CEE@UCI BTI Seminar Series | Food-Energy-Water Nexus: A Systems Approach to Resolving Health Disparities in Marginalized Communities, Shakira Hobbs ♥ ★

Food-Energy-Water Nexus: A Systems Approach to Resolving Health Disparities in Marginalized Communities

Presented by:

Shakira R. Hobbs, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Department of Civil Engineering
University of Kentucky

Wednesday – February 2, 2022, 12:00pm – 1:30pm PST

VIA Zoom:
https://uci.zoom.us/j/94103507359

Meeting ID:

941 0350 7359

Abstract:

Dr. Shakira Hobbs’ scholarship explores system approaches to environmental sustainability and social justice applied to engineering equity at the food, energy, and water nexus. Her background is grounded in recovering value-added products, such as methane and nutrients from anaerobic digestion. Recently, she expanded upon her research endeavors to developing novel methods for detecting low concentrations of glyphosate, an herbicide, in water sources to safeguard human health. Her international work consists of exploring behavioral science concepts that assist in understanding the role Black women engineers play in community adoption of sustainable technology. Dr. Hobbs is the Co-founder of BioGals, a non-profit organization that empowers women of color around the world to bring their ideas to life, engineer dynamic solutions for sustainable development, and establish a legacy of changemakers who embody cultural diversity. In this talk, she will discuss her journey to academia and how it has influenced her teaching, service, and research. This seminar will also explore fundamental research in environmental engineering, experimentation of water and energy systems, environmental analysis, and implementation of sustainable treatment technology at the food-energy-water nexus in Belize.

Speaker bio:

Dr. Hobbs is currently an assistant professor of civil engineering at the University of Kentucky. She is also the Co-Founder of BioGals, which provides sustainable engineering research and education experiences for women of color in the U.S. working with global communities. She became a postdoctoral scholar at University of Virginia, after having obtained her PhD in 2017 from Clemson University under the supervision of Dr. Amy Landis. She developed a research program in resource recovery from anthropogenic waste, environmental sustainability, analytical chemistry of glyphosate, and Life Cycle Assessment. As an assistant professor, she has secured over $550,000, including 1 NSF award she submitted within her first year of professorship. At University of Kentucky, Dr. Hobbs research activities and collaborations include multidisciplinary approaches to systems thinking and engineering for marginalized communities. Dr. Hobbs is dedicated to disseminating engineering, sustainability concepts to the public, and creating diverse collaborations that investigate holistic management techniques to addressing climate change.