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

Penn offers numerous pathways for students to get hands-on in developing and testing ideas for solutions to pressing environmental challenges. From courses that embed students in community settings both locally and globally to applied research projects that enable real-world capacity-building and build students' practical skills, immersive learning abounds at the University. Detailed below are projects that have examined building efficiency, appliance sustainability, laboratory sustainability, bird-friendly landscape design, empowerment of underserved neighborhoods affected by environmental injustices, transportation interventions, and more, all with meaningful student involvement.

As part of its commitment to a carbon-neutral campus by 2042, the University of Pennsylvania entered into a power purchase agreement (PPA) with energy company AES to develop solar arrays that would generate enough energy to fulfill 70% of the campus and health system electricity needs. Under the PPA, AES is generously supporting related educational efforts at Penn through a grant program run by the Environmental Innovations Initiative (EII) in the Office of the Provost. This funding is supporting a master's student's research project that uses the Great Cove solar facilities to study the impact of solar arrays on soil health. AES consultants had previously taken baseline soil samples to record the biological, chemical, and physical properties of the fields prior to construction, and the student's samples will provide a look at the soil condition in various phases of the solar field’s construction and operation to inform best management practices for solar arrays that can boost carbon retained in soil and better preserve the land for future agricultural use.

Green Office Plus- Utilizing IoT technology to measure occupant-level energy use in administrative buildings. The Penn Sustainability Office partnered with the Weitzman School's Center for Environmental Building and Design to develop a system which allows for moinitoring of energy consumption and environmental performance using low-cost, single board computers, sensors and smart plugs in Green Office spaces. Penn students monitor the energy use, trouble shoot the technology, and helped contribute to the data analysis of the project.

The Penn Sustainability Office partnered with Environmental Health and Radiation Safety to hire a Green Labs intern to conduct a -80 Ultra Low Temperature Freezer Inventory at Penn's Gene Therapy Program. This internship went through safety and sustainability trainings, developed a procedure for freezer maintenance, and then worked directly with lab staff to implement freezer maintainence. The student conducted data analysis to determine the state of the ULT freezers, and the energy avoided by conducting the maintenance program.

Student Eco-Reps collaborated with Penn Dining to author a Sustainable Product Purchasing Guide for campus kitchen facilities, with an emphasis on energy and water efficient products. To produce the Guide, the student group developed extensive knowledge about dining equipment and associated carbon emissions. Also created were complementary recommendations for best practices and an equipment sharing system.

Student Eco-Reps worked with the Office of the University Architect to advocate for bird-friendly practices and the installation of bird-friendly infrastructure on Penn's campus. Students learned about what birds reside on campus, which migrate through campus, and which are prone to collisions with campus buildings. Initiatives included acquiring birding backpacks for several campus libraries, hosting "Lights Out" events, and authoring a white paper demonstrating the need for increased bird-friendly design elements.

Penn currently tracks scope 1 and 2 emissions and some sources of scope 3 emissions annually. Air travel, employee commuting, and waste are the three scope 3 emissions that Penn currently includes within Penn’s main campus carbon footprint. The Penn Sustainability Office and Penn Procurement Office partnered with a Penn graduate student to conduct a preliminary analysis of Penn’s purchased goods and services emissions. The student's analysis was published on the Penn Sustainability wesite and has informed the University's priorities for addressing Penn’s supply chain impact.

The Penn Sustainability Office, Business Services, and the Weitzman School of Design’s PennPraxis and the Center for Safe Mobility partnered together to design and execute a commuter behavior survey. The survey, deployed in Spring 2023, collected information about employee travel patterns and attitudes. The Research Team, which included student researchers, considered participation in the survey to be strong, with more than 4,000 valid responses from Penn employees across Penn’s 28 schools and divisions.

A Spatial and Precinct-Level Analysis of Waste Generation

A graduate student in the Master of Environmental Studies program is utilizing real campus waste data for their Master's thesis. "A Spatial and Precinct-Level Analysis of Waste Generation as a Tool to Improve the Environmental Footprint of a University," aims to enhance waste management and sustainability practices at the University of Pennsylvania. By analyzing waste generation data using advanced tools like QlikView and ArcGIS, the study seeks to identify waste hotspots, assess current management strategies, and pinpoint areas for targeted interventions. This project contributes to sustainability by improving waste tracking accuracy, optimizing recycling and diversion efforts, and offering a data-driven model that other institutions can adopt to reduce their environmental footprint.

As one example, a research community funded by Penn's Environmental Innovations Initiative is the Penn Regenerative Ag Alliance, which is using principles of agroforestry to design a land-use plan that aims to both protect the local watershed and breathe new life into fallow land by combining the planting of trees and shrubs with grazing of marginal farm ground. A major goal was to help improve the water quality and health of the White Clay Creek, as its headwaters reside on the New Bolton Center campus, but also develop new “win-win” models of animal agriculture that provide both economic benefits and ecological services. As part of the efforts, students were involved in developing a planting plan and then doing the actual planting of trees and shrubs that will be both safe to livestock and protect riparian health.

As part of the Penn Program in Environmental Humanities, Penn students have worked on public research projects that encourage Philadelphia public school students to share their narratives around climate through narrative, poetry, and art. In one example, a Penn undergrad directed a short documentary capturing the Climate Stories of teachers and students at Paul Robeson High School in West Philadelphia, in an area deeply affected by environmental injustice, racism, and disinvestment. My Climate Story is an ongoing public climate storytelling and story sharing project supported by PPEH. The project sparks climate conversations and guides participants of all ages to recognize how local climate impacts are impacting their lives in the here and now--and shaping their life stories.

Nature Rx at Penn is an initiative focused on prescribing time in nature to promote health and well-being. Research shows that spending time outdoors can positively impact mental and physical health. Penn students, faculty, and staff are encouraged to explore the many green spaces on or near campus to reduce stress and anxiety, boost energy, and enjoy restorative time in nature. In 2023, a graduate intern with the Penn Sustainability Office created an ArcGIS StoryMap highlighting these green spaces to make it easier for the Penn community to find nearby nature spots. Each entry on the map includes a photo, description, and links to additional resources. (https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/35f2c7da6ba5435d95a20438193df6ee)