Wentworth Institute of Technology
AC-10: Support for Sustainability Research
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
Reporter |
Debra
Shepard Sustainability Consultant N/A |
Does the institution have an ongoing program to encourage students in multiple disciplines or academic programs to conduct sustainability research?:
A brief description of the student sustainability research program:
Within the Colleges of the Fenway Center for Sustainability and the Environment, Wentworth students are eligible to compete for sustainability mini-grants for research projects, and to participate in the annual Muddy River Symposium to showcase sustainability research that they have conducted through their courses.
Does the institution have a program to encourage academic staff from multiple disciplines or academic programs to conduct sustainability research?:
A brief description of the faculty sustainability research program:
Wentworth has several endowed professorships that support scholarly work geared toward sustainable engineering, technology, design, and management. These have supported multiple professors in sustainability research in the past and currently include:
The Douglas C. Elder Professorship supported Professor Gautham Das in leading environmental engineering projects such as beneficial re-use of single stream plastic in roadway materials and the development of a low-cost water filtration system to remove carcinogenic metals for use in developing countries.
The Francis A. Sagan Endowed Professorship supported Professor Greg Sirokman in furthering research on biodiesel production and analysis.
The David Blittersdorf Professorship allowed Professor Abigail Charest to conduct sustainable building and water quality research, and to engage students in professional activities such as participation in US Green Building Council events.
Has the institution published written policies and procedures that give positive recognition to interdisciplinary, transdisciplinary, and multidisciplinary research during faculty promotion and/or tenure decisions?:
A copy of the promotion or tenure guidelines or policies:
The promotion or tenure guidelines or policies:
Promotion guidelines are not publicly published (internal use only). However, faculty are encouraged to participate in multidisciplinary research as evidenced by the endowed professorships noted above and events such as the annual faculty showcase (https://wit.edu/news/staff-and-faculty-showcase-demonstrates-wealth-learning-opportunities-students).
Wentworth's 2022 Strategic Plan includes a focus area on "high-value learning," which emphasizes project-based, interdisciplinary learning and industry partnerships. Strategies within the plan also include:
-Exploring the creation of interdisciplinary research/project hubs that bring together industry, community, faculty, staff, and students to develop learning opportunities and increase social impact efforts such as those related to climate resiliency, environmental sustainability, and urban development.
-Encouraging innovation and demonstrating organizational commitment by establishing incentives and professional development opportunities for faculty and staff.
-Creating a process that allows faculty, staff, and others to collaborate on removing barriers and building internal capabilities and infrastructure that support research and development.
Does the institution have ongoing library support for sustainability research and learning?:
A brief description of the institution’s library support for sustainability research:
Wentworth's Douglas D. Schumann Library & Learning Common offers numerous resources to support sustainability research and learning, ranging from course-specific research guides, to subject guides by major, as well as databases with information which is applicable across academic programs. Examples include the databases and research guides listed below -
Databases:
• Academic Search Premier
• Access Engineering (Environmental & Sustainability Engineering eBooks)
• Association of Computing Machinery (ACM) Digital Library
• Applied Science and Technology
• American Society of Civil Engineering (ASCE) Digital Library
• American Society of Mechanical Engineering (ASME) Digital Library
• BioMed Central
• Building Green Suite
• EngineeringNetBase (Taylor & Francis)
• Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineering (IEEE) Xplor
• Knovel Technical Reference (Elsevier)
• Material ConneXion (Overviews of innovative and sustainable materials)
• Public Library of Science (PLoS)
• Proquest Central
• ScienceDirect
• SpringerLink
Guides on Sustainability:
• CONM 3800: Sustainable Development (Reuse of Brownfield Sites)
• Civil Engineering Subject Guide (Sustainability in Civil Engineering; including green infrastructure; water conservation and reuse; energy auditing, efficiency, and conservation; renewable energy; sustainable materials)
• Municipal Planning Subject Guide (Sustainable Development; building reuse; smart cities; sustainable transportation)
• Facilities Management Subject Guide (Sustainable Development)
• Transportation Engineering Subject Guide (Bicycle, pedestrian, and light rail)
• Water and Wastewater Engineering Subject Guide
• Architecture & Interior Design Sustainable Design Guide, including
U.S. Green Building LEED v. 4 Reference Guides (Building Design & Construction; Interior Design; Building Operations & Maintenance; and LEED Associate Study Guide)
Website URL where information about the institution’s support for sustainability research is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
The information presented here is self-reported. While AASHE staff review portions of all STARS reports and institutions are welcome to seek additional forms of review, the data in STARS reports are not verified by AASHE. If you believe any of this information is erroneous or inconsistent with credit criteria, please review the process for inquiring about the information reported by an institution or simply email your inquiry to stars@aashe.org.