Ben McCall
Gund Affiliate
Professor of Sustainability and Chemistry at the Hanley Sustainability Institute
University of Dayton
- Ph.D., Chemistry and Astronomy & Astrophysics, University of Chicago
- M.S., Chemistry, University of Chicago
- B.S., Chemistry, California Institute of Technology
BIO
Ben McCall started his academic career at the intersection of chemistry, astronomy, and physics, performing fundamental research on molecular spectroscopy and astrochemistry. Over time, as he learned more about climate change, resource depletion, and other related challenges, he moved into the field of sustainability. He served as the inaugural Associate Director for Campus Sustainability at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and then as the inaugural Executive Director of the Hanley Sustainability Institute at the University of Dayton, where his current title is Professor of Sustainability. Ben was the initiator of the Planetary Limits Academic Network, and his current research interests are centered around the biophysical limits that our finite planet imposes on the sustainability of human civilization.
Planetary Limits Academic Network
Area(s) of expertise
Planetary limits, sustainability, modernity.
Bio
Ben McCall started his academic career at the intersection of chemistry, astronomy, and physics, performing fundamental research on molecular spectroscopy and astrochemistry. Over time, as he learned more about climate change, resource depletion, and other related challenges, he moved into the field of sustainability. He served as the inaugural Associate Director for Campus Sustainability at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and then as the inaugural Executive Director of the Hanley Sustainability Institute at the University of Dayton, where his current title is Professor of Sustainability. Ben was the initiator of the Planetary Limits Academic Network, and his current research interests are centered around the biophysical limits that our finite planet imposes on the sustainability of human civilization.
Areas of Expertise
Planetary limits, sustainability, modernity.
Publications
- Thomas W. Murphy, Jr., David J. Murphy, Thomas F. Love, Melody L. A. LeHew, Benjamin J. McCall. "Modernity is incompatible with planetary limits: Developing a PLAN for the future." Energy Research & Social Science, Volume 81, November 2021.
[https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214629621003327] - Ryan P. Shea, Matthew O. Worsham, Andrew D. Chiasson, J. Kelly Kissock, Benjamin J. McCall. "A lifecycle cost analysis of transitioning to a fully-electrified, renewably powered, and carbon-neutral campus at the University of Dayton." Sustainable Energy Technologies and Assessments, Volume 37, February 2020.
[https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2213138819304552] - Benjamin J. McCall, “A Rapid Transition to a Fully Electrified, Renewably Powered, Carbon Neutral Campus: Technical, Economic, and Moral Considerations,” in Strands of Sustainability, eds. G. Magill & J. Benedict, Cambridge Scholars Publishing, pp. 58-69, 2022.