Mason as a Living Lab

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George Mason earns solid gold in sustainability

Lauren Reuscher — Thu, 06 Jun 2024 13:56:18 +0000

George Mason earns solid gold in sustainability Lauren Reuscher Thu, 06/06/2024 - 09:56

For its commitment to campus sustainability, ��AV has earned a Gold rating in the STARS (Sustainability Tracking, Assessment and Rating System) Assessment. STARS is a self-reporting framework for colleges and universities to measure their sustainability performance and is offered by the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE). George Mason has received four consecutive STARS Gold ratings and was the first Virginia university to earn that rating in 2014.

George Mason earned a Gold rating in the STARS assessment for the fourth consecutive time, Photo by Evan Cantwell/Office of University Branding

STARS was administered by staff from University Sustainability and University Business Consulting. This year, George Mason demonstrated improvements in several performance categories, earning a total of 73.66 points. The university’s score increased 13% since the last assessment in 2021. The threshold for earning a Gold rating is 65 points, and George Mason is only 11.34 points away from earning the highest honor, STARS Platinum. Rankings are valid for three years.

Amber Saxton, program manager in University Sustainability, co-led the university-wide assessment with Minh Le, senior consultant in University Business Consulting.

“STARS recognizes what we are doing well, puts our sustainability planning and execution in context with peers nationwide, and helps us create a roadmap for continued improvement,” Saxton said. “Mason’s Gold rating reflects a comprehensive effort from stakeholders across the university, from research to operations.”

Sustainable purchasing is part of George Mason's STARS Gold rating. Locker room renovations for the men's soccer team included sustainable upgrades like lockers made from recycled content and responsibly sourced materials and energy-efficient lights. This project was supported by the Patriot Green Fund. Photo by Shelby Burgess/Office of University Branding

Consistent success in campus sustainability

George Mason has consistently earned high scores in the STARS categories for sustainable transportation programs, stormwater management, and academics and research. George Mason also scored highly in the innovation category for its on-campus gardens, food bank (the Student Support and Advocacy Center's Patriot Pantry), and sustainability project grant funds (Facilities’ Patriot Green Fund and the Institute for a Sustainable Earth’s new Mason as a Living Lab fund).

The on-campus gardens help Mason score consistently high in the innovation category on STARS. Photo by Evan Cantwell/Office of University Branding

High marks in these categories reflect the commitment of stakeholders across the university.

“Mason departments and colleges have prioritized sustainability as a strategic part of their performance criteria and benchmarks for progress,” said Greg Farley, director of University Sustainability. “Mason has set a goal to be the highest-scoring AASHE STARS school in Virginia by 2030, so University Sustainability and its partners will need to keep pushing forward.”

Measuring the culture of sustainability

This year, George Mason earned new points in the sustainability literacy and culture category for launching a survey to measure students' sustainability literacy, culture, and behavior. Recent graduate Nikita Lad, PhD Environmental Science and Policy ’24, and K.L. Akerlof, associate professor of science communication, administered the survey to a representative sample of undergraduates in fall 2022 and spring 2023.

“The survey measured what factors affect students' sustainability behaviors and whether their knowledge and behaviors changed through formal or informal programming during their college careers,” said Lad.

The theoretically informed survey model found that time spent on campus and informal program participation influenced students’ nature connectedness and norms, which in turn affected sustainability behaviors. Lad shared the research study through a webinar with other members of AASHE and hopes to collaborate with other universities on future iterations of the survey.

Through Bioblitz, the Mason Nation crowdsources the identification of species across campus. Photo by Cristian Torres/Office of University Branding

Bioblitz made an impact

George Mason earned new points in biodiversity this year thanks to Bioblitz, a crowdsourced assessment of plant and animal species on campus. Through an app, the Mason Nation helped identify and monitor endangered and vulnerable species around the university. In spring 2024, more than 500 biodiversity observations were entered into the Bioblitz app by 107 observers, documenting 273 species.

Bigbelly solar waste stations were recently installed across George Mason's campuses. Photo by Facilities

Moving toward zero waste

New efforts to improve waste diversion boosted George Mason’s score in that category. Facilities Management, University Sustainability, Auxiliary Services and Operations, and other campus partners worked to expand composting, reduce single-use plastics, and promote the use of certified compostable and aluminum products.

George Mason is expected to improve further in this category in the future, with the installation of new Bigbelly solar waste stations across its campuses, the development and implementation of new design standards for “zero waste” bins, the addition of glass recycling, and the future launch of a reusable food container pilot and paper towel composting.

Mason earned one of the highest STARS ratings among Virginia universities. As of April 2024, the University of Virginia earned 74.85 points, ��AV earned 73.66 points, and Virginia Commonwealth University earned 66.4 points. Participating institutions can earn points toward a STARS Bronze, Silver, Gold, or Platinum Rating, or earn the STARS Reporter designation.

Sustainability at George Mason

Topics

Greenhouse and Gardens Program

Facilities

Patriot Green Fund

Institute for a Sustainable Earth (ISE)

Strategic Direction

Mason researcher measures troubles at the tap

Nathan Kahl — Mon, 29 Apr 2024 13:13:48 +0000

Mason researcher measures troubles at the tap Nathan Kahl Mon, 04/29/2024 - 09:13

Kirin Emlet Furst, an assistant professor in ��AV's Department of Civil, Environmental, and Infrastructure Engineering, recently received a National Science Foundation (NSF) CAREER Award to investigate how Perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are transformed and persist in drinking water distribution systems (DWDS) that bring water to our spigots.

Kirin Emlet Furst. Photo provided

CAREER award funding is reserved for the nation’s most talented up-and-coming researchers. From the NSF website: “The Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Program offers NSF’s most prestigious award in support of early-career faculty who have the potential to serve as academic role models in research and education and to lead advances in the mission of their department or organization.”

PFAS are sinisterly known as “forever chemicals” because once created they do not break down, existing in water and soil—and even human blood—indefinitely. They have been used in numerous applications, including firefighting foams, metal plating, and food packaging, and spread easily through water and air.

This means, whether we like it or not, many of us are gulping down PFAS with every drink of water. To address this, the EPA recently released rules establishing limits on six PFAS in drinking water, affecting approximately 66,000 water systems, serving 90 percent of the country.

“PFAS really like interfaces between water and air and water and surfaces, so they stick to all sorts of stuff,” said Furst. “In DWDS, they may stick to the surface inside pipes and tanks, especially if there is biofilm growth or flaking of the inside material, giving them more to hold on to.” Furst said well-maintained DWDS typically won’t have such issues but knew of one water storage tank that had not been cleaned in 20 years, resulting in three feet of sediment on its floor. Such sediment, along with other conditions, may create conditions for PFAS accumulation and transformation.

Furst will test tap water across Northern Virginia, including on Mason's Fairfax Campus.

The focus of regulators and utilities is removing PFAS at the treatment plant, but in communities where exposure to PFAS is prevalent—near chemical plants, for example—Furst suggests there’s a likelihood that PFAS has been building up downstream, so to speak, in the DWDS.

“In Fairfax County the amount of time water could spend in the distribution system is as long as a week,” Furst said. “In some systems it’s going through miles and miles of pipes, with a lot of places for PFAS to hang out.”

There are more than 12,000 types of PFAS, and in the presence of certain microbial processes, unregulated precursor compounds can be transformed to the more toxic, regulated species like perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA). Furst worries the new EPA rule, relying on measurements at treatment plants, won’t reflect the levels in water at household taps.

Furst’s lab will get samples from distribution systems from Northern Virginia utilities and she hopes to have a larger DWDS pilot on the Mason Fairfax Campus as part of the “Mason as a Living Lab” program. She hopes her findings will aid in solutions to minimize and mitigate PFAS contamination.

Support the Mason Nation

Topics

clean drinking water system

water quality

Department of Civil Environmental and Infrastructure Engineering (CEIE)

National Science Foundation

Research

Strategic Direction

10 ways you can help the planet—and Mason—this April

Colleen Rich — Thu, 18 Apr 2024 15:04:15 +0000

10 ways you can help the planet—and Mason—this April Colleen Rich Thu, 04/18/2024 - 11:04

April is Earth Month, and it is a great time to promote sustainable best practices on ��AV campuses and off. We have some tips on ways the Mason Nation can make a difference in small ways.

1. Reduce your water use.

See if you can cut down on the amount of running water you use while washing your hands, brushing your teeth, or rinsing off dishes. Reduce the length of your showers.

Mason business major Vidhi Pathak recommends making a playlist for the shower. “When showering, I make a two-song shower playlist and finish up after the second song ends,” said Pathak, the undersecretary of sustainability for Student Government.

Mason has been recognized as a Bicycle Friendly University by the League of American Bicyclists for promoting safe, accessible bicycling on campus. Photo by Evan Cantwell/OUB

2. Make an effort to walk, bike, or scooter more, especially if you are traveling on or near campus.

These choices can help Mason decrease its carbon emissions and minimize traffic on campus. The new bikeshare stations make it easy to grab a bike. Also consider using the Mason Shuttles or carpooling with friends.

3. Always turn off any lights, appliances, and devices when not in use.

4. Carry a water bottle and use the campus filling stations.

Bringing your own bottle reduces the need to purchase plastic water bottles. The on-campus filling stations even have a meter so you can see how many plastic bottles you helped keep out of landfills. Find the closest water bottle refill station.

5. Take out the trash—correctly.

Always follow the signs on waste receptacles to ensure proper disposal and recycle what you can. There are even composting options available on campus at the Big Belly stations, Innovation Food Forest near Innovation Hall, or Potomac Heights Garden. You can dispose of clean glass bottles and jars at one of the new glass recycling trailers on the Fairfax Campus.

Big Belly stations are available across campus. Photo by Evan Cantwell/Creative Services

The university has a Zero Waste goal of diverting 90% (or more) of all waste items away from the trash through reuse, recycling, and composting. Get the specifics.

6. Donate unwanted or unneeded items.

Patriot Packout, Mason's annual sustainable move-out initiative, is happening right now through May 10. As students move out of their residence halls, donations of like-new and gently used items are collected at the Fairfax Campus, SciTech Campus, and the Smithsonian-Mason School of Conservation.

This year, donated items will support Mason programs including the Patriot Pantry, Trans Clothing Closet, Art Supply Sharing Closet, First Gen+ Center, and Parking and Transportation's bike programs. Community organizations, such as Food for Others, will also receive donated items.

Visit the webpage for a list of accepted items, campus donation locations, and volunteer opportunities. Mason students who live off-campus and Mason employees are invited to bring any of the accepted items to the 24/7 outdoor drop-off locations.

7. When shopping or running errands, bring a reusable bag, backpack, or other sustainable containers to reduce packaging waste.

8. Add more plants to your diet.

The Future 50 Program can help you track your carbon footprint. Photo by Jason Kirichok/Mason Dining

All food has a carbon impact, which reflects the amount of greenhouse gas emissions that are caused by creating that food, whether it’s from growing, transporting, processing, cooking, or disposal. Mason Dining was recognized with Food Management Magazine’s 2023 Best Concept Award – Best Station Concept for its Future 50 Foods program at Southside and Ike’s Dining Halls. The program helps diners track the carbon footprint of their food choices by color-coding them.

Mason’s newest dining hall, The Spot: Where Plants Power You, caters to the growing demand for plant-based dining options with an array of vegetarian and vegan dishes.

9. Grow your own food or help Mason grow some.

Students work in the Presidents Park Greenhouse. Photo by Sierra Guard/OUB

University Sustainability's Greenhouse and Gardens Program offers hands-on opportunities for you to get your hands dirty and learn about hydroponic and aquaponic food production systems while helping to plant and harvest fruits and vegetables. The Presidents Park Hydroponic Greenhouse produces almost 1,000 lbs. of fresh lettuce and salad greens annually that are served weekly at Ike's dining hall. The remaining herbs, fruits and veggies are donated to the community through Produce Pick-Ups, where anyone can sign up to receive free produce, as supplies last.

10. Volunteer.

Help plant a tree. Photo by Evan Cantwell/OUB

There are plenty of opportunities to volunteer on campus. Plant a tree, help with a composting audit, or assist Mason’s Food Recovery Network chapter with leftover food pickups from the dining halls, which is donated to those in need. Learn more.

Topics

A native food forest takes root on Mason’s Fairfax Campus

Colleen Rich — Mon, 15 Apr 2024 16:16:51 +0000

A native food forest takes root on Mason’s Fairfax Campus Colleen Rich Mon, 04/15/2024 - 12:16

There is a Chinese proverb that says “The best time to plant a tree is 20 years ago. The second best time is now.” But what about a forest? Last fall, volunteers planted the beginnings of a “food forest” on ��AV’s Fairfax Campus.

Mason graduate student Sarah Roth gives a tour of the Foragers' Forest. Photo by Ayman Rashid/Office of University Branding

In November 2023, Mason students, faculty, and staff gathered to help transplant 1,700 plants of more than 50 native species into two groves near the stream behind Student Union Building I between Aquia Creek Lane and Patriot Circle, on what used to be the site of the Student Apartments, which were razed in 2018.

“We are planting America’s first campus-based native food forest dedicated to feeding both human and animal foragers,” said Mason professor Dann Sklarew of what has been aptly named the Foragers’ Forest.

And like most things in the university’s Living Lab, science helped drive many of the decisions, according to Mason graduate student and lead forest maker Sarah Roth.

Roth, who will graduate in May with an MS in environmental science and policy, is leading the project with Sklarew, a professor in the Department of Environmental Science and Policy, and University Sustainability Program Manager Doni Nolan, and with administrative support from Mason’s College of Science, Mason Facilities, and University Sustainability. The forest was also made possible with a grant from Amazon Web Services, which the university matched.

An artist's rendering of the Foragers' Forest. Image provided

Roth’s designs for the Foragers’ Forest are based on the work of Japanese botanist and forest ecologist Akira Miyawaki. Designed to create forest cover quickly on degraded land that has been used for such purposes as construction, Miyawaki’s method emphasizes using native plants and trying to reconstruct natural plant communities.

Roth said the Miyawaki method also emphasizes mixing the species in the planting and planting very densely—around three trees/shrubs per square meter—to mimic natural patterns of forest regeneration. The Foragers' Forest adheres to these principles by having a high diversity of plant species and mixed dense planting.

“We were surprised to see how many edible or food-producing plants are native to Fairfax County—strawberries, blueberries, black raspberries, hazelnuts, persimmons, oaks, hickories, and even American chestnuts,” said Roth. “We surrounded our tree clusters with a native meadow that will support pollinators and other meadow-dependent wildlife.”

Sklarew said the site also will serve as a new Living Lab space where students can experiment and “act local” to promote food security, wildlife conservation, climate resilience, and other opportunities to advance sustainability.

Faculty from the College of Science and other colleges are collaborating to identify both curricular and Mason Impact projects to use the space.

Pathways, seating, and signage will lead visitors to forage, learn about the site’s principles and propagation, and enjoy the scenery.

“We're excited to highlight Virginia's natural heritage and indigenous foods in this space,” said Roth, who saw Miyawaki’s forests firsthand during a recent trip to Japan.

The Foragers’ Forest joins a prestigious group: More than 3,000 Miyawaki forests have been successfully planted globally.

“What I love about this project is that it blends everything I’m passionate about: native plants, ecological restoration, and bringing people closer to nature,” said Roth. “Our future depends on us building spaces that serve people and wildlife, and we hope this offers a blueprint others can take and improve on.”

Roth began working as a landscape architect for Fairfax County's stormwater planning division this year. “I’m working to restore healthy forests as part of stream restoration projects. The Foragers' Forest project was integral to me making those connections with county staff.”

Laura Powers and Tracy Mason contributed to this story.

Did you know?

Sarah Roth received a Dean's Award from the College of Science for her efforts in building the food forest.

Get involved with the Foragers' Forest

Bioblitz helps capture Mason’s biodiversity

Colleen Rich — Wed, 08 Nov 2023 15:32:07 +0000

Bioblitz helps capture Mason’s biodiversity Colleen Rich Wed, 11/08/2023 - 10:32

��AV students are running around the campuses taking pictures of the flora, fauna, and fungi with their smartphones—sometimes in the dark—to capture the university’s biodiversity. They are trying to record as many species as possible with a focus on endangered species.

Mason student Sarah Jadlowski (right) helps out at a Bioblitz event on Wilkins Plaza.
Photo by Cristian Torres/��AV

It is all part of Bioblitz 2023, which is an assessment project that began during Sustainability Month in October and continues through Nov. 19. For the project, Mason is using the iNaturalist app, which helps streamline the documenting process and even drops a pin of the discovery on a campus map.

So far, more than 800 observations have been made by 84 observers documenting 385 species. There are 155 “identifiers” in the app, subject matter experts and others who assist with confirming species identifications.

“What's great about the iNaturalist app is you post a photo, and it suggests identifications,” said Doni Nolan, Greenhouse and Gardens program manager in the University Sustainability office, who is leading the project. “Then [the app] also has folks confirm the identification to make it research-grade level.”

Bioblitz is another way Mason is using its campuses as a Living Lab. Working with Nolan are environmental and sustainability studies majors Eden Anderson and Sarah Jadlowski.

A student documents a persimmon tree in the Innovation Food Forest on the Fairfax Campus. Photo by Cristian Torres/��AV

Anderson has used the app before. A huge fan of fungi, she first started capturing mushroom species on campus for an Environmental Science and Policy class, EVPP 408 Mushrooms, Molds, and Society, she took a few semesters ago.

“It’s been a really good mushroom season,” said Anderson, referring to some of the rain the area received in October. In the days after a rain, Anderson takes “mushroom walks” around the Fairfax Campus to see what fungi may have popped up.

“They can pop up quick, especially if it is humid,” said Anderson, who also forages mushrooms.

Anderson says the most unusual Bioblitz observation so far are jack-o-lantern mushrooms (omphalotus olearius), which are bioluminescent—with gills that glow green in the dark—and very poisonous.

Jadlowski is doing a moth survey of the Fairfax Campus as a project for her EVPP 480 Sustainability in Action class. She has attempted to lure moths out for a photo op in a variety of ways, including soaking a sheet in a diluted wine solution and hanging it near the Mason Pond with the hopes of capturing a moth “party.”

The survey is an attempt to see which parts of campus moths prefer with a longer-term goal—building a moth garden. But Jadlowski said campus bats will be the ultimate beneficiaries of any garden as they consume moths and other insects for their diets, and they are vulnerable pollinators.

Of 17 species of bats that have been recorded in Virginia, six are endangered, according to the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources, with two of those species predicted to live in habitats near the Fairfax Campus. Protecting endangered species and their environments is a big part of the inventory. Nolan has made a list of Northern Virginia-specific endangered species they are keeping an eye out for, including the monarch butterfly.

The biodiversity assessment also ties into Mason’s Sustainability Tracking, Assessment, and Rating System (STARS) rating. In 2011, Mason began reporting its sustainability progress to the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education and earned a Silver rating. By 2014, Mason was the first university in Virginia to achieve a Gold STARS rating. Conducting the assessment helps Mason maintain its Gold rating and helps the university track the effectiveness of its sustainability efforts.

“We found monarch butterfly caterpillars on campus in several locations. Every year we have several patches in our gardens protected for them with the milkweed they prefer to eat,” said Nolan. “It was a focus [of Bioblitz] to identify endangered and vulnerable species and how the campus promotes those. So that was a big win for us.”

Learn about Sustainability at Mason

More Sustainability News

The Carter School named a United Nations Academic Impact Sustainable Development Goal Hub Chair
January 15, 2025
Campus Foragers’ Forest turns 1
October 23, 2024
George Mason earns solid gold in sustainability
June 7, 2024
From an island in Korea to a leader for climate change in D.C.
May 3, 2024
Mason Completes Transformational Energy Action Plans for Virginia Communities
April 30, 2024

This content appears in the Spring 2024 print edition of the Mason Spirit Magazine.

Mason as a Living Lab

Lynn Tierney — Mon, 23 Oct 2023 16:53:59 +0000

Mason as a Living Lab Lynn Tierney Mon, 10/23/2023 - 12:53

In many ways, ��AV is a small town with a population of about 48,000. That’s a little bit bigger than Charlottesville, Virginia, which clocks in at 45,000.

Of course, this population isn’t all in one place.

The cherry grove by Mason Pond on the Fairfax Campus is part of the Living Lab. Photo by Evan Cantwell/Office of University Branding

In Virginia, Mason has campuses in Fairfax County, Arlington County, and Prince William County, and sites in Loudoun County and on Belmont Bay in Woodbridge. There’s a contingent of students and researchers in Front Royal. On the other side of the globe, Mason Korea is about to celebrate its 10th year in Songdo, South Korea.

Our award-winning faculty is dedicated to tackling the grand challenges of our time, which include issues surrounding sustainability. That dedication can be seen anywhere you set foot on a Mason campus, with our nearly 1,000 acres of land, waterways, forests, and buildings being used as a dynamic Living Lab for hands-on applied environmental research.

From the canopies of the trees in our accredited Level II Arboretum to the stormwater running into Mason Pond, from our Green Leaf courses to serving as home to the commonwealth’s Virginia Climate Center, our experts are conducting research locally that can and will have an impact globally.

In 2011, Mason began reporting its sustainability progress to the Sustainability Tracking, Assessment, and Rating System (STARS) from the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education and earned a Silver rating. By 2014, we were the first university in Virginia to achieve a Gold STARS rating.

In 2012, Mason committed to supporting the United Nations Global Compact, the world’s largest corporate sustainability initiative. The UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals also drive much of the work coming out of the university’s Institute for a Sustainable Earth (ISE).
And still, Mason aspires to do more.

Putting Research into Practice

Part of what’s driving the Living Lab research, according to Andre Marshall, Mason’s vice president of research, innovation, and economic impact, is the desire to integrate Mason’s research and academic strengths in sustainability with campus operations to mitigate Mason’s impact on the environment and be good stewards of the resources we have.

He sees the value of the campuses serving as a test bed and “demonstration avenue” to test the effectiveness of these solutions so that “they can become realized beyond just the ideation stage.” In fact, as Virginia’s largest public research university, such experimentation is a responsibility.

For Leah Nichols, executive director of ISE, the Campus as a Living Lab concept “puts Mason research into practice here at home and helps launch solutions that can have global impact.”
As a Living Lab, Mason aims to stimulate and support the development of new research and scholarship that use the campuses and their physical and socio-ecological structures for experimentation and education to develop and advance sustainability solutions.

The success of a Living Lab is not just in the testing but also in the approach and collaboration. There are many campus partners involved in this work, from Mason Facilities, the 10 schools and colleges, and 600 faculty members, to the University Libraries and a university- wide Sustainability Council.

Frank Strike, vice president of Mason Facilities and Campus Operations, says the vision to see our campuses as a Living Lab sprouted years ago, when teams recognized Mason had the internal expertise to find solutions to the university’s challenges right here, and that could additionally have an impact on the student experience.

“This benefits students who get another opportunity for a hands-on approach to their learning experiences by approaching the work across disciplines, which is a priority for Mason, and by sharing teaching models across programs and operations,” says Strike.

The streams around the Fairfax Campus are a critical part of the university's stormwater management system. Photo by Evan Cantwell/Office of University Branding

Water, Water Everywhere

Mason Pond is a popular place to hang out and the backdrop of countless graduation photos, but not many people realize that it is a critical part of Mason’s stormwater management.

“The stormwater channels that look like streams are the actual stormwater system,” says Mason researcher Jennifer Sklarew, PhD Public Policy ’15, a professor in Mason’s Department of Environmental Science and Policy. “The pipes outflow into those streams, and then everything goes into the pond.”

Sklarew is currently working with students on a hydro-power project, supported by the Patriot Green Fund, that will attempt to use that stormwater as a source of cleaner electricity by installing microturbines with battery storage at two sites on the Fairfax Campus.

The university just completed a stream restoration project that not only improved the flow of the waterways but also added asphalt sidewalks and some lighting so the campus community can enjoy the paths.

Project manager Deniz Callahan of Facilities says Mason faculty members were involved in planning early on and provided some advice and expertise. This included a list of native plants that could improve the health of the riparian buffer without introducing invasive species. There are also plans for a “foragers’ forest” to be established along the path.

But that is just the beginning when it comes to how Mason handles water resources on our campuses by using research and technologies that can be applied to the broader community.

At Mason Square, Mason Innovation Partners encountered a serious infrastructure issue that posed a frequent stormwater challenge for the area surrounding the new Fuse building. The existing county culvert was undersized and couldn’t handle the amount of stormwater that regularly comes through Arlington.

Replacing the culvert required precise coordination with the future building’s foundation design and intricate sequencing to control the constant flow of stormwater as it was diverted from the old culvert pipes to a new 12’ by 6’ box culvert.

Facilities also has an extensive list of mitigation protocols it applies, including illicit discharge detection and elimination and runoff control for the construction site and storms.

Pondering the Pond

Earlier this year, Mason graduate student Jamie Roth worked with the Patriot Green Fund and Facilities to purchase and install a weather monitoring station and trail cameras by Mason Pond.

Working with students in two statistics classes, Roth and others have been gathering data about the Yoshino cherry trees and the environmental conditions by the pond. Mason statistics students have collected and analyzed data on the bloom date of the cherry trees as a part of their coursework in STAT 490 Capstone in Statistics and STAT 634 Case Studies in Data Analysis and have integrated it with Mason’s local meteorological data. As a result of their work, the variations can be tracked over time to build a more accurate model for the bloom date of the cherry trees at Mason.

This research builds on the international Cherry Blossom Prediction Competition, which Department of Statistics professors Jonathan Auerbach and David Kepplinger help organize annually. This competition assembles data on the peak bloom date of cherry trees all around the world from Kyoto, Japan, to Vancouver, British Columbia.

“We hope to use the long-term data on Mason’s cherry trees to raise awareness and bring the concept of climate change closer to home,” says Roth.

Smart hives are just on of the ways Mason's honey bees play a role in the Living Lab. Photo by Sierra Guard/Office of University Branding

Buzzing with Activity

Since the Honey Bee Initiative was launched in 2013, the project has led to a large number of innovative teaching and research projects and public–private partnerships.

A multidisciplinary team of Mason researchers has been working on a project at the Science and Technology Campus to see if the honey produced by bees can help locate missing persons. Perennials featuring some of the honey bees’ favorite flowers have been planted at the Forensic Science Research and Training Laboratory in support of ongoing research to determine if chemical traces of human remains can be identified in the plants or in the honey produced by the pollinators.

Engineering students are also working to make the campus apiaries into smart hives. A team of electrical and computer engineering students, mentored by Mason engineering professor Nathalia Peixoto, used the smart hive implementation as their senior cap-stone project.
Over the course of an academic year, the team designed and installed an internet-of-things-enabled sensor array, which is powered by solar panels, to monitor carbon dioxide and temperature in real time to track and predict the health of hives located by Pres-dents Park on the Fairfax Campus.

Getting Smart About It

Green Assessment and Decision Guidance Tool (GADGET) is probably the least visible Living Lab project, but it’s among the most comprehensive and complex. College of Engineering and Computing professor Alex Brodsky and his team are working to develop a tool that will help Mason reduce our carbon footprint and achieve carbon neutrality by 2040 in the most cost-effective way.

Brodsky and his team are gathering data on things like heating and cooling efficiency, energy costs and storage, and contractual agreements to create an algorithm and a computer model that university leadership will be able to use to project costs and savings and make sound decisions regarding Mason’s space and energy needs.

Having smart buildings like Mason’s Horizon Hall is also affecting the way Mason teaches data science. With funding from the National Science Foundation and the U.S. Department of Energy, engineering associate professor David Lattanzi is working with a team to improve the educational experience for students by integrating data science into Mason’s engineering curriculum and providing hands-on experiences with Mason’s own smart buildings.

Supporting Researchers

Mason’s Living Labs have a dedicated webpage and other resources, thanks in part to the work done by Judit Ungvári, ISE’s research and innovation officer, and Sarah D’Alexander, MBA ’23, sustainability program manager for University Sustainability.

Ungvári and D’Alexander can help researchers obtain the necessary approvals and permissions to do their research on one of Mason’s campuses. Other resources available to the campus community to assist with research include funding, such as the Patriot Green Fund and ISE’s seed funding for Living Lab research projects, and infrastructure, like the Living Lab DataVerse, an accessible online archive of campus datasets provided by researchers that was created in partnership with University Libraries.

“Whenever I talk about sustainability work at Mason, I always emphasize that we really rely on collaborations, partnerships, and support from the entire Mason community in order to do this work,” says D’Alexander. “And I’m so excited to be able to say that Living Labs have had so much support.”

What’s Next

Coming online this fall is the Smart Grid Lab at Mason Square, which will enable students and researchers to conduct various hands-on experiments, work with hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) simulations, and analyze simulation data related to the campus’s power and energy systems.

“We can start observing the campus energy flow and collect data,” says Mason engineering professor Liling Huang, who directs the lab. “That can support our future research in data analytics, machine learning, digital twins, computing, or cybersecurity of the smart grid and smart cities.”

A student-led project to convert the Presidents Park Hydroponic Greenhouse to solar energy is also coming to fruition this fall with the installation of solar panels. Funded by the Patriot Green Fund and Facilities, the ground-mounted solar installation, a first at the Fairfax Campus, will provide a utility cost savings to power the greenhouse in the long term and decrease the university’s carbon footprint.

Shayla Brown, Sarah D’Alexander, and John Hollis contributed to this story.

This feature is from the Fall 2023 Mason Spirit magazine.

Get a closer look at Mason as a Living Lab

Topics

Mason Living Labs Initiative

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

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.

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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New psychology special topics course puts theory into practice around campus

Colleen Rich — Mon, 17 Jul 2023 16:31:58 +0000

New psychology special topics course puts theory into practice around campus Colleen Rich Mon, 07/17/2023 - 12:31

From better cell phones to safer cars, the study of human factors—how people interact with technology—improves our lives every day. It’s a rapidly growing field, and while PSYC 340 Human Factors Psychology provides a solid foundation on the subject, ��AV psychology professor Yi-Ching Lee saw a need for a more advanced course at the undergraduate level, particularly for students considering human factors as a profession.

Psychology professor Yi-Ching Lee. Photo by Evan Cantwell/Office of University Branding

Lee designed PSYC 461 Advanced Topics in Human Factors, an interactive, hands-on curriculum that challenges students to solve real-life issues, with those students in mind. It was offered for the first time in the spring 2023 semester.

The course started with the study of advanced human factors principles before progressing to a series of projects that gave students the opportunity to apply those principles to human factors projects on campus.

“Knowing the theory is one thing, but using it to make a human interaction more enjoyable is another,” said Lee, who is an associate professor of psychology.

Collaboration with University Libraries and University Sustainability

The timing of the course was just right for students to apply human factors principles to assist Mason’s University Libraries with a website improvement project. After meeting with a library consultant on the goals of the project, students analyzed the requirements and developed recommendations to help improve the user experience. They presented their solutions to University Libraries staff.

The course culminated with a project that examined the Bigbelly smart waste bins located outside of the Starbucks on the northern side of campus. To start, University Sustainability staff briefed students on the “behind-the-scenes" technology of the smart bins, as well as campus guidelines that must be adhered to.

One group of students analyzed the design of the bins and made recommendations to optimize their design, function, and accessibility, with a focus on making the differences between recycle and compost bins more intuitive.

The second group studied the app and website dashboard that alerts the pickup crew when bins are full and made recommendations to optimize design, features, and function. Students presented their ideas to members of Mason’s University Sustainability staff.

Greg Farley, director of University Sustainability, was impressed with the students’ work. “The students brought forward some very good ideas and strong recommendations for improvement,” he said.

Getting the hands-on experience employers demand

Students worked with University Sustainability to improve the use of the bins on campus. Photo by Evan Cantwell/OUB

“Watching the students’ presentation was like watching a consultant firm pitch a solution to a client—it was hard to remember these were undergraduate students,” said Mason psychology professor Keith Renshaw, the former Department of Psychology chair, who also attended the presentations.

Renshaw, who will transition to become Mason’s associate provost for undergraduate education in August, said he is excited that undergraduate students had this experience. “This type of course is precisely what our students need, and future employers are demanding—strong coverage of relevant knowledge, and then hands-on experience in applying that knowledge to real-world problems.”

Throughout the semester, Lee invited guest speakers from the field to the class, providing valuable insight on potential career paths.

Psychology major Thema Green, who took the class as a sophomore, said the guest speakers and the opportunity to build her professional portfolio were highlights of the class. She is already putting skills she learned into practice as a paid intern working on 3D programming and virtual reality development at the University of Massachusetts Amherst this summer.

“I would recommend that everyone interested in psychology or design take this course,” Green said. “Your contribution is greater than you know because, in the world of human factors and applied cognition, diversity is a necessity. Varying backgrounds offer new insights, which often improve project outcomes.”

Lee said she hopes to teach the special topic course again in spring 2024 semester and wants to find similar opportunities for the next group of students.

“One of the reasons why I collaborated with the University Libraries and University Sustainability was that I wanted students to do something that would benefit the entire university community,” she said. “The implications of this class go beyond this semester. They are making the university better for the next generation of students.”

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