We are entering an era of growing water infrastructure failures and remaining "legacy" water pollution challenges. Fortunately, a network of global water CEOs from water utilities, industry and engineering consulting are leading the water sector towards innovative change. They are finding solutions at the intersection of science, engineering/technology and policy and paving the path forward for our water industry and our global water resources. This short course is led by the former CEO of Philadelphia Water and the Chair of the Leading Utilities of the World Network. Professor of Practice Howard Neukrug will lead a series of discussions on: (1) a brief history of water infrastructure systems in the US and the paradox of how our water resources have been used, valued, and priced over time; (2) a specific focus on the past 50 years of Philadelphia's efforts to meet the challenges of the Clean Water Act and Safe Drinking Water Act through leadership in the legislative, regulatory, management, and policy and research arenas of the water business; and (3) personal interviews with key water leaders on their greatest challenges past and future and how they are managing change and innovation towards more sustainable water systems in the 21st century.

This course explores the US intellectual property regime’s impact on the production, distribution and consumption of media and art. We will consider intellectual property’s seminal role in the formation of emerging media landscapes including cinema, television, social media, and new streaming platforms. We will also develop an understanding of how the structural commitments of the law — copyright, trademark, and patents — contribute to racial hierarchy, economic inequality, and environmental injustice. Topics include intellectual property’s ability to manage Civil Rights discourse on film, television, and the web; examining how copyright has historically deprived Black artists of control over their works; the role of the “author” in the age of artificial intelligence; and the racial disparities of intellectual property on global ecological crises. By the end of the class, students will come away with historical, theoretical, and practical understandings of how media technology changes the law and how the law has subsequently responded to changes in media technology. This course is affiliated with CWIC (Communication Within the Curriculum).

Most energy consumed in the U.S. and in the world is produced using thermal-to-mechanical energy conversion. In this course, students will learn the engineering principles that govern how heat is converted to mechanical power in electric power plants, jet aircraft, and internal combustion engines. Topics covered include a review of thermodynamics and basic power cycles, supercritical, combined, and hybrid cycles, cogeneration, jet propulsion, and reciprocating internal combustion engines. A brief introduction to desalination and combustion is also included. The material in this course will provide students a foundation important for industrial and research employment in energy engineering.

Environmental Humanities: Theory, Methods, Practice is a seminar-style course designed to introduce students to the trans- and interdisciplinary field of environmental humanities. Weekly readings and discussions will be complemented by guest speakers from a range of disciplines including ecology, atmospheric science, computing, history of science, medicine, anthropology, literature, and the visual arts. Participants will develop their own research questions and a final project, with special consideration given to building the multi-disciplinary collaborative teams research in the environmental humanities often requires.

This course will cover various topics related to Air Quality. Initial lectures will cover the history of air pollution, discussions of the Clean Air Act and composition of the atmosphere. We will then progress to discussion of atmospheric pollutants and sources of those pollutants. Additional topics will include: fate of atmospheric pollutants (transport and dispersion mechanis will include: fate of atmospheric pollutants (transport and mechanisms), effects of air pollution (health and environmental effects), urban smog, acid rain, climate change, ozone depletion in the stratosphere, air quality criteria, and engineering controls.

The global water and sanitation crisis kills over 4,000 children each day and represents one of the biggest health problems in the world. At the University of Pennsylvania school year 2010-2011 was declared the "Year of Water" in recognition of the many challenges that lie ahead as global increases in population and affluence and the influences of climate change will stress limited water resources. Each year the Stockholm International Water Institute convenes a Conference with experts from around the globe to exchange the latest water research findings and develop new networks. Students will attend the Conference, present research by presentations/posters, document a key issue, interview experts, and meet colleagues with common interests. They will also help other organizations at the Conference.

In 1492 Europeans began to colonize the Americas. Many colonizers sought to dispossess Indigenous people of their labor, land, and, sometimes, their lives, and often tried to impose their religion and cultural practices. Nonetheless, throughout Latin America Indigenous communities not only survived but adapted in creative, vigorous ways to the new social and ecological circumstances. In this course we will look at the diverse ways that Indigenous individuals and collectives avoided or adapted to colonial rule in Latin America between 1492 and 1800. We will particularly focus on Arawakan, Carib, Tupinamba, Nahua, and Andean histories. Readings will include both primary and secondary sources.

We may be tethered to global networks, streaming content from around the planet, joining in conversation (or conspiracy) with folks from all corners of the earth, but we also live in places with local characters and concerns, among people with local needs and contributions. What happens when we lose the local media — the newspapers and broadcast outlets — that bind and inform our localized communities? In this course we’ll consider the important roles served by our place-based media, as well as what’s lost when our local modes of communication collapse. But we’ll also consider what might be gained if we think more generously about what constitutes local media — and if we imagine how they might be redesigned to better serve our communities, our broader society, and our planet. Through readings, listening and screening exercises, occasional in-class field trips and guest speakers, and low-barrier-to-entry in-class labs, we’ll study local news; local book cultures, including libraries and bookshops and independent printers; local music scenes, including performance venues and record shops and music reviewers; local infrastructures of connection and distribution, including post offices and community digital networks; local data creators and collectors; local signage and interactive public media; local emergency communication resources; local whisper networks and town gossip; and a selection of other case studies that reflect students’ interests.

This course will focus on a critical exploration of the social movements and policies related to environmental injustices from a community development perspective. The course includes an overview of the Environmental Justice Movement as an evolution from the Civil Rights Movement as well as an exploration of the political economy of environmental inequalities and uneven development that contribute to urban land use patterns that catalyze a range of environmental injustices. This course will emphasize authentic engagement of frontline communities to address a range of environmental inequalities using urban planning and community based solutions. Exploring a Philadelphia-area organization is a key component in this course.

Water, the “universal solvent”, is a miraculous substance that makes Earth unique in the solar system and, possibly, the galaxy. This course will dive into the wonderous physical and chemical properties of water from the micro (water properties and composition) to macro (global water resources) scale and highlight its role in sculpting almost every facet of Earth’s environment. Water will be examined within a scientific framework, from wicked water problems to wonderous water bodies to the paradox of an abundant yet incredibly precious resource. We will study the vital role of water in life, its movement across around our planet, its part in the growth (and downfall) of civilizations, and the ways in which humans are having profound impacts on all aspects of the water cycle. We will also look at how water interacts with other Earth systems, use topical case studies to examine water issues in the Anthropocene and examine what lies in store for water quality and availability in the twenty-first century during an era of rapid environmental change. Assignments will include class presentations, an opinion piece, and a review article for a leading journal. This course will include a local field trip.

Soil is considered the "skin of the Earth", with interfaces between the lithosphere, hydrosphere, atmosphere, and biosphere. It is a mixture of minerals, organic matter, gases, liquids and a myriad of organisms that can support plant life. As such, soil is a natural body that exists as part of the environment. This course will examine the nature, properties, formation and environmental functions of soil.

The evaluation of technical, social and economic constraints on the design of water supply and sanitation projects. The focus on sustainable design emphasizes how technical solutions fit within the appropriate social context. Case studies are used to demonstrate these principles across a range of examples from developed and developing countries including detailed studies from rural communities with limited resources.

Virtually every business imaginable–from oil refining to semiconductor manufacturing to cloud computing—requires copious supplies of fresh water. As climate change makes many parts of the world hotter and drier, it is increasingly important for today’s business leaders to be able to understand water challenges and to implement solutions that will enable businesses to thrive in the future. This course will begin by focusing on global water risks and global, national, and local water governance. It will also cover private governance and water. The course will examine the duties of corporate officers and directors in developing and implementing a firm’s water sustainability program, how major water projects are financed, and the business ethics issues surrounding “doing the right thing” in a module on water and ESG (environmental, social and governance factors). It will conclude with an “H2O Shark Tank” exercise where student groups pitch their best ideas for sustainable water solutions to a panel of potential funders, including investment banks, corporate executives, and foundation leaders.

From Wall Street to rural Sub-Saharan Africa, technology innovation to aging infrastructure-this course will explore the; impact of water and consider what future leaders need to know about the dynamics of the industry, investment and business opportunities, and water-related risk; Opportunities for water are booming around the world, in large part because of existing or looming shortages and decades of underinvestment, population growth, rapid industrialization and urbanization, pollution, and climate change. Water is the only irreplaceable natural resource on the planet. Its critical role in every aspect of the global economy, could, in fact, lead it to be the next gold or the next oil; This course will address the fundamentals of the water sector from an international perspective. The future of water will be critical to our global economic, social and political development and will likely become one of the most influential factors in business decisions for the future. Furthermore, it is essential for leaders across all sectors-from pharmaceuticals to financials, energy to agriculture-to understand how to sustainably manage and account for water resources, capitalize on new technologies, mitigate water-related risks and navigate through complex and dynamic policy and regulation. The course will engage students in high-level discussion and strategy formation, challenging them to develop creative and sustainable solutions to some of the greatest challenges facing environmental, business and water industry leaders today. Interactive sessions and projects will provide an introduction to appropriately managing, valuing and investing in water assets to create sustainable and compelling business opportunities.

This course will provide an overview of the cross-disciplinary fields of civil engineering, environmental sciences, urban hydrology, landscape architecture, green building, public outreach and politics. Students will be expected to conduct field investigations, review scientific data and create indicator reports, working with stakeholders and presenting the results at an annual symposium. There is no metaphor like water itself to describe the cumulative effects of our practices, with every upstream action having an impact downstream. In our urban environment, too often we find degraded streams filled with trash, silt, weeds and dilapidated structures. The water may look clean, but is it? We blame others, but the condition of the creeks is directly related to how we manage our water resources and our land. In cities, these resources are often our homes, our streets and our communities. This course will define the current issues of the urban ecosystem and how we move toward managing this system in a sustainable manner. We will gain an understanding of the dynamic, reciprocal relationship between practices in an watershed and its waterfront. Topics discussed include: drinking water quality and protection, green infrastructure, urban impacts of climate change, watershed monitoring, public education, creating strategies and more.

The course will explore all 4 sectors of the water business in the United States: The Drinking Water Industry, The Stormwater Utility, Water Resources (rivers, streams, reservoirs) Management and the Water Pollution Control Industry. The course will have 2 primary foci: 1. The influences on the industry from new technologies and infrastructure, acceptable levels of risk, public and private sector competition, climate change, the bottled water industry, resource recovery, rates and affordability and other influences will be investigated. 2. The management of a 21st century utility will be explored, including topics of organization and leadership, the role of environmentalism, infrastructure financing, water / wastewater treatment facility operations, public affairs and media, and designing a capital improvement program are examples of topic areas.

To introduce students to advanced classical equilibrium thermodynamics based on Callen's postulatory approach, to exergy (Second-Law) analysis, and to fundamentals of nonequilibrium thermodynamics. Applications to be treated include the thermodynamic foundations of energy processes and systems including advanced power generation and aerospace propulsion cycles, batteries and fuel cells, combustion, diffusion, transport in membranes, materials properties and elasticity, superconductivity, biological processes. Undergraduate thermodynamics.

This seminar will explore a collection of ideas influencing energy policy development in the U.S. and around the world. Our platform for this exploration will be seven recent books to be discussed during the semester. These books each contribute important insights to seven ideas that influence energy policy: Narrative, Transition, Measurement, Systems, Subsidiarity, Disruption, Attachment. Books for 2018 will be chosen over the summer; the 2017 books are listed here as examples: Policy Paradox (2011) by Stone, Climate Shock (2015) by Wagner and Weitzman, Power Density (2015) by Smil, Connectography (2016) by Khanna, Climate of Hope (2017) by Bloomberg and Pope, Utility of the Future (2016) by MIT Energy Initiative, Retreat from a Rising Sea (2016) by Pilkey, Pilkey-Jarvis, Pilkey.

This course will explore various themes such as the UN Millennium Development Goals, EPA regulatory practices, and global water policy and governance.

The course focuses on the natural history of different wetland types including climate, geology, and,hydrology factors that influence wetland development Associated soil, vegetation, and wildlife characteristics and key ecological processes will be covered as well. Lectures will be supplemented with weekend wetland types, ranging from tidal salt marshes to non-tidal marshes, swamps, and glacial bogs in order to provide field experience in wetland identification, characterization, and functional assessment. Outside speakers will discuss issues in wetland seed bank ecology, federal regulation, and mitigation. Students will present a short paper on the ecology of a wetland animal and a longer term paper on a selected wetland topic. Readings from the text, assorted journal papers, government technical documents, and book excerpts will provide a broad overview of the multifaceted field of wetland study.