Kurt Kornbluth
Assistant Adjunct Professor, Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering
Sustainable Campus, Sustainable Cities Big Idea
My passion for this Big Idea
“Our most valuable assets for change are human creativity and innovation. The Sustainable Campus, Sustainable Cities Big Idea combines all of my passions: teaching, hands-on tinkering, the design of cool stuff and energy and sustainability.
“With donor support, we can scale up this effort, learning and teaching with our international partners, positioning UC Davis as the example of how to balance quality of life with the vision of a sustainable world.”
The biggest threats to the current generation are climate change and growing inequality in society. Fortunately, at UC Davis our students, faculty, staff and international partners are motivated go-getters ready to take on these challenges. My Big Idea fosters this approach by engaging students in hands-on projects, solving real problems for real people.
Since 2010, students in my Path to Zero Net Energy course have been working as “consultants” for on- and off-campus “clients,” saving them thousands of dollars and tons of carbon dioxide every year. Students leave UC Davis as experts able to enter the workplace ready to discover profound solutions to previously ill-defined problems.
With donor support, we can scale up this effort, learning and teaching with our international partners, positioning UC Davis as the example of how to balance quality of life with the vision of a sustainable world.”
Read more about the Sustainable Campus, Sustainable Cities Big Idea »