Raúl Bayoán Cal, Mechanical Engineering Professor at Maseeh College, who was recently featured on the PSU blog discussing his drop tower experiments and National Science Foundation (NSF) grant to study fluid dynamics at the International Space Station, is hard at work on another NSF-funded research project. A recipient of the Maseeh College Wedge Teaching Award last year, Cal is highly regarded not just for pedagogical skills but also for his research excellence.
Cal enthusiastically explained his new collaborative multi-faceted research project, “Growing Convergent Research,” funded for $3.6 million. The project involves collaboration with the University of Oklahoma, where Professor Diana Denham, a geographer, serves as the principal investigator (PI) as does the University of Utah’s Marc Calaf, a Mechanical Engineering professor. The project's full title, "Centering Indigenous Knowledge and Values in the Development of Integrated Agroecological Renewable Energy Systems through Convergent Research," hints at its ambitious goals to advance scientific understanding, address historical injustices, and contribute to sustainable solutions for our planet.
At its core, this research aims to center Indigenous communities in the design of potentially transformative agroecological renewable energy systems. Rather than imposing these systems without input, the project seeks to incorporate Indigenous knowledge and values from the very beginning. This approach stems from a recognition of historical dispossession in the forms of land theft, broken treaties, and ongoing settler colonialism.
The project's scientific focus revolves around the creation of agroecological renewable energy systems by integrating both Indigenous knowledge, priorities, as well as values and approaches from diverse disciplines. It explores potential synergies and trade-offs between photovoltaic solar systems and vertical axis wind turbines, with the goal to produce renewable energy while also sustaining food production and furthering other environmental and territorial planning goals. Cal is looking to investigate questions related to pressing debates in the field of engineering; "How can we generate temperature and humidity conditions under these panels in conjunction with the vertical axis turbines that facilitate energy systems that also permit multiple and integrated uses of the same land?"
The project comprises several components, with one emphasizing fundamental studies of the systems through wind tunnel experiments and numerical simulations and the other emphasizing applied work in collaboration with two Indigenous community organizations: Unixhidza, a Zapotec University in Yaviche, Oaxaca, Mexico and the Pawnee Seed Preservation Project in Pawnee Nation, Oklahoma. Understanding their values and priorities is the starting point of the research. Another significant consideration is energy independence, and the project explores how the energy generated can be effectively utilized by these communities, contributing to their self-determination.
This project’s commitment to inclusive research is striking. Indigenous community members will be trained to actively participate in the development, testing, and monitoring of the systems. They will acquire skills in data collection and analysis, fostering a true partnership between researchers and the communities they aim to empower. Cal emphasizes that the investment of the Indigenous communities is of paramount importance, and "the aim is to have co-researchers...be fully involved in the development and in the testing and in the monitoring of these systems."
Furthermore, the project aspires to document its findings comprehensively, ensuring that the knowledge gained can be shared with other communities facing similar challenges. This includes creating documentaries, radio programming, brochures, and outreach materials to raise awareness about the importance of such initiatives.
This growing convergent research project represents a bold and holistic approach to addressing critical issues. It combines cutting-edge science with social justice, sustainability, and community empowerment. By placing Indigenous knowledge and values at the forefront and fostering meaningful collaboration, it promises to advance renewable energy solutions, address historical wrongs, and pave the way for a more equitable and sustainable future. As Cal succinctly puts it, this work is about "solutions for climate and human well-being" and offers a model that can be transferred and adapted to benefit diverse communities and address a wide range of challenges.