11 Student Teams Awarded Grants for Sustainability Initiatives at BU and Beyond
With grant funding and resources offered through a partnership between BU Sustainability and Innovate@BU, Boston University students are empowered to kick-start a project or develop an intervention that tackles sustainability challenges facing the University.
During the fall 2020 semester, students submitted ideas for sustainability innovations which provide solutions for Boston University, and encouraged them to have an impact beyond campus. The projects were required to meet one or more of the recommendations outlined in the Boston University Climate Action Plan. Potential topics included:
- Climate change resilience
- Emissions and energy
- Education and engagement
- Environmental Justice
- Zero Waste
Learn more about the Sustainability Innovation Seed Grant Program.
2020 Seed Grant Recipients
Congratulations to the fall 2020 grant recipients. Each team receives $500 to support the development of its idea. If you are interested in learning more about a project, we encourage you to email the student(s) involved.
The Sweaty Penguin
Contact: Ethan Brown
Team Members: Ethan Brown, Caroline Koehl, Shannon Damiano, Olivia Amitay, Megan Crimmins, Dain Kim
Member Schools/Colleges: College of Arts & Sciences, College of Communication
The Sweaty Penguin is a comedy environmental podcast aimed at making environmental issues and sustainability more fun and less politicized. Each episode includes a comedic monologue introducing an issue and an interview with an expert sharing their research on the topic. Through the Innovation Seed Grant, The Sweaty Penguin will educate listeners on different parts of the BU Climate Action Plan.
Topic/s: Education and engagement
Addressing Environmental and Racial Justice Through Urban Foraging
Contact: Danielle Jacques
Team Members: Danielle Jacques and Dana Ferrante
Member Schools/Colleges: Metropolitan College
Through experiential urban foraging and critical discussion, this project will engage the BU community, as well as Boston-based environmental research and activists, on overlapping issues of land rights, food sovereignty, and racial justice.
Topic/s: Education and engagement, Environmental Justice
Development of Dorm Energy Use Dashboard
Contact: Beighley Berger
Team Members: Beighley Berger and Hunter Chun
Member Schools/Colleges: College of Arts & Sciences, School of Hospitality Administration
The BU Dorm Energy Use Dashboard seeks to display comprehensive data visualizations showing per-person energy consumption in each dorm to increase understanding of emissions and align the community towards a common goal of reducing environmental impact through a campus-wide competition.
Topic/s: Climate change resilience, Emissions and energy
Serene Stream Energy
Contact: Gayatri Sundar Rajan
Team Members: Gayatri Sundar Rajan and Tyler A. Smith
Member Schools/Colleges: College of Engineering, Arvind and Chandan Nandlal Kilachand Honors College
Serene Stream Energy aims to harness latent energy in slow-moving bodies of water to produce renewable electricity from a constant source, finally making renewable energy a feasible alternative to fossil fuels.
Topic/s: Emissions and energy
Reducing Dining Hall Waste During the Pandemic
Contact: Brad Caswell
Member Schools/Colleges: College of Arts & Sciences
In the midst of COVID, the amount of waste generated from takeout dining, specifically at university dining halls, is a major issue. To address this, this initiative sees potential to publicize information on takeout container disposal best practices through posters, student surveys, and social media conducted giveaways.
Topic/s: Zero Waste
Mask Amelioration Solution Coordination
Contact: Raissa Zuim Dantas de Souza
Team Members: Raissa Zuim Dantas de Souza, Punit Matta, Andrew Dey, and Samantha Hall
Member Schools/Colleges: School of Medicine, Division of Graduate Medical Sciences, School of Public Health
This team is focused on mask disposal solutions for the BU Medical Campus and surrounding area. Stations could be set up to provide materials for hand hygiene, receptacles for mask disposal, and educational materials about proper use of PPE.
Topic/s: Education and engagement
The Sustainable Silhouette
Contact: Madeleine Salman
Team Members: Madeleine Salman and Sage Holloway
Member Schools/Colleges: College of Communication
The Sustainable Silhouette is a documentary that will educate viewers on how fast fashion became the second-highest pollutant on the planet, while also exploring how Gen-Z is using thrift culture and carbon-neutral brands to give personal style an environmentally conscious future.
Topic/s: Education and engagement, Zero Waste
Grow Your Future
Contact: Arié Haddad
Team Members: Arié Haddad, Madeleine Salman, and Mackenzie Bower
Member Schools/Colleges: College of Arts & Sciences, College of Communication
The concept is to create a massive art installation to be displayed on the back façade of the College of Arts & Sciences (CAS) building. By using preserved moss and recycled plastic, it will send a thought-provoking message not just to members of the BU community, but the surrounding area and hopefully world-wide.
Topic/s: Emissions and energy, Education and engagement, Environmental Justice
Moss for CO2 Absorption
Contact: Kira Milgrim
Contact: Ciaran Mahon
Member Schools/Colleges: College of Arts & Sciences
Sustainabro is a company that designs Zero Waste products and produces a podcast that promotes education on environmental issues to young men.
Topic/s: Education and engagement, Zero Waste
Compost Co-op
Contact: Sage Holloway
Member Schools/Colleges: College of Arts & Sciences, College of Communication
Compost Co-Op makes composting easier for students by consolidating research and transport of compost to a small team. Transporting compost would take place via bikes and public transportation.
Topic/s: Zero Waste
Ecology of the City
Contact: Jessica Wright
Member Schools/Colleges: College of Arts & Sciences
A widely accessible platform for science education and communication showcasing equitable, sustainable, and climate forward solutions in cities.
Topic/s: Education and engagement, Environmental Justice
More Innovation, More Inspiration