Europe Summer 2026
I have estremely good fortune to have great colleagues around the world. This summer I had the opportunity to visit Cambridge, Leeds, and Lisbon.
University of Cambridge
My first stop was the Univeristy of Cambridge, specifically Fitzwilliam College, where I spoke at the International Society for Industrial Ecology Socio-Economic Metabolism meeting (ISIE-SEM 2026). My presentation was entitled “The Exergy of Materials with Application to Socio-Economic Metabolisms and Industrial Ecology.” In addition to speaking, I met colleagues from several universities and made plans to collaborate on future projects.
The conference was held during the 2026 Men’s World Cup, which provided many conversation starters and opportunities for social events throughout the conference. Although there are several reputed descendents of Newton’s apple tree in Cambridge, there is only one Sir Isaac Newton pub …,
… at which I organized a watch party for Portugal v. Spain. with several Portuguese and Spanish colleagues among others.
Sadly, it wasn’t a thrilling match, ending Portugal 0-1 Spain. Although we saw the eventual tournament winner (Spain), the dull match had us desiring a late goal to break the 0-0 deadlock and avoid extra time. Our wish was granted when Mikel Merino scored a nicely worked goal in the 91st minute.
The day after the conference, I had a chance to do some sightseeing in Cambridge.
After lunch with my colleague and friend Jon, I did punting on the Cam river.
We saw King’s College Chapel …
… and the St. John’s College Bridge of Sighs, among other highlights.
University of Leeds
Next, it was on to the University of Leeds, where I met with the team to discuss our database and associated research. As usual, the visit was both productive and fruitful.
At the weekend, I had the opportunity to attend cricket matches at Headingly Stadium featuring the women’s and men’s teams from the Yorkshire Country Cricket Club. Thanks, Paul!
Instituto Superior Técnico
The final stop was Lisbon, where I collaborated with faculty and students from Instituto Superior Técnico.
We also found time to watch the England v. Spain world cup semi-final match. The final score was England 1-2 Argentina; only one of was happy, and it wasn’t me.
On the last evening in Lisbon, I had pizza at a streetside cafe. The evening light on this old European building was stunning!
I’m extremely grateful for the opportunity to do great work with good people around the globe.