January 13, 2022

Last month, Professor Franco Montalto, Director of the Sustainable Water Resource Engineering Laboratory at Drexel University, kicked off the Libraries’ ScholarSip 10^th anniversary celebrations with a “food for thought” session on sustainability and climate change.

The event, held December 6, 2021, not only marked the 10^th anniversary year of ScholarSip, but it also marked the return to limited in-person gatherings after 18 months of virtual-only events due to COVID-19.

Eighteen members of the Drexel community gathered in person at The Study Hotel in University City for the event, including the traditional toast to the end of the academic term. Another 20 Drexel faculty, staff, students, alumni, and members of the public joined the lively discussion remotely via Zoom.

“Thank you all for joining us—both in person and virtually—during these demanding and uncertain times and for your continued support of the Drexel Libraries,” said Danuta A. Nitecki, Dean of Libraries, during her welcoming remarks. “It’s hard to believe this academic year marks the 10th anniversary of ScholarSip. We launched this event series in March 2012 as part of the Libraries’ strategic goal to help build cross-disciplinary community at Drexel and to connect our Dragons to scholarship. For the last 10 years, this event has brought together colleagues from all colleges, schools and many administrative departments for “food for thought” discussions and a toast to the end of each academic term.”

After Dean Nitecki’s opening remarks, Professor Montalto spoke about his work to support "Climate Year" (a yearlong focus on climate and sustainability at Drexel and the Academy of Natural Sciences), his plans for continuing Drexel’s efforts in 2022 and beyond, and best practices for climate change and sustainability research.

Professor Montalto also described a few case studies, including his practical experience working on a neighborhood cooling project in Philadelphia and a project to help reduce flooding in Camden, NJ.

“One of the things that’s been key is not looking at societal stakeholders or community groups or those who are impacted by climate as “subjects,” but rather recognizing that to make progress on these problems we need to be working together,” Montalto said during the event. “Local knowledge and community knowledge are just as important as scientific knowledge in [climate change and sustainability research and solutions.]”  

To end the session, Professor Montalto answered questions from the (virtual and in-person) audience members. Guests who attended in person stayed to enjoy additional refreshments and networking with colleagues—a much welcome experience missed for over a year!

A full recording of the event is available on the Libraries’ YouTube Channel.

Upcoming ScholarSip 10^th Anniversary Events

During a typical year, the Libraries hosts three ScholarSip events that take place on the last day of classes during the fall, winter, and spring quarters. To celebrate 10 years, the Libraries will offer 10 “food for thought” presentations by Drexel faculty, staff, and students across all disciplines running through June 2022.

Upcoming sessions will focus on a variety of interdisciplinary research topics, from sessions on race and education to autism and social health policies to cybersecurity.

These “mini” ScholarSip sessions will be held virtually via Zoom, and Drexel faculty, professional staff, students, alumni, and members of the public are invited to attend. Although free, registration is required for all events. We hope all our In Circulation readers, regardless of your location, will join us for these additional “food for thought” sessions and engaging conversations.

For more information about upcoming ScholarSip events, visit the Libraries’ events page or watch previous recorded events streamed online.