����AV

In late September, 18 undergraduates from the Smithsonian-Mason School of Conservation‘s (SMSC) Wildlife Ecology and Conservation program tagged monarch butterflies on their journey south to help researchers better understand their grand migration.

Mason senior Eva Noroski spent a month assisting alumna and Elephant Trails keeper Ashley Fortner at the National Zoo, researching elephant sleep patterns.

Solving climate change is a grand challenge facing the planet. As more individuals and leaders are recognizing the need to switch to environmentally friendly practices, ����AV’s Local Climate Change Planning Initiative (LCCPI) is helping make that a reality for counties across Virginia.

“Our vision is to have Mason be the lead university in helping counties that lack the resources and expertise in [addressing climate change] get this done,” said Paul Bubbosh, a 1988 Mason alumnus and adjunct professor at the Schar School and College of Science.

Most people with access to a 3D printer find themselves creating small objects or gadgets. But one student group working at the MIX at ����AV each Friday is driven by a different dream.

“We build, design, test and plan to compete in solar-powered car competitions,” said Michael Riggi, president of Mason’s solar car team, HyperNova Solar. “[We believe] our car, when complete, will be the world’s first and only 3D-printed solar car.”

How do you combat an overabundance of algae? Create a floating biological island.
That’s what freshman Kennedy Ream did after attending the Washington Youth Summit on the Environment (WYSE) hosted by ����AV, the National Geographic Society and the Smithsonian’s National Zoo as a high schooler in 2018.