Environmental Frontiers brings together University of Chicago faculty, students, and staff to collaborate on finding innovative ways to build a more sustainable future on campus and beyond.
Environmental Frontiers (EF) creates student-faculty research and educational opportunities focused on the intersection of environmental sustainability and urbanization, with the goal of giving UChicago undergraduate students a scientific and practical understanding of sustainable urban development. Spanning the physical, biological, social sciences and the humanities, the initiative complements existing and emerging course curriculum in Environmental and Urban Studies, Environmental Sciences, and other programs.
EF Campus
EFCampus, the campus-based component of the initiative, is a unique research and experiential learning effort. The program supports teams of undergraduate research assistants charged with analyzing campus data, operational systems, and community behaviors to identify actionable recommendations that advance the University’s sustainability goals. All projects are aligned with the University’s sustainability plan, and are mentored by faculty and Facilities Services staff. By using UChicago’s campus as a case study, students are challenged to think deeply about what the data suggests are effective interventions to improve environmental efficiency and reduce consumption.
Faculty Leads
Elisabeth Moyer
Associate Professor, Atmospheric Science
Department of Geophysical Sciences
Sabina Shaikh
Senior Instructional Professor
Committee on Environment, Geography and Urbanization (CEGU)
Student Research Opportunities
EF Campus hires Graduate and Undergraduate Research Assistants throughout the year. Applications are currently closed, and will reopen in 2024.
My role as an EFCampus RA has strongly reaffirmed my curiosity and dedication to environmental issues. Sustainability has been a focal point in my education, early career, and personal life, and I feel more ready than ever to continue down this path.
Program Reports
Read EF Campus end of year program reports to learn more about student research projects driving campus conservation:
Current EFCampus research projects include:
Laboratory Building Energy Analysis and Design
Evaluate the energy performance of UChicago laboratory buildings and develop tools and behavioral campaigns to reduce excess energy use
Project mentors:
- Elisabeth Moyer, Associate Professor of Geophysical Sciences
- Adam D’Ambrosio, Senior Director, Energy Services and Sustainability, Facilities Services
- Sara Popenhagen, Sustainability Manager, Facilities Services
Reports:
Sustainability Dashboards Analysis and Design
Evaluate UChicago’s sustainability dashboards on the basis of transparency, digital accessibility, and usability and develop recommendations to improve and expand sustainability dashboards and reporting to advance the University’s sustainability goals.
Project mentors:
- Elisabeth Moyer, Associate Professor of Geophysical Sciences
- Adam D’Ambrosio, Senior Director, Energy Services and Sustainability, Facilities Services
- Sara Popenhagen, Sustainability Manager, Facilities Services
- Sabina Shaikh, Director of the Program on Global Environment and Senior Lecturer in Environmental and Urban Studies in the College
Reports:
Past EFCampus research projects
Tree Ecosystem Services Analysis (2021)
Evaluate methods to quantify the benefits provided by different tree species in an urban forest, and assess opportunities to optimize ecosystem services to advance the University’s sustainability goals.
Project mentors:
- Alison Anastasio, Assistant Instructional Professor, Environmental and Urban Studies
- Kathleen Golomb, Project Manager, Planning and Design, Facilities Services
Reports
Water Conservation Assessment (2021)
Benchmark current water usage at UChicago, recommending water reduction goals and conservation measures through technological improvements, behavioral methods, and cost-benefit analyses
Project mentors:
- Sabina Shaikh, Director of the Program on Global Environment and Senior Lecturer in Environmental and Urban Studies in the College
- Sara Popenhagen, Sustainability Manager, Facilities Services
- Alfredo Izguerra, Energy Engineer, Facilities Services
Reports:
- Water Reduction Planning (2021)
More about EFCampus:
- Meet our current EFCampus Research Assistants
- Watch the recording of the EFCampus Student Info Session from February 2022
- Watch the recording of the EFCampus Student Project Showcase from Earth Week 2021
- 2020 Press Release: EFCampus Undergraduate Student Researchers Help Improve Sustainability on Campus and Work Towards UChicago Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reduction Goals
To learn more about the University of Chicago’s broader sustainability initiatives, visit sustainability.uchicago.edu.
Environmental Frontiers is an Initiative run by the Mansueto Institute in close partnership with the Committee on Environment, Geography and Urbanization (CEGU), the Center for Robust Decision-making on Climate and Energy Policy (RDCEP), the Office of the Provost, and Facilities Services‘ Office of Sustainability.