address the pressing need for affordable seismic protection of existing masonry structures.

Sam Borton, Hunt Institute Undergraduate Research Analyst, made a significant contribution to this post with his market analysis of low-cost seismic protection. The complete analysis will be released in a future post. Stay tuned to read more!

To read more about the Hunt Institute’s work to develop future-focused solutions to some of the world’s biggest problems, please click here. For the latest news on the Hunt Institute, follow our social media accounts on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. We invite you to listen to our Podcast called Sages & Seekers. If you are considering engaging with the institute, you can donate, or sign-up for our newsletter by emailing huntinstitute@smu.edu.

  1. About the Sustainable Development Goals – United Nations Sustainable Development. (n.d.). Retrieved 2020, from https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/sustainable-development-goals/
  2. Blondet, M., & Loaiza, C. (2020). Vulnerabilidad Sísmica de las Construcciones en el Perú: Informe Preliminar. Lecture presented in Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú: Departamento de Ingeniería.
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Sustainable Food Systems

The Hunt Institute’s Social Enterprise Program is a social enterprise incubator focused on developing and improving food systems in Dallas/Ft. Worth Metroplex and across the globe. According to Harvard School of Public Health, food system is defined as “all the elements and activities that relate to production, processing, distribution, preparation, and consumption of food.” So what does it mean to create a sustainable food system? The Agriculture Organization of the United Nations defines a sustainable food system as one that “delivers food security and nutrition for all in such a way that the economic, social, and environmental bases to generate food security and nutrition for future generations are not compromised.”

In the article linked below from the International Monetary Fund, the authors share why now, in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, it is even more crucial that we work as a society to rebuild our food systems in a sustainable way. More importantly, they argue, that now is the perfect time to do so as we simultaneously work to rebuild our economies. The article outlines four key components that must be in place for a sustainable food system to function: resilient food supply chains, healthy diets, regenerative farming, and conservation. Read the article to discover more about sustainable food systems.

To learn more about the Hunt Institute’s Social Enterprise Program, visit smu.edu/socialenterprise. For more case studies and examples, stay tuned to the Hunt Institute Digest.

To read more about the Hunt Institute’s work to develop future-focused solutions to some of the world’s biggest problems, please click here. For the latest news on the Hunt Institute, follow our social media accounts on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. We invite you to listen to our Podcast called Sages & Seekers. If you are considering engaging with the institute, you can donate, or sign-up for our newsletter by emailing huntinstitute@smu.edu.