Sustainability Commons^™

How Do More Diverse Plantings Lead To More Carbon Accrual In Soil?, Haley Rose Wills, Kaylee Grace Duncan, Alexander Constantin Mazareanu

Student Scholar Symposium

No abstract provided.

Environmental, Social, And Governance (Esg) Teaching Resources For Use In Any Accounting Class, Misty Newby

Student Scholar Symposium

With current and future Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) reporting regulations, industry pressures, and stakeholder expectations, many organizations integrate ESG goals into business strategy. To aid accounting faculty in their goal of preparing students with the knowledge, skills, and abilities to create, review, and audit ESG reports, this flexible, three-part ESG teaching module can be used in whole or in part in any accounting course. This teaching resource provides lecture files (Google Slides), lecture notes, and student assignments and can be scaled up or down to fit the lecture needs. Topics covered in the modules include Sustainability, Climate Change, and …

Importance Of Sustainability Within Children’S Hospitals, Ashley Newby

Student Scholar Symposium

Author: Ashley Newby

Presentation Type: Poster

Faculty Mentor: G. Dodd Galbreath

Discipline: Sustainability and Pediatric Nursing

Importance of Sustainability within Children’s Hospitals

Sustainability is an important aspect of every environment that one encounters. For pediatric patients entering a children’s hospital, it is probably not something that is important and at the top of their list when looking for healthcare. However, sustainable children’s hospitals have not only their patients as their first priority, but they also take the earth into account. Some might not realize that they are walking into a sustainable children’s hospital unless someone tells them.

Topics include:

-Look …

Innovation In Circular Products For Healthy People, Planet, And Profit, Allison Golata, Misty Newby, Audrey Roberts, Dodd Galbreath

Student Scholar Symposium

Innovation in Circular Products for Healthy People, Planet, and Profit In our consumer-driven economy, companies tend to prioritize manufacturing efficiency to keep up with demand. While current practices can create short-term profits, there are financial and non-financial impacts on people, the planet, and profit. Innovation in circular products can create a win-win for businesses and consumers while meeting the needs of today and promoting future success. In this session, we will discuss the impact of current business processes and consumer practices on people, planet, and profit; explore how circular products can create long-term, sustainable value for business by designing products …

Indigenizing Aquaculture: In Pursuit Of An Integrated Multi-Trophic Aquaculture System For Enhanced Self-Sufficiency In Akaroa Harbour, Aotearoa New Zealand, Cali R. Trainor

Capstone Collection

This study assessed the feasibility of integrating two pre-existing aquaculture activities in Akaroa Harbour, Aotearoa New Zealand into an integrated multi-trophic aquaculture (IMTA) system. The cultivation of giant kelp (Macrocystis pyrifera) presents an opportunity to improve the sustainability of Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) farming by introducing alternative food sources for salmon, which can be used to produce fish feed locally, enhancing the self-sufficiency of the community and boosting the holistic efficiency of the system. Macroinvertebrates residing in giant kelp wrack were collected, identified, and quantified to determine if any of the Macrocystis-associated specimens could serve as …

Decarbonizing California Wine: Navigating Scope 3 Emissions Challenges And Opportunities, Olivia Regalia

Master's Projects and Capstones

Climate change is already impacting the California wine industry through increases in extreme weather, such as prolonged heatwaves and atmospheric rivers. For the industry to survive, it is important for California wineries to mitigate the effects of climate change and adapt to current and future impacts. Scope 3 greenhouse gas emissions (i.e., emissions generated throughout the supply chain) from glass packaging make up 29% of a typical California winery's carbon footprint, representing both the largest Scope 3 climate impact and greatest opportunity for reductions. This research examined key factors shaping California wineries’ Scope 3 emissions reductions efforts. A mixed-methods approach …

Investigating The Effect Of Kcl Stress In Raphanus Sativus, Mason P. Oelke

ATU Honors Projects

Potassium is an essential macronutrient for plant growth and development, yet excessive potassium fertilization can induce salt stress with detrimental consequences for crop productivity and nutritional quality. Despite its agricultural relevance, potassium chloride induced stress remains significantly understudied compared to classical sodium-based salinity. This thesis investigates the physiological, biochemical, and molecular responses of Raphanus sativus to KCl stress using an integrated approach that combines germination assays, mineral profiling, and gene expression analysis.

Radish seeds were exposed to increasing KCl concentrations (0–400 mM) with or without melatonin, TEA, or EDTA. Germination percentage, fresh and dry biomass, and early seedling vigor were …

Advancing Sustainable Co2 Mitigation: Experimental And Computational Analysis Of Thermal Carbon Chitosan Sorbent For Automotive Exhaust Capture, Dalia A. Ali Dr., Amir Ahmed Elgamal Eng., Rania Rushdy Moussa Dr.

Chemical Engineering

This study investigated the efficiency of thermal carbon chitosan (TCCS) sorbent for CO2 capture from vehicle exhaust emissions within a designed adsorption system. TCCS was synthesized and meticulously characterized using a series of analytical techniques, including Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) surface area analysis, Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray Diffraction (XRD), Ther- mogravimetric Analysis (TGA), Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDX), and Differential Scanning Calo- rimetry (DSC). The TCCS adsorbent showed high thermal stability and a heating value (HHV) of 23.5 MJ/kg. Adsorption isotherm study demonstrated that the maximum capacity of CO2 adsorption is 0.084 kg.CO2/kg. TCCS, as well …

Citizen's Rare Plant Watch 2025 Recap, Nora Dunkirk

Rae Selling Berry Seed Bank and Plant Conservation Program

Citizen's Rare Plant Watch (CRPW) is a community science program which takes volunteers out to visit populations of rare and threatened Oregon native plant species. Volunteers assess their health and viability, update the Oregon Biodiversity Information Center (ORBIC) state database for rare species, and help contribute to data driven management decisions throughout the state. Housed at Portland State University, this program is open to the public and attracts plant lovers from diverse backgrounds. Each spring, CRPW trains volunteers on methods of data collection, and this year we implemented new technology using Survey123 to streamline population assessments. We focus on species …

Environmental Risk Assessment Of Textile Waste From Bio-Engineered Fibers In The Fashion Industry, Aayush Pankaj Agarwal, Harshit Soral, Irmak Aktan, Karol Montserrat Gonzalez Saad, Maria Daniela Saa Espinosa, Sheetal Suhas Dhanuka, Yi Yang

Harrisburg University Dissertations and Theses

The global fashion industry generates over 92 million tons of textile waste annually, a figure projected to increase significantly by 2030. Bio-engineered fibers, including bacterial cellulose, mycelium-based leather, and recombinant protein textiles emerge as sustainable alternatives to conventional fibers. Despite their promise, recent evidence suggests that these fibers may pose environmental risks at the end-of-life stage, such as incomplete biodegradation in landfills, microfiber shedding, and chemical leaching from dyes and coatings. The purpose of this study is to examine how these risks are represented through scientific literature, corporate sustainability reports, and policy frameworks, and to identify strategies for integrating risk …

Developing A Waste-To-Energy Assessment Framework Integrating Engineering And Policy Dimensions Using A Triple Bottom Line Approach, Izech Brian O. Edwin, King Harold A. Recto

Electronics, Computer, and Communications Engineering Faculty Publications

The management of municipal solid waste (MSW) in swiftly urbanizing Philippine cities has emerged as a critical concern in both energy and governance. Dependence on landfills is approaching critical thresholds as disposal sites near saturation, transportation costs escalate, and host communities increasingly resist garbage transfers. In response, this study proposes a comprehensive Waste-to-Energy (WtE) assessment framework that integrates engineering evaluation with policy and stakeholder analysis to support sustainable decision- making.

Using Baguio City as a case study, the framework applies a Triple Bottom Line (TBL) approach to evaluate three waste management scenarios: (1) current landfill-dominated practices, (2) engineered landfill with …

The Price Of Priorities: How Human Choices Fuel Climate And Ecological Decline, Keisha Hickman

Biological Sciences Undergraduate Honors Theses

This thesis examines the ways in which human priorities and behaviors contribute to the escalating climate crisis and ecological systems. We will first analyze the role of social media in shaping public discourse on climate change and critically evaluate the priorities of institutions that have the means to assist in wildlife conservation. Both speak to the current behaviors of humankind prioritizing their own entertainment over meaningful efforts to mitigate climate change and preserve biodiversity. We will then shift to exploring the profound impact of human population growth and its associated activities on other species and ecosystems. Finally, the thesis will …

A Comparative Analysis Of Complete Streets And Multimodal Transport Approaches: Implications For Sustainable Urban Mobility In Lincoln, And Global Contexts, Oliva Richard Kilyenyi

Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Movement of people and goods in urban areas through different modes of transportation including walking, cycling, public transit and by autos is termed as urban mobility. Urban mobility presents significant environmental, social, and economic challenges for cities worldwide as they grapple with the impacts of conventional transportation systems, particularly in North America context where car-centric planning approaches has dominated urban developments since 1950s. Car-centric dominance is 80% in North American Metropolitan areas (Manaugh et al., 2015). The impacts of these conventional systems include greenhouse gas emission emissions contributing approximately 24% of global carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions, air pollution …

An Integrated Modeling Framework To Evaluate Circularity Of The Corn–Water–Ethanol–Beef Nexus, Heydi Han

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

This dissertation examines the transition from conventional linear agricultural and food bioenergy systems toward more circular, resilient, and resource-efficient configurations. Prior research indicates that spatial and temporal variability in soil, weather, animal biological responses, and management decisions strongly influences productivity, nutrient-use efficiency, and profitability. Studies have also shown that a diversified circular system can buffer these sources of variability, improving stability and adaptive capacity. Building on these insights, the central focus of this work is to develop an integrated modeling framework to evaluate circularity within the Corn-Water-Ethanol-Beef (CWEB) nexus and explore how climate variability and management choices shape system-wide performance. …

Assessing Crop Rotation Productivity, Soil Health, And Fertility, And Economic Performance, To Enhance Semi-Arid High Plains Cropping Systems Sustainability, Ezequiel Maria Villamil

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

Sustainable crop production in the semi-arid High Plains of Nebraska faces challenges from limited precipitation, high interannual variability, and economic risk. This dissertation investigates the long-term productivity, water use, soil health, and economic sustainability of dryland crop rotations, with emphasis on the role of pulses as alternatives to fallow.

Chapter 1 analyzes nearly three decades (1995–2023) of on-farm data from the High Plains Agricultural Laboratory (Sidney, Nebraska) to compare seven crop rotations, including wheat, corn, millet, sunflower, and field peas. Results showed that wheat–corn–fallow (W–C–F) consistently outperformed traditional wheat–fallow (W–F) and more intensified four-year rotations, providing the highest grain yields, …

Interactions Between Black, Brown, Blue And Green Carbon From Terrestrial To Marine Ecosystems: A Critical Review, Allison White, Richard Kline, Md. Saydur Rahman

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

Black and brown carbon are byproducts of the incomplete combustion of biomass or fossil fuels. These light-absorbing aerosols influence climate by altering the radiative balance through the absorption and scattering of sunlight, exacerbating global climate change. Their subsequent deposition on terrestrial and marine environments affects surface albedo, snow and ice melt, and biogeochemical processes, leading to further environmental consequences. In contrast, green and blue carbon refer to carbon stored in terrestrial vegetation and marine ecosystems, respectively. These ecosystems play a crucial role in mitigating climate change by sequestering atmospheric carbon; however, they are increasingly threatened by climatic disturbances, anthropogenic activities, …

Data-Driven Evaluation Of Sustainable Waste-To-Energy Pathways For Intelligent Urban Systems, Izech Brian O. Edwin, King Harold A. Recto

Electronics, Computer, and Communications Engineering Faculty Publications

The handling of municipal solid waste (MSW) in swiftly urbanizing Philippine cities poses intricate energy and governance challenges. In Baguio City, reliance on landfills has reached critical levels due to diminishing capacity, rising transport costs, and opposition to trash transfers by nearby LGUs. Although shaped by unique topographical and governance constraints, Baguio’s situation reflects issues faced by other rapidly growing Philippine cities; therefore, analyzing it offers insights for national MSW decision-making. This study applies a triple bottom line (TBL) framework to assess three management scenarios: (1) Status Quo, where all MSW is landfilled with no energy recovery; (2) Landfill with …

Mountain Communities During A Time Of War: A Case Study Of The Hutsul Region In The Carpathian Mountains Of Ukraine, Pavlo Rybaruk

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis investigates the ethno-ecological technologies employed by the Hutsul people within the highland agrarian economy of the Carpathian Mountains. Over centuries, the Hutsuls have developed ethno-ecological technologies that maintain ecological integrity while supporting community livelihoods.

The study addresses three primary research questions: What are the most important ethno-ecological technologies of the Hutsul highland economy? How might these traditional ethno-ecological practices be applied to economic, agricultural, and tourism development in the Hutsul region? How might these traditional ethno-ecological practices be combined with contemporary approaches to encourage sustainable development in the region?

The research explores the devastating impact of the Russian …

Piezoelectric Energy Harvesting From Roadways: Challenges, Advances, And Future Directions, Heba Gaber, Mohamed Abdelraheem

Faculty Publications

As the global demand for renewable energy intensifies, piezoelectric energy harvesting from roadways has emerged as a promising avenue for sustainable power generation. This systematic literature review analyzes 61 peer-reviewed studies to assess the feasibility, performance, and potential of integrating piezoelectric systems into roadway infrastructure. While technology faces challenges, such as high installation costs, limited energy output, and a scarcity of thorough economic evaluations, findings suggest it holds considerable promise as a supplementary renewable energy source. The review analyzes the operational characteristics and efficiencies of various piezoelectric transducers, identifies key factors influencing system performance, and evaluates recent technological advances. It …

Ai-Based Mapping Of Offshore Wind Energy Around The Korean Peninsula Using Sentinel-1 Sar And Numerical Weather Prediction Data, Jason Sung-Uk Joh, Son V. Nghiem, Menas Kafatos, Jay Liu, Jinsoo Kim, Seung Hee Kim

Institute for ECHO Articles and Research

Offshore wind farm projects are being promoted in the seas surrounding the Korean Peninsula to secure renewable energy. To support site selection, offshore wind resource maps were generated using deep neural networks trained on Sentinel-1 SAR imagery, numerical weather prediction data, offshore wind observations, sea surface temperature, and bathymetry. The deep neural network (DNN) framework consisted of six sub-models targeting eastward and northward wind components across three regions—the Yellow Sea, Korea Strait, and East Sea—to account for spatial heterogeneity. The proposed models outperformed existing approaches, achieving mean absolute errors (MAE) ranging from 1.31 to 1.69 m/s and correlation coefficients (CC) …

Doughnut Economics And Strong Sustainability: Rethinking The Role Of Financial Investment, Isabelle Pierotti

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis investigates how private investment could align doughnut economic framework. Doughnut economics is a strong sustainability economic framework where the economy operates within planetary boundaries while ensuring social equity. Theories of sustainable development, weak sustainability, and strong sustainability are discussed to provide theoretical context for doughnut economics and mainstream economics. The analysis concludes that conventional, profit maximizing private investment does not support a doughnut economics system by supporting the depletion of natural resources and exacerbating social issues. Sustainable mainstream investment also fails to support a doughnut framework. Lastly, while impact investment is theoretically committed to social and financial returns, …

Spatial Patterns Of Salamander Density Across Human Disturbance Gradients In Warner Parks​, Siobhan M. Day

Science University Research Symposium (SURS)

Amphibians are sensitive to anthropogenic disturbance, making them valuable indicators of recreational impacts in urban parks. This study examines salamander occurrence across five research sites within Warner Parks, Nashville, Tennessee, which differ in trail density and foot traffic intensity. Salamander observations were compiled from two sources: field surveys conducted in Summer 2025 and iNaturalist records spanning the past 10 years. For spatial analysis, each site was defined by a 200 m radius buffer to include local habitat, and trail networks were further buffered at 10 m, 25 m, and 50 m to quantify salamander occurrence relative to trail proximity using …

The State Of Our Streams: A Land Trust's Approach To Monitoring The Health Of Three Headwater Streams, Lauren Mcgrath

Sustainability Research & Practice Seminar Presentations

Lauren McGrath, Director of Watershed Protection Program, Willistown Conservation Trust, presents "The State of Our Streams: a land trust's approach to monitoring the health of three headwater streams."

Locations Of Outfalls In The Indian River Lagoon And Lake Worth Lagoon, Florida, Kelly M. Kibler, Melinda J. Donnelly, Vincent Encomio, Madison Giuntoli, Manisha Thenuwara, Brice Bennett, Laura Andrade Barron, Mariam Sonbol, Wynter Raine Seppala, Namritha Ramakrishnan, Jennifer Jordan Báez, Beth Orlando, Irene Arpayoglou, Melissa Meisenburg

Indian River Lagoon Shorelines

The spatial dataset: UCF_Outfalls_IRL_LWL.shp was created under grants from the Indian River Lagoon National Estuaries Program and Florida Sea Grant. These projects cumulatively led to creation of a living shoreline restoration prioritization model and hydrodynamic habitat suitability models for 1,550 km (963 miles) of estuarine shorelines in Indian River Lagoon (IRL) and Lake Worth Lagoon (LWL).

The dataset presented here includes the location of outfalls identified throughout the study region and general characteristics of the shoreline where they were identified.

Seagrass Persistence In The Indian River Lagoon And Lake Worth Lagoon, Florida, Kelly Kibler, Melinda Donnelly, Vincent Encomio, Madison Giuntoli, Manisha Thenuwara, Brice Bennett, Laura Andrade Barron, Mariam Sonbol, Wynter Raine Seppala, Namritha Ramakrishnan, Jennifer Jordan Báez, Beth Orlando, Irene Arpayoglou, Melissa Meisenburg

Indian River Lagoon Shorelines

The spatial dataset: UCF_seagrasspersistence_IRL_LWL.shp was created with support from the Indian River Lagoon National Estuaries Program and Florida Sea Grant. These projects cumulatively led to creation of a living shoreline restoration prioritization model and hydrodynamic habitat suitability models for 1,550 km (963 miles) of estuarine shorelines in Indian River Lagoon (IRL) and Lake Worth Lagoon (LWL). The dataset presented herein represents persistence of seagrass throughout waters of the IRL and LWL.

Culture Mediates Climate Opinion Change: A System Dynamics Model, Louis (Lou) Gross, Yoon Ah Shin, Sara M. Constantino, Ann Kinzig, Katherine Lacasse, Brian Beckage

Annual Symposium on Biomathematics and Ecology Education and Research

No abstract provided.

A Remote Sensing Assessment Of Illegal Gold Mining And Its Impact On Forests In Amansie West District, Ghana, Mina Poku Agyemang

Scholars Week

Forest degradation, driven primarily by human activities such as agriculture, urbanization, and mining, leads to biodiversity loss, soil erosion, and increased greenhouse gas emissions. In Ghana, illegal mining, known as ‘galamsey,’ poses significant threats to land and forest resources, damaging ecosystems and affecting public health (Aboka et al., 2018). Despite mining's contribution to Ghana's GDP, the negative impacts of illegal mining may outweigh its economic benefits. Between 2018 and 2023, Ghana lost approximately 5.9% of its forest cover while mining areas expanded by 1,917.6% (Abugre et al., 2025). This alarming situation necessitates an investigation into the changes in land use …

The Science And Economics Of 3d-Printed Filament Recycling, Michael Domingo, Dane Freund, John Mcswiggin, Adam Meadows

Sustainability Conference

In recent years, 3D printing has grown rapidly, both in homes and commercially. This has led to increased demand for plastic filaments, many of which contribute to plastic waste. This project explores the potential of recycling household plastics into 3D printing filament, promoting sustainability and creating a circular economy. Materials like PLA, PETG, ABS, and polypropylene can be recycled or even composted. Existing research has shown that recycled filaments can maintain comparable tensile strength to their virgin counterparts, depending on the recycling process. Furthermore, implementing circular economy practices for plastics could save billions annually by mitigating pollution and reducing landfill …

Advancing Environmental Monitoring At Verde River Headwaters State Park Through Integrated Remote Sensing Technologies, Ronny Schroeder, Noah Morales, Colton Weeks, Reiner Zimmermann, Erika Podest, Hank Vincent

Sustainability Conference

The establishment of Verde River Headwaters State Park in Chino Valley, Arizona, marks a significant conservation milestone with the acquisition of 734 acres of the historic Del Rio Springs Ranch by the Trust for Public Land in March 2024. Now under the stewardship of Arizona State Parks & Trails (ASPT), this site encompasses Sullivan Lake, Del Rio Springs, critical riparian habitats, and historically significant landmarks including the 1863 Arizona territorial capital and 1920s Fred Harvey Farm structures. This initiative yields substantial benefits, including annual water savings within the Prescott Active Management Area, the extension of the Peavine National Recreation Trail, …

Fisheries Science Update - Western Australian Shark Resource: 2024 Stock Assessment Outcomes, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Fisheries Science Updates

The Western Australian (WA) shark resource includes more than 100 species of sharks and rays.

Key shark species are sustainably harvested in two commercial shark fisheries that provide fresh, local, affordable seafood to the WA community.

The WA shark resource has been in recovery since the 1990s–2000s when stocks were found to be at risk.

The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) tracks stock status by undertaking periodic weight of evidence stock assessments of indicator species.

Gummy, whiskery, dusky whaler, and sandbar sharks, are the indicator species for the WA shark resource, and make up ~80% of the …