April 3, 2025
HCDE 548 C CONDUCTING ACTIONABLE RESEARCH TO PROMOTE SOCIAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY
4 credits
Course Description-
Since 2015, the United Nations has been tracking progress towards synergistic sustainable development goals (SDGs) related to the environment (e.g., water, energy, food, climate, waste) and people (e.g., education, health, jobs, infrastructure). In order to engage with these interconnected sociotechnical challenges as researchers, we must first develop a deeper understanding of the relevant political, social, economic, and technological factors impacting each context-specific issue. This doctoral research seminar will review recent local and global examples of successful and failed interventions targeting environmental and public health issues. During the quarter, Ph.D. students will work in groups of diverse expertise and disciplinary backgrounds to collaborate on a research/grant proposal or editorial relating to a particular SDG and community. Through assigned and self-selected readings, students will learn to: (1) characterize the problem space, (2) identify relevant datasets and key indicators to compare the impacts of existing/proposed interventions on population health, environmental sustainability, and/or economic feasibility, and (3) design approaches to responsibly co-create and disseminate knowledge. In addition, students will lead group discussions to reflect on the ethics of global citizenship and experiences of working as a researcher in low-resource settings. To reflect the interdisciplinary nature of the grand challenges this seminar will be focused on, Ph.D. students across many disciplines (e.g., engineering, public policy, public health, and business) and at any stage of their doctoral program are strongly encouraged to participate!