Blogs
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Reflections on the AZA’s Ethics Board
We are a direct reflection of society’s ethical standards. As members of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, as bridges between the people and wildlife who share this planet, we have no other choice. We have an obligation to respect the people we serve, our fellow professionals, and above all, the animals we care for and strive to protect, all while constantly challenging what that even means.
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The Complexity of Caring for a Highly Social Species
The next time you visit Regenstein Center for African Apes, things will be a little different. And the time after that? Well, that depends on the chimpanzees. Once the building reopens to the public, guests might see new combinations of chimpanzees in the front-of-scenes habitat on any given day—and that fluidity might not change any time soon.
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Why Did the Chicken Receive Great Care?
At Farm-in-the-Zoo, guests can find a few zoo favorites sharing a habitat with the chickens: guest engagement, animal care, and science. These elements form the backbone of decisions at Lincoln Park Zoo, but few spaces on grounds encapsulate the spirit quite like the chicken yard — where guests don’t just learn about animal care; they help make it happen.
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Conservation & Science: Thirty and Thriving
On any given day at Lincoln Park Zoo, animals explore their habitats, families crisscross the Main Mall, and wild pollinators flit between native plant species. But that’s only the tip of the iceberg, so to speak. Since its founding in 1989, the zoo’s Conservation & Science department has blossomed into one of the largest zoo-based science programs in North America.
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Providing Opportunities to Thrive
How does an animal tell you how they’re feeling or what they’re experiencing? Science. More specifically, through Lincoln Park Zoo’s Animal Welfare Science Program. Our dedicated Animal Carestaff work 365 days a year to design specialized diets, create dynamic habitats, and provide appropriate companionship for social species, among many other tenets of care.
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An Amphibious Alliance in Our Own Backyard
Lions. Elephants. Chimpanzees. African dogs. Mountain gorillas. Rachel Santymire, Ph.D., director of Lincoln Park Zoo’s Davee Center for Epidemiology and Endocrinology, has studied wild and captive species from every corner of the world via hair, blood, nail, semen, urine, and fecal samples. But several local amphibians have proven extra slippery.
Decommissioned blogs
Over the past four years since I left Turntide, the startup has redesigned its website and removed its thought leadership content entirely. While I can no longer link to my individual contributions, I am including the original titles and subtitles of my favorite pieces. Topics vary from article to article, but the goal was always the same: to promote Turntide as the future of economics-driven sustainability across commercial buildings and transportation.
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A Long Climb to Reinventing the Motor
A few weeks ago, I was honored with the Professional Achievement Award from my alma mater, the Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago, in recognition of my innovative high rotor pole switched reluctance motor (HR-SRM) technology. This technology, the focus of my doctoral thesis, promises to revolutionize the way the world uses energy by reducing overall electrical consumption.
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The Only Proactive Choice for Europe’s Energy-Starved Businesses
Europe’s energy costs have spiked dramatically over the past two years. While the causes are well documented, the proposed solutions almost always leave out the most important and proactive step that companies can take to protect their business: improved energy efficiency.
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Permanently Higher Energy Prices Are Forcing Businesses to Innovate or Die
The age of cheap fossil fuels has come to an end. Since the beginning of 2021, the prices of natural gas, crude oil, and diesel have skyrocketed, driven largely by supply chain issues exacerbated by the pandemic and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
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How a 200-Year-Old Technology Can Solve Our Current Energy Crunch
Motors are the backbone of our world, the hidden driver of prosperity and comfort earned through technological advancement, but they’re also the hidden driver of climate change. While modern induction motors have come a long way since the 19th century, they’ve reached a point of maturity that makes further efficiency improvements extremely difficult, if not downright impossible.
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Rare Earth Minerals Are Undermining Your Sustainability Efforts
Curbing climate change requires a two-pronged approach to sustainability: producing more renewable energy and decreasing energy consumption. Yet in our rush to address the greatest challenge of our time, humanity has in some cases traded one evil for another. Nowhere is that dynamic more obvious than in some high-efficiency electric motors.
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How Engineers Will Save Our Planet
Engineers have driven humanity’s rapid technological transformation, accelerating everything from transportation to digital transformation. Now, thanks to evolving global priorities, engineers have their sights on the greatest challenge of our time: climate change.