Program - Curriculum - Seminar

JOURNAL CLUB WINTER 2009
(CFR 521F)

Instructors:
Kristiina Vogt (kvogt@u.washington.edu)
Tom Colonnese (buffalo@u.washington.edu)

Co-Instructor:
Laurie Stephan (lauries@u.washington.edu)

DAY and TIME:
Monday from 12:00 – 1:30

PLACE:
Wilcox 73

Grading:

• Class participation [50%]
• Team Project [50%]

Readings:

Access reading list on the bioenergy IGERT shared space (UW Net ID required): Shared Space

Class goals:

1. Develop an understanding of the opportunities and costs of a variety of renewable energy sources and the environmental, cultural, economic and technological characteristics of these energy sources

2. Develop an understanding of the criteria/indicators relevant for assessing whether particular energy sources can realistically be used sustainably in particular contexts

3. Effectively work in multidisciplinary teams with people who have very different backgrounds, expertise and perspectives.

4. Effectively communicate with experts outside of your own discipline

Weekly guest lectures and discussions will be the main materials in this class. The course assignments will rely heavily on teamwork. You will be on multidisciplinary teams and responsible for contributing your expertise and perspective to a research project produced by your team. Each team will present their findings at the end of the quarter and distribute their work as copies to the group and for publication on the IGERT website.

TEAM ASSIGNMENT: Develop a matrix that summarizes the benefits/costs of one of the following: hydro-electric, biomass, coal and wind. This matrix will summarize the state of technology, the efficiency of the technology, the cost of the technology, the different technologies available to convert these materials, environmental and cultural/social factors that need to be included and inform which technology is appropriate to adopt, and the local context as well as whether centralized or distributed systems would be most appropriate. All information needs to be well documented and referenced. These will be summarized under heading of each energy source and posted on the IGERT website at the end of the quarter. Much of the information will be gray literature since a great deal of the discussion and debate is occurring today.

DATE	TOPIC	Instructor	Readings
1/5/09	Introductions, getting to know each other (purpose of the IGERT, of the journal club, and the diversity of students in Cohort 2)	Tom/Kristiina/Laurie	Website example matrix. Assignment: each group design and develop a matrix specific to their energy sector. Matrices will be shared and a single overall matrix will be decided upon in next class.
1/12/09	Present first draft framework of what will be included in a matrix developed by each group	Groups Present	Assignment: Identify guest lecturers that your group wants to invite to present ideas on some aspect of the material that will be included in the framework
1/19/09	HOLIDAY
1/26/09	Guest lecture or paper reading on some unique aspect of hydro-electric	Guest Lecture or Paper
2/02/09	Guest lecture or paper reading on some unique aspect of biomass	Guest Lecture or Paper
2/09/09	Guest lecture or paper reading on some unique aspect of coal	Guest Lecture or Paper
2/16/09	HOLIDAY
2/23/09	Guest lecture or paper reading on some unique aspect of wind	Guest Lecture or Paper
3/02/09	Presentations of matrices by Groups 1 and 2		Powerpoint
3/09/09	Presentations of matrices by Groups 3 and 4		Powerpoint