James Madison University
AC-8: Campus as a Living Laboratory

One example of a relevant project is: "Compost Land Management and Soil Carbon Sequestration," a senior capstone in the BS Integrated Science and Technology Program in the concentration of Applied Biotechnology, by Kylene Hohman, Advisor Dr. Wayne Teel, Professor, Department of Integrated Science and Technology. The project modeled carbon sequestration through compost application on the on-campus East Campus Hillside in 2015-2016.

One example of a relevant project is: The Landscape Architecture Foundation (LAF) conducted a study of the JMU Biosciences Building Landscape as part of their Case Study Investigation (CSI) Program. The Case Study Investigation (CSI) program is a unique research collaboration that matches LAF-funded student-faculty research teams with leading practitioners to document the benefits of exemplary high-performing landscape projects. Teams develop methods to quantify environmental, economic and social benefits and produce Case Study Briefs for LAF’s Landscape Performance Series. The JMU Biosciences Building Landscape Case Study (August 2014), by Research Fellow, Leena Cho, Lecturer in Landscape Architecture, and Margaret Graham, MLA Candidate, University of Virginia in cooperation with firm liaison Kurt Parker, Rhodeside & Harwell begins, "The new Bioscience Building landscape serves as a laboratory for learning within the growing east campus of James Madison University. The designers collaborated with faculty to create a landscape that operates as a teaching tool for environmental science students. Educational gardens feature unique and thought provoking displays of native plants grouped by family. Outdoor classrooms are surrounded by gardens with a variety of native trees and perennials. A green roof, rills, swales, and rain gardens expose the conveyance and treatment of stormwater flowing through the site. These features overlap with circulation paths and gathering spaces to encourage student interaction with the landscape systems." For more, see https://www.jmu.edu/stewardship/tour/biosciences-building.shtml.

In Fall 2015, a senior-level class of students in the Department of Integrated Science and Technology (ISAT) conducted an energy economics project with Facilities Management. The students, led by Dr. Maria Papadakis, ISAT Professor, conducted a lighting load analysis for select residence halls. The project followed a large scale study from January 2010 to May 2013.

One example of a relevant project is: 2015 Zane Showker Entrepreneurship Award winner, Amanda Presgraves (Kinesthetics, '16), has seen her idea for a food truck, Fueled, grow from a concept developed at the Shenandoah Valley Small Business Development Center's "What's Cookin'" program, to a business model developed in the spring 2015 MGT 472: Venture Creation class and validated in the Society of Entrepreneurs, and ultimately to a JMU Dining program through Aramark and JMU faculty. Sustainability is a focus of the food truck. http://www.jmu.edu/news/cob/2016/06/06-fueled-a-jmu-entrepreneurs-legacy.shtml

One example of relevant projects is: Dr. Mikaela Schmitt-Harsh, Interdisciplinary Liberal Studies Assistant Professor, worked with students to identify and geo-locate trees on campus. They developed a spatial database of 460+ trees and selected a subset of the tree population to create a "walking tour" of campus that highlights the diversity of trees on campus. The project was completed in 2016. To access the tour, go to https://www.jmu.edu/idls/trees-of-jmu%20.shtml.

No projects were identified for this category, but there may have been projects. "Unknown" would be a more accurate answer than "no".

One example of a relevant project is: "A Multi-disciplinary Campus Collaboration and Community Engagement for Sustainable Transportation", Dr. Elise Barrella, Dr. Christie-Joy Hartman, Kelsey Lineburg, and Kristen Castilleja, presentation at the Smart and Sustainable Campuses Conference, Baltimore, MD, March 30-31, 2015. For more information see https://www.jmu.edu/stewardship/tour/godwin-transit-center.shtml.

One example of a relevant project is: "Disposable Cup Waste and Reusable Options on Campus" a 2015-16 senior capstone in the Department of Integrated Science and Technology, by Kendrick Pankey and L.J. Anderson, Advisor Dr. Mary Handley, ISAT Professor.

One example of a relevant project is: "Monitoring Siebert Creek Water Quality and Analysis of JMU Stormwater Restoration Efforts", Paul Brefka, Hunter Tatum, and Sean Gabrill, Advisor: Dr. Robert Brent, Professor, senior capstone in the Department of Integrated Science and Technology, 2015. For more information, see https://www.jmu.edu/stewardship/tour/newman-lake.shtml.

One example of a relevant project is: Faculty and students from multiple disciplines researched placemaking on campus and in the community in relation to building and development projects along what is known as the Grace Street Corridor. One resulting publication is: "Converging on Sustainable Placemaking Through Transdisciplinary Process", Dr. Robert Alexander, R., Dr. Lori Britt, & Dr. Elise Barrella, Journal of Environmental Studies and Sciences, 4(4), 301-309, 2014. For the article, see http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs13412-014-0192-x

An example of a relevant project is: The Cultural and Racial Diversity Studies (CARDS) Lab, which includes Dr. Matthew Lee, Department of Psychology Associate Professor, and students, studied campus climate. Results from over 1400 students who completed a survey were analyzed and findings were disseminated in Fall 2015.

No projects were identified for this category, but there may have been projects. "Unknown" would be a more accurate answer than "no".

Two examples of relevant projects that advance student sustainability learning and sustainability in the community are: With partial support from a grant from the Healthy Community Council (HCC) of Harrisonburg-Rockingham County, three JMU faculty and a graduate student, led by Dr. Maria DeValpine, professor, Department of Nursing, conducted the Harrisonburg-Rockingham County Healthy Community Assessment 2016. The assessment results, published online, provide HCC member agencies and the communities with data and research to support human services grant proposals and support improvements in health and quality of life for area citizens. The study assembled previously published data, research on the social determinants of health, results of an original quality of life participatory survey, and a profile of health and community services. The profile was compiled by students in Laura Trull's Social Work 341 course. The survey was administered by Council Steering Committee members. Implications for Harrisonburg-Rockingham County and next steps were discussed at a public summit on June 14, 2016 at Virginia Mennonite Retirement Community. The High Impact Immersion Experience (HIIE) for elementary education majors is a pilot program between faculty at JMU’s College of Education and Harrisonburg City Schools. Teacher candidates are frequently traditional students from white middle class families, while the student bodies they serve are ethnically, culturally, economically, and linguistically diverse. Students at the Harrisonburg City School Division are 63% are non-white and 72% in or at risk of poverty (free or reduced lunch); 42 languages are spoken and 47 countries represented. Six JMU faculty members (Smita Mathur, Teresa Harris, Joy Myers, Susan Barnes, Mark Keeler and Martha Reish) worked with classroom teachers to design and pilot HIIE, designed to create dialog between classroom teachers, faculty and teacher candidates and better prepare future teachers to understand their students. Over two semesters in 2016, 35 classroom teachers and 45 teacher candidates participated.

No projects were identified for this category, but there may have been projects. "Unknown" would be a more accurate answer than "no".

Entries for this credit were compiled by Melissa Altman. Some entries are included in the Campus Environmental Stewardship Tour- more information about the tour can be found at https://www.jmu.edu/stewardship/tour.