Stream Restoration and Student Engagement at the EREC Field Station Near Campus
Approved: 8/19/2018
Funding Amount: $36,796
This funding is to help restore a stream at UK’s in-town field station, the Ecological Research and Education Center (EREC; on Russell Cave Road near the city’s Northside Branch Library), to enhance student learning opportunities during and after the restoration. The SSC's funding for this project is to remove honeysuckle along the stream, to return the area to native plants in an effort to protect native vegetation in the region.
Make UK POP
Approved: 8/19/2018
Funding Amount: $3056
The “Make UK POP” (pass on plastic) campaign is a collaborative effort between UK Sustainability, UK Dining, and UK Recycling to reduce students’ consumption of single use plastic items (SUPIs) by distributing large quantities of aluminum water bottles, canvas tote bags, and metal straws. Additionally, this campaign will serve as a platform for an undergraduate research project that seeks to understand how the distribution of these non-plastic items impact students’ behavior towards and use of SUPIs.
Increasing Student Activism Engagement for Sustainability
Approved: 8/19/2018
Funding Amount: $3590
This project encompasses two elements: short-term and long-term student engagement with justice organizations focused on sustainability. Short-term engagement involves hosting two involvement fair events hosted by USAS, GT, and Divest UK which will focus on connecting new and returning UK students to activism and sustainability on campus. The first involvement fair event is during K week called the ‘2018 Activism Social’ and will be advertised as an opportunity to connect with the activist community at UK and surrounding Lexington. Many of the organizations participating are directly involved in sustainability work and those that are not partner organizations supporting efforts for sustainability on campus. The second event will be hosted in early Fall and will be the third annual environmentally focused involvement fair hosted by Greenthumb.
UK SSC Internal Proposal
Approved: 8/19/2018
Funding Amount: $10573
This proposal combines many of the regularly funded SSC proposals into one large proposal including outreach materials for the SSC, the AASHE conference, and the Spring Retreat. The outreach materials include the following giveaway items: 10 solar power banks, 10 SSC hammocks, and 200 portable cutlery sets. These quantities can be adjusted as the council sees fit. AASHE is a conference dedicated to facilitating collaboration and communication among students, faculty, and staff at institutions of higher learning who are working towards the promotion of sustainability on their respective campuses. Students who attend this conference will have the opportunity to network with and learn from professionals for whom sustainability is an important or even primary part of their career. The Spring Retreat will serve as an opportunity for new and existing council members alike to develop their relationships with each other and learn more about how to be an effective member of the SSC in a less formal setting than meetings held during the year.
Student Perceptions of Pollinator Conservation in the Context of Sustainability
Approved: 8/19/2018
Funding Amount: $500
The decline of honeybees is a well-known and serious topic and has broad effects on multiple industries and ecosystem health. While honey bees remain the focus of providing pollination services, other pollinating insects are also essential to plant reproduction. Their populations are declining, too. Student Perceptions of Campus Sustainability and Pollinator Initiatives seeks to answer questions pertaining to sustainability efforts and the attitudes of undergraduate and graduate students on the University of Kentucky’s campus. The questions in this survey will allow students to assess their own knowledge of various sustainability initiatives, both on campus and in their own lives. Asking about knowledge and opinions regarding honeybees and other pollinators can determine college students’ stance on pollinator decline, a unique topic that has yet to be thoroughly explored.
Lab Savings Energy Initiative
Approved: 9/11/2018
Funding Amount: $800
International Society of Pharmaceutical Engineers (ISPE) developed this laboratory energy saving initiative in order to significantly reduce energy consumption in University of Kentucky labs and with the potential to save thousands of dollars per year. Most pharmacy and chemical engineering labs at UK have fume hoods, which allow the researcher to perform potentially hazardous work in an enclosed space. The goal of this project is to encourage individuals to keep the fume hood sash closed when it is not in use. U.S. Federal Energy Management Program and UC Davis created an 18-inch vertical sticker with a red to green gradient design to encourage sash closure. ISPE's initiative involved purchasing these stickers as well and work with all of the labs in the Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering and College of Pharmacy to implement them Fall 2018.
Bottle Filling Station Partnership
Approved: 9/11/2018
Funding Amount: $15,000
In 2010, student managers from the Cats Den in the Student Center led an effort to have bottle filling stations installed in the UK Student Center. In 2011-2012 the SSC provided funding that led to the installation of 17 additional stations on campus. 8 of these were installed in the Whitehall Classroom Building and 9 others were installed in various campus buildings when existing fountains needed to be replaced including 3 in the WTY Library. In 2012-2013 and 2013-2014 the SSC provided funding to continue expanding access to these units. Fast forward a few years, and the bottle filling stations have been integrated with our new construction standards and Student Government is funding the installation of 12 more fountains at WTY Library. This project establishes a pool of funds that can be used to support the installation of 10-15 fountains this year in targeted locations where students frequent with no bottle filling station nearby.
Farmbot.Wildcats Startup
Approved: 10/23/2018
Funding Amount: $853
The purpose of this project is for students to explore automation and robotic technology through Farmbot – a hardware and software platform that allows for garden growing automation. Members explore automation through Arduino and Raspberry Pi electronics, beginner-intermediate coding, agriculture/horticulture practices, and engineering. The organization also hopes to grow and donate crops for the community’s non-profit charities dedicated to hunger, through Farmbot.
Student Sustainability Council Proposal Workshop
Approved: 10/23/2018
Funding Amount: $400
The Student Sustainability Council (SSC) held a workshop to educate the campus community about the SSC, how to apply for funding, and how their projects can be turned into a reality with the support of the SSC.
River Otter Research (Part II): Photo-Lab
Approved: 10/23/2018
Funding Amount: $5,000
The first goal for this project is to use stereoscopes to describe the diet of a newly reintroduced population of river otters. The project participants will be documenting and cataloging scales and bones of multiple fish species in the Rio Grande River; this could be used in future research (i.e. diet, population estimates, and presence/absence of rare species). This project will also potentially create a program using imaging software that could aid in identifying scales, this program will be available after publication. Ideally, this photo lab will be made available, by reservation, to students who would like to document their projects and gain new skills while doing so. These microscopes include cameras and software that has measurement software and will orient pictures in the same direction.
Summer Sustainability Research Fellows
Approved: 11/6/2018
Funding Amount: $15,500
This funding provided three summer internships in undergraduate research related to sustainability at the University of Kentucky for $2,500 each. It also provided funding for three students to complete sustainability-related research at other institutions within the US as well with stipends of $3,000--providing an additional $500 for travel.
Soil to Table and Back: Empowering Students through Food Literacy
Approved: 11/6/2018
Funding Amount: $5,000
The goal of “Soil to Table and Back: Empowering Students Through Food Literacy” is to equip individuals with the tools needed to experience and understand the full lifecycle of food, creating a culture of food literacy on UK’s campus and in the Lexington community.
UK Solar Car: Gato del Sol VI
Approved: 11/6/2018
Funding Amount: $13,000
The UK Solar Car Team (UKSC) promotes the use and advancement of alternative energy throughout the Bluegrass community. The funding of this project allows for UKSC to take test the vehicle at the Kentucky Speedway and also allows for UKSC and the student members to travel to the annual Formula Sun Grand Prix in 2019.
Students Participating in Outreach and Research for Environmental Sustainability
Approved: 12/4/2018
Funding Amount: $8,580
This funding allows for an undergraduate researcher to continue her work with UK's Center for Applied Energy Research (CAER). This research involves the conversion of cooking oils into biofuels. It also helped fund some the materials needed to continue the experiments.
Horticulture Club Sustainable Native Plant Production
Approved: 12/4/2018
Funding Amount: $5,000
The funding for this project is for a production/overwintering structure for producing native herbaceous plants. Native plant production for the Horticulture club is an on-going project with students continually involved with the propagation, production and establishment of selected plants. Cold temperature is an integral part of the natural growing cycles of many native plants. The seeds of many species require cold temperatures to relieve seed dormancy and permit germination. Native perennial plants can also require a period of winter temperatures to initiate flowering. However, open nursery conditions are often harsh and have frequent temperature fluctuations that cause problems with a native plant’s ability to overwinter. The proposed overwintering/production structure will provide a protected environment to give plants their needed period of cold and in some cases expand the period plants are available for planting.
Pick It Up Campaign Incentives
Approved: 12/4/2018
Funding Amount: $1,420
Pick It Up is a campus-wide campaign housed within the UK Office of Sustainability with the goal of eliminating litter on campus. This campaign has been developed to support and recognize the outstanding work UK Grounds does on a daily basis, help keep UK campus beautiful and prevent litter from reaching local waterways. Pick It Up does this through an Adopt-A-Spot program in which teams composed of campus organization members, sororities/fraternities or groups of friends choose one of fourteen zones on campus and participate in at least three monthly cleanups of their adopted zone during the spring semester. The funding for this project was used for incentives for participating teams.
Appalachian Research Symposium
Approved: 12/4/2018
Funding Amount: $1,038
Established a decade ago, the UK Graduate Appalachian Research Community (GARC) has worked to foster a supportive community in which students, community members, and academics from various disciplines and backgrounds can learn from one another’s findings, discuss research obstacles and successes, and identify opportunities for collaboration. As an official University of Kentucky student organization, GARC has worked tirelessly to promote an interdisciplinary dialogue on Appalachian research in Kentucky and beyond. In recognition of the tenth anniversary of GARC, this year’s theme GARC at 10: Interdisciplinary Dialogues on Appalachian Research & Community seeks to reconcile the past and future of the Appalachian region and Appalachian scholarship. Particularly, GARC aims to explore the complex relationship among interdisciplinary learning, participation, and advocacy in the Appalachian region while exploring possibilities for an engaged, collaborative, future.
Dimensions of Political Ecology Conference
Approved: 1/12/19
Funding Amount: $4,000
The Dimensions of Political Ecology Conference (DOPE) has grown into a highly-regarded conference that draws international participation from distinguished scholars, while also providing a much-needed space for engagement by community-based practitioners and young graduate and undergraduate scholars. The field of political ecology investigates the interaction of economic, environmental, and social processes, with a special focus on the power dynamics influencing how benefits and negative impacts are distributed in any given space.
UFI TreeCATS
Approved: 1/12/19
Funding Amount: $11,100
This element of UFI’s work, proposed herein, is very specifically targeted to providing UK students with desired exposure to and training in urban and community forestry. This is a rapidly growing field with many applications, all of which address sustainability issues from the ground up. The TreeCATs workshop component will provide 12 students with training that they can note on resumes and knowledge they can use to leverage future career opportunities. The internship element will benefit two students who will gain experience in urban tree ID, tree mapping, quantification of ecosystem benefits provided by urban trees, and professional work skills including report writing.
Sustainability of Wildlife Rehabilitiation
Approved: 1/29/19
Funding Amount: $1,000
The two-week Amazon Veterinary Service Program is based at AmaZOOnico, a wildlife rescue center located in the Ecuadorian Amazon rainforest that rehabilitates, reintroduces, and cares for animals who are victims of wildlife trafficking. In addition to learning about the animals of the Amazon and their conservation and care, you’ll also help to put on a free medical clinic for dogs and cats of the local community and get a chance to explore some of the most popular sites of Quito and Tena on this Ecuador adventure.
UK Recycling Resources Map
Approved: 1/29/19
Funding Amount: $397
For this project, a UK Recycling Intern is creating an interactive map that displays all second hand stores, repair centers, and donation drop off locations in Lexington. This map will be a very useful resource for any individual that has questions on how to reduce their consumptive habits by fixing what they have, donating their items rather than throwing them away, and shopping second hand. The intern is compiling the data and the UK IT department will create the map so that it is consistent with other UK online interactive maps.
Sustainability Challenge Grant Partnership Year 6
Approved: 1/29/19
Funding Amount: $33,333
The purpose of the program is to engage multidisciplinary teams from the University community in the creation and implementation of ideas that will promote sustainability by simultaneously advancing economic vitality, ecological integrity and social equity. Each project addresses this charge in different ways. More information about the 33 projects selected for funding in the first five years of the partnership is available here: https://www.uky.edu/sustainability/sustainability-challenge-grants
Farm to Fork
Approved: 1/29/19
Funding Amount: $7,400
“Farm-to-Fork: Free Locally Sourced Lunch for Wildcats” focuses on utilizing this multidimensional, interdisciplinary approach to address campus food security. During the fall of 2018, over 1,400 meals were served to 575 students. 65% of students participating in survey research of Farm-to-Fork program experience food insecurity while a majority of those students reported a decrease in level of stress related to food access as well as an increased sense of belonging, motivation to purchase local foods, and access to healthful foods. In addition to serving students meals, 70 student volunteers, dedicated nearly 400 hours of their time to help cook and serve meals to their peers in Fall 2018. Through the partnership with Campus Kitchen at the University of Kentucky (CKUK), Big Blue Pantry, and SSTOP Hunger, Farm-to-Fork is able to sustainably source meals, recruit volunteers, and reach students in need.
MIT Energy Conference
Approved: 2/12/19
Funding Amount: $4,707
The MIT Energy Conference is the largest student led conference in the United States and it will take place in Boston, MA. The conference will provide these students with an opportunity to learn about different ways to improve and promote sustainability on the University of Kentucky’s campus. The objectives of this project are to network with the most successful energy clubs in the country, gather ideas that directly impact campus sustainability, and ensure the continuity of the University of Kentucky’s Energy Club.
AIAS Midwest Quad
Approved: 2/12/19
Funding Amount: $3,837
UK AIAs has won the bid to host the AIAs Midwest Quad conference out of the 33 schools with architecture programs in the region. The conference will inform attendees on principles of sustainable design and sustainable practice through its lectures, breakout sessions, and discussions. The conference will additionally aim to inspire students to look on an interdisciplinary scope.
SSC Webform Update
Approved: 2/12/19
Funding Amount: $373
This project will help improve the function of the SSC application process. Currently, there are issues with the webform that need to be addressed in order to make the process smoother for those applying for funding. We would like to add a history page for each submission so we can see when and how each application was changed. Improving the webform will help improve the overall function of the SSC which will allow for a more efficient impact on the three pillars of sustainability.
Sustainable Agriculture Capstone Trip
Approved: 2/26/19
Funding Amount: $2,000
This proposal is to provide partial funding to help cover the expenses for 10 students that will participate in this semester’s study tour, which will take place during spring break. The purpose of the tours is to immerse the students in a very intensive experience that informs their thoughts processes based on touring successful farms and other agricultural systems. After returning from the study tour students incorporate their newly expanded knowledge into their projects and it is through this process that the impact of the study tour is most recognizable. Therefore, the goal of this proposal is to provide an immersive learning opportunity capable of deeply impacting student understanding to guide the development of meaningful final projects.
LEYO Field Trip
Approved: 2/26/19
Funding Amount: $254
The goal of Lexington Environmental Youth Outreach is to bring sustainable education to students at William Wells Brown Elementary. The project is a field trip for elementary students from LEYO’s afterschool program at William Wells Brown Elementary to FoodChain, a nonprofit in Lexington that focuses on aquaponics, providing fresh food to the community, and educational outreach. They plan to book a private tour for the students of FoodChain’s indoor aquaponics farm. Before the tour, they will have catered breakfast at William Wells Brown and participate in games and activities related to the Foodchain tour content. FoodChain is an excellent, Lexington-based example of all pillars of sustainability and addresses several concepts we have discussed in our lessons.
Sustainability Internship Program 2019-2020
Approved: 2/26/19
Funding Amount: $9,000
The Office of Sustainability is requesting funding from the Student Sustainability Council to continue the sustainability internship program. If approved, the funding would support the fifth year for a more robust and meaningful internship experience for our undergraduate students interested in sustainability. In these roles all student interns, past and present, have promoted the three pillars of sustainability in a range of areas on campus including: campus gardens, transportation, waste reduction, storm water management, energy conservation, education and outreach, urban forests, and the built environment.
Green Office Certification
Approved: 2/26/19
Funding Amount: $603
This project is an outreach program, being developed as a part of an internship with UK Recycling, that will target faculty and staff in an effort to increase the sustainable actions being taken on campus. To engage these groups, a Green Office Certification will be offered, which asks departments to take certain actions toward reducing waste, conserving energy, making ethical purchases, etc. in exchange for being certified as a “Green Office.”
SSC/Office of Sustainability Graduate Assistantship
Approved: 3/19/19
Funding Amount: $12,392
A primary goal of continuing this graduate assistantship is to enhance the student impact of both the SSC and the Office of Sustainability. The SSC, present and future, benefits by having a professional dedicated to researching programmatic change while also providing an increased level of support. It will also benefit from strategic and targeted outreach as many students involved tend to struggle with being available to attend outreach events. This will also benefit the SSC in the future as it will be a concrete plans to be used by future outreach directors. Additionally, the students participating in the Student Sustainability Internship Program will greatly benefit by having the program become more meaningful and useful for them.
Student Sustainability Council 2020 Fall Retreat
Approved: 4/23/19
Funding Amount: $341
The fall retreat will serve as an opportunity for new and existing councilmembers alike to develop their relationships with each other and to learn more about how to be an effective member of the SSC in a less formal setting than meetings that are held during the year. This retreat is critical because it promotes cohesiveness and communication among Council members that will translate to synergy in meetings, committees, and in general Council operation. The requested funds will allow members transportation, meals, and cabin rentals for one night in Robinson Forest.
