IU professor receives NSF grant

Joseph Chen (pictured), associate professor in Indiana University's School of Health, Physical Education and Recreation, will take his tourism marketing expertise to the Arctic with a $275,000 grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to study the social impact of tourism in Norway, reports the IU News Bureau.

The study will focus on Alta, Kirkenes, Karasjok, North Cape, Hammerfest, Honningsvag, and Båtsfjord. North Cape is considered the most visited Arctic destination in the European continent as well as one of the most popular and established arctic destinations in the world.

Chen is associate professor in the School of HPER's Department of Recreation, Park and Tourism Studies.

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Indiana Batteries to Power Japan Postal Service

The lithium-ion battery system produced by Indianapolis-based EnerDel has been selected to power vehicles for a testing program by the Japan Postal Service, reports Inside INdiana Business. The EnerDel batteries are combined with the electric drivetrain developed by Norway-based Think. The drivetrain has been sent to Zero Sports in Japan for a testing program by that country's postal service. Japan Post is working to electrify its fleet of 22,000 delivery vehicles.

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Purdue Researchers Assess Socioclimatic Exposure

Researchers have taken a first step toward quantifying the "socioclimatic" exposure of different countries to future climate change, according to the Purdue University News Bureau. A research team from Purdue and the Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics in Trieste, Italy, found that China, India and the United States face substantial exposure relative to other nations, but that every area of the world faces high exposure in at least one category. The research will be published online this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Regionally, the most exposed nations are China, Bangladesh and Myanmar in Asia; western Sahel and southwestern nations in Africa; Brazil in South America; the eastern United States in North America; and the Mediterranean nations (including France, Italy and Spain), Russia and Scandinavia in Europe. The study found that the climatic and socioeconomic variables together determine the international variations in socioclimatic risk. The Purdue Climate Change Research Center is affiliated with Purdue's Discovery Park. The center promotes and organizes research and education on global climate change and studies its impact on agriculture, natural ecosystems and society. It was established in 2004 to support Purdue in research and education on regional scale climate change, its impacts and mitigation, and adaptation strategies. The center serves as a hub for a range of activities beyond scientific research, including teaching, public education and the development of public policy recommendations. The Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics was founded in 1964 by Nobel Laureate Abdus Salam. The center operates under a tripartite agreement among the Italian Government and two U.N. agencies, UNESCO and IAEA. Its mission is to foster advanced studies and research, especially in developing countries. While the name of the center reflects its beginnings, its activities today encompass most areas of physical sciences, including geophysical and environmental sciences.