Presentation at the 5th Massachusetts Sustainable Communities and 4th Sustainable Campuses Conference

1. _________________________________________________________________
Faculty Research on Campus and
Community Sustainability
Vesela Veleva, Sc.D.
5th MA Sustainable Communities/4th MA Sustainable Campuses Conference
Devens, MA, April 16, 2015

2. Overview
 UMass Boston Sustainability Initiatives
 SERC – mission and activities
 Engaging students in sustainability research
 MGT481 class projects
 Lessons learned and future work

3. STUDENT SUSTAINABILITY ENGAGEMENT AT UMASS BOSTON:
A COMMUTER CAMPUS, BOSTON’S ONLY PUBLIC UNIVERSITY
• STUDENTS INITIATIVES & STUDENT GOVERNANCE IN SUSTAINABILITY
E.G. ACUPCC SIGNATORY, CREATING SUSTAINABILITY CLUB, OPTIONAL STUDENT RENEWABLE ENERGY FEE, BOTTLED WATER
RESOLUTIONS AND HYDRATION STATIONS, KEY RECYCLING INITIATIVE, FOOD RECOVERY INITIATIVES THROUGH U-ACCESS CAMPUS
PANTRY AND CAMPUS KITCHEN INTERNS, CREATION OF GREEN GAMIFICATION WEBSITES EG www. juniperks.com, VENTURE
DEVELOPMENT CENTER PROJECTS ETC.
• FACULTY ACADEMIC CAPSTONE PROJECTS & INTERNSHIPS: SUSTAINABILITY
FOOD, RENEWABLE ENERGY, RECYCLING, COMPOSTING, ENERGY PROJECTS, TRANSIT, E-WASTE, SERC INTERNSHIPS, GREEN
HARBORS, NANTUCKET SEMESTER IMMERSION, COLLABORATIONS WITH THE NEW ENGLAND AQUARIUM
• SUSTAINABILITY OFFICE “ UMBe Green” INTERNSHIPS
VARIETY OF CAMPUS GREENING INITIATIVES BOTH OPERATIONS, RESEARCH AND ENGAGEMENT
• ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICES AND CAMPUS UNITS COLLABORATING WITH STUDENT PROJECTS AND INTERNSHIPS:
SUSTAINABILITY
EG: FOOD/CAMPUS SERVICES, FACILITIES, PLANNING, PARKING & TRANSPORTATION, BOOKSTORE, MARINE OPS. AND
STUDENT REPRESENTATION ON CAMPUS ENERGY/SUSTAINABILITY COMMITTEES, STUDENT AFFAIRS, STUDY ABROAD AND SERVICE
LEARNING INTERNSHIPS IN ORGNANIC FARMING AND MORE.
• ENGAGEMENT WITH WITHIN CAMPUS, CAMPUS CHAPTERS OF ENVIRONMENTAL OR SUSTAINABILITY-THEMED GROUPS
NET IMPACT, ENACTUS, CHAPTERS OF MASSPIRG, SIGMA GAMMA EPSILON, CAMPUS KITCHENS, HONORS, GOLDEN KEY.
• COLLABORATION OUTSIDE CAMPUS OR COMMUNITY SERVICE GREEN PROJECTS
CREATING COMMUNITY GARDENS, STARTING RECYCLNG IN NEIGHBORING APARTMENTS, COMPETING IN
CITY OF BOSTON’S SUSTAINABLE URBAN DESIGN – “LIVING WITH WATER” COMPETITION, GREENOVATE.
• URBAN SCHOLARS/UPWARD BOUND PRE-COLLEGIATE GROUPS: SUPPORTING GREEN ECONOMY EDUCATION IN THE K-12
SECTOR
• SCHOOL VISITS & EVENTS TO LEARN ABOUT UMB SUSTAINABLE OPERATIONS: BOSTON HARBOR ISLANDS STUDENTS,
OTHER VISITORS FROM OUT OF STATE UNIVERSITIES

4. INNOVATIVE PROJECTS:
STUDENT INITIATIVES, EVENTS, COMMUNITY

6. SERC Mission
Our mission is to foster a transition to a clean,
sustainable, and prosperous economy. We apply
our unique interdisciplinary expertise and engage
in collaborations among businesses, universities,
and policymakers to advance research, education,
and innovative solutions for business sustainability
and regional competitiveness.

7. Sustainability Education
 Undergraduate Certificate and Minor in Clean
Energy and Sustainability (CES)
 Graduate Certificate in Clean Energy and
Sustainability
 MBA Specialization in Environmental
Management
 Ph.D. program in Organizations and Social
Change

8. Research and Funding

10. Ocean Renewable Power Company (ORPC): Lessons
from the first commercial tidal system in the U.S.
Vesela Veleva, Sc.D. and Mark Gallo, Center for Sustainable Enterprise and Regional
Competitiveness (SERC), UMass Boston
Did you know?
 By 2030 tidal energy has
the potential to provide
15% of U.S. electricity
 Globally installed wave and
tidal power arrays will reach
a capacity of more than
330 gigawatts (GW) by
2050
 Tidal energy is non-
polluting, reliable and
predictable
 Small scale not cost
effective presently but the
river market globally is
growing exponentially
 ORPC launched the first grid-
connected tidal system in the U.S.
 ORPC developed the technology
and the project
 Almost all components were
made in New England (MA, ME,
and RI)
 Power purchase agreement with
Emera Maine to provide up to 5
megawatts clean, predictable tidal
energy to power about 2,000
homes and businesses
 ORPC has created over 100 jobs
in Maine and spent over $25
million on goods and services in
13 of Maine's 16 counties since
2007.
The Bay of Fundy, Maine
Photo courtesy of ORPC

11. Events

12. MGT481 Introduction to Environmental
Management & Clean Energy
2013: Student teams working on real-life sustainability
projects with local companies – Energi, Raytheon,
Partners Health and PerkinElmer
2014:
a) Team project – improving PerkinElmer CDP
reporting
b) Student research and papers focused on identifying
opportunities to improve UMass Boston campus
sustainability

13. Dishwashing System vs Disposables:
Right for UMB?
Did you know?
 UMB uses over
3,000,000 paper and
plastic items each year.
 Cost of Setup: $500,000
 Annual Savings:
$82,500/year
 Estimated Return on
Investment: 8 years
 What are the obstacles?
 Has it been done
before?
 Why disposables? What
is the alternative?
 How do we compare to
other campuses?
To be considered?
Ben Thompson ECON/EEOS
345L/MGT481

14. Reducing energy use by turning lights off
Jescellia Mitchell

15. Improving Bike Commuting:
What can we learn from McGill University
Marie-Pier Sequin

16. Reducing water use in bathrooms
Stephanie Buccieri
Analysis & Recommendations:
 U. of Michigan – average person
washes their hands for 6 sec
 UMB faucets run for 2-14 sec
 BU practice – EcoPower hydro
turbine enacted by motion sensor
 Installing dual flush toilets
(reducing water use by 54%)

17. Summary and Conclusion
 Student involvement in research and action
around improving campus and community
sustainability is critical for ensuring high-quality,
practical and relevant education
 The role of sustainability committees on
campus – faculty/staff/student collaborations
 Challenges to moving from research to action
 Opportunities around master plan and new
building construction

18. Q&A
Thank You!
Vesela.Veleva@umb.edu
www.umb.edu/serc