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UCLA’s INFEWS program encourages students to tackle urban sustainability issues

INFEWS group

UCLA’s Innovations at the Nexus of Food, Energy and Water Systems (INFEWS) program, funded by the National Science Foundation, has become a leading example in the sustainability field. The program allows students to tackle challenges related to urban food, energy and water systems as society finds innovative ways to adapt to climate change.  

“I am a materials scientist, but I am passionate about energy and climate issues and the intersection of technology and society,” said Bineh Ndefru, a UCLA doctoral student in the INFEWS Program. “INFEWS seemed like a great opportunity to engage with work and conversations about these issues more directly.” 

INFEWS has provided more than 60 UCLA graduate students with the knowledge, tools and hands-on experiences to begin developing sustainable solutions. UCLA’s multidisciplinary team provided program participants with opportunities to visit aqueducts, ports, waste treatment plants, cleantech incubators and other sites in the city. INFEWS gave their scholars a firsthand perspective on the workings of urban systems as part of their curriculum in order to prepare them for real-life sustainability issues. 

“We educate the INFEWS scholars to solve societal problems via integrated urban solutions,” said Laurent Pilon, a professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering and head of the INFEWS program at UCLA. “We want their story to be told to inspire the next generation of scientists and engineers to join their future efforts.” 

Read more about the INFEWS program at UCLA Newsroom. 

Image Source: INFEWS/UCLA