Associate Professor of Economics Benjamin Balak was recently invited to speak at an EPA conference in North Carolina, Research Triangle Park, June 26-27, 2012.

The conference was titled, Personal chemical exposure informatics: visualization, user Experience, Research in Systems modeling and Simulations (PerCEIVERS), and is part of the EPA Research Pathfinder Innovation Projects, a competition for Agency scientists to solicit innovative research proposals that would help the EPA to advance science for sustainability.

The conference brought together EPA scientists/researchers and other invited individual participants to engage in research, collaboration, and communication outreach efforts designed to indentify strategies for filling gaps in data, modeling, and communication.

Balak presented aspects of his technologically-enhanced pedagogy in a session titled, "Engaging the community for personal chemical exposure informatics: Gamification, visual and computer models, electronic and live-action role play," participated in breakout sessions, and is working on a video game for the EPA.