Arizona State University
AC-8: Campus as a Living Laboratory

Master of Sustainability Solutions Applied Project 2020 - Sun Devils Together: Breaking Stigmas on Student Homelessness. Three students collaborated with the ASU Dean of Students Office to identify and address gaps in managing and delivering on and off-campus resources to students experiencing home, food, and health insecurities. Using the Collective Impact Framework, the team identified intervention points and developed a project proposal for Sun Devils Together. The program is designed to address the needs of ASU students facing homelessness, increase accessibility of resources, and improve awareness of the issue among administrators, faculty and staff. Final Report: https://keep.lib.asu.edu/items/126749.

Master of Sustainability Solutions Applied Project 2022 - Connecting Community and Climate: Transportation Electrification Options for Underserved Communities in Phoenix. Students partnered with the City of Phoenix’s EV Department and Housing Department to assess the transportation needs of underserved communities and make recommendations for more efficient, connected, and accessible transportation as the city expands its EV network and develops “transit-oriented” communities. Final report: https://keep.lib.asu.edu/items/165982

Master of Sustainability Solutions Applied Project 2023 - ASU Foundation - Reducing Scope 1 & 2 Emissions. Students are coordinating with ASU Foundation (ASUF), a nonprofit that builds partnerships and relationships through philanthropic support and investments. ASUF has set an aggressive net-zero emissions endowment goal for 2035. This 2035 goal currently focuses on Scope 3 financed emissions but does not yet address Scope 1 & 2 emissions or the sustainability of the Foundation’s daily operations. The students in the MSUS program will make recommendations to the Foundation to align its operational approach (Scope 1 and 2) with its sustainable investment approach.

Engineering students in ASU's Biomimicry program (spring 2023) did an applied research project where they evaluated ASU's building design and construction process to identify opportunities for integrating biomimicry principles to improve project performance.

Laboratory for Engineering And Power Solutions (LEAPS) has a one-acre test bed on the Polytechnic campus for microgrids, distributed energy resources, and grid modernization. We use it to train 300-500 students and industry professionals each year on new technologies and sustainability, some of the analysis, controls, and physical implementations will be used in ASU building automation.

Master of Sustainability Solutions applied project 2023: Aramark’s Expansion of Plant-based Food Options at ASU. Aramark is the primary food service provider for ASU through Sun Devil Dining. Consumer demand for plant-forward options has increased year over year and Aramark recognizes an opportunity to drive demand higher through research, fresh menu development, and customer education and marketing. MSUS students are collaborating with Aramark to identify interventions and make recommendations to increase plant-based purchasing and increase awareness of plant-based food options among students on campus. Project is ongoing.

PPE 240, Topic: Gardening; offered in both spring and fall semesters on an ongoing basis
This course focuses on hands-on activity in the garden. Students learn how to develop a vegetable garden in the desert climate focusing on soils, location, watering systems, growing seasons, plant choice, composting and organic practices. Learning outcomes include food justice principles and sustainable food systems. Offered at both the Tempe and Polytechnic campuses.

Course: HON 394 Practical Plants for Sustainable Living taught by Susan Norton. In this course, students take a look at the practical uses and applications of plants to our everyday lives as it relates to sustainable living. Starting with a review of the basic structures, functions and growth conditions of the typical plant, students then examine a selection of practical plants for small spaces, vegetable and herb gardens, healing plants and plants suitable for larger spaces. We discuss practical sustainability efforts for successful plant cultivation and for gardening in the Sonoran desert. Organic and regenerative soil practices are discussed in detail. The course meets in person at ASU’s Garden Commons.

Master of Sustainability Solutions Applied Project 2022 - ASU Fair Labor Procurement Practices - Students collaborated with ASU Purchasing to strengthen purchasing practices to increase assurances that sourced products follow fair labor practices across the supply chain of vendors and suppliers and to expand their findings to create scalable solutions that can be implemented at other universities. Students assessed both current literature of forced labor programs, prevention programs, transparency programs, certifications, and labels, in addition to analyzing current ASU policies and restrictions related to forced labor in its supply chain. Final report: https://keep.lib.asu.edu/items/165941

Master of Sustainability Solutions applied project 2023: Aramark’s Expansion of Plant-based Food Options at ASU. Aramark is the primary food service provider for ASU through Sun Devil Dining. Consumer demand for plant-forward options has increased year over year and Aramark recognizes an opportunity to drive demand higher through research, fresh menu development, and customer education and marketing. MSUS students are collaborating with Aramark to identify interventions and make recommendations to increase plant-based purchasing and increase awareness of plant-based food options among students on campus. Project is ongoing.

Students from the GIS department used permit-holder data (parking permits, bike permits and transit passes to create a map. The type of information identified via the map assists in developing university strategy for reducing scope 3 emissions. For instance, users are able to see which parking permit holders live along the light rail corridor and thus could be targeted for a campaign aimed at encouraging commuters to switch transportation modes. The map also identifies area clusters where certain transportation modes are prevalent.

Master of Sustainability Solutions Applied Project 2022 - Single Use Plastic Reduction at ASU. This team of students collaborated with ASU’s Sustainability and Procurement Programs Manager to critically analyze the university’s consumption of single-use plastic and provide implementable solutions at strategic intervention points. The team made eight high-priority recommendations to help ASU reach its goal of 90% waste diversion by 2025. They included centralized leadership, leveraging human capital, updating purchasing and vendor policy, establishing mechanisms to enforce compliance, creating partnerships and collaborations, transparent progress reporting, implementation of a Green Fee, and investments in reusable and compostable infrastructure. Final report: https://keep.lib.asu.edu/items/166147

As part of the EVE 484 Internship, Katelin Aden and Treavor H. Boyer collaborated to study the impact of remote campus learning/working on water quality in campus buildings.

Shift to remote learning degrades water quality in buildings (research paper)
Commercial and institutional buildings now experience weeks and even months with below-normal occupancy due to remote work/learning, which results in reduced water use and has the potential to adversely impact water quality. This study monitored the variations in water quality in multiple university buildings during several months of below-normal occupancy followed by several months of normal occupancy. The levels of free chlorine, copper, and cellular ATP in water varied within buildings and between buildings.
Using Wi-Fi activity as a surrogate for building occupancy, the free chlorine concentration in water increased as Wi-Fi counts increased. The copper concentration in building water was higher when the occupancy was below normal compared with normal occupancy, and the copper concentration decreased as Wi-Fi counts increased. Throughout the study, flushing a fixture at the time of use decreased the concentrations of copper and cellular ATP and increased the concentration of free chlorine.

Master of Sustainability Solutions Applied Project 2023 - Food Security for Sun Devils: Addressing ASU Students’ Food Security. Students are collaborating with Maureen McCoy, Faculty Senate President Elect and Faculty Advisor to the Pitchfork Pantry. The Pitchfork Pantry addresses food insecurity among students through pop-up events to distribute free perishable and non-perishable foods, but limitations in budget and volunteer resources severely limit the number of students it can serve. Students in this project team will explore both ways to broaden the reach of the Pitchfork Pantry and to help students access other resources in the larger community. Project ongoing.

Master of Sustainability Solutions Applied Project 2023 - ASU Foundation - Reducing Scope 1 & 2 Emissions. Students are coordinating with ASU Foundation (ASUF), a nonprofit that builds partnerships and relationships through philanthropic support and investments. ASUF has set an aggressive net-zero emissions endowment goal for 2035. This goal relates to Scope 3 financed emissions, but does not yet address Scope 1 & 2 emissions or the sustainability of the Foundation’s daily operations. The students in the MSUS program will make recommendations to the Foundation to align its operational approach with its sustainable investment approach. Project is ongoing.

Master of Sustainability Solutions Applied Project 2020 - Sun Devils Together. MSUS students Skyliana Dosier, Maryam Abdul Rashid and Omar Sanchez, collaborated to address the needs of ASU students facing homelessness and to increase the accessibility of available resources. The project resulted in three deliverables. 1. The students produced a training module for ASU faculty, staff and students focused on identifying and responding to at-risk students. 2. The team provided contributions to a new website that would host the available resources. 3. The team created a pamphlet that included a map of available resources and provided them to the various departments where students may seek assistance.
Final Report: https://keep.lib.asu.edu/items/126749