Examining Interdisciplinary Sustainability Institutes at Major Research Universities: Innovations in Cross-Campus + Cross-Disciplinary Models

This is a study of the distinctive characteristics, activities, challenges and opportunities of a specific type of sustainability institute, one that spans the many disciplines of the university and, to do so, reports to upper administration (provost or vice president of research). Among research universities within the Association of American Universities (AAU), 19 were identified, and 18 agreed to participate in this study. Directors are sent a 71-question survey in January 2017 that covered issues of Governance, Research, Education, Engagement, Campus Operations and Best Practices

Modelling residential water demand with fixed volumetric charging in a large urban municipality: The case of Brisbane, Australia

This paper uses household level data to model residential water demand in Brisbane, Australia from 1998 to 2004. In this system, residential consumption is charged using a fixed annual service fee with no free entitlement and a fixed volumetric charge per kilolitre. Water demand is specified as quarterly household water consumption and demand characteristics include the contemporaneous and lagged marginal price of water, household income and size, and the number of rainy (with at least some precipitation) and warm (greater than 19.5°C) days. The findings not only confirm residential water as price and income inelastic, but also that the price and income elasticity of demand in owner-occupied households is higher than in renter households. However, the results also show that weather, especially the number of warm days, is likely to exert a much greater influence on residential water consumption than any factors subject to the usual demand management strategies.Residential water demand, two-part tariffs, fixed volumetric charge, demand management strategies

Statistical Investigation of Structure in the Discrete Logarithm

The absence of an efficient algorithm to solve the Discrete Logarithm Problem is often exploited in cryptography. While exponentiation with a modulus, bx≡ a (mod m), is extremely fast with a modern computer, the inverse is decidedly not. At the present time, the best algorithms assume that the inverse mapping is completely random. Yet there is at least some structure, such as the fact that b1≡ b (mod m). To uncover additional structure that may be useful in constructing or refining algorithms, statistical methods are employed to compare mappings, x ≡ bx (mod m), to random mappings. More concretely, structure will be defined by representing the mappings as functional graphs and using parameters from graph theory such as cycle length. Since the literature for random permutations is more extensive than other types of functional graphs, only permutations produced from the experimental mappings are considered

The Federal Circuit\u27s Summary Affirmance Habit

The Federal Circuit is certainly unique among the circuit courts of appeals. Its exclusive jurisdiction over patents places it in a powerful position. But with that power comes a responsibility to oversee the development of the law. And in the last decade, the court has fallen short of fulfilling this obligation—particularly with regard to clarifying provisions of the America Invents Act. The court has repeatedly disregarded important questions of law by use of Rule 36 summary affirmance. Though other courts of appeals regularly use summary disposition as a means of dealing with burgeoning dockets, the Federal Circuit uses summary affirmance at a much higher rate and to dismiss unresolved legal questions. This Comment explores some of the possible reasons why the court uses summary affirmance so frequently. After discussing summary disposition more generally, it specifically presents the theory of certproofing—or avoiding Supreme Court review—as one possible explanation. It concludes by offering some solutions to curb the court’s summary affirmance habit

Computational Chemistry in Rational Material Design for Organic Photovoltaics

The acceleration in global population growth, combined with worldwide economic development, have together dramatically increased the demand for energy. This demand has been filled by fossil fuels. The reliance on fossil fuels as a cheap and convenient means of energy is leading to adverse, and perhaps irreversible, ramifications for the entire planet. Many potential alternative energy sources have been explored to alleviate the dependence upon fossil fuels. The use of solar energy as a renewable energy source has been a key area of investigation to many scientists and engineers looking to solve this problem. Among current solar cell design paradigms, organic photovoltaic cell technology shows significant potential due to its potential low cost, flexibility, and manipulability. While scientific research has led to progress in organic photovoltaics, significant issues remain that must be addressed in order for organic photovoltaic cells to become a more feasible option. The purpose of this paper is to expound the crucial role of computational chemistry in novel material discovery and optimization as it pertains to organic photovoltaics

A History of Research on Business and the Natural Environment: Conversations from the Field

Every field of inquiry goes through a life cycle; a new idea emerges, it develops into a growing body of literature and either continues to grow or enters a decline. A sure sign of the successful growth of a field is an effort to institutionalize its history, categorize its accomplishments and project its future directions. The field of Business and the Natural Environment (B&NE) has now reached that stage. After expanding in the early 1990s as a distinct field of empirical inquiry, it has grown to include contributions from the full gamut of business disciplines. This introductory chapter is an analytical synopsis of that work, and an introductory chapter to a Routledge Handbook that collects the major works of the field.http://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/90852/1/1174_Hoffman.pdfhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/90852/4/1174_Hoffman.pd

Hybrid Organizations: The Next Chapter in Sustainable Business

In this article, we describe how hybrid organizations are developing business models that are competitive and create positive social and environmental change. We discuss the distinctive characteristics of the hybrid business model, both conceptually and in practice. We also discuss ways in which hybrids are driving towards the alteration of long-held business norms and conceptions of the role of the firm in society, and are advancing a new meaning of corporate sustainability. Finally, we discuss the challenges that hybrid organizations face in accomplishing their social changhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/136173/1/1347_Hoffman.pd

The New Heretics: Hybrid Organizations and the Challenges They Present to Corporate Sustainability

Corporate sustainability has gone “mainstream”; reaching into all areas of business management. Yet, despite this progress, large-scale social and ecological issues continue to worsen. In this paper, we examine how corporate sustainability has been operationalized as a concept that supports the dominant beliefs of strategic management rather than challenging them to shift business beyond the unsustainable status quo. Against this backdrop, we consider how hybrid organizations (organizations at the interface between for-profit and non-profit sectors that address social and ecological issues) are operating at odds with beliefs embedded in strategic management and corporate sustainability literatures. We offer six propositions that further define hybrid organizations based on challenges they present to the assumptions embedded in these literatures, and position them as new heretics of mainstream strategic management and corporate sustainability orthodoxy. We conclude with the implications of this heretical force for theory and practice.http://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/136169/1/1344_Hoffman.pd

Management as a Calling: A Blueprint for Management Education in the 21st Century

Business’s capacity to transform society is only as great as the schools that train its future leaders. This demands that business schools reform their vision to promote values of business serving society in order for students to see business as a true calling rather than simply a career. Here is a blueprint for management education in the 21st century that teaches students that they will possess awesome power as business leaders, and with that power comes great responsibility and an obligation to create benefit for all of society.https://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/145491/1/1387_Hoffman.pd