2014 Research Projects
Hands-On Learning About Sustainability
The Boston College campus provides fertile ground for undergraduate exploration into sustainability topics. With a campus that hosts large events such as football games and commencement and supports over 14,000 students and several thousand faculty and staff members, BC confronts issues of waste management, energy use, and water consumption every day. Like many universities and colleges around the country, Boston College has a sustainability mission: “The university is committed to conserving resources and reducing the impact that its services and activities place on the environment." What better way for Environmental Studies students to learn about the complex issues around sustainability than addressing a particular problem that occurs on their own campus or within the neighboring community? The college campus can also improve its sustainability by tapping into one of their greatest resources – a motivated and intelligent undergraduate community.
Environmental Studies Student Research Projects
Each spring Boston College seniors enrolled in the Environmental Seminar course engage in a semester-long applied research project. Each team of seniors works closely with a campus or community mentor organization to address a specific environmental problem that pertains to that organization. Students are charged with developing a literature review on the topic and using scientific methods to generate results that can be used to develop specific recommendations for the organization. Research teams present their findings in a final paper and poster. We make these publications available on this website with the hopes that the information will be useful to other universities grappling with similar environmental issues. We also want to share with other environmental course instructors an active learning curriculum model that bridges sustainability curriculum in the classroom with sustainability action on the campus and in the community.
TO NEW HEIGHTS: BOSTON COLLEGE AND THE JESUIT MISSION OF SUSTAINABILITY
By Kathryn Kavner, Gloria Kostadinova, Joseph Manning, and Katelyn Olsson
As a leading Jesuit institution, Boston College has the potential to play a critical role to pave the way for sustainability. This paper evaluates the role sustainability plays on Boston College’s campus by targeting several branches within the institution: the university's curriculum, student service and global justice initiatives, registered student organizations, and facilities and management.
Project Paper | Poster
BRANCH OUT: LINDEN LANE TREE ALTERNATIVES
By Jack Bulger, Caroline Holt, Karli Sultzbaugh, and Kelsey Todd
The trees lining Boston College’s iconic Linden Lane are coming to the end of their life cycle and need to be replaced soon. This report provides recommendations about tree alternatives in regards to soil pH, urban resistance, and salt tolerance. Both the social and scientific perspectives are taken into consideration when deciding tree alternatives to possibly line Linden Lane.
Project Paper | Poster
A ROOFTOP GARDEN AT 129 LAKE STREET: A FEASIBILITY STUDY OF THE INSTALLATION OF A GREEN ROOF ON BRIGHTON CAMPUS
By Melissa Bizzari, Kelly Bruett, Abby Oliveira, and Enrique Salvidar
Installing green roofs that absorb heat, provide improved insulation for buildings, and absorb and release water gradually, may be an ideal solution if the costs of installation can be recouped within a reasonable time frame. This paper uses a case study of the roof at 129 Lake St., Brighton Campus to determine the feasibility of installing rooftop gardens on the Boston College campus.
Project Paper | Poster
“TO GO” CONTAINERS: IMPROVING BOSTON COLLEGE’S CARBON FOOTPRINT THROUGH DINING SERVICES
By Jillian Arena, Rosty Brichko, Sandra Brooks, and Kristen Volinski
Although Boston College Dining Services seeks to minimize its costs, regulate its waste management, and reduce its carbon footprint, its consumers (student diners) value convenience to coincide with their rigorous academic and extracurricular lifestyles. In order for BCDS to achieve its goals of mitigating waste management, the research team strives to determine a stronger comprehension of the rationale behind the bias towards “To Go” containers over china and to educate students of Dining Services and Boston College’s commitments to sustainability.
Project Paper | Poster
BOSTON COLLEGE VENDING MACHINE ENERGY AUDIT PROJECT REPORT
By Lindsey Hoyem, Nathan Lawlor, Taylor McEldowney, and Laura Schaffer
The purpose of this project was to examine the energy usage and carbon footprint of the vending machines on BC’s campuses and assess all possible methods to increase their energy efficiency and sustainability. Our team documented all vending machines across campus, measured the energy use of multiple models, researched the available alternatives and results of implementing these changes, and created a cost-benefit analysis to quantify our findings.
Project Paper | Poster
A MORE BIKE FRIENDLY BOSTON COLLEGE: AN ASSESSMENT OF THE BICYCLE CULTURE AT BOSTON COLLEGE AND RECOMMENDATIONS TO IMPROVE IT
By Leonardo Betancourt, Catherine Chan, Alanna Horan, and Seri Niimi-Burch
Based on our field observations, we determined that the current number of bike racks is inadequate in accommodating the number of bicycles on campus and are lacking in certain key locations. We recommend: (1) increasing the number and locations of bike racks on campus, (2) working with the City of Boston and Newton to establish bike lanes on major roads in the Boston College area, (3) hosting transportation workshops for incoming freshman and, (4) establishing a bike repair and equipment service station on campus.
Project Paper | Poster
EXHIBIT DESIGN FOR THE METROPOLITAN WATERWORKS MUSEUM
By Joyce Cheng, Brooke Markt, Elma Meskovic, and Shawn Quinn
The aim of this project was to create an exhibit at the The Metropolitan Waterworks Museum, opened in 2011, targeted for sixth graders that would demonstrate the progression of water sanitation. Through observations at local museums, we decided on and designed a 4-sided compact rotational exhibit that could display 4 key areas of water sanitation evolution: the origins of water testing techniques, types of contaminants found in the water supply, types of water treatment processes, and the history of federal water regulations.
Project Paper | Poster
A CASE STUDY: SOLAR PANELS AT BOSTON COLLEGE
By Annie Meyer, Farhin Zaman, and Elizabeth Norton
Implementing solar panels on Boston College’s campus is an effective and easy way to introduce clean energy with proven technology. Our primary objective is to create a realistic plan for the first implementation of solar panels on campus. Our report outlines the thorough investigation of four different buildings on campus, and what a Solar PV system offers in each situation.
Project Paper | Poster
FEASIBILITY OF STUDENT-RUN COMPOSTING AT MCELROY DINING HALL
By Lauren Audi, Peter Keating, Bryan Sterling, and Hillary Weber
The objectives of this study were as follows: to gain an understanding of the student bodies’ opinions and knowledge about composting, to understand Boston College’s current composting practices and efforts, and to understand what practices are common in efficient student-run composting systems. Our findings from the three universities with successful student-run composting systems in conjunction with the apparent openness and desire for composting that was shown through results from our survey suggest that composting at McElroy dining hall would be a success with clear signs, bin monitors, and an educational component.
Project Paper | Poster
RETHINKING THE MARKETING OF RECYCLING
By Olivia Curry, Kelly Funk, Sophie Locke, and Terese Rutkowski
As Boston College invests in streamlining recycling signage and standardizing recycling bins, they must also make efforts to improve the other component of recycling: student habits. Our project was designed to gather information and opinions from various administrators on campus and propose ways to better communicate with students about developing effective recycling habits.
Project Paper | Poster
THE BOSTON COLLEGE SUSTAINABLE LIVING-LEARNING COMMUNITY: AN ASSESSMENT
By Anna Snook, Boris Shkuta, Sara Duffy, and Arthur Yuen
In the fall of 2013, Boston College’s first Sustainable Living-Learning Community, an on-campus special-interest residence community for sophomores, was established. The goal of this study was to assess what impact the SLLC has had on student awareness and behavior around sustainability issues.
Project Paper | Poster
WINDOW TREATMENT AND ENERGY EFFICIENCY IN MCGUINN HALL
By Jen Crino, Sam Malloy, Will Minor, and Cam Stoker
Home of the Boston College Psychology, Sociology, and Political Science departments, as well as the offices of the Graduate School of Social Work, the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, and the Woods College of Advancing Studies, McGuinn Hall consumes 1,126,969 kWh in electricity and over 33,000 mBtu in heating and cooling the building. This study examines the costs and benefits of installing different window treatments (double pane vs films) and changing consumer behavior to reduce heating, cooling and electricity demands.
Project Paper | Poster