Overall Rating Gold
Overall Score 69.15
Liaison Mary Ellen Mallia
Submission Date Feb. 27, 2023

STARS v2.2

University at Albany
AC-8: Campus as a Living Laboratory

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 4.00 / 4.00 Mary Ellen Mallia
Director of Environmental Sustainability
Finance and Business
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Campus Engagement

Is the institution utilizing its infrastructure and operations as a living laboratory for applied student learning for sustainability in relation to Campus Engagement?:
Yes

A brief description of the projects and how they contribute to understanding or advancing sustainability in relation to Campus Engagement:
Professor Hillary Wiener's Marketing class surveyed campus students as to the value a sustainable campus has to current and prospective students along with what atrribute of sustainability they felt would most appeal to students. The class also recommended outreach tactics for the Office of Sustainability and Office of Admissions/Welcome Experience. This collaobration occured in the Fall of 2019 and 2021.

Public Engagement 

Is the institution utilizing its infrastructure and operations as a living laboratory for applied student learning for sustainability in relation to Public Engagement?:
Yes

A brief description of the projects and how they contribute to understanding or advancing sustainability in relation to Public Engagement:
Urban Studies and Planning Professors Jared Enriquez and David Lewis collaborated with the Graduate Student Planning Association to organize a racial and social justice in plannning conference with co-sponsors the Arbor Hill Development Corporation, Capital District Planners Association and the Upstate Planning Association in February of 2021. https://www.albany.edu/news-center/news/2021-conference-seeks-racial-justice-planning-neighborhoods

Air & Climate 

Is the institution utilizing its infrastructure and operations as a living laboratory for applied student learning for sustainability in relation to Air & Climate?:
Yes

A brief description of the projects and how they contribute to understanding or advancing sustainability in relation to Air & Climate:
Our new construction, the ETEC building, was designed to showcase innovative sustinable practices. This building uses no fossil fuel combustion with a geothermal well system and a 2 megawatt solar array on our other campus rooftops. This building is used as a learning tool for our students as it is the site of many class tours.

Buildings  

Is the institution utilizing its infrastructure and operations as a living laboratory for applied student learning for sustainability in relation to Buildings?:
Yes

A brief description of the projects and how they contribute to understanding or advancing sustainability in relation to Buildings:
Our Energy Officer works closely with several classes and departments to provide tours of our bulidings, highlighting the sustainability attributes of our LEED certified buildings. She also shares our utility data for analysis in classes.

Energy 

Is the institution utilizing its infrastructure and operations as a living laboratory for applied student learning for sustainability in relation to Energy?:
Yes

A brief description of the projects and how they contribute to understanding or advancing sustainability in relation to Energy:
In spring 2022, the capstone course for the Environmental and Sustainable Engineering program researched the feasibility of imstalling a solar carport system at the campus' largest parking lot.

Food & Dining 

Is the institution utilizing its infrastructure and operations as a living laboratory for applied student learning for sustainability in relation to Food & Dining?:
Yes

A brief description of the projects and how they contribute to understanding or advancing sustainability in relation to Food & Dining:
An intern in the Office of Sustainability, Kyle Lininger, assisted in calculating the food expenditure for STARS. He developed a coding system for which future food expenditure analysis which he presented as part of the campus undergraduate research conference in spring 2020.

Grounds 

Is the institution utilizing its infrastructure and operations as a living laboratory for applied student learning for sustainability in relation to Grounds?:
Yes

A brief description of the projects and how they contribute to understanding or advancing sustainability in relation to Grounds:
In response to heightened interest in campus grounds and gardening, two student organizations have been formed which work closely with adminstrative units. The first is a campus beatification committee that conducts clean ups and plantings and works with the Office of Campus Planning. The second is a student group, called Grow Green, that manages the campus Heritage Garden and is affliated with the Office of Sustainability and the Grounds Department.

Purchasing 

Is the institution utilizing its infrastructure and operations as a living laboratory for applied student learning for sustainability in relation to Purchasing?:
No

A brief description of the projects and how they contribute to understanding or advancing sustainability in relation to Purchasing:
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Transportation 

Is the institution utilizing its infrastructure and operations as a living laboratory for applied student learning for sustainability in relation to Transportation?:
Yes

A brief description of the projects and how they contribute to understanding or advancing sustainability in relation to Transportation:
An intern in the Office of Sustainability managed the campus participation in a statewide program called Get There Green. This entails people making pledges to change their commute during the selected week to an alternative form of transportation. The intern oversaw the call for participation and calculated the carbon emission reduction. Interns in the Energy Office conducted a review of our fleet and determined the feasiblity and options for electric and hybrid replacements.

Waste 

Is the institution utilizing its infrastructure and operations as a living laboratory for applied student learning for sustainability in relation to Waste?:
Yes

A brief description of the projects and how they contribute to understanding or advancing sustainability in relation to Waste:
Students were asked to assist in analyziing recycling and waste bin options in order to develop a standard for the apartments and dorm rooms. Several interns contributed to this project between 2019 and 2021. They surveyed students as to obstacles towards recycling in the dorms,presented their recommendation to our facilites staff and helped to assess the pilot selection.

Water 

Is the institution utilizing its infrastructure and operations as a living laboratory for applied student learning for sustainability in relation to Water?:
Yes

A brief description of the projects and how they contribute to understanding or advancing sustainability in relation to Water:
The university installed submeters for water use in the dorms. To capitalize on this data, a water usage component was added to the traditional fall energy campaign. Interns in the Energy Office monitored the water use over the fall semester and used Tableau to analyze usage. Additonally, a communications intern in the Office of Sustainability, created mirror clings on water conservation that were put on in the living residences bathrooms.

Coordination & Planning 

Is the institution utilizing its infrastructure and operations as a living laboratory for applied student learning for sustainability in relation to Coordination & Planning?:
Yes

A brief description of the projects and how they contribute to understanding or advancing sustainability in relation to Coordination & Planning:
The campus embarked on creating a climate action and sustainability plan beginning in 2018 and finalizing in 2020. During this time, students were actively involved in serving on and co-chairing committees, organizing the forums and subsequently creating the plan's graphics and booklet.

Diversity & Affordability 

Is the institution utilizing its infrastructure and operations as a living laboratory for applied student learning for sustainability in relation to Diversity & Affordability?:
No

A brief description of the projects and how they contribute to understanding or advancing sustainability in relation to Diversity & Affordability:
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Investment & Finance 

Is the institution utilizing its infrastructure and operations as a living laboratory for applied student learning for sustainability in relation to Investment & Finance?:
No

A brief description of the projects and how they contribute to understanding or advancing sustainability in relation to Investment & Finance:
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Wellbeing & Work 

Is the institution utilizing its infrastructure and operations as a living laboratory for applied student learning for sustainability in relation to Wellbeing & Work?:
No

A brief description of the projects and how they contribute to understanding or advancing sustainability in relation to Wellbeing & Work:
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Optional Fields 

Website URL where information about the institution’s living laboratory program is available:
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Additional documentation to support the submission:
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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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The information presented here is self-reported. While AASHE staff review portions of all STARS reports and institutions are welcome to seek additional forms of review, the data in STARS reports are not verified by AASHE. If you believe any of this information is erroneous or inconsistent with credit criteria, please review the process for inquiring about the information reported by an institution or simply email your inquiry to stars@aashe.org.