| Overall Rating | Gold |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 83.37 |
| Liaison | Ruairi O'Mahony |
| Submission Date | Feb. 11, 2022 |
University of Massachusetts Lowell
PRE-2: Points of Distinction
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
N/A |
Ruairi
O'Mahony Executive Director Rist Institute for Sustainability and Energy |
Name of the institution’s featured sustainability program, initiative, or accomplishment:
A brief description of the institution’s featured program, initiative, or accomplishment:
The Rist Institute for Sustainability and Energy is the university’s center for hands-on research on sustainability, climate change and renewable energy.
Founded in 2019 through a $1 million gift from philanthropists Brian ’77 and Kim Rist, the Rist Institute for Sustainability and Energy is committed to finding practical, evidence-based solutions that can transform the cities we live in, the energy we use and the planet we inhabit. The Rist Institute also sponsors faculty and student sustainability-related research projects with a Fellowship Program and Climate Mitigation Awards.
UML has received $37.5 million in climate change-related research funding since 2019, added degree programs around climate change, sustainability and environmental science, and established more than 140 community and corporate sustainability partnerships.
The Rist Institute for Sustainability and Energy is the epicenter of these efforts at UMass Lowell.
Which of the following impact areas does the featured program, initiative, or accomplishment most closely relate to?:
Research
Campus Engagement
Website URL where more information about the accomplishment may be found:
STARS credit in which the featured program, initiative, or accomplishment is reported (if applicable):
A photograph or document associated with the featured program, initiative, or accomplishment:
Name of a second highlighted sustainability program/initiative/accomplishment:
A brief description of the second program/initiative/accomplishment:
WindSTAR is an NSF-funded Industry/University Cooperative Research Center for Wind Energy, Science, Technology and Research. A collaboration between UMass Lowell and the University of Texas at Dallas, the Center aims to solve the pressing needs of the wind industry. WindSTAR is the only NSF funded I/UCRC devoted to wind energy.
The university collaborators in WindSTAR bring significant experience, expertise and resources to perform research in the following areas:
Composites and Blade Manufacturing
Foundations and Towers
Structural Health Monitoring, Non-Destructive Inspection, & Testing
Wind Farm Modeling and Measurement Campaign
Control Systems for Turbines and Farms
Energy Storage and Grid Integration
MISSION
The mission of WindSTAR is to bring together university and industry researchers to conduct basic and applied research on topics important to wind industry members. The Center combines capabilities, facilities, and knowledge to execute projects of interest to industry partners, train students in advanced technologies, and foster a community for industry/university networking and collaboration.
Which impact areas does the second program/initiative/accomplishment most closely relate to?:
Research
Energy
Website URL where more information about the second program/initiative/accomplishment may be found:
STARS credit in which the second program/initiative/accomplishment is reported (if applicable):
A photograph or document associated with the second program/initiative/accomplishment:
Name of a third highlighted program/initiative/accomplishment:
A brief description of the third program/initiative/accomplishment:
The Climate Change Initiative (CCI) is a university research center that informs and supports evidence-based climate action. Our research, education, and community engagement foster a transition to a sustainable, resilient, and equitable society.
With more than 30 faculty members drawn from 13 academic departments, CCI members collaborate with each other on research, teaching, and outreach activities, using a systems thinking framework to explore the interactions between disciplinary areas and forge new areas of scholarly work. In addition to engaging UMass Lowell’s students through instructional and research activities, the CCI actively works to ensure the relevance of scholarly work to society through relationships with citizens, community organizations, and policymakers.
Which impact areas does the third program/initiative/accomplishment most closely relate to?:
Research
Public Engagement
Website URL where more information about the third program/initiative/accomplishment may be found:
STARS credit in which the third program/initiative/accomplishment is reported (if applicable):
A photograph or document associated with the third program/initiative/accomplishment:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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.