Overall Rating Silver - expired
Overall Score 52.77
Liaison Teddy Lhoutellier
Submission Date May 15, 2017
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.1

University of Miami
AC-8: Campus as a Living Laboratory

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 3.20 / 4.00 Teddy Lhoutellier
Sustainability Manager
Environmental Health and Safety
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Air & Climate 

Is the institution utilizing its campus as a living laboratory for multidisciplinary student learning and applied research in relation to Air & Climate?:
Yes

A brief description of the student/faculty projects and how they contribute to understanding campus sustainability challenges or advancing sustainability on campus in relation to Air & Climate:
UM Precise Naresh Kumar, an associate professor of environmental health in the Miller School of Medicine's Department of Public Health Sciences, has devised a way to monitor air pollution around the globe in real time. Working with Sung Jin Kim, assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering in the College of Engineering, and other colleagues, he created UM PRECISE (Personal Real time Environmental Exposure using Cellphone Integrated Sensors). The multiple optical sensors measure particulate matter, record meteorological conditions, and upload data to the internet. After three testing rounds, the tool was deployed on UM's Coral Gables and Virginia Key campuses.

Buildings  

Is the institution utilizing its campus as a living laboratory for multidisciplinary student learning and applied research in relation to Buildings?:
Yes

A brief description of the student/faculty projects and how they contribute to understanding campus sustainability challenges or advancing sustainability on campus in relation to Buildings:
Innovation Bridge Led by Professor Antonio Nanni, UM College of Engineering researchers built a new corrosion-resistant bridge on the Coral Gables campus. Made without a drop of steel, its lightweight and durable composite materials combat the corrosive effects of salt water. This is particularly important to coastal areas impacted by rising sea levels due to climate change. Projects to build new bridges, based on this tested technology, are already being discussed with the Florida Department of Transportation and other municipalities.

Energy 

Is the institution utilizing its campus as a living laboratory for multidisciplinary student learning and applied research in relation to Energy?:
Yes

A brief description of the student/faculty projects and how they contribute to understanding campus sustainability challenges or advancing sustainability on campus in relation to Energy:
The Student Government Agency ECO started by investing in several kiosks with a Lucid energy dashboard connected to residence halls. They used them for a Kill a Watt competition. Instead of limiting it to students use, ECO and facilities management worked together to extend the connection to Lucid to all buildings on campus. From then on, any faculty member either from the School of Architecture or the College of Engineering have access to real time data which has helped them conduct Energy audit or envelope insulation analysis in their classes.

Food & Dining 

Is the institution utilizing its campus as a living laboratory for multidisciplinary student learning and applied research in relation to Food & Dining?:
No

A brief description of the student/faculty projects and how they contribute to understanding campus sustainability challenges or advancing sustainability on campus in relation to Food & Dining:
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Grounds 

Is the institution utilizing its campus as a living laboratory for multidisciplinary student learning and applied research in relation to Grounds?:
Yes

A brief description of the student/faculty projects and how they contribute to understanding campus sustainability challenges or advancing sustainability on campus in relation to Grounds:
Our Biology Department regularly conduct projects and research on our campus. the 4 main areas of ground management where classes collect data, analyze nutrient cycle and study species and ecosystems are the Arboretum, the Butterfly garden, the Nature preserve Taylor Alexander Biodome.

Purchasing 

Is the institution utilizing its campus as a living laboratory for multidisciplinary student learning and applied research in relation to Purchasing?:
No

A brief description of the student/faculty projects and how they contribute to understanding campus sustainability challenges or advancing sustainability on campus in relation to Purchasing:
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Transportation 

Is the institution utilizing its campus as a living laboratory for multidisciplinary student learning and applied research in relation to Transportation?:
Yes

A brief description of the student/faculty projects and how they contribute to understanding campus sustainability challenges or advancing sustainability on campus in relation to Transportation:
Our U Bike multidisciplinary group includes students and faculty members that have been working on GIS mapping of alternative transportation needs on our campuses.

Waste 

Is the institution utilizing its campus as a living laboratory for multidisciplinary student learning and applied research in relation to Waste?:
Yes

A brief description of the student/faculty projects and how they contribute to understanding campus sustainability challenges or advancing sustainability on campus in relation to Waste:
Professors form the College of Engineering are studying Single Stream Recycling contamination rate in the region, using in part our compactor as source of analysis.

Water 

Is the institution utilizing its campus as a living laboratory for multidisciplinary student learning and applied research in relation to Water?:
Yes

A brief description of the student/faculty projects and how they contribute to understanding campus sustainability challenges or advancing sustainability on campus in relation to Water:
Autonomous Net-Zero Water Dorms Funded by the National Science Foundation for 4 years, Dr James D. Englehardt, Ph.D., P.E.'s project has demonstrated the approach at a 4-bed unit in the University Village at the University of Miami, Coral Gables Campus. The intellectual focus of this project is the development of principles for the design of net-zero water buildings, off the water grid. These principles represent a paradigm shift from centralized reduction of oxygen demand, to energy-minimal conveyance and permanent destruction of pharmaceuticals, responsive to technological evolution. Three knowledge barriers are addressed: sustainable treatment system scaling and design; sociocultural and architectural acceptance; and real-time risk assessment. http://www.coe.miami.edu/wqel/netzero/projectsummary.html

Coordination & Planning 

Is the institution utilizing its campus as a living laboratory for multidisciplinary student learning and applied research in relation to Coordination & Planning?:
No

A brief description of the student/faculty projects and how they contribute to understanding campus sustainability challenges or advancing sustainability on campus in relation to Coordination & Planning:
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Diversity & Affordability 

Is the institution utilizing its campus as a living laboratory for multidisciplinary student learning and applied research in relation to Diversity & Affordability?:
No

A brief description of the student/faculty projects and how they contribute to understanding campus sustainability challenges or advancing sustainability on campus in relation to Diversity & Affordability:
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Investment & Finance 

Is the institution utilizing its campus as a living laboratory for multidisciplinary student learning and applied research in relation to Investment & Finance?:
No

A brief description of the student/faculty projects and how they contribute to understanding campus sustainability challenges or advancing sustainability on campus in relation to Investment & Finance:
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Public Engagement 

Is the institution utilizing its campus as a living laboratory for multidisciplinary student learning and applied research in relation to Public Engagement?:
No

A brief description of the student/faculty projects and how they contribute to understanding campus sustainability challenges or advancing sustainability on campus in relation to Public Engagement:
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Wellbeing & Work 

Is the institution utilizing its campus as a living laboratory for multidisciplinary student learning and applied research in relation to Wellbeing & Work?:
Yes

A brief description of the student/faculty projects and how they contribute to understanding campus sustainability challenges or advancing sustainability on campus in relation to Wellbeing & Work:
Programs like Food for thoughts are focused on educating the campus community on real food issues and healthy nutrition. This program was the result of a collaboration between our Wellness Center, faculty and students from School of nursing and health studies.

Other Impact Areas 

Is the institution utilizing its campus as a living laboratory for multidisciplinary student learning and applied research in relation to other areas (e.g. arts & culture or technology)?:
No

A brief description of the student/faculty projects and how they contribute to understanding campus sustainability challenges or advancing sustainability on campus in relation to other areas:
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Optional Fields 

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:
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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.