This funding supports the purchase of an engine and other car parts to construct a highly fuel-efficient car. As a resource conservation and transportation project, Eco Illini Supermileage is training its team members and spreading sustainability awareness to students from all majors. Through social media and showcase events, Eco Illini Supermileage engages the CU community. The Eco Illini Supermileage experience springboards students’ career development and automotive innovation after graduation.

On October 21, 2017, the Student Sustainability Committee held a voting meeting for Fall 2017 projects. First, the committee approved the scope change for the Illini Bike Share. Next, the committee examined the 34 submitted proposals to select which proposals would get funded, declined, or moved to Step 2. SSC funded seven proposals at this meeting.

On October 10, 2017, the Student Sustainability Committee held a full committee meeting. During this meeting, Lily Wilcock and Morgan White presented the Illini Bike Scope Change. Upcoming events and subcommittees were also discussed.

On September 12, 2017, the Student Sustainability Committee held their first full committee meeting of the Fall 2017 semester. During this meeting, members discussed working group management, professional development opportunities, and upcoming events.

Subsurface (tile) drainage has helped to sustain the productivity of our farm lands by draining excess water from the field. Excess nutrient losses from our tile-drained agricultural fields have contributed to several water quality issues in the region including the formation of hypoxic zone in the Gulf of Mexico. It has been well-documented that tile drain age is responsible for highly soluble nitrate loss but recent studies have demonstrated that it also contributes to dissolved phosphorus loss from the agricultural fields. This project aims to develop ceramic pellets using fly ash and other additives with minimum or no heavy metal leaching. The specific objectives of this proposed research project are to: a) optimize the proportion of fly ash and other additives for high phosphorous removal and limit heavy metal leaching, b) conduct laboratory experiments to analyze the performance of pellet for dissolved phosphorous reduction. This proposal directly funds: 1) Equipment rental and use charges 2) Supplies and Chemicals 3) Student Hourly Labor.

The Illinois Biodiesel Initiative (IBI) converts waste vegetable oil from campus dining halls into biodiesel (intended for campus vehicles) and biosoap (intended for pre-washing in the dining halls), and aims to do so in a financially and environmentally sustainable manner. Currently, Garage and Car Pool, IBI’s largest customer, requires that biodiesel meets the ASTM D6751 standard. This requires frequent quality control testing that would be cost prohibitive for a project of this scale to send to on off-site firm. The equipment funded by SSC through this award will allow students, under faculty guidance, to conduct their own quality control testing at a more economical cost. In addition to the hands-on experience students will gain, this also gives IBI all the tools to be fully financially self-supporting. This proposal directly funds: 1) Equipment for conducting tests 2) Initial reagents and other supplies for the first round of testing.

The Bevier Café is a learning laboratory where FSHN students to get hands on experience running a food service establishment. The funding requested in this application will serve to purchase startup equipment for growing fresh herbs for use in their operation. The goals of this project are two-fold. The first is to produce “hyper-locally” grown fresh herbs to use in food production. Reducing our carbon foot print and aligning with iCAP sustainability goals. The second goal is education for students and the general public. Students will get to experience of a small scale farm to table operation. Students will be heavily involved in developing planting schedules to meet demand, plant care maintenance, and incorporating products into the menu. The public which we serve will not only be able to enjoy the fresh herbs incorporated into our recipes, but will have access to tours and educational information about the project. This proposal directly funds: 1) Indoor grow equipment for herbs 2) Installation costs from Facilities and Services.