Overall Rating Gold - expired
Overall Score 68.23
Liaison Merry Rankin
Submission Date Sept. 1, 2016
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.1

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

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 4.00 / 4.00 Merry Rankin
ISU Director of Sustainability
Facilities Planning & Management
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Air & Climate 

Is the institution utilizing its campus as a living laboratory for multidisciplinary student learning and applied research in relation to Air & Climate?:
Yes

A brief description of the student/faculty projects and how they contribute to understanding campus sustainability challenges or advancing sustainability on campus in relation to Air & Climate:
A trio of graduate students affiliated with the Bioeconomy Institute investigated the use of biochar in water desalination systems, through a $150,000 grant from the SBIR/STTR Programs Office within the U.S. Dept. of Energy. The Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs encourage small businesses to engage in federal research and development that has potential for commercialization. Their company, Advanced Renewable Technology International, Inc. (www.artichar.com), located in Ames, used the grant to study the desalination of brackish water using biochar toward creating potable water at a reasonable cost. http://www.biorenew.iastate.edu/2014/06/10/biocharbiz/

Buildings  

Is the institution utilizing its campus as a living laboratory for multidisciplinary student learning and applied research in relation to Buildings?:
Yes

A brief description of the student/faculty projects and how they contribute to understanding campus sustainability challenges or advancing sustainability on campus in relation to Buildings:
A group of honors students have been working closely with faculty and staff on an analysis of campus LEED buildings with specific emphasis on design model vs. actual consumption and occupant satisfaction.

Energy 

Is the institution utilizing its campus as a living laboratory for multidisciplinary student learning and applied research in relation to Energy?:
Yes

A brief description of the student/faculty projects and how they contribute to understanding campus sustainability challenges or advancing sustainability on campus in relation to Energy:
Through a graduate research project with the Office of Sustainability, audits of campus laboratories were completed to identify opportunities to increase energy efficiency and operational savings with specific focus on plug load energy demand.

Food & Dining 

Is the institution utilizing its campus as a living laboratory for multidisciplinary student learning and applied research in relation to Food & Dining?:
Yes

A brief description of the student/faculty projects and how they contribute to understanding campus sustainability challenges or advancing sustainability on campus in relation to Food & Dining:
Students are partnering with the Horticulture department to manage production, marketing, sales and delivery of produce items grown at the ISU Student Organic Farm. Most recently collaboration is focused on selling items in bulk to ISU Dining.

Grounds 

Is the institution utilizing its campus as a living laboratory for multidisciplinary student learning and applied research in relation to Grounds?:
Yes

A brief description of the student/faculty projects and how they contribute to understanding campus sustainability challenges or advancing sustainability on campus in relation to Grounds:
In collaboration with campus services and planning staff, Iowa State University's Engineers for a Sustainable World student organization researched, designed, and planted a campus rain garden in an area especially prone to storm water run off. The rain garden is located in a high traffic area of campus and also offers an educational experience for students. http://www.iowastatedaily.com/news/article_4784bcc6-cda3-11e3-b05b-0019bb2963f4.html

Purchasing 

Is the institution utilizing its campus as a living laboratory for multidisciplinary student learning and applied research in relation to Purchasing?:
Yes

A brief description of the student/faculty projects and how they contribute to understanding campus sustainability challenges or advancing sustainability on campus in relation to Purchasing:
Through a graduate research project with the Office of Sustainability, research was completed to identify opportunities for equipment replacement in campus laboratories that would offer increased energy efficiency and savings with specific emphasis on equipment most commonly found through campus labs. In determining effective replacements, collaboration was completed with ISU purchasing resulting in a listing of alternative equipment products and an analysis of the impact of using them to replace current equipment.

Transportation 

Is the institution utilizing its campus as a living laboratory for multidisciplinary student learning and applied research in relation to Transportation?:
Yes

A brief description of the student/faculty projects and how they contribute to understanding campus sustainability challenges or advancing sustainability on campus in relation to Transportation:
ISU BioBus is an interdisciplinary entrepreneurial student organization initiative that recycles waste vegetable oil from ISU campus dining facilities into biodiesel fuel to provide a biofuel option for the community's CyRide buses.

Waste 

Is the institution utilizing its campus as a living laboratory for multidisciplinary student learning and applied research in relation to Waste?:
Yes

A brief description of the student/faculty projects and how they contribute to understanding campus sustainability challenges or advancing sustainability on campus in relation to Waste:
Through collaboration with the Department of Residence, ISU's Delta Waterfowl Student Chapter identified a reuse outlet for waste fencing that resulted from replacement of patio fencing for university apartments. Through their efforts, over 400 wood duck boxes have been built to date to be placed in wildlife habitat areas across the state.

Water 

Is the institution utilizing its campus as a living laboratory for multidisciplinary student learning and applied research in relation to Water?:
Yes

A brief description of the student/faculty projects and how they contribute to understanding campus sustainability challenges or advancing sustainability on campus in relation to Water:
Students competing in EPA's Rainworks Challenge worked with Facilities Planning and Management staff to develop storm water management strategies for the University's Reiman Gardens and adjoining football stadium area. The study area included a mix of impermeable and high maintenance plant/turf environments that offer the opportunity to provide low impact storm water management and reuse. The project focused on identifying the annual patterns for water demand and storm water generation, evaluate the water balance and consider alternatives for creative, low cost systems to address water quality, quantity and reuse, reducing irrigation water sourced from domestic water supply.

Coordination & Planning 

Is the institution utilizing its campus as a living laboratory for multidisciplinary student learning and applied research in relation to Coordination & Planning?:
No

A brief description of the student/faculty projects and how they contribute to understanding campus sustainability challenges or advancing sustainability on campus in relation to Coordination & Planning:
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Diversity & Affordability 

Is the institution utilizing its campus as a living laboratory for multidisciplinary student learning and applied research in relation to Diversity & Affordability?:
Yes

A brief description of the student/faculty projects and how they contribute to understanding campus sustainability challenges or advancing sustainability on campus in relation to Diversity & Affordability:
A member of the Board of Directors for the Memorial Union (MU) at Iowa State University conducted a study focused on the level of diversity present within the University's Memorial Union. A series of questions were asked of multicultural groups to gauge their thoughts and attitudes in regards to how comfortable and accepted they felt within the building. This study helped guide the activity programming for this building to be more diverse and inclusive. Student Government at Iowa State University has also created a map of all gender-inclusive restrooms that can be found on campus. There are a total of 30 locations across campus, having at least one location accessible on the north, south, east, and west sides of campus. This was created with the help of the Student Services Building on campus.

Investment & Finance 

Is the institution utilizing its campus as a living laboratory for multidisciplinary student learning and applied research in relation to Investment & Finance?:
No

A brief description of the student/faculty projects and how they contribute to understanding campus sustainability challenges or advancing sustainability on campus in relation to Investment & Finance:
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Public Engagement 

Is the institution utilizing its campus as a living laboratory for multidisciplinary student learning and applied research in relation to Public Engagement?:
Yes

A brief description of the student/faculty projects and how they contribute to understanding campus sustainability challenges or advancing sustainability on campus in relation to Public Engagement:
The Smart Business Challenge is an opportunity for community businesses to highlight their commitment to sustainability practices and policies as well as increase education, engagement and empowerment opportunities for increasing sustainability efforts and initiatives. Coordination of the Challenge is an annual internship opportunity, for a two student team, offered by the Office of Sustainability. The Challenge is one of the initiatives resulting from the Director of Sustainability's shared appointment with the University and the City of Ames.

Wellbeing & Work 

Is the institution utilizing its campus as a living laboratory for multidisciplinary student learning and applied research in relation to Wellbeing & Work?:
No

A brief description of the student/faculty projects and how they contribute to understanding campus sustainability challenges or advancing sustainability on campus in relation to Wellbeing & Work:
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Other Impact Areas 

Is the institution utilizing its campus as a living laboratory for multidisciplinary student learning and applied research in relation to other areas (e.g. arts & culture or technology)?:
Yes

A brief description of the student/faculty projects and how they contribute to understanding campus sustainability challenges or advancing sustainability on campus in relation to other areas:
The graduate certificate in Education for Social Justice affords students (and non-degree seeking community members) an opportunity to engage in thoughtful, rigorous, and sustained inquiry into social justice struggles in P-20 classrooms, schools, and educational systems. The certificate also affords participants an opportunity to inquire into the complex relationships between P-20 schooling and broader cultural, economic, political, and social structures, policies, and practices. The certificate offers a range of topical and methodological vantage points to study social justice and education. This breadth of opportunities for inquiry is possible because SOE faculty who participate in the certificate work in a range of educational subfields, including educational administration, higher education, mathematics education, multicultural education, science education, social foundations, social studies education, and student affairs.

Optional Fields 

The website URL where information about the programs or initiatives is available:
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Additional documentation to support the submission:
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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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