Oklahoma State University
EN-10: Community Partnerships

The OSU / Stillwater Community Transit System provides public transit and paratransit services not only for the campus community but for the residents of the City of Stillwater at large and visitors. The only public transit service in town, or in the region for that matter, it also includes shuttle service to Tulsa. The program meets all three dimensions of sustainability: low-cost, socially equitable public transit with service input from both the campus and community; wellness through walking and busing, rather than use a motor vehicle; reduced need for parking on campus; lower noise pollution and carbon emissions (entire fleet runs on CNG). Website: https://parking.okstate.edu/transit-services

Through OSU Cooperative Extension Service (OCES) Solid Waste Management (SWM) Programs, staff works directly with county extension offices, school districts, tribal communities, non-profit organizations and individuals in rural, under-served, communities on issues such as illegal dumping, burn barrels, resource recovery, composting and littering. Emphasis is on protecting water quality decreasing pollution, and increasing the economic prosperity of small, economically-challenged towns by attracting businesses and employees that value quality of life benefits. OCES has received grant funding annually over the past three years from the USDA to conduct SWM outreach in communities identified in the grant proposal as having a low socio-economic status. Human health also improves as communities move toward waste management solutions that do not include utilizing burn barrels that produce dangerous emissions. At least one FTE is dedicated to staffing the work of this multi-faceted partnership, which includes collaboration with faculty and staff from various OSU colleges and departments as well as student assistance. Website: http://agecon.okstate.edu/waste/

Mission
To conduct research and provide educational programs in environmentally-sound biobased product and energy development leading to the establishment of sustainable bioenergy and biorefinery operations in Oklahoma.

Goals
Strengthen basic research foundation in feedstock development and production, biobased products and materials development, conversion technologies, and value enhancement that leads to sustainable and economically viable rural industries/jobs.
- Focus on interdisciplinary carbon capture, storage, reduction, and reuse research and development to support current infrastructure and alternative technology advancement.
- Partner with rural communities to develop locally viable biobased industries and markets.
- Build and facilitate interdisciplinary team collaboration and support integrated approaches to identify opportunities in emerging circular bioeconomy in Oklahoma.
- Provide undergraduate and graduate training, professional development, and outreach opportunities to enhance the bioeconomy workforce development efforts.
- Develop effective scientific communication approaches to bridge the gap between research and practice and enhance dissemination of research results to communities of interest.

OSU continues to expand research efforts, addressing the critical issues in advancing the bioeconomy. Areas of emphasis include enhancing productivity of potential feedstocks, improving conversion technologies and optimizing the value of co-products and by-products.

Outreach, technology transfer and communication of scientific knowledge to the community is important to adoption of sustainable practices in biobased products and energy. Demonstrations, decision-making tools, economic models, and social implications are a focus of the Center efforts.

A major focus is to educate the next generation of engineers and scientists in renewable resource utilization. Programs are targeted at all levels, including pre-college students and teachers, undergraduate and graduate students, industrial collaborators and the general public.



Oklahoma Impacts
- Offering sustainable solutions to emerging biobased industries.
- Increasing knowledge and acceptance of biobased products and energy.
- Building solutions that capture, store, reduce, and reuse carbon to mitigate CO2 emissions.
Supporting revitalization of rural areas and sustainability of natural resources.

OSU Food Studies Program: Today, food is a focus not only within OSU's agricultural college, but also within many other OSU divisions. Scholars in English, History, Sociology, Hotel and Restaurant Administration, and Gender Studies, to name just a few, see food as a dynamic area of interest. Many of these individuals are spread across campus and in specialized fields, and are thus unaware of their fellow food enthusiasts. This Food Studies program seeks to bring these individuals together to form and maintain ties with the local food system along with Stillwater farmers and food establishments, as well as food pantries like Our Daily Bread. Website; http://foodstudies.okstate.edu/