MCSI Co-Director Named Special Assistant to the Provost
 The Office of the Provost announced on September 30th that Dr. Melissa Bilec has accepted her appointment by Dr. Ann Cudd as Special Assistant to the Provost for Sustainability. In this role, Dr. Bilec will guide the advancement of sustainability programs within research and academics throughout the University, and will be essential in shaping Pitt's future as a sustainability-focused institution. MCSI would like to congratulate Dr. Bilec for being selected to serve in this key role.
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How Does a Knee Replacement Impact the Planet?
The University of Pittsburgh's School of Medicine and Dr. Melissa Bilec in the Mascaro Center have collaborated to assess the environmental impact associated with orthopedic surgery, a waste-heavy and energy-intensive sector of healthcare. The review paper is co-authored by Dr. Melissa Bilec, the Co-Director of MCSI. Read Swanson Engineering's news release.
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MCSI's Outreach Endeavors
MCSI has had a busy start to the academic year! The Center has engaged in multiple campus and community outreach efforts this Fall, including jointly hosting a student tour of Phipps Conservatory with the Frederick Honors College and tabling at multiple Activities Fairs. These events have created opportunities for engagement and spread awareness of MCSI’s mission and resources within Pitt’s student community. As more events take place, we will continue to update you on MCSI’s outreach endeavors on campus!
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Pitt Food Recovery Surpasses 100,000 Pounds of Rescued Food
The joint efforts of university institution Pitt Eats and student group Food Recovery Heroes have allowed Pitt to recover a total of 116,833 pounds of surplus food as of April 2022. This food, which would otherwise be discarded, is equivalent to approximately 97,360 donated meals. View on-campus food recovery progress on Pitt Sustainability's dashboard.
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Pittsburgh Water Collaboratory to Host SW PA Water Network
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Lucy Klug
B.A., Environmental Studies '22
Former Sustainability Intern
Lucy Klug, following her time as an intern at MCSI and her graduation from Pitt, has accepted a role through AmeriCorps as a Sustainability Specialist for the city of Tacoma, Washington. Her position involves working with the city’s Office of Environmental Policy and Sustainability to implement Tacoma’s Climate Action Plan, as well as increasing environmental awareness throughout the community via outreach events. Lucy plans to attend graduate school after completing her role in Tacoma.
Lucy is thankful for her time spent with MCSI, as it not only helped her develop professional skills, such as public speaking, but also helped her to personally connect with and understand sustainability and its challenges. She appreciates the efforts that MCSI has made to progress sustainability both on campus and throughout Pittsburgh and is beyond grateful to be an alumna.
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Emily Albrecht
B.S., Psychology '22
Former Community Engagement Intern
Emily Albrecht, following her graduation from Pitt, continued to work through the summer as an MCSI intern where she coordinated service projects for participants of the Center’s Undergraduate Summer Research Program. She then began a role in August as a Sustainability Analyst for BNY Mellon. Her position involves assisting the firm in achieving its sustainability goals and helping to complete various sustainability-based projects.
Emily is grateful for both her time spent working with MCSI and the educational background that it provided her with. Her experience as an Undergraduate Researcher in 2021 gave her the opportunity to apply the knowledge gained from her Psychology major to real-world sustainability problems; likewise, her time as a Community Engagement Intern developed her professional skills, including problem-solving, networking, and project management, all while serving the Pittsburgh community as an environmental steward.
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2022 Undergraduate Sustainability Research Concludes
MCSI’s annual Undergraduate Summer Research Program took place this summer, successfully connecting twenty-six students to sustainability-based research projects which span a variety of academic disciplines. Research topics ranged from studying the impacts of salvage logging to determining how water-saving showerheads affect human health. Students presented their research and findings at the Undergraduate Summer Research Symposium, which was held on July 25th and 26th. Student-made video summaries of select projects, which were displayed at the Symposium, can be found on Pitt Sustainability’s YouTube Channel.
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This research video summary was created by Molly Draper, who was voted as one of the top presenters at this summer's Undergraduate Summer Research Symposium.
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Welcome, New MCSI Interns!
MCSI would like to give a warm welcome to its two new Sustainability Interns, Grace Fanning and Elaina Geiger, and its two new Community Engagement Interns, Emily Hoag and Sophia Lex! Their pictures and biographies are below.
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Grace Fanning is a senior pursuing majors in Environmental Studies and Urban Studies as well as achieving the Sustainability Certificate. They are co-captain of the rugby team, and they also volunteer with the Plant2Plate garden on campus. They have previously been involved with the Green Team at Pitt as both a member and a leader. In their free time, they like to listen to music, cook, and go thrift shopping.
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Elaina Geiger is a senior majoring in Environmental Engineering and pursuing a certificate in Sustainability. She is currently the Sustainability committee chair for Epsilon Eta and recently participated in the Student Undergraduate Research Internship (SURI) program with her research on bacteria in Pittsburgh's water distribution system. In her free time, Elaina loves reading, hiking, and spending as much time outdoors as possible!
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Emily Hoag is a junior majoring in Environmental Science with minors in Environmental Engineering and Political Science. She loves to be outdoors and go hiking and exploring in her free time. She hopes to visit all of the national parks one day!
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Sophia Lex is a junior Environmental Engineer with a focus on Sustainability and Engineering for Humanity. She wishes to use her engineering background to help people and the planet, which is why she has involved herself with both the Mascaro Center and the ScholarCHEF community as an intern!
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International Students Visit Pitt to Learn About Sustainability
 MCSI, with the assistance of the Student Office of Sustainability, had the opportunity this summer to host a group of students from Konan University, an institution based in Kobe, Japan. The students were participants in one of Pitt’s cultural exchange programs, Imagining Global Cities of the Future, developed by Dr. Elizabeth Oyler and funded by MCSI and UCIS’s Global Engagement in Sustainability Grant. The visit included a tour of Pitt’s campus, which highlighted its sustainable infrastructure, and a trip to Oasis Farm and Fishery, where the group learned about sustainable urban agriculture practices.
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Engineering & Sustainability Education in Guam
 This summer, Dr. David Sanchez, the Assistant Director of MCSI, accompanied a group of engineering students in Guam for two weeks as a part of Pitt’s study-abroad program, Engineering Sustainable Design and Innovation in Island Nations. The students learned about sustainable engineering, 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 history, culture, and politics.
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Faculty & Staff Highlights
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MCSI Co-Director Featured in Pitt Magazine
 The circular economy expertise of Dr. Melissa Bilec, the Co-Director of MCSI, was recently highlighted by Pitt Magazine in their Spring 2022 issue. The profile piece discusses her journey as an engineer and visions for sustainable development. Read the article here.
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"An economy designed around reuse, Bilec says, is more important than ever, because it can help combat two urgent global challenges: climate change and the brittleness of supply chains."
-Patrick Monahan, Pitt Magazine
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MCSI-Associated Faculty Discusses Pittsburgh's Potential for Hydrogen Power
Dr. Götz Veser, a Nickolas DeCecco Professor of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering and a researcher associated with MCSI, participated as a panelist in a discussion regarding the benefits and challenges of hydrogen power and its viability as an industry in the Pittsburgh region. The panel, which included representatives from Duquesne Light Company and Babst Calland, was hosted by the Allegheny Conference on Community Development. View the Pittsburgh Business Times report.
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Pitt Staff Recognized by New Pittsburgh Courier, Pittsburgh Magazine
Jennifer Barnes, the University of Pittsburgh’s Supplier Diversity and Sustainability Coordinator, has been recognized both as a Pittsburgh Magazine 40 Under 40 and New Pittsburgh Courier Fab 40 due to the impact that her work has had in the region. Her role focuses on advancing socially and environmentally responsible purchasing practices at the University. On behalf of MCSI, congratulations, Jennifer!
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MCSI Annual Report Published
 We are thrilled to announce the publication of the Mascaro Center for Sustainable Innovation 2021 Annual Report! The report highlights MCSI's sustainability achievements throughout the 2021-22 academic year, including those in research, education, and engagement. Read the publication here. |
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The Office of Sustainability is Hiring!
 Pitt’s Office of Sustainability is seeking candidates for its full-time Sustainability Engagement Manager position. If you are passionate about sustainable waste reduction and have an interest in furthering Pitt’s culture of sustainability through student and faculty engagement, this role is for you! Learn more and apply. |
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Thank you so much for reading.
Look for us in your inbox in Winter!
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