Overall Rating | Silver - expired |
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Overall Score | 55.78 |
Liaison | Jennifer McLaughlin |
Submission Date | Dec. 9, 2019 |
Executive Letter | Download |
South Dakota State University
AC-10: Support for Research
Status | Score | Responsible Party |
---|---|---|
4.00 / 4.00 |
Jennifer
McLaughlin Sustainability Intern Facilities and Services |
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indicates that no data was submitted for this field
Does the institution have an ongoing program to encourage students in multiple disciplines or academic programs to conduct research in sustainability? :
Yes
A brief description of the student research program, including the incentives provided and any positive outcomes during the previous three years:
FY17
The Chemistry department offered an REU in Environmental/Green Chemistry. Environmental and Green Chemistry span a chemical continuum from natural to industrial processes. South Dakota State University, Black Hills State University (BHSU), and Northern State University (NSU) have established a three-year REU Site focused on environmental and green materials chemistry that provides 10 students per year with multi-disciplinary research experiences aligned with Green Chemistry Principles 3, 5, 6, and 9 and the chemistry of natural environments. Interactions with the project's nine faculty mentors enable student participants to undertake research in catalysis/less hazardous synthesis, energy efficiency/safer solvents, and the environmental chemistry of natural systems. An integrated program of research, professional and career development, and student activities is facilitated by the state-of-the-art, internet-based communication technology known as the "Access Grid".
The Biology & Microbiology Department offered an REU in Bioenergy. This interdisciplinary REU site invites ten undergraduate students in plant science, chemistry, biology, engineering, or economics to learn research skills and to work independently on research projects related to bioenergy. The program is structured into four different focus areas: feedstock development and production, bioprocessing, environmental sustainability, economic, societal and global impacts of bioenergy production. The research projects will introduce the participating students to the whole spectrum of bioenergy research from feedstock genomics, to new technologies in bioprocessing and the conversion of bioenergy crops into biofuels, to ecological and environmental sustainability of agricultural bioenergy crop production, but will also consider the societal and economic impacts of global bioenergy production. The program encourages nationwide applications from motivated students from diverse backgrounds. Students will be selected according to their transcripts and research interests. Students who are admitted to the program will be supplied with a stipend, housing, meals and airfare. Under-represented minorities and students from colleges with limited access to research opportunities are particularly encouraged to apply.
FY18
The North Central Regional Sun Grant Center (NCRSGC) at SDSU offered undergraduate research awards for summer SDSU undergraduate students. Undergraduate research proposals submitted through this competition must address one or more aspects of the Sun Grant Initiative mission, but broad areas of research are applicable to this call. Research areas of interest include but are not limited to: 1. Sustainability 2. Development or testing of bio-based products 3. Biochemical and thermochemical conversion processes OR 4. Biomass feedstock development and production.
The Biology & Microbiology Department offered an REU in Bioenergy. This interdisciplinary REU site invites ten undergraduate students in plant science, chemistry, biology, engineering, or economics to learn research skills and to work independently on research projects related to bioenergy. The program is structured into four different focus areas: feedstock development and production, bioprocessing, environmental sustainability, economic, societal and global impacts of bioenergy production. The research projects will introduce the participating students to the whole spectrum of bioenergy research from feedstock genomics, to new technologies in bioprocessing and the conversion of bioenergy crops into biofuels, to ecological and environmental sustainability of agricultural bioenergy crop production, but will also consider the societal and economic impacts of global bioenergy production. The program encourages nationwide applications from motivated students from diverse backgrounds. Students will be selected according to their transcripts and research interests. Students who are admitted to the program will be supplied with a stipend, housing, meals and airfare. Under-represented minorities and students from colleges with limited access to research opportunities are particularly encouraged to apply.
Department of Architecture Passive House Open House/Workshops:
Open House/Workshop 1: Open when shell of building was primarily completed. Continuous exterior Insulation was on display and advanced framing techniques, building assemblies, glazing, building systems, and airtightness measures were presented to the public and students by faculty. Full scale mock-ups completed by students as a part of ARCH351 in the Fall of 2017 were also used to demonstrate the assemblies.
Open House/Workshop 2: Open when insulation was completed. Full scale mock-ups completed by students as a part of ARCH351 in the Fall of 2017 were also used to demonstrate the assemblies.
Open House/Workshop 3: Open when interior had been substantially completed and all systems were installed and on display. Graduate Students in ARCH651 and ARCH671 in the Fall of 2018 completed infographic posters that displayed both performance based metrics and easily understood experiential based comparisons for education purposes - both to the students creating the posters and public.
FY19
The North Central Regional Sun Grant Center (NCRSGC) at SDSU offered undergraduate research awards for summer SDSU undergraduate students. Undergraduate research proposals submitted through this competition must address one or more aspects of the Sun Grant Initiative mission, but broad areas of research are applicable to this call. Research areas of interest include but are not limited to: 1. Sustainability 2. Development or testing of bio-based products 3. Biochemical and thermochemical conversion processes OR 4. Biomass feedstock development and production.
The Biology & Microbiology Department offered an REU in Bioenergy. This interdisciplinary REU site invites ten undergraduate students in plant science, chemistry, biology, engineering, or economics to learn research skills and to work independently on research projects related to bioenergy. The program is structured into four different focus areas: feedstock development and production, bioprocessing, environmental sustainability, economic, societal and global impacts of bioenergy production. The research projects will introduce the participating students to the whole spectrum of bioenergy research from feedstock genomics, to new technologies in bioprocessing and the conversion of bioenergy crops into biofuels, to ecological and environmental sustainability of agricultural bioenergy crop production, but will also consider the societal and economic impacts of global bioenergy production. The program encourages nationwide applications from motivated students from diverse backgrounds. Students will be selected according to their transcripts and research interests. Students who are admitted to the program will be supplied with a stipend, housing, meals and airfare. Under-represented minorities and students from colleges with limited access to research opportunities are particularly encouraged to apply.
Does the institution have a program to encourage faculty from multiple disciplines or academic programs to conduct research in sustainability topics?:
Yes
A brief description of the faculty research program, including the incentives provided and any positive outcomes during the previous three years:
FY17
The Sun Grant program provides funding for research focused on bio-renewable energy and products.
FY18
The Sun Grant program provides funding for research focused on bio-renewable energy and products.
Department of Architecture Passive House Open House/Workshops:
Open House/Workshop 1: Open when shell of building was primarily completed. Continuous exterior Insulation was on display and advanced framing techniques, building assemblies, glazing, building systems, and airtightness measures were presented to the public and students by faculty. Full scale mock-ups completed by students as a part of ARCH351 in the Fall of 2017 were also used to demonstrate the assemblies.
Open House/Workshop 2: Open when insulation was completed. Full scale mock-ups completed by students as a part of ARCH351 in the Fall of 2017 were also used to demonstrate the assemblies.
Open House/Workshop 3: Open when interior had been substantially completed and all systems were installed and on display. Graduate Students in ARCH651 and ARCH671 in the Fall of 2018 completed infographic posters that displayed both performance based metrics and easily understood experiential based comparisons for education purposes - both to the students creating the posters and public.
FY19
The Sun Grant program provides funding for research focused on bio-renewable energy and products.
Has the institution published written policies and procedures that give positive recognition to interdisciplinary, transdisciplinary, and multidisciplinary research during faculty promotion and/or tenure decisions?:
Yes
A brief description of the institution’s support for interdisciplinary, transdisciplinary, and multidisciplinary research, including any positive outcomes during the previous three years:
In the Tenure, Promotion and Rank Adjustment Criteria and Guidelines section of the Faculty Handbook, it states: "Interdisciplinary research/scholarship is highly valued, critical to many disciplines, and should not be penalized or downgraded in the evaluation process. Multi- investigators or authors should not be disadvantaged, even given a relatively small percentage of contributions to a project/publication. Importantly is the need to establish the critical component the candidate provided to an interdisciplinary project/publication/grant."
Does the institution have ongoing library support for sustainability research and learning?:
Yes
A brief description of the institution’s library support for sustainability research, including any positive outcomes during the previous three years:
Created a sustainability research guide in April 2019 that covers all three pillars of sustainability. https://libguides.sdstate.edu/sustainability
The website URL where information about the programs or initiatives is available:
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Additional documentation to support the submission:
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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
Information covers 3 years of data.
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