DURHAM, N.H. - The intertwined subjects of sustainable communities, public health, and transportation are the subject of the next Science Cafe at the Portsmouth Brewery Wednesday, March 6, 2013, at 6 p.m. Doors will open at 5 p.m. for food and drinks.  University of New Hampshire public health professor Semra Aytur; Cyndy Carlson, an engineer and professor of environmental science at New England College; and Plymouth State University professor of environmental science and policy Shannon Rogers are the speakers.

Walking and bicycling can have profound implications for many aspects of sustainable development, from improving health to enhancing social capital to reducing fossil fuel dependence and subsequent carbon emissions. At the Café, the presenters will discuss current research that investigates how infrastructure, land-use planning, and community design can better support healthy lifestyles, and how in turn walking and bicycling can facilitate social interactions, support local economies, and improve public health.

Semra Aytur, an assistant professor of health management and policy, is an epidemiologist who works with urban planners, transportation planners, engineers, citizens, and policymakers to develop strategies for healthy, sustainable communities. She is also a faculty fellow at the UNH Sustainability Research Collaboratory and the Carsey Institute.

Cyndy Carlson studies the relationships between public health and infrastructure as an assistant professor of environmental science in the department of natural sciences and math at New England College in Henniker. She is also a senior fellow in the Environmental Leadership Program. Prior to joining academia, Carlson was a civil engineer, working with local and international communities to address stormwater and waste water issues. She received her Ph.D. in natural resources and environmental studies from UNH in 2011.  

Shannon Rogers is an assistant professor of environmental science and policy at Plymouth State University and an ecological economist in PSU's Center for the Environment. She is also a senior fellow in Environmental Leadership Program. Rogers conducts social-ecological research at the community scale and has experience exploring these issues in the consulting, non-profit, governmental, and academic arenas. She received her Ph.D. in natural resources and environmental studies from UNH in 2011.  

Other cafés in the spring series are:
April 10:  Going Underground--How the Soil Beneath our Feet Affects Climate
May 8:  Warmer Water, Riskier Coasts: How Climate Change is Affecting Shellfish and Recreation
May 15:  The Science of Beer

Portsmouth's Community Radio, WSCA 106.1 FM, will record each event for replay on The Environemental Show, Tuesdays 9-10 a.m. Tune in for the café discussion about lead paint and lyme disease broadcast on February 26, 2013. The March café on sustainable communities, public health, and transportation will be broadcast March 19, 2013. Podcasts are archived on the web at http://nhepscor.org/sciencecafe.

For further questions or to be added to a mailing list regarding future events and broadcasts, contact: Evelyn Jones NH EPSCoR at (603) 862-1804 or Evelyn.Jones@unh.edu or JT Thompson of the Portsmouth Brewery at jt@smuttynose.com.

Seacoast Science Cafés, co-sponsored by University of New Hampshire and EPSCoR (New Hampshire's Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research), provide a unique chance for members of the public to learn about issues in contemporary science from scientists who lead the research in the relaxed atmosphere of a pub. The Science Café, which is free and open to all, is in the Portsmouth Brewery's Jimmy LaPanza Lounge.

NH EPSCoR is a program funded by the National Science Foundation to increase research capacity in the state. Its current project, "Ecosystems and Society," seeks to better understand the complex interactions between ecosystems, land use and climate, as well as to provide essential information for state decision makers. 

The Portsmouth Brewery is New Hampshire's original brewpub serving award-winning beers and creative cuisine featuring locally-sourced ingredients in the heart of Market Square since 1991. We serve all types and are proud to enable folks to do good while drinking well through a number of philanthropic activities.

The University of New Hampshire, founded in 1866, is a world-class public research university with the feel of a New England liberal arts college. A land, sea, and space-grant university, UNH is the state's flagship public institution, enrolling 12,200 undergraduate and 2,300 graduate students.

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