We will focus on the new NC State-led Science and Technologies for Phosphorus Sustainability (STEPS) Center. The STEPS Center is a convergence research community of diverse leading scientists who address the complex challenges in phosphorus sustainability by integrating disciplinary contributions across the physical, life, social and economic sciences. The STEPS vision is to facilitate a 25% reduction in human dependence on mined phosphates and a 25% reduction in losses of point and non-point sources of phosphorus to soils and water resources within 25 years, leading to enhanced resilience of food systems and reduced environmental damage.

Tentative Agenda

• 2:30 pm: Welcome and introduction to the center
  • Adrian Percy, Executive Director, North Carolina Plant Sciences Initiative
  • Jacob Jones, Director of the STEPS Center and Distinguished Professor of Materials Science and Engineering, NC State University

• 3:00 pm: Faculty research presentations
  • Yaroslava Yingling, Distinguished Professor of Materials Science and Engineering, NC State University
  • Jan Genzer, Distinguished Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, NC State University
  • Owen Duckworth, Professor of Crop and Soil Science, NC State University
  • Doug Call, Associate Professor of Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering, NC State University
  • Rebecca Muenich, Assistant Professor in the School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment, Arizona State University
  • Justin Baker, Associate Professor of Forestry and Environmental Resources, NC State University
• 3:45 pm: Interactive programming, Facilitated small group discussions
• 5:00 pm: Refreshments and networking

At the event, we’ll hear brief research presentations from center faculty describing the work within each STEPS Research Theme:

• Theme 1 (Materials Scale) generates new fundamental knowledge about phosphorus capture at atomic and molecular scales using discovery-driven approaches.
• Theme 2 (Human-Technology Scale) applies state-of-the-art scientific methods, including nanoscale spectroscopic characterization of phosphate speciation in soils, novel sensor development to improve tracking of phosphorus in soils, genome-wide approaches for selecting and engineering crop systems with enhanced phosphorus utilization, and development of next-generation, plant-responsive fertilizers.
• Theme 3 (Regional and Global Scale) identifies intervention portfolios that enable the realization of the 25-in-25 vision and are resilient to socio-economic, policy, and environmental change, using integrated modeling at global, regional, and local scales and social network analysis.

Following this, center faculty and staff will facilitate small group discussions. These discussions will identify and define research gaps, potential future research directions, and opportunities to partner with the center.

The Emerging Research Showcase (ERS) series allows you to hear about new research partnership opportunities. Productive outcomes from the events include sponsored research, defining commercialization potential, or adding an external research partner to the team.

Register Now

• Register – In-person
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In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, NC State will honor requests for reasonable accommodations made by individuals with disabilities. Direct accommodation requests to Maude Cuchiara maude_cuchiara@ncsu.edu.