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Stepan Partners with Emory University and the Resilience and Sustainability Collaboratory in Atlanta
March 22, 2021
Stepan Company has recently initiated a partnership with Emory University and the Resilience and Sustainability Collaboratory (RSC) to join their mission of providing the infrastructure needed to conduct transformative, multi-disciplinary research projects that create innovative solutions for sustainability challenges worldwide.
“We are thrilled to partner with an innovative leader like Stepan whose mission strategically aligns with Emory's goals to identify and implement cutting-edge climate solutions and social interventions that promote healthy and thriving communities across our region and beyond,” says Robin Morey, Vice President of Campus Services and Chief Planning Officer for Emory University. “We welcome Stepan as a founding member of the Emory and RSC partnership and look forward to co-creating a unique model that allows for deeper degrees of resilience and enables innovation without disruption."
As a “Think & Do Tank,” the RSC strives to foster creative processes where the collective expertise of corporate leaders, Emory faculty and staff, government and community organizations can be leveraged to create actionable projects that generate innovative solutions to sustainability challenges impacting our global society.
Serving as the US-based anchor to the International Resilience Alliance, the RSC will provide a community-accessible space in the heart of downtown Atlanta.
Stepan Company has a growing presence in Georgia, with two manufacturing sites and a new Agricultural Innovation Center strategically located near our facility in Winder. The Agricultural Innovation Center demonstrates Stepan’s continued commitment to agriculture that will facilitate collaboration with customers and further improve Stepan’s research and development capabilities that support the agricultural industry. Stepan additionally expects the facility to contribute to the future development of the agricultural industry in Georgia. Located near Emory University and other universities with strong agricultural programs, Stepan is working to be a resource for these institutions and stimulate economic growth for area residents.
“We're excited to join the Emory RSC as a charter member, to help shape solutions to sustainability challenges in Georgia that can be applied elsewhere," says Jason Keiper, Chief Technology and Sustainability Officer for Stepan.
The RSC has active and developing projects for soil contamination testing and remediation in west Atlanta, developing a systematic approach to testing and replicating community-engaged remediation for resilient food supply, converting food waste into renewable natural gas, and assessing the impact of climate-related stressors on health and well-being.
“Stepan aspires to bring science to sustainability. We look forward to contributing to the progress of the RSC projects with agricultural, energy and environmental focus, which align well with our active areas of research and innovation, as well as our broader sustainability priorities,” Keiper comments.