According to a recent study published in Science this past year, nearly one quarter of North America’s total migratory bird population has been lost since 1970 (doi: 10.1126/science.aaw1313). Window strikes are the second leading cause of death of migratory birds, accounting for about 500-900 million deaths each year. Champaign-Urbana, IL is situated along the Mississippi Flyway, a major migratory route, making it a crucial highly trafficked waypoint for migrating birds.

What better way to prepare for a career in the renewable energy industry than by taking on the role of a solar developer to design and model optimized distributed energy systems for a real-world campus or urban district?

The goal of the Illinois Sustainable Food Project (ISFP) is to further collaboration between the production activities of the Sustainable Student Farm (SSF); the teaching, research, and outreach activities at the Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition Pilot Processing Plant (FSHN-PPP); and University Housing Dining Services' goal of increasing procurement of locally grown foods. This project supported the procurement of key equipment necessary for processing tomatoes and other produce into purees and sauces at large scale for use in commercial food applications. 

Several opportunities have been identified to integrate sustainability into the University’s educational mission, including a preliminary set of learning outcomes requiring each graduating student to obtain a core competency on sustainability. These competencies, such as knowledge of how food, water, energy, and material goods affect human societies and ecosystems, are designed to prepare students for leadership roles as society prepares for the climate challenge.