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Project Updates for collection: Living Lab Facilities / Programs

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  1. Zoom In on the Main Quad

    Associated Project(s): 
    Campus Landscape Master Plan (CLMP)

    An article on the Facilities and Services Insider highlighted the recommendations that the Campus Landscape Master Plan has for the Main Quad. The recommendations included enhancing Main Quad courtyards, turf restoration, Illini Union an Anniversary Plaza restoration, and Centennial Court restoration, all while also [reserving the integrity of these spaces. 

    Attached Files: 

  3. SafeTraces follow up meeting

    Associated Project(s): 
    Energy-Efficient HVAC Infection Control

    Sarthak Prasad and Morgan White are meeting with Sterling Laylock from SafeTraces on January 9 from 11 to 12 pm to cover the following:

    • Astronomy Building report findings and potential corrective action
    • Indoor Air Quality Monitoring specific to IT Security
      • UL 2905/UL 2906: Indoor Air Quality Sensor Performance/Sensor Deployment
      • UL Verified IoT Security
      • There is a newer building on campus that has CO2 sensors
        so we can discover what they did and follow that pathway
    • Our ongoing collaborative discussion with the State of Illinois' new Building Infrastructure
      Fund (2nd qtr 2023) where our work with you under iCAP is considered one of the missing pieces 
      of the puzzle.

      Their primary goal is to improve re-occupancy levels within existing buildings and cause new buildings (public and private) to design more effectively for IAQ/IEQ, especially where private development is receiving state funding and concessions.

      Since it was UL Healthy Buildings (Primary Partner of SafeTraces) that introduced IGT to
      the UL/SafeTraces ecosystem, ULHB will be instrumental in providing the capacity needed
      for our efforts with the state led by Illinois Chief Investment Officer, Joe Aguilar.
    • As discussed with Morgan at the end of our Design Thinking Session, Ikenberry Food Hall
      is being considered as our next project and UL Healthy Buildings ULHB is partnering with us
      on it since natural gas and hydrogen sulfide gas may be impacting IAQ/IEQ.

  4. Weekly Update: final week of semester, WCIA

    Associated Project(s): 
    Campus Bike Center

    All, The final week of last semester was, as expected, quiet. Very little traffic but Alex finally finished his Build-a-Bike. He’d been steadily and meticulously working on it all semester. We were able to fix up approximately 30 kids bikes here at CBC and totaled 50 for the event which happened on Saturday 12/17/22. We had 4 people bow out last minute to help for the event (thanks covid), so we had a skeleton crew but still gave away 50 bikes in about 20 minutes. The IMC staff were extremely helpful and stepped up to corral and organize folks when we were getting overwhelmed. Some folks left unhappy, I’m sure, but we still helped out a good number of kids. WCIA showed up just in time to get some footage of families departing with the last of the bikes and our story made the 10p news that night. I’ll reach out to WCIA and see if they can send me a digital copy of the broadcast so we can share that.

    This week I’ll be moving bikes from the warehouse and taking stock of our inventory, sorting bikes for our various programs, and working up some classes for next semester. Next week I’ll be tabling at College of Law orientation/resource fair. Always exciting to meet new/different groups on campus!

     

    The numbers:

    Visitors: 13
    Sales: $190

    Build-a-Bike: $40

     

    Thanks!

     

    Jacob Benjamin
    Campus Bike Center Coordinator

  5. Ford Lightning allotted to Abbott Power Plant and EV charging station installed

    Associated Project(s): 
    F&S Sustainable Fleet Plan
    Decrease Emissions from UI Fleet
    Use Electric Vehicles (EV)
    Increase use of EVs and other Alternative Service Vehicles

    Abbott Power Plant are the recipients of one the new Ford F150 Lightning Electric Trucks.

    There is a charging station in the alley between the plant addition and scrubber where the vehicle can be parked and charged (see photo below). The plug on the truck is on the side in front of the driver side door.

    The key for the new truck is in the control room at Abbott. The key is a FOB that must be in the vehicle to start it. Similar to other new vehicles, the truck is started when the FOB is in the vehicle with you, you press the brake, and then hit the start button. Since it is electric you of course will not hear the motor engage and start, but the car will “come to life” with the dashboard coming on and displaying. The vehicle can now be put into gear and driven.

    NOTE, the vehicle comes equipped with “engine braking” engaged. So, when you take your foot off the accelerator, the electric motor will “reserve” (turn into a generator) and start slowing down the vehicle (and at the same time charge up the batteries).

    Please be careful when driving the truck for the first time and take some time to get accustomed to how it works.

    Attached Files: 

  6. Design Thinking Session Outcomes from the November 10, 2022 meeting

    Associated Project(s): 
    Energy-Efficient HVAC Infection Control

    Here's a short list of outcomes from our Nov 10th Design Thinking Session.

    • There a 2 more Design Thinking Session scheduled for 1st qtr 2023
      • Chicago Archdiocese
      • Cook County Facilities & Asset Mgmt
    • UL Healthy Buildings will become a more hands-on active participant in our iCAP effort to help expand building science expertise specific to the UL Verified Marks to also include the impacts of indoor air particulate, hazardous gases, and building hygiene:
      • SafeTraces Verified Mark for Ventilation and Filtration
      • UL Verified Mark for Healthy Buildings

  7. Green Lab Initiatives Take Root Around the World

    Associated Project(s): 
    Green Research Committee

    Paul Foote shared the following article regarding Green Labs:

    This sustainable labs article shares a look into the current international climate regarding green labs.

    The author’s high level summation quotes green lab leaders as well as comments from NIH and HHS regrading funding and sustainability, and other key topics surrounding sustainable & green labs.

    https://www.the-scientist.com/careers/green-lab-initiatives-take-root-around-the-world-70676

  10. Land & Water iCAP Meeting 12/13/2022

    Associated Project(s): 
    Integrated Pest Management (IPM)
    Cover Crops on South Farms
    Campus Landscape Master Plan (CLMP)
    Water Conservation [ARCHIVED]
    Obtain and Publicize Water Data
    Land and Water iCAP Team

    On December 13th, the Land & Water iCAP team met to discuss a new approach to crafting recommendations for next semester; including the creation of a land subcommittee and a water subcommittee.

    Meeting minutes are attached.

    Attached Files: 

  11. Weekly Update: Slow week

    Associated Project(s): 
    Campus Bike Center

    All, Slow week again. A few more kids’ bikes trickled in, which was good. Our giveaway is this coming Saturday and we’re accepting bikes until Friday evening. A notice went out in E-week and the like so hopefully that’ll bump up our count. I haven’t taken inventory at Urbana for our total count but I’m guessing around 40 between both spaces.

    Tony, former Bike Project staffer and integral member in the creation of the original bike center in 2010 was back in town last week. He came and volunteered a full 4 hours and helped train up some staff, too.

    Our sales last week are at a record low. We had a few people in each day but looks like adjustments only, used innertubes, and no purchases. I’ll dig into the numbers this week to confirm it genuinely is that low and not an error.

    The numbers:

    Visitors: 18
    Sales: $5.50

     

    Thanks!

     

    Jacob Benjamin
    Campus Bike Center Coordinator

  12. Weekly Update (week of November 28): Kids bike give away, for-sale bikes

    Associated Project(s): 
    Campus Bike Center

    All, [Ed. note: Apologies for getting this in late.] We’ve finalized our Kid’s Bike Giveaway date/time with the Bike Project and have been working through our supply of donated bikes. Serendipitously we got nearly a half dozen kids bikes donated last week, even before we put the word out on the giveaway event.

    This week we kept working through that supply. I was out on Tuesday/Wednesday but visits have been lower since the cooler weather hit.

    While we’re working on the kids bikes we’ve also been able to fix up a few for-sale bikes, sitting at about 6 done and ready to go. Still have a large supply at the warehouse, which I’ll have more time to tackle after the 17th (date of the Kids Bike Event).

    Next week I’ll move over the finished kids bike to Urbana as we’re running out of space for them here.

    The numbers:

    Visitors: 25
    Sales: $185.50
    Memberships: 2 for $60
    Misc. parts: 19 for $95.50

    Thanks!

    Jacob Benjamin
    Campus Bike Center Coordinator

  13. Pollinator Signage Final Report

    Associated Project(s): 
    Bee Campus USA
    Student Sustainability Committee (SSC)

    Several students apart of the Sustainability Living-Learning Community attended the 2017 AASHE Student Summit and participated in a Bee Campus USA workshop. These students decided that the University should obtain Bee Campus USA Certification for UIUC. Displaying signage focused on pollinator conservation was one of the requirements for this certification. Four signs were installed, and since their installment UIUC is a part of Bee Campus USA.

    Attached is the full report.

     

    Attached Files: 

  14. Transportation iCAP Team Meeting 12/2/22

    Associated Project(s): 
    Transportation iCAP Team
    Bicycle Parking & Storage
    Use Electric Vehicles (EV)
    Install Public Use Electric Vehicle (EV) Charging Stations

    The transportation iCAP team met on Friday, December 2nd at 3:00 P.M. CST to discuss electric vehicle charging, and updates on bike shelter procurement for the university. Due to a software error, the meeting minutes were not recorded.

    Link to meeting recording: https://mediaspace.illinois.edu/media/t/1_u3g573fb

    Attached Files: 

  15. Energy iCAP Team Meeting 12/2/22

    Associated Project(s): 
    Energy iCAP Team
    Building-Level Energy Efficiency
    Facility Standards

    The Energy iCAP Team met on Friday, December 2nd, 2022 to discuss potential recommendations on standards for new buildings and developing a committee of energy researchers to share knowledge across campus.

    Attached Files: 

  16. New iSEE Green Certifications

    Associated Project(s): 
    Certified Greener Campus Programs
    Certified Green Event Program
    Certified Green Office Program (CGOP)
    Certified Green Chapter Program

    Congratulations to the Office of the Chancellor for Special Events, OVCRI, Pi Phi, and the Office of Academic Programs (College of ACES) for their recent green certifications!

    Green Event:

    Office of the Chancellor for Special Events Il v. Monmouth Men's Basketball, Certified November 2022

    Office of the Chancellor for Special Events IL v. Lindenwood Men's Basketball, Certified November 2022

    Office of the Chancellor for Special Events IL v. Syracuse Men's Basketball, Certified November 2022

    Chancellor's Office for Special Events Il. v. Penn State Men's Basketball, Certified November 2022

    Chancellor's Office for Special Events Il. v Alabama L&M Men's Basketball, Certified November 2022

    Chancellor's Office for Special Events Il. v. Bethane-Cookman, Certified November 2022

    OVCRI Research Development Day 2022, Certified December 2022

    Chancellor's Office for Special Events Il. v. WIsconsin Men's basketball game, Certified December 2022

    Chancellor's Office for Special Events Il. vs. Michigan State Men's Basketball, Certified December 2022

    Chancellor's Office for Special Events Il. vs. Indiana Men's Basketball, Certified December 2022

     

    Green Chapter: Pi Beta Phi, Silver, Recertified November 2022

     

    Green Office: Office of Academic Programs (College of ACES), Silver, Certified November 2022

     

    Keep up the great work!

  17. Resilience iCAP Team December Meeting

    Associated Project(s): 
    Resilience iCAP Team

    The Resilience iCAP Team had its final online meeting of this semester on Monday, November 28th, from 11:00 - 12:00 PM. The team discussed two recommendations: Coordinated Rainwater Management Plan Recommendation and Sustainability Economic Analysis Recommendation. The team plans to revise and send the Coordinated Rainwater Management Plan Recommendation to the iWG by this Friday, December 2nd. Also, the team chair, Stay Gloss, will present the Sustainability Economic Analysis Recommendation at the iSEE Management Meeting and ask for any potential iSEE funding. Meeting minutes are attached. 

    Attached Files: 

  18. Award Ceremony Invitation

    Associated Project(s): 
    ReImagine Our Future

    Below is an email invitation to award ceremony for the Reimagine our Future student sustainability competition.

     

    Dear Initial Judges and Specialist Advisors,

     

    Thank you so much for your work making this competition possible. I have received submissions on the questionnaire from many of you judges, and clearly, you spent time assessing these students' work and it is much appreciated. Many of you also sat down with students and aided them on their projects. In whatever capacity you were able to help, my advisory committee and colleagues are so appreciative.

    This year the competition was managed by the Student Sustainability Committee and supported by many units across campus. Over 70 UIUC faculty volunteered their services as specialist advisors and judges. Almost 200 students took part including student teams from universities in China and South Africa. Winners will be announced after Saturday’s presentations and the prize money totals $5000. 

    You are welcome to attend the face-to-face award ceremony at the Siebel Center for Design, in which case you should contact my email (aecruz2@illinois.edu) before Wednesday 30 Nov. at 2 p.m. If you cannot attend the physical event, you are welcome to join via Zoom, with details given below. 

    I am also attaching extracts of the top-three winners' entries from last year's competition for your viewing. 

    Thank you again, 

    Allie Cruz 

    Award Ceremony for the 2022 Reimagine our Future student sustainability competition 

    9 a.m. (Central Time) | Saturday, Dec. 3 | Siebel Center for Design, and Zoom 

    Join via Zoom: https://illinois.zoom.us/j/85346452110?pwd=TzhWSHdMZXJpVmNobGtncUYzd0t0dz09 

    Meeting ID: 853 4645 2110 

    Password: 186469 


     

     

  19. ENG 177 Spring '23 Course

    Associated Project(s): 
    ENG 177 GFX Global Sustainability Scholars

    Below is an answer to an inquiry regarding ENG 177 course availability for the spring 2023 semester. 

     

     

    From: Forman, Gretchen M <gforman at illinois.edu> 
    Sent: Monday, November 21, 2022 10:12 AM
    To: Moore, Meredith Kaye <mkm0078 at illinois.edu>
    Subject: RE: ENG100 First Year Experience spring course

     

    Hi Meredith,

     

    I too hope you are doing well!  I miss seeing you!

     

    We will have an ENG 177 Global Sustainability Scholars class in the spring that I will be teaching and I’m hoping we can still partner with you on projects for the students.  This is the class that Angie and I previously taught.  We are partnering with sustainable organizations in Trinidad and Tobago this fall and travelling there in January.  

     

    We then will focus on local sustainability work in the spring and would love to connect the students with you all and the campus projects as we have in the past.  I’d love to find a time after Thanksgiving to chat with you about the details and to catch up.  I’ll be out of the office on Monday the 28th but have availability the rest of that week or the week after.  Let me know what might work for you.

     

    Looking forward to connecting with you soon!

     

    Gretchen

     

  20. Weekly Updates for the week of 11/7 and 11/14

    Associated Project(s): 
    Campus Bike Center
    Collection and Donation of Abandoned Bicycles

    [11.7.22] All, Last week we completed the bike donation event with Working Bikes. Thanks to some Bike Project volunteers we were able to pack their truck full of bikes in about an hour and a half. Unfortunately, they were unable to take all of the abandoned bikes as there are about 50 left. I’ll work with TBP to deal with the remaining junk bikes as well as the ~200 we’ll keep for refurbishment.

    Last Thursday we were donated another pull-behind trailer, upping our count to 3 of them now. I will discuss with TBP ideas to make better use of these, as they take up a lot of space and we have zero demand for them.

    This week we will reinstate the First Visit Free policy as the cooler weather sets in.

    The numbers:

    Visitors: 47

    Sales: $508
    Bike (refurbished): 1 for $225
    Memberships: 1 for $30
    Tires/tubes: 12 for $61

    [11.14.22]

    All, I was out sick for a portion of the non-open hours, but we were still able to get a few bikes on the sales floor and strip some bikes. This week I’ll grab some more of the good bikes from the barn and we’ll get to fixing those. We reinstated First Visit Free and were able to help folks get rolling.

    I had an interview last Friday with a potential new hire and we’ll be having a staff meeting this week to get some of our new staff up to speed as well as provide a refresher for the returning staffers.

    Next week we will be closed for Thanksgiving break. We’ll reopen Monday, 11/28/22.

    The numbers:

    Visitors: 45
    Sales: $434
    Bikes (refurb): 1 for $100
    Memberships: 4 for $120
    Tires/tubes: 8 for $103

    Thanks!

    Jacob Benjamin
    Campus Bike Center Coordinator

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