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Melissa Bilec Named New MCSI Co-Director
The Mascaro Center for Sustainable Innovation is thrilled to welcome Dr. Melissa Bilec to the leadership team! She will be taking over Eric Beckman’s role of Co-Director and will be working alongside Co-Director Gena Kovalcik. Dr. Beckman will be acquiring the role of Director Emeritus and Chief of Innovation and Translation. Dr. Bilec earned her bachelor’s, master’s, and doctorate from Pitt’s Swanson School of Engineering, and worked closely with the MCSI throughout her academic career. Read more about Dr. Bilec, including her future goals for the MCSI, here.
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Pitt Talks Carbon Neutrality
The Department of Environmental and Occupational Health recently hosted a symposium regarding Pitt’s forthcoming Climate Action Plan on September 17th. Dr. Melissa Bilec, the Co-Director of the MCSI, and Dr. Aurora Sharrard, the Director of Pitt Sustainability, hosted the discussion, which was a part of the Public Health Grand Rounds program. This shared discussion was dedicated to delving into the University’s plan for reaching full carbon neutrality by the year 2037 in an equitable, economically favorable, and academically informative manner, and was open to all faculty and students with an interest in public health.
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Sustainability Achievements Highlighted by Chancellor's Circle
The University of Pittsburgh’s Chancellor’s Circle published an article highlighting the University’s recent AASHE STARS Gold Award acquisition. The article features Aurora Sharrard, Pitt’s Director of Sustainability, and Gena Kovalcik, the Co-Director of the Mascaro Center for Sustainable Innovation. Both have been essential in advancing sustainability at Pitt and provide details on the environmental projects that the University has been working on, as well as their thoughts on Pitt’s STARS achievement and the University’s approach to sustainability as a whole.
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"Sustainability at Pitt is about making a positive difference here on campus, in Pittsburgh, and around the world."
-Aurora Sharrard, Director of Sustainability
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Pitt is a Cool School!
Pitt has been named one of Sierra Magazine’s top 125 “Cool Schools” for 2021. This year’s ranking is 120 places higher than that which the University previously achieved and is the result of Pitt’s recently acquired AASHE STARS Gold Award. The “Cool School” point system not only considers an institution’s STARS rating, but also factors in the Sierra Club’s priorities for sustainable innovation by giving more weight to certain STARS points; for instance, those related to energy, climate, air, and transportation are weighted heavier than others when calculating a school's score. As the University continues to progress its sustainability efforts, we hope to see Pitt’s ranking soar even higher!
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One Million Square Feet of LEED-Certified Space and Counting
The Graduate School of Public Health, thanks to recent renovations, has become Pitt’s fifteenth LEED-certified building. As a result, the University now possesses over one million square feet of Leadership in Energy and Environment Design, or LEED-certified spaces. It doesn’t stop there; Pitt has plans for obtaining over a dozen other green building certifications in the near future. The globally-recognized LEED system is used to assess the environmental impact of buildings, and prioritizes the  construction of sustainable, energy-efficient, and cost-effective spaces. Out of the four certification levels, the Graduate School for Public health obtained the Silver ranking. All of the University's LEED-certified buildings can be viewed here.
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 Kacy McGill
Bachelor of Applied Science in Biology, 2015
Kacy has had a massive impact on the Pittsburgh community both during and after their time at Pitt. While serving as the Student Government Board Environmental Chair, they were able to initiate several long-lasting sustainability initiatives at the University: they passed the Real Food Initiative, assisted in founding the Student Office of Sustainability, laid the framework for Clutter for a Cause, established both the University of Thriftsburgh and the Pitt Farmers' Market, and was one of the founders of the Fossil Free Pitt Coalition. Since their graduation, they have been named one of Pittsburgh Magazine's "40 Under 40" honorees for their role as Co-Director of the Pittsburgh Restaurant Workers Aid, which they founded alongside Pitt alum Taylor Stessney (Master of Public Administration, 2017). This mutual aid organization has worked tirelessly to provide low-income restaurant workers with household essentials, and took action immediately after restaurants began to implement COVID restrictions in March of 2020. The MCSI is thrilled to be featuring such an accomplished alum and cannot wait to see what Kacy achieves next!
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Going Global: Sustainability Education in Guam
This past summer, Dr. David Sanchez, the Assistant Director of the MCSI, and a group of engineering students travelled to Guam for two weeks in order to learn about sustainable engineering and design, as well as the unique environmental and economic challenges that engineers face when working on a small island. Students were also given the opportunity to learn more about Guam's culture, history, and political structures.
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"The trip to Guam was an extraordinarily immersive experience. We had the chance to become acquainted with the people, the language, and the culture of the CHamoru people in Guam while learning about, and having the opportunity to design solutions to, the unique challenges posed by engineering in an island environment. I made new friends, ate delicious food, and had a lot of fun, all while growing my skills as an engineer."
-Heather Phillips, Civil and Environmental Engineering
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Another Summer, Another Successful Research Program
 2021 was a significant year for the MCSI's Undergraduate Summer Research Program, as this summer’s participants were the largest, most academically diverse group of students that the program has ever seen.
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Students presented their research and findings at the virtual Undergraduate Summer Research Symposium, which was held from July 26th to July 28th. The presentations from this summer’s symposium, as well as the list of research projects and their student pairings, can be found on the MCSI’s website. Thank you and congratulations to our participants!
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Welcome, MCSI Interns!
The Mascaro Center for Sustainable Innovation would like to give a warm welcome to its three new student interns: Emily Albrecht, Jessica Gondak, and Lucy Klug! Their pictures and biographies are below.
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Emily Albrecht is a senior majoring in Psychology, pursuing minors in Economics and Applied Statistics, and getting a certificate in Sustainability. At Pitt, Emily has been a part of Residence Life, participated in the MCSI Summer Research program, and serves as an officer for the Hydroponics Club. In her free time, Emily enjoys reading, rock climbing, bullet journaling, and spending time outside. Emily will lead community engagement efforts in Homewood with the Oasis Project and Hydroponics Club.
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Lucy Klug is a senior majoring in Environmental Studies and pursuing a certificate in Sustainability. She is the President of Epsilon Eta. In her free time, she enjoys bike riding and hammocking in various parks around Pittsburgh! Lucy will lead our First Year Presentations, help with student engagement, and maintain our social media accounts.
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Jessica Gondak is a sophomore and is currently pursuing both an undergraduate degree in Chemistry and a certificate in Sustainability. She is from State College, Pennsylvania. In her free time, she enjoys listening to podcasts, tending to her houseplants, and spending time with her cat. Jess will be writing our seasonal alumni newsletter and helping with edits to the website.
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Thank You, Anna!
 As Emily, Jessica, and Lucy take up their new roles, the Mascaro Center would like to thank its previous student intern, Anna Coleman, for her abundance of hard work and her dedication to the MCSI and Pitt Sustainability. Her assistance has been vital to the MCSI's success over the past three years, and we are all eager to see what she achieves as she continues her sustainability journey. Anna has taken on a position with Pittsburgh United as an Environmental Justice Coalition Organizer. On behalf of the Mascaro Center for Sustainable Innovation, good luck, Anna! |
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Post-Gazette Faculty Features
Three University of Pittsburgh staff members were featured in an article released by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette last month. Dr. Michael Blackhurst, the Co-Director of the Urban and Regional Analysis Program, and Dr. Kent Harries, a professor of civil and environmental engineering, were both quoted regarding their perspectives on how Pittsburgh’s infrastructure will withstand the test of climate change, and expressed concerns about the increased strain that will  eventually be placed upon the power grid as temperatures rise. Dr. Harries also spoke about the issue of heat causing bridges to collapse. Dr. Melissa Bilec, the Co-Director for the Mascaro Center for Sustainable Innovation, was also recognized in the article for the MCSI’s release of a map of Pittsburgh’s commercial energy use.
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Kicking Off the Green Speakeasy Series
The MCSI will be hosting its first Virtual Green Speakeasy Presentation of the season on October 19th! The event will feature Sara Eckhouse, whose organization, Foodshot, is dedicated to providing funding to researchers who are dedicated to innovating various current food systems in order to sustain the planet's growing population. Find the link to register for this event here, or read about the MCSI's past Green Speakeasy events here.
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Civic Action Week 2021
The Offices of Engagement and Community Affairs and PittServes have released their full schedule of events for Civic Action Week, which will be taking place both in-person and virtually from October 4th to October 9th. This year's theme is "Dialogue, Deliberation, and Disruption." The list of events, which includes programs focusing on environmental justice, as well as more information about the program, can be found on the Civic Action Week website. Registration forms for events, along with their descriptions, can be found here.
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Thank you so much for reading.
See you in the Winter!
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