Office of Sustainability

Elevating Mason’s Green Studio with the Patriot Green Fund

Lauren Reuscher — Wed, 13 Sep 2023 13:48:34 +0000

Elevating Mason’s Green Studio with the Patriot Green Fund Lauren Reuscher Wed, 09/13/2023 - 09:48

The Green Studio, located on ��AV’s Fairfax Campus, is a permaculture garden, outdoor studio, and lab space dedicated to hosting ecological art and design projects by students from across the arts and sciences. Founded in 2010 by Mark Cooley, associate professor in Mason’s School of Art, the Green Studio has been home to numerous projects over the years.

Jennifer Ashworth, manager of the Green Studio, wanted to elevate the space in preparation for more student projects in the future. She applied for funding through University Sustainability’s Patriot Green Fund and was granted financial support to revamp the garden in preparation for the new academic year.

Photo by Audrey Kwayke/Mason Facilities

In May 2023, the Patriot Green Fund Committee, which includes students, faculty, and staff, approved Ashworth’s application and awarded $1,200 toward the acquisition of new soil and plants for the garden.

An overarching goal of the project was to support the garden as a thriving ecosystem and sanctuary for native wildlife. Ashworth, who joined Mason in 2022, selected native species that would combat overgrowth and facilitate maintenance of the space, while also crafting a visually appealing garden.

Photo by Audrey Kwayke/Mason Facilities

Beyond the immediate benefits, Ashworth has a long-term plan for the garden. She envisions it as a living, learning laboratory for educational workshops and projects. By collaborating with campus classes in the arts, environmental studies, and civil engineering, she wants to create opportunities for students to engage in hands-on learning experiences and develop a deeper understanding of the ecosystem and sustainable practices.

^{I’m excited for the next generation of students to explore the Green Studio," Ashworth said. "It’s their space—an open studio space for research, experimentation, expression, or just a space to absorb. It’s wild and beautiful and worth discovering.”}

Photo by Audrey Kwayke/Mason Facilities

To get involved and volunteer in the Green Studio, visit University Sustainability’s volunteer portal or reach out to Jenn Ashworth.

Individuals with innovative ideas to further enhance sustainability at Mason are encouraged to apply for funding through the Patriot Green Fund.

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Revamping Recycling at the Center for the Arts

Lauren Reuscher — Wed, 13 Sep 2023 13:40:36 +0000

Revamping Recycling at the Center for the Arts Lauren Reuscher Wed, 09/13/2023 - 09:40

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The Center for the Arts on ��AV’s Fairfax Campus has revamped its zero-waste infrastructure, thanks to the support of University Sustainability's Patriot Green Fund.

Sleek new waste and recycling stations at the performing arts venue will improve Mason’s waste diversion rate, helping to reach Mason's goal of diverting at least 90% of waste from the trash.

Digital event programs are readily available for patrons at the Center for the Arts (CFA), but the need for paper programs and their subsequent recycling still exists. Maura Glascock, CFA production coordinator, recognized the potential for increased waste diversion and spearheaded the effort to enhance the zero-waste infrastructure.

Photo by Mason Facilities

Glascock applied for funding through the Patriot Green Fund and awarded $17,500 in May 2023 toward the acquisition of new waste stations.

The Patriot Green Fund is a $100,000-per-year sustainability fund provided by Mason Facilities to make Mason’s campuses more sustainable through infrastructure improvements and student research projects. Funding decisions are made by the Patriot Green Fund Committee, which includes students, faculty, and staff.

The Center for the Arts team collaborated with staff from University Sustainability—Colleen Regan, zero waste specialist, and Amber Saxton, program manager for campus efficiency—to ensure the project was a success. They also sought the expertise of Kevin Brim, supervisor for recycling and waste management with Facilities Management.

The group identified the most effective layout for recycling and trash stations, ensuring proper lid openings and other design standards were included to discourage contamination. The team also prioritized the aesthetics of the design and selected stainless steel bins, ensuring their recyclability at the end of their long lifespan, which is estimated to be 20+ years.

“CFA’s installation aligns with current efforts to improve zero-waste design standards and guidelines across the university,” Regan said. “Co-locating waste streams and standardizing the appearance of bins through consistent labeling and color coding are all key design improvements for increasing access to recycling.”

Learn how to dispose of waste appropriately to make Mason even more sustainable.

Individuals with innovative ideas to further enhance sustainability at Mason are encouraged to apply for funding through the Patriot Green Fund.

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Retro Mason: Presidents Park Hydroponic Greenhouse 2015

Colleen Rich — Thu, 07 Apr 2022 18:05:55 +0000

Retro Mason: Presidents Park Hydroponic Greenhouse 2015 Colleen Rich Thu, 04/07/2022 - 14:05

On April 21, 2015, ��AV held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new Presidents Park Hydroponic Greenhouse, a ceremony led by Tom Calhoun, then vice president of Facilities, and the Board of Visitors member Buddy Beck.

Mason students, staff and faculty got their first looks at the newly renovated greenhouse that was part of Mason's push toward improved sustainability. Dishes created with produce grown at the greenhouse were served at the celebration.

In an agreement between Mason’s Office of Sustainability and Mason Dining, the greenhouse was expected to provide some 200 pounds of food to Ike’s and for catered university events, in exchange for funding of a part-time greenhouse staff position.

Before its rebirth as a food producer, the greenhouse was used to grow plants for biology and ecology experiments conducted by classes in the College of Science, which moved to a new greenhouse atop Exploratory Hall.

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Honey bees and their honey could be a big help in solving police cases

John Hollis — Tue, 18 Jan 2022 19:33:20 +0000

Honey bees and their honey could be a big help in solving police cases John Hollis Tue, 01/18/2022 - 14:33

An unlikely collaboration between ��AV’s Honey Bee Initiative and the new outdoor Forensic Science Research and Training Laboratory could yield critical advances in forensic science.

^{Mason teams from a number of different fields are working in unison at the Science and Technology Campus in Manassas, Virginia, on an ambitious project to see if the honey produced by bees after feeding on flowers can help them better locate missing persons.}

^{“The focus of forensics is to solve cases,” said Mary Ellen O’Toole, the head of the Forensic Science Program within Mason’s College of Science and a former FBI profiler. “Outdoor crime scenes have always posed a challenge to investigators, particularly identifying the location of human remains. The bee research will allow us to scientifically demonstrate that identifying bee activity in bee farms or in the wild and analyzing their proteins can help lead investigators to human remains. In this case, the bees are our new partners in crime fighting, and that’s amazing science.”}

Volunteers plant perennials at the Forensic Science Research and Training Laboratory in support of ongoing research to determine if traces of human remains can be identified in the plants or in the honey produced by pollinators.
Photo by Shelby Burgess/Strategic Communications

Proteins in bee honey contain biochemical information about what the bees have fed upon. That information has previously been used to detect the chemical signature of pesticides in honey, allowing observers to deduce what specific types of pesticides were being used within the five-mile radius from the hives that honey bees typically frequent.

Similarly, O’Toole and her team believe that volatile organic compounds (VOCs) of human decomposition might likewise be found in bee honey, allowing authorities to then triangulate where missing human remains might be located. That ability could ultimately help spare grieving families additional extended angst while also saving thousands of hours in the search for a missing person.

“If we can determine what the VOCs are for humans and differentiate that from other animals, we could then use the bees and their honey as sentinels, and, hopefully, find missing persons and solve cases,” said Anthony Falsetti, an associate professor of forensic science.

Their belief is based on the premise that flowering plants near dead bodies will uptake the VOCs before being fed upon by the bees and ultimately being deposited in their honey.

Alessandra Luchini, an associate professor within Mason’s Center for Applied Proteomics and Molecular Medicine (CAPMM), has perfected a method to extract proteins from the honey. She and Lance Liotta, a University Professor and CAPMM co-founder and co-director, have been involved with the project from the outset, following the idea’s origins at one of the monthly research meetings with the Forensic Science Program.

Honey bees are very specific in the kinds of flowers to which they’re attracted. Doni Nolan, Mason’s Greenhouse and Gardens sustainability program manager from the School of Integrative Studies within the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, applied her expertise to the project, choosing the right flowers to plant within the specific one-acre section of the newly opened Forensic Science Research and Training Laboratory that will house the remains of human donors in a heavily wooded area. The honey bee hive on the SciTech Campus is located several hundred yards away from the Forensic Science Research and Training Laboratory.

Volunteers prepare to plant flowers at the Forensic Science Research and Training Laboratory. Photo by Shelby Burgess/Strategic Communications

In November, students and researchers planted several different species of plants, which bear highly scented white and yellow blossoms, near the spots where the human remains will soon be displayed. Additional plants native to this area will be planted in the spring before the first honey samples are examined, Nolan said.

“You’re trying to see if the honey and the bees can help us find a body and solve a homicide,” said Nolan, who has a biology degree from Mason and is working on a PhD in biosciences.

The five-acre, Forensic Science Research and Training Laboratory opened in early 2021, making Mason just the eighth location in the world capable of performing transformative outdoor research in forensic science using human donors and the only one in the Mid-Atlantic region.

Donation of human remains to the research facility will come through the Virginia State Anatomical Program (VSAP), which is a part of the Virginia Department of Health. Go here to learn more about donating your body to science.

Mason also entered a partnership with FARO Technologies, Inc. that resulted in the world’s first FARO-certified forensic laboratory.

In addition to those in the Forensic Science Program, the multidisciplinary project also includes the caretakers of the honey bees, as well as researchers and students from CAPMM, as well as from the Department of Environmental Science and Policy within the College of Science and Office of Sustainability, all of whom helped select the plants for the research design.

Learn more about Forensic Science at Mason

Learn more about Mason's Honey Bee Initiative

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Mechanical engineering student seeks ways to make an impact

Anonymous — Tue, 19 Oct 2021 12:46:50 +0000

Mechanical engineering student seeks ways to make an impact Anonymous (not verified) Tue, 10/19/2021 - 08:46

Mechanical engineering major Chigozie Erondu may have always been passionate about robotics, but in his time at Mason, he’s developed a new passion for helping the Mason community stay sustainable.

Erondu spent his junior year on the Patriot Green Fund (PGF) committee, a $100,000 a year fund within Mason’s Office of Sustainability that enables students to conduct research, reduce Mason’s environmental impact, and improve awareness and support of building a sustainable campus culture.

“I applied to be a part of the board because I felt it could give me a new perspective,” says Erondu, who is a leader in other Mason supported student organizations like the National Society for Black Engineers and the Society of American Military Engineers that have sought funding or support from Mason before. He knew that joining the PGF would show him how stakeholders made these decisions.

“I enjoyed the thought process of starting with X amount of money and making hard decisions on where that money should go, what will make the most impact,” says Erondu.

Current students, faculty, staff members, and student groups with research or infrastructure projects can apply for funds from the PGF, and Erondu says he saw many great projects but not all of them could be approved.

“As a committee, we saw a lot of great ideas, but we had to make some tough decisions on what could be funded,” he says.

One project Erondu oversaw was called the “Mason Pond Bathymetry” project. This team was seeking funding to build a robot designed to collect surface floor data from the Mason Pond for their senior design project.

The committee was made up of students and faculty members from different disciplines, which gave a diverse perspective to the decision-making process. “After going through each proposal, we had a discussion together about the impact of the project. Sometimes, we go back to the people who submitted the proposal and asked more questions to get an in-depth look at the project so we can make an informed decision,” says Erondu.

“Being a part of the PGF taught me to think long-term, not just for these projects, but for the impact I will make on the world,” says Erondu.

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The Secret's Out: Mason is a leader in sustainability research and practices

Damian Cristodero — Thu, 16 Sep 2021 17:03:52 +0000

The Secret's Out: Mason is a leader in sustainability research and practices Damian Cristodero Thu, 09/16/2021 - 13:03

A lush campus isn’t the only thing that makes Mason green. For years, the university has been a sustainability leader.

Mason has more than 125 “Green Leaf” courses in over 25 academic programs. Those courses provide valuable grounding in the properties of sustainability.

Did you know Mason researchers have tracked climate change perceptions for more than a decade? The Center for Climate Change Communication is a nationwide asset, with its research cited regularly by elite media, including The New York Times. The center partners with more than 600 meteorologists to communicate the regional effects of climate change, educates voters, and more.

With no better time to prioritize a healthier planet, Mason launched its Institute for a Sustainable Earth in 2019 to put ideas and research into action. It connects Mason Nation with policymakers, businesses and organizations to address pressing challenges.

The buzz on campus doesn’t only surround the Office of Sustainability, which drives everything from Mason’s carbon neutrality plan to its Greenhouse and Gardens program. Mason has50 beehives under its care, as one of many initiatives to help earth thrive.

Mason is also training the next generation of climate scientists.

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Mason Sustainability Council examining goals to set for the university

Colleen Rich — Mon, 15 Mar 2021 15:04:18 +0000

Mason Sustainability Council examining goals to set for the university Colleen Rich Mon, 03/15/2021 - 11:04

Mason students at a Fridays for the Future climate rally in October 2019. Photo by Evan Cantwell/Creative Services.

Promoting sustainability has long been part of ��AV’s priorities.

Both the Office of Sustainability and Center for Climate Change Communication were established in 2007. The Institute for Sustainable Earth was launched in 2019.

In October 2019 students held a “Fridays for Future” rally in which students pushed for a culture of sustainability. Thanks to student activism, the Mason Sustainability Council was created to reexamine and reimagine its sustainability efforts.

The Mason Sustainability Council will be sharing its mission during an all faculty meeting on Wednesday, March 17. The council is working on sustainability goals for Mason in the years to come.

“We are working to have a sustainability strategy that is broadly inclusive across every facet of the university, from the way faculty designs its curriculum to the types of chemicals used in laboratories,” said Leah Nichols, executive director of Mason’s Institute for a Sustainable Earth and a member of the council.

Gregory S. Farley, director of University Sustainability and a member of the council said that sustainability goals will be an opportunity for “the Mason nation to come together and create a sustainable institution.”

The 18-member Mason Sustainability Council includes administrators, faculty, staff and students. The council describes itself as an institution-wide initiative to integrate Mason’s research and academic strengths in sustainability with campus operations to mitigate Mason’s impact on the global climate. The initiative also aims to enable Mason’s campuses to become learning laboratories, and further establish Mason an as institutional leader in higher education sustainability.

Carol Dillon Kissal, senior vice president for administration and finance at Mason, said that the key to Mason’s leadership on sustainability is “making it central to what we do and who we are, both in our process and in our mission.”

Provost Mark Ginsberg said that the goals the Mason Sustainability Council create will “have a major impact on our community, leading the university in stewardship and teaching each of us how to be more environmental responsible.”

“We are living at a time when the choices we make today dramatically will impact life on earth,” said Ginsberg. “Unless we change our ways, future generations won’t have the benefits of clean air and water. I am confident that the Mason Sustainability Council will help us all.”