The Harvard University Office for Sustainability initiated a Student Sustainability Grant Program in 2010 to support student efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and promote sustainability on campus. These OFS on-campus projects result directly in reduced environmental impacts associated with student life at Harvard.
Learn more about the Student Sustainability Grant Program and application process.
Please check back in October for 2014 grant funding.
In some cases projects are funded by individual School Operations and Facilities departments, as noted in the title. Find out more about each past grant below.
- 2013 Winners
- Energy and Emissions
- Green Buildings
- Health and Wellness
- Transportation
- Waste Reduction and Recycling
- Water and Operations
- Community Engagement
- Academics and Research
2013 Winners
Bicycle Service Stations for Harvard Longwood Campus
David Havelick, (HSPH), 2013
This grant supports the bigger push in the Longwood Medical Area to encourage biking. Efforts include: the creation of a website, the formation of the “Harvard Longwood Bicyclists” group made up of staff/researchers/students/faculty, the organization of events (bi-annual bike fair in the fall and spring), and the improvement of bike infrastructure in the area (addition of additional bike racks, etc.). The purchase of 1 bicycle service station and a community outreach event fits with the Longwood Medical Area's recent push to encourage safe bike-commuting. These service stations would provide a bike pump and tools so bike-riders can take care of their bikes on-site. By creating a community and more awareness across the Longwood campus about safe biking, we hope to encourage NEW bikers. By advancing that culture of support around bike-riding, students and staff can reduce their impact on the environment.
Community Art Awareness
Jenny Mahlum, (HGSE), 2013, Devin Parker (HSPH Research Assistant)
The intentions of the Community Art Awareness project are three-fold: to foster cross-community involvement, heighten awareness of sustainability by transforming public space and as a result, create a new visual stimulus to stir conversation and activism. We will work together to organize three public art projects: poetry collaboration, “Message in a Bottle”—a plastic bottle installation, and a community blackboard. These projects will transform a conversation and community through art and bring people from the community together providing an opportunity to strengthen bonds and create relationships.
The Harvard Green Project Fund
Sachin Desai, (HLS), 2013, Seth Berger (Harvard Extension School)
The Harvard Green Project Fund (HGPF) enables Harvard alumni to directly fund sustainability projects on our campus that could not otherwise be funded. It does so by creating a custom-designed, social-networking-enabled platform that will engage young, internet-generation alumni with campus sustainability projects and with the faces behind those projects. The HGPF will work with OFS and ‘project advocates’ such as environmental student groups to develop potential projects. These projects will be profiled on the website platform in detail, including information about the project advocates, a project blog, photos, and more. Using social media tools such as Facebook, mGive, and LinkedIn, the HGPF will rapidly spread interest among young socially-connected alumni. This service will also actively engage alumni through project-specific networking and showcase events, and by offering perks such as project-specific gifts.
Mobile Vine Garden
Shuai Hao, (GSD), 2013, Karyssa Halstead, (GSD), MLA | AP, Chen Huang, (GSD), MLA | AP
This grant aims to create a portable, resilient and sustainable solution to improving the health and comfort of Harvard’s public spaces for pedestrians. Vines grow quickly and, through constant leaf generation, are able to sequester carbon faster than most other types of vegetation. Their ability to follow forms allows them to be used as vegetated screens, able to provide shade and beauty in a minimal amount of space. Using vines judiciously with precise design interventions to control their growth, the planters can be temporary or permanent, providing vertical gardens for areas awaiting improvements or where ground plantings are not possible. When placed along busy streets or construction sites, these living screens act as a vegetated separation between pedestrians and cars or construction, making comfortable walking environments and filtering particulates from the air. Our intervention will act as a prototype for an easily replicated, self-sustainable and low cost method of carbon sequestration, slowing storm water and heat island reduction. By acting as an educational model, we provide the Harvard community with the knowledge for creating additional vine planters and so they can also contribute to the effort of improving our city, socially and environmentally.
Sustainability Across Generations
Oliver Hauser, (GSAS), 2013
"Sustaining the world’s resources is a critical issue that affects multiple generations over an extended period of time. If resources are not sustained today, then future generations will pay the cost of overexploitation. While the societal optimum would be to sustain resources, individuals in the current generation are faced with the temptation to explore resources for their own benefit.
Sort it! An app for composting and recycling at Harvard
Gabrielle Hodgson, (HLS), 2013
Harvard has embraced a single stream recycling program to make recycling easier and convenient for the Harvard community—but when it comes to composting versus recycling versus the trash, there still exists confusion over what goes in which bin. Tin foil? Saran wrap? Pizza boxes? Students, faculty, and staff are routinely confused, and it is evident in the contents of the bins. The goal of this project is to collaborate with computer science students at Harvard to develop a simple app for teaching the community about single stream recycling and composting at Harvard.
Stormwater Modules
Ecaterina Dobrescu (GSD, MLA II Jan 2013), Rebecca Bartlett (GSD, MLA I Jan 2013), 2013
“Stormwater Modules” seeks to combine testing of flexible design for social spaces, implementation of small-scale stormwater management methods, and measurement of stormwater purification and social use performance. The aim of the project is to build a modular system of pavers and raised beds with integrated vegetation that will retain and purify stormwater. Modules will replace some of the existing pavers on the Gund Hall patios and can be rearranged according to student needs. The performance of the Stormwater Modules will be tested for their capacity to reduce stormwater runoff quantities and improve stormwater quality. This project is partially inspired by the effort to design a potential Green Roof at the GSD. Stormwater Modules will explore methods that can be transferred to the roof program or implemented at a larger scale throughout the Harvard campus. It is also inspired by an independent study of the performance of stormwater management systems on the Harvard Campus and a potential strategy to improve Gund Hall stormwater management.
SustainabiliTeas
Daniel Wilson, Kristen Wraith, Environmental Action Committee, 2013
This grant endows the first year of a speaker series on sustainability hosted by the Environmental Action Committee (EAC) and Sense & Sustainability (S&S). This proposed collaboration is the result of networking facilitated by the Council of Student Sustainability Leaders (CSSL), and it serves as an excellent example of the inter-group partnerships enabled by CSSL. SustainabiliTeas, are intimate events, that will act as a central source for student-driven interaction with faculty working on critical, interdisciplinary issues of sustainability. These events will be supported by the EAC’s deep connections with the undergraduate population, combined with Sense & Sustainability’s expansive knowledge of critical environmental issues and key players.
Beyond the Bottle
FAS Operations Funded
Kristen Wraith, Danny Wilson, Environmental Action Committee, 2013
The goal of Beyond the Bottle is to generate enthusiasm and awareness on Harvard’s campus about the benefits of consuming tap water instead of bottled water. Efforts towards bottled water reduction should begin with a visible campaign to educate students and staff. For our most prominent project element, we will place informative signs in strategic locations in the Science Center, Lamont Café and in student housing. These high-quality signs will emphasize how using tap water effectively decreases greenhouse gas emissions and unnecessary waste, and combats the exploitation of a shared resource for monetary gain. In addition to signage, we plan to install water fountain directories in campus centers to allow for easy and quick access to water sources. Our project will also include the installation of a retrofit bottle filling station at the drinking fountain in the Science Center basement. By tracking the number of plastic bottles saved with each use, the filling station will provide a useful and engaging metric by which students can track their impact and waste reduction.
Green Kits
FAS Operations Funded
Paige Kouba, 2013
The first week of freshman year is the perfect time to introduce new students to the basic principles of green living at Harvard. Our goal is to distribute “Green Kits” to every member of the class of 2017 during Opening Days, along with information about sustainability efforts on campus. Each kit will include an energy-efficient LED light bulb, a travel mug (perfect for Brain Break excursions), and a reusable shopping bag. These items will reduce waste and energy consumption among the freshman class. By promoting sustainable habits early in the year, we can make green choices a part of the daily routine that each student adopts.
House Wide Reusable Party Kits
FAS Operations Funded
Marcelle Goggins, 2013
Community events and student get-togethers are a central component of the Harvard House culture. Because many of these meetings are held in dorm common rooms—away from Dining Halls—tutors and event organizers use disposable items that result in a significant volume of annual waste and money (estimated at $1000–$2000 per year per house for tutor-run parties alone). The “Reusable Party-Kit” aims to reduce costs and waste of individual and tutor-run parties, engage students in a tangible way to decrease their individual impacts, and expose students to Harvard’s environmental culture and commitment.
Revolving Door Energy Capture in the Science Center
FAS Operations Funded
Paige Kouba, 2013
Our plan is to install two small generators on the revolving doors in the Science Center. As one of the busiest buildings on campus, the Science Center is the perfect place for a highly visible project like this one; the apparatus will generate energy and raise awareness. Furthermore, the presence of the generators will motivate students to opt for the revolving door rather than the heat-leaking swing doors. Students will be actively engaged in creating energy each time they enter or exit our Science Center. The electricity generated could be stored in a battery and/or used to power an LED display with a message about energy efficiency; either way, every student who passes through that entry every day will be constantly reminded of our school's commitment to alternative, sustainable energy sources.
Shower Timers
FAS Operations Funded
Patrick Xu, 2013
Many students waste water by being unproductive in showers. To save this wasted water, shower timers will be implemented to notify students when their showers are taking an excessive amount of time. It is planned that these shower timers will be placed in every shower in the freshman dorms. Usage of these timers will be completely optional, as these shower timers will not regulate water flow; instead, students will have the ability to start the timers when they wish. In addition to monitoring water usage, these shower timers will also aid students if they are short on time.
Energy and Emissions
Revolving Door Energy Capture in the Science Center
FAS Operations Funded
Paige Kouba, 2013
Our plan is to install two small generators on the revolving doors in the Science Center. As one of the busiest buildings on campus, the Science Center is the perfect place for a highly visible project like this one; the apparatus will generate energy and raise awareness. Furthermore, the presence of the generators will motivate students to opt for the revolving door rather than the heat-leaking swing doors. Students will be actively engaged in creating energy each time they enter or exit our Science Center. The electricity generated could be stored in a battery and/or used to power an LED display with a message about energy efficiency; either way, every student who passes through that entry every day will be constantly reminded of our school's commitment to alternative, sustainable energy sources.
Temperature policy compliance in Harvard University
Jose Guillermo, Cedeño Laurent, 2012
In 2009, Harvard University implemented a new campus-wide temperature policy to reduce the energy consumption derived from the conditioning of indoor spaces. Guillermo and his team will work with Harvard students and staff to deploy temperature sensors in a comprehensive sample of buildings to determine the effectiveness of the policy and any barriers to implementation. Results will be used to help further reduce greenhouse gas emissions from buildings and improve the health, cognitive performance and productivity of their occupants.
Renewable Energy at Harvard Demonstration, Global Energy Initiative
Erik Schluntz, 2012
The Harvard College Global Energy Initiative (GEI) will host a renewable energy demonstration in front of the science center early this December. Featuring interactive examples of renewable energy sources, information about projects within Harvard, and solar-heated hot apple cider, GEI will create a temporary renewable energy hot-spot where students, visitors, and faculty can chat and exchange ideas. This event hopes to raise awareness about the need for renewable energy as well highlight some of the great programs going on at Harvard. It will be a platform for professors, local Cambridge based clean-tech companies, and other Harvard environmental groups to collaborate with one another and reach out to the Harvard community at large.
Pilot for Freshman Energy Competition
Michael Drumm, 2012
Freshmen living in two dormitories on campus will be competing with each other to see which dorm can save the most energy by having the least light usage per capita. Data Loggers will be installed into the 56 main rooms of Holworthy and Stoughton to record how long their lights are on or off. Residents will receive reports detailing the amount of light that they have used and be able to track how much energy they saved. Not only will this competition reduce light usage, but it will make students more aware of the impact that they can have on reducing Harvard’s greenhouse gas emissions in other areas of campus life. If the pilot program proves successful, it may become a full-scale energy competition between all freshmen dorms and help impress upon incoming students the importance that the Harvard community places on responsible energy usage.
Illumine: Exploring the Intersections Between Art and Alternative Energy Resources
Jun Shepard, 2012
Illumine: Exploring the Intersections Between Art and Alternative Energy Resources will be an outdoor dance performance divided into two acts; the first taking place during the day with solar panels incorporated into the set and choreography, and the second, at night, using the energy stored to generate lighting for the piece. The project aims to produce a performance at the crossroads of art, technology, and sustainability, and to raise awareness in the performing arts community on ways to reduce the wasteful consumption of energy and other resources when producing a show. This outreach does not end at the close of the performance and will continue as an exhibition that promises to reach all parts of the Harvard community in one way or another.
LED Microscope
Dann Huh, Anna Anderson, Billy Lau, Dirk Landgraf, Nathan Lord, & Thomas Norman, (HMS), 2010
This project aims to convince the Harvard research community to stop using mercury vapor lamps as a light source for fluorescence microscopy and to convert to environmentally friendly LED based illumination. This will save energy and reduce the amount of hazardous mercury waste that is thrown away.
Green Buildings
Mobile Vine Garden
Shuai Hao, GSD, 2013
This grant aims to create a portable, resilient and sustainable solution to improving the health and comfort of Harvard’s public spaces for pedestrians. Vines grow quickly and, through constant leaf generation, are able to sequester carbon faster than most other types of vegetation. Their ability to follow forms allows them to be used as vegetated screens, able to provide shade and beauty in a minimal amount of space. Using vines judiciously with precise design interventions to control their growth, the planters can be temporary or permanent, providing vertical gardens for areas awaiting improvements or where ground plantings are not possible. When placed along busy streets or construction sites, these living screens act as a vegetated separation between pedestrians and cars or construction, making comfortable walking environments and filtering particulates from the air. Our intervention will act as a prototype for an easily replicated, self-sustainable and low cost method of carbon sequestration, slowing storm water and heat island reduction. By acting as an educational model, we provide the Harvard community with the knowledge for creating additional vine planters and so they can also contribute to the effort of improving our city, socially and environmentally.
Stormwater Modules
Ecaterina Dobrescu (GSD, MLA II Jan 2013), Rebecca Bartlett (GSD, MLA I Jan 2013), 2013
“Stormwater Modules” seeks to combine testing of flexible design for social spaces, implementation of small-scale stormwater management methods, and measurement of stormwater purification and social use performance. The aim of the project is to build a modular system of pavers and raised beds with integrated vegetation that will retain and purify stormwater. Modules will replace some of the existing pavers on the Gund Hall patios and can be rearranged according to student needs. The performance of the Stormwater Modules will be tested for their capacity to reduce stormwater runoff quantities and improve stormwater quality. This project is partially inspired by the effort to design a potential Green Roof at the GSD. Stormwater Modules will explore methods that can be transferred to the roof program or implemented at a larger scale throughout the Harvard campus. It is also inspired by an independent study of the performance of stormwater management systems on the Harvard Campus and a potential strategy to improve Gund Hall stormwater management.
Model Sustainable Dorm Room
Julie Duke, Alicia Harley, Rebecca Cohen, Tati Peralta-Quiros, Belén Rodriguez Galvez, Gabe Walker, Winnie Liu, Sarah Stein Lubrano, Whitney Shaw, Emily Guo, (FAS), 2011
One room in Kirkland will be transformed into a Model Sustainable Dorm Room, demonstrating the depth at which sustainability can be incorporated into dorm life. The focus will be on sustainable materials, green technology and ecologically responsible behaviors. “Green Dorm” tours will be offered by students and available on the web.
Vanderbilt Hall SingleStream Education
Julian Thomas, Devan Darby, David Bartels, Jana Jarolimova, & Nicholas Abreu, (HMS), 2010
To increase the amount of recyclables collected, the group will construct and install 26 recycling displays in 13 kitchens in Vanderbilt Hall. Compact freestanding displays will be built to stand above existing recycling and trash bins. The plywood box displays will house actual examples of items that should be placed in the associated bin. As much as possible, the display will be constructed from recycled or repurposed materials.
Health and Wellness
Countway Community Gardens
Joel Cohen, 2012
Inspired by the Harvard Garden Project in Cambridge, the Environmental Health and Sustainability Club at Harvard School of Public Health will implement a community garden on the Longwood campus. In a space that is both beautiful and productive, the Countway Community Garden will bring together members of the community to raise awareness about the critical role that food plays in our environment and our health. It will also serve an academic role as a test bed for products and techniques used to grow food crops in less-than ideal urban conditions. A medicinal herb garden may also be included which will be used as an opportunity to teach medical students about historical and current herbal or herb-derived treatments.
Divinity School Garden
Tim Severyn, Grace Egbert, Whittney Barth, Emma Crossen, & Tiffany Curtis, (HDS), 2010
Having completed the first season from seed to harvest, and with a bounty of tomatoes, basil, kale, and beans bearing witness to the endeavor, the Garden Group is presently digging into its second growing season. This year, the group has three main goals: 1) Expanding the garden size and function; 2) Increasing the yield through more intensive organic gardening practices and sustainable technologies; 3) Further integrating the garden into community life through increased accessibility, outreach, and education.
Harvard Community Garden
Zach Arnold & Louisa Denison, (FAS & HMS), 2010
The mission of the Harvard Garden project is to provide experiential education in sustainable, urban agriculture and food for students, faculty, and the local community. Learn more about the garden at green.harvard.edu/garden.
House Herb Gardens
Rachel Mak, Jennie McKee, Dave Seley, (FAS), 2010
This project aims to create herb gardens in Adams House, Dunster House, and Quincy House. Last semester, Adams House completed a successful pilot herb garden project for their Open Houses. The main goal is to decrease the environmental impact associated with food consumption on campus by personally growing herbs required for Masters’ Open Houses.
Mobile Ethnic Garden for Cultural & Food Awareness
Christina Cho, (GSD), 2010
To promote intercultural interaction and education through food, this project will build a modular network of mobile raised bed planters with integrated seating. The seating can be aggregated together in various configurations, making possible productive and interactive spaces. The mobility optimizes solar gain, but also allows for a space where people can constantly interact via integrated seating. Visit the project blog or read our profile on the finished project to learn more.
Transportation
Bicycle Service Stations for Harvard Longwood Campus
David Havelick, (HSPH), 2013
This grant supports the bigger push in the Longwood Medical Area to encourage biking. Efforts include: the creation of a website, the formation of the “Harvard Longwood Bicyclists” group made up of staff/researchers/students/faculty, the organization of events (bi-annual bike fair in the fall and spring), and the improvement of bike infrastructure in the area (addition of additional bike racks, etc.). The purchase of 1 bicycle service station and a community outreach event fits with the Longwood Medical Area's recent push to encourage safe bike-commuting. These service stations would provide a bike pump and tools so bike-riders can take care of their bikes on-site. By creating a community and more awareness across the Longwood campus about safe biking, we hope to encourage NEW bikers. By advancing that culture of support around bike-riding, students and staff can reduce their impact on the environment.
Bicycle Repair Station
Stephanie Young, Sameer Birring, (HLS), 2011
HLS will install a bike repair station on the campus near pound hall to improve bicycle commuting for the growing number of students, staff, and faculty who bike to HLS. Bicyclists will be able to use this station to pump air into their tires, make adjustments and perform minor repairs.
HLS Bikeshare Maintenance
Mike Rozenshare, Sameer Birring, Myra Blake, Amit Dhir, Jenny Lee, Stephanie Young, (HLS), 2011
Averaging 23 loans per week, the HLS Bikshare program has been a huge success. This grant will fund equipment to further the safety and accessibility of the Bikeshare program, thereby encouraging greater use of the fleet and less dependence on forms of transportation that consume fossil fuels.
LevBikes
(FAS), 2010
LevBikes is a bike sharing program in Leverett House. It was started as a way to give Leverett students an easy way to get around campus. Currently, LevBikes has 17 bikes, more than 100 members, and an overwhelming demand. Members can check out bikes by reserving online at www.LevBikes.org or through walk-in checkouts at the Building Manager's office. Funding will be used to buy tools, bikes, and to expand the program to Quincy House.
Waste Reduction and Recycling
Green Kits
FAS Operations Funded
Paige Kouba, 2013
The first week of freshman year is the perfect time to introduce new students to the basic principles of green living at Harvard. Our goal is to distribute “Green Kits” to every member of the class of 2017 during Opening Days, along with information about sustainability efforts on campus. Each kit will include an energy-efficient LED light bulb, a travel mug (perfect for Brain Break excursions), and a reusable shopping bag. These items will reduce waste and energy consumption among the freshman class. By promoting sustainable habits early in the year, we can make green choices a part of the daily routine that each student adopts.
House Wide Reusable Party Kits
FAS Operations Funded
Marcelle Goggins, 2013
Community events and student get-togethers are a central component of the Harvard House culture. Because many of these meetings are held in dorm common rooms—away from Dining Halls—tutors and event organizers use disposable items that result in a significant volume of annual waste and money (estimated at $1000–$2000 per year per house for tutor-run parties alone). The “Reusable Party-Kit” aims to reduce costs and waste of individual and tutor-run parties, engage students in a tangible way to decrease their individual impacts, and expose students to Harvard’s environmental culture and commitment.
Sort it! An app for composting and recycling at Harvard
Gabrielle Hodgson, (HLS), 2013
Harvard has embraced a single stream recycling program to make recycling easier and convenient for the Harvard community—but when it comes to composting versus recycling versus the trash, there still exists confusion over what goes in which bin. Tin foil? Saran wrap? Pizza boxes? Students, faculty, and staff are routinely confused, and it is evident in the contents of the bins. The goal of this project is to collaborate with computer science students at Harvard to develop a simple app for teaching the community about single stream recycling and composting at Harvard.
Bookworms Feed Real Worms
Pin-Wen Wang, Annie Baldwin, Brooke Griffin, Ivonne Nolasco, Samita Mohanasundaram, Emily Wong, Arturo Elizondo, Matthew Yarri, Sam Wohns, Gary Gerbrandt, Kristen Wraith, Francisco Maldonado Andreu, (FAS), 2011
Bookworms Feed Real Worms is a project aimed at creatively engaging the students of Thayer Hall in waste reduction efforts by involving them in composting via vermiculture. Students will learn how worms process food scraps into compost, which will then be sued to enrich the soil at Harvard Garden.
Firing Paper Towels
Kristen Wraith, Annie Baldwin, Sam Arnold, Marina Bolotnikova, Claire Flintoff, Ben Kovachy, Charlene Lee, Jeffrey Mulligan, (FAS), 2011
Over half of the waste generated in the dorms (by volume) comes from paper towels. As part of a “waste-reduction” campaign, students will encourage behavior change by placing “I come from trees” stickers on each paper towel dispenser in the freshman dorms. Students will then benchmark and monitor the reduction of paper towel usage over the spring semester.
Harvard Community Garden: Rainwater Capture
Louisa Denison, (FAS), 2011
In the spirit of their mission to provide opportunities for experiential education, the Harvard Community Garden will use this funding to explore the implementation of a rainwater capture system as a means of water conservation in the garden.
Student Publications for Environmental Conservation
Shiv Gaglani, (FAS), 2010
Student publications at Harvard print hundreds or thousands of copies that are never read because their readership comprises a small subset of the campus population (e.g. the medieval enthusiasts). This project will create an online, centralized, and user-friendly website which lists all of the student publications. Publishers will be able to log on to update their "Publication Profile," consisting of a link to their website, description, and a sample pdf issue. The readers will be able to select which publications they want to receive.
Composting in dorms
Myra Blake, Nigel Barella, Jenny Lee, Hilary Thrasher, Krystyna Wamboldt, & Rachel Heron, (HLS), 2010
The group will do a pilot project to extend the composting that happens in the HLS Hark Cafeteria to the HLS dorms. Many students cook in the dorms, but the only option for leftover food waste is the trash can. Note: This project will be funded by the HLS Operations Department.
Kennedy School Student Government Green Bill
Elana Safran, Graham VanderZanden, Dave Baumwoll, Ibrahim Kuzu, (HKS), 2010
A February waste audit at the Harvard Kennedy School (HKS) revealed that 65% of the trash could have been recycled or composted. Sodexo, the campus caterer, carries foam plates, but they do offer recyclable or compostable dishware at an added cost. However, student group event-planners are either unaware of these alternative options or unwilling to commit additional group funding to ensure their use. The KSSG will pass a bylaw to reduce waste by requiring student groups which apply for Student Activities funding to use recyclable or compostable dishware at their events. The grant will be used to pay for the difference in cost.
CBB Composting
Judy Fan, (FAS), 2010
Each week, the Cognition, Brain, and Behavior (CBB) working group in the Department of Psychology hosts a lunchtime talk which nearly 60 people attend. An alarming amount of disposable waste in the form of waxy plates, cups, foil containers, napkins, and utensils is generated each week. Since the department already has composting, the grant will be used to purchase a year's worth of compostable plates and utensils and larger compost bins.
CFA Composting
Laura Blecha, Alison Farmer, (FAS), 2010
The annual Center for Astrophysics (CFA) barbecue for staff and families is attended by about 500 people, and the Octoberfest is attended by several hundred. The main focus of both these events is food, which is served with disposable plates and cutlery. The goal is to make both of these events zero-waste. The other main goal is education, for both our community and their children (who attend these events).
Dunster Green the Grill and Greening Masters’ Open Houses
Jennie McKee, (FAS), 2010
The grant would purchase compostable dishware, napkins, and silverware for the Dunster Grill and Masters’ Open Houses to replace the disposable dishware used now and pay the increased fees for an added compost pick up. Another aspect of the project is that students will be asked to start bringing their own dishes/mugs/cups to the grill to use.
Pforzheimer Greener Grills
Lucien Weiss, Dan Thorn, (FAS), 2010
The Pforzheimer Grill serves food to students daily. Food is served with plastic utensils on paper plates, all of which is thrown out. The aim is to reduce the amount of trash produced by the Grill to zero by replacing all disposable items with compostable or recyclable alternatives. An additional aim of this project is to create a composting culture in PfoHo. Adding a compost bin inside the Grill will promote composting by providing a central drop-off point during the Grill’s operating hours.
Water and Operations
Beyond the Bottle
FAS Operations Funded
Kristen Wraith, Danny Wilson, Environmental Action Committee, 2013
The goal of Beyond the Bottle is to generate enthusiasm and awareness on Harvard’s campus about the benefits of consuming tap water instead of bottled water. Efforts towards bottled water reduction should begin with a visible campaign to educate students and staff. For our most prominent project element, we will place informative signs in strategic locations in the Science Center, Lamont Café and in student housing. These high-quality signs will emphasize how using tap water effectively decreases greenhouse gas emissions and unnecessary waste, and combats the exploitation of a shared resource for monetary gain. In addition to signage, we plan to install water fountain directories in campus centers to allow for easy and quick access to water sources. Our project will also include the installation of a retrofit bottle filling station at the drinking fountain in the Science Center basement. By tracking the number of plastic bottles saved with each use, the filling station will provide a useful and engaging metric by which students can track their impact and waste reduction.
Shower Timers
FAS Operations Funded
Patrick Xu, 2013
Many students waste water by being unproductive in showers. To save this wasted water, shower timers will be implemented to notify students when their showers are taking an excessive amount of time. It is planned that these shower timers will be placed in every shower in the freshman dorms. Usage of these timers will be completely optional, as these shower timers will not regulate water flow; instead, students will have the ability to start the timers when they wish. In addition to monitoring water usage, these shower timers will also aid students if they are short on time.
Community Engagement
Community Art Awareness
Jenny Mahlum, (HGSE), 2013
The intentions of the Community Art Awareness project are three-fold: to foster cross-community involvement, heighten awareness of sustainability by transforming public space and as a result, create a new visual stimulus to stir conversation and activism. We will work together to organize three public art projects: poetry collaboration, “Message in a Bottle”—a plastic bottle installation, and a community blackboard. These projects will transform a conversation and community through art and bring people from the community together providing an opportunity to strengthen bonds and create relationships.
The Harvard Green Project Fund
Sachin Desai, (HLS), 2013
The Harvard Green Project Fund (HGPF) enables Harvard alumni to directly fund sustainability projects on our campus that could not otherwise be funded. It does so by creating a custom-designed, social-networking-enabled platform that will engage young, internet-generation alumni with campus sustainability projects and with the faces behind those projects. The HGPF will work with OFS and ‘project advocates’ such as environmental student groups to develop potential projects. These projects will be profiled on the website platform in detail, including information about the project advocates, a project blog, photos, and more. Using social media tools such as Facebook, mGive, and LinkedIn, the HGPF will rapidly spread interest among young socially-connected alumni. This service will also actively engage alumni through project-specific networking and showcase events, and by offering perks such as project-specific gifts.
Sustainabili-Teas
Daniel Wilson, Kristen Wraith, Environmental Action Committee, 2013
This grant endows the first year of a speaker series on sustainability hosted by the Environmental Action Committee (EAC) and Sense & Sustainability (S&S). This proposed collaboration is the result of networking facilitated by the Council of Student Sustainability Leaders (CSSL), and it serves as an excellent example of the inter-group partnerships enabled by CSSL. SustainabiliTeas, are intimate events, that will act as a central source for student-driven interaction with faculty working on critical, interdisciplinary issues of sustainability. These events will be supported by the EAC’s deep connections with the undergraduate population, combined with Sense & Sustainability’s expansive knowledge of critical environmental issues and key players.
Sense and Sustainability: A Podcast on Sustainable Development
Jisung Park, 2012
Sense and Sustainability is a podcast that looks to tap into the demand for accessible information about the many facets of sustainable development. The podcast will feature interviews with experts from across disciplines and sectors to provide a forum for educated and incisive conversations about a broad range of issues pertaining to global sustainable developments. The goal is to plant the seeds for increased awareness and dialogue both on campus and beyond through podcasts, blog posts, and on-campus events that foster discussion on these issues in a high-impact manner.
GSD Pollinators: A beehive on the roof of the GSD, Green Design at the Graduate School of Design
Connie Migliazzo, 2012
Graduate School of Design students have been maintaining a beehive on the roof of Gund Hall since the spring of 2011 in an effort to increase pollination and biodiversity in the Cambridge area as well as engage the community in discussions about sustainability within the field of design. GSD Pollinators is a project to engage the community in a design competition to shelter and cover the hive, protecting it from the wet winter months. Migliazzo hopes that the competition will result in a design that is cheap, sturdy, easy to build, and successful in contributing to the wellness of their bee colony. If so, it could be a design that expands beyond the walls of the university and brings about some sorely needed innovation to existing beekeeping practices.
Sustainability Signage Campaign
Ashkay Sharma, Samuel Parker, Radhika Jain, Matthew Yarri, Richard Ebright, Sandra Korn, Breeanna Elliot, (FAS), 2011
Students in the Green ’14 will create and position customized water and energy conservation signs throughout the freshman dorms as part of an outreach program to encourage students to be more aware of their usage in the dorms.
HCC Green Surveys
Cassandra Freyschlag, Stephen Jensen, Eric Uva, 2011
HCC will conduct incentivized surveys across all of the schools in order to assess and improve “green knowledge,” and gauge student support for implementing changes on their campus. The focus of the survey will be topics that will have a broad impact such as double-sided printing, elimination of bottled water and composting.
Academics and Research
Sustainability and Cooperation Across Generations
Oliver Hauser, (GSAS), 2013
"Sustaining the world’s resources is a critical issue that affects multiple generations over an extended period of time. If resources are not sustained today, then future generations will pay the cost of overexploitation. While the societal optimum would be to sustain resources, individuals in the current generation are faced with the temptation to explore resources for their own benefit.
In this project, we aim to leverage the extensive literature on the evolution of cooperative behavior to explore mechanisms that can help promote sustainability of resources. We use empirical methods to test our theories for sustainability in the lab, and then apply these methods in the field - in Harvard's classrooms, dorms, and departments. The quantitative results of our research have the potential to impact and inform policy decisions at all levels of the University and beyond."
Blood and Biological Fluid Disposal Using Carbon Nanotube Filtration with Electrochemistry
William Marks, 2012
The Blood and Biological Fluid Disposal Using Carbon Nanotube Filtration with Electrochemistry Project attempts to significantly decrease energy usage in hospitals, research labs, and medical labs on Harvard's campus and throughout the world. Safe and efficient disposal will be achieved by filtering blood and biological fluids through a carbon nanotube filter with electrochemistry, an adaptation and scaled design of a system currently being developed for water treatment, instead of incineration. If successful, it will be able to achieve the same environmental and biological safety for a fraction of the energy and cost.
Reusing DNA Spin Columns
Karmella Haynes, Christina Agapakis, Patrick Boyle, Mara Inniss (Systems Biology), (HMS), 2010
This pilot project will replace pre-packaged DNA purifying kits that are used once with a vacuum system that reuses DNA spin columns up to 10 times. The system will also reduce liquid waste, as pre-packaged kits contain double the amount of solution that is needed. Costs should be reduced by 50%.
Lab Plastic Reduction
Rachel Brust (Genetics), (HMS), 2010
The lab’s research involves the use of several sets of disposable plastic tubes and reagents, which must be treated as biohazardous waste. To reduce the amount of waste created in this process, the lab will move to a 96 well stem cell culture format, which will reduce plastic waste by 70%.
