Message From the Director
At the top of this month’s Institute for a Sustainable Environment Newsletter is news of our new undergraduate degree program in environmental science and sustainability. It’s a revision of our environmental science & policy degree, with concentrations to allow students to focus within the broad field of environmental science and sustainability. We also have lots of news about research by our ISE faculty and affiliated faculty, as well as students. I hope that you enjoy reading about their accomplishments below.
— Susan Powers, Director of the Institute for a Sustainable Environment / Associate Director of Sustainability / Jean ’79 and Robert ’79 Spence Professorship in Sustainable Environmental Systems
New Degree
The most pressing environmental issues — such as greenhouse gas emissions and the overuse of disposable plastics — can be traced back to human decisions. In addressing these issues it is vital to understand both the scientific and policy aspects that impact the planet. A new Bachelor of Science degree program in Environmental Science and Sustainability will prepare students to tackle both of these challenges. Read About This New Degree
Going for Gold
Eight students have been deeply involved in the recertification of New York State’s Olympic Region as a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) community. The students are helping the Olympic Regional Development Authority, the Village of Lake Placid, the Town of North Elba and the Lake Placid Central School District go for sustainability gold as they look to recertify using the latest LEED rating system. Read About This Project
DoD Supports PFAS Treatment
A Clarkson team has been awarded a $1.2 million Department of Defense grant to scale up an integrated treatment system to destroy PFAS in sediments. The system includes mechanochemical ball milling, which destroys PFAS in soils and sediments, followed by soil washing and plasma treatment. Read More About This Grant
Phosphate Removal Tech
Two Clarkson professors have been awarded $749,000 by the Department of Agriculture to develop a filtration system to capture and recover phosphate from tile drainage and reduce the phosphate burden on watersheds. This sorbent and field-ready system will decrease environmental impact and provide a renewable phosphate supply, improving the sustainability of agricultural practices. Read More About This Award