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Projects Updates for theme: all

  1. Request for New Project Tabs

    Associated Project(s): 
    Diversion of Non-Recyclable Plastic using Pyrolysis Process to Produce Fuels for Campus
    Bird Safety
    Monitor Soil Health

    Assistant Director of Student Sustainability, Samuel Yoo reached out to Sarthak Prasad for guidance with iCAP Portal projects. Specifically, Yoo was unable to find existing projects for the following:

    - Diversion of Non-Recyclable Plastic using Pyrolysis Process to Produce Fuels for Campus

    - Preventing Window-strike Bird Fatalities with Energy Efficient Window Decals 

    - Valorized Archived Soils and Long-Term Carbon Budgets

    Sarthak replied explaining that new project tabs will be created for the first two projects and the last project fits under the "Monitor Soil Health" project.

     

  2. Compost Tumbler at Newmark Civil Engineering Building

    Associated Project(s): 
    Reduce Foodwaste

    Roman Makhnenko explains that there are available funds from a SSC sponsored project that can be used to to buy a compost tumbler for the Newmark Civil Engineering Building. Additionally, Roman wants to discuss with Meredith where the tumbler should be emptied once it gets full. 

  3. Green Office Gold Certification

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

    Congratulations to Kara Hagen and the rest of the Conservation Unit at the Preservation Services Department of Oak Street Library Facility for becoming a Green Office! They are gold certified as of September 4, 2021. They used a watt meter to monitor energy use of their devices and appliances and eliminated use of disposable cups. They notably created a new waste reduction strategy by saving the scraps from their long-fibered papers and bringing those to Fresh Press on campus, where they are used to create hand-made paper. Keep up the great work!

  4. First Weekly Check-In for Resilience Work

    Associated Project(s): 
    Build Resilience with Our Local Community
    Resilience iCAP Team

    9/17/2021, 2:15 PM

    Attendees: Morgan White, Meredith Moore, Stacy Gloss

    Summary:

    Stacy, Meredith and Morgan met for the first time together since Stacy was appointed and started work on 9/16/2021. The purpose of the meeting is to provide the information and resources needed for Stacy to start working on resilience activities in the scope work. We reviewed Stacy’s job description regarding activities for the next 6 months and related deliverables. See attached job description.

    Agreements:  

    • Stacy will take the meeting notes from each of these Resilience Work Check-In meetings and put them on the portal for project tracking.
    • Stacy will provide updates at the Resilience iCAP team meetings.
    • We set up a recurring meeting time for Thursdays from  2 pm – 3 pm.

    To-Do’s:

    Stacy will re-read the objective in iCAP 2020 PDF about all resilience objectives. Review the resilience theme, scan the project list, and look at project history for specific objectives.

    8.1 Check in when needed w/ Lisa Merrifield

    8.2 Start with campus contacts. Email Betsy Liggett,  Brent Lewis, & Morgan White and set up a call with Betsy. Betsy is liaison to community green infrastructure.  The objectives are to find out who it is to talk to in Champaign-Urbana-Savoy for off-campus infrastructure locations. Eventually, ask resilience team what information should be included on the iCAP portal map. Note: There’s an Oct 20 conference about the Champaign County storm water partnership.  With this objective, we will ultimately work towards planning a coordinated rainwater mgmt. plan, and what it might look like.

    8.3. Review documentation that Kimmy provided as a report on the portal. 

    8.4.  Request a call with Ximing to explain the concept behind 8.4 and report back. Further steps may be taken to include whole iSEE management team in a conversation.

    8.5.  Review 8.5 Discuss at meeting 2 weeks from now.

    8.6.  Morgan will connect Stacy with Sarthak Prasad. Review Vision zero website soon and request a meeting with Sarthak.

    8.7.  Review 8.7 Discuss at meeting 2 weeks from now.  Review Current State of the Market, and review files in the box folder that students created about local off sets.

    Attached Files: 

  5. Illini Lights Out 9/17/21!

    Associated Project(s): 
    Illini Lights Out

    Students ~ join us for Illini Lights Out on Friday, 9/17/21 at 5:30 PM at the Foreign Languages Building! We will meet in the lobby where you will receive instructions before going out to shut off the lights. Let's reduce our campus's energy and environmental footprint together! Come by yourself or bring a friend or group, and don't forget to wear a mask! 

    Registration is not necessary, but encouraged!

    Check out the iSEE website for more information! 

     

  6. Sustainable Land Management Committee Meeting 9-17-21

    Associated Project(s): 
    Sustainable Land Management Committee

    The committee convened for the first time on 9-17-21 to discuss priorities and next steps to accomplish the committee charges:

    1. Develop plan for evaluating/inventorying existing sustainable land management practices on the South Farms on non-research land, and for increasing the sustainability of SF land mgt. practices.
    2. Update Agronomy Handbook with relevant, sustainable BMPs
    3. Work with interested tenants on University-owned land to showcase the recommended sustainable land management practices in the updated Agronomy Handbook.

    The presentation is attached. 

    Attached Files: 

  8. iCAP Team and iCAP Working Group Kickoff

    Associated Project(s): 
    Topical iCAP Teams
    iCAP 2020: Illinois Climate Action Plan
    iCAP Working Group (iWG)
    Zero Waste iCAP Team
    Resilience iCAP Team
    Engagement iCAP Team
    Energy iCAP Team
    Land and Water iCAP Team
    Transportation iCAP Team
    Education iCAP Team

    We had a great iCAP Team and iCAP Working Group Kickoff on 9/16/21! During the event, we heard from iSEE Interim Director, Dr. Madhu Khanna, went through the team rosters, iCAP Procedures, iCAP 2020 and progress made thus far, and lastly summarized other resources that sustainability advocates should be aware of. 

    The iCAP Teams and iCAP Working Group are instrumental in helping campus advance and achieve our sustainability goals and we look forward to a great year!

    The presentation is attached and the recording is found here. 

    Attached Files: 

  10. SSC Semesterly Report: Identifying the Campus Benefits of a Large-Scale Prairie Experiment

    Associated Project(s): 
    Benefits of a Large-Scale Prairie Experiment
    Student Sustainability Committee (SSC)

    SSC received a semesterly report for Spring 2021 for the Benefits of a Large-Scale Prairie Experiment project on 9/9/2021. Please see attached. 

    Attached Files: 

  11. SSC Semesterly Report: Foreign Languages Building Garden Renovation

    Associated Project(s): 
    Green Roof on Literatures, Cultures and Linguistics Building (formerly called Foreign Language Building)
    Student Sustainability Committee (SSC)

    SSC received a semesterly report for Spring 2021 for FLB Garden Renovation on 9/11/2021. Please see attached.  

    Attached Files: 

  15. SSC Semesterly Report: Joint Pollinator Garden and Composting Systems to Offset Environmental Impact and Reinforce Responsible Stewardship in Research

    Associated Project(s): 
    Increase Pollinator-Friendly Areas
    Student Sustainability Committee (SSC)

    SSC received semesterly report for Spring 2021 for Joint Pollinator and Composting Systems project on 9/14/2021. Please see attached. 

    Attached Files: 

  19. UIC interest

    Associated Project(s): 
    Off-campus Solar Farm 3.0 PPA

    Cynthia Klein-Banai, Assistant Vice-Chancellor and Director of Sustainability at UIC, provided this summary of UIC's interest in Solar Farm 3.0:

    "Rob Roman approached VC Coronado last fall about lending support to their efforts to amend the DUP in order to allow for renewable energy procurement, specifically through a Power Purchase agreement. The evaluation of the project was referred to the Office of Planning, Sustainability and Project Management and to Campus Utilities and Energy Services. It was determined that these groups were not only interested in supporting the amendment but also in participating in the RFP process to procurement 80,000 MWh/yr of renewable electricity through a Power Purchase agreement (aka Solar Farm 3.0) for a project in Illinois. On February 3, 2021, John Coronado, VCAS, Dave Taeyaerts, Associate Director of Planning, Sustainability and Project Management, and Cynthia Klein-Banai, Assistant Vice Chancellor and Director of Sustainability met with Chancellor Amiridis to gain his approval for this. Chancellor Amiridis said he was supportive of both the amendment change and engaging in the RFP process together with UIUC."

  20. Solar Decathlon Project Update

    Associated Project(s): 
    Illinois Solar Decathlon

     

    From: Majerus, Elizabeth

    Sent: Thursday, September 16, 2021 12:25 PM

    To: White, Morgan

    Cc: Gharpure, Prajakta Milind; Kovitz, Kyle Paige; Low, Khee; Davis, Peter ; Collins, Halie Jean; Kroencke, Janet Lynn

    Subject: Re: Following up with Solar Decathalon Design Team

     

    Hi Prajakta, Peter, Khee, and Kyle,

    I really loved the work you did on envisioning an energy efficient retorfit and addtion for Uni High's beautiful historic building. Uni will be moving forward in the next five years with a fundraising plan for an expansion and update of our building, and we'd love to be able to consult with some or all of you as we lay that groundwork. 

    Halie, we'd also love to have any current ISD students/staff involved, if there's interest. I'm also CCing our Director of Advancement, Janet Kroenke, who will be in the lead of the fundraising efforts that will make our future building update possible. 

    Please let me know if you'd like to be part of a conversation about drawing on the Uni High Solar Decathalon Design project for our future planning.

    Take care,

    Elizabeth

     

    ___________________ 

     

    Elizabeth Majerus, Ph.D. 

    [She/her] 

    University Laboratory High School

    Provost/VCAA Admin

    University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

    http://www.uni.illinois.edu 

     

    From: White, Morgan

    Sent: Tuesday, August 10, 2021 10:00 AM

    To: Majerus, Elizabeth

    Cc: Gharpure, Prajakta Milind; Kovitz, Kyle Paige; Low, Khee; Davis, Peter; Collins, Halie Jean 

    Subject: RE: Following up with Solar Decathalon Design Team

     

    Hi Elizabeth!

    This is great to hear.  And congratulations on being named the Director.

    I’m copying all the students you named, and the current ISD lead, Halie Collins.  Please let me know if there is anything else I can help with!

     

    Thanks,

    Morgan

     

    ======================================

    MORGAN B. WHITE

    Associate Director of F&S for Sustainability

     

    Facilities & Services | University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

    1501 S Oak Street (MC-800) | Champaign, IL 61820

    fs.illinois.edu/services/sustainability

     

    From: Majerus, Elizabeth

    Sent: Wednesday, August 04, 2021 12:06 PM

    To: White, Morgan 

    Subject: Following up with Solar Decathalon Design Team

     

    Hi Morgan,

     

    I'm interested in following up on the wonderful Solar Decathalon project that the student design team presented on in May 2020. This was something that I had hoped to do during the 2020-21 school year, but the pandemic really shifted my expectations and task list. 

    I wondered if you might have contact information for any of the students who worked on the Uni project. Prajakta Gharpure, Khee Kim Low, Peter Davis, Kyle Kovitz were the students who presented that day.

    We are hoping to stay in our present Uni building, and ideas like those that these students shared are an inspiration for what might be possible in terms of the greater space and updated infrastructure we'll need to sustain our school.

    Thanks for any help you can offer on this.

     

    Take care,

    Elizabeth

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