For the past five years, students in the BI SC 003 Environmental Science course at Penn State Berks have worked collaboratively in teams to complete an Environmental Awareness and Community Action Project (EACAP). Led by Mahsa Kazempour, associate professor of science education, students research an environmental issue of their choice and work with a community organization to support actions focused on addressing environmental issues locally.
You can feel it in the air every spring and fall when it's "allergy season" in Berks County: the sneezing and running nose, the itchy, watery eyes. But did you ever wonder what your allergies look like? It may soon be possible to actually see your allergies-or rather, the pollen and mold that cause an allergic reaction in some individuals, through a partnership between Penn State Berks and Berkshire Allergy & Asthma Center.
In October 2013, the Sustainability Institute announced its new internal grant program, The Reinvention Fund, intended to support collaborative projects by faculty, staff and students that will improve and expand sustainability efforts at Penn State. Of the more than $700,000 allocated for investment in these projects, $102,000 has been dedicated to support proposals received by student teams.
Twenty-two proposals were received from interdisciplinary student teams, and 11 were selected to be funded. The funded proposals represent innovative ideas from four of Penn State's campuses -- Abington; Berks; Erie, The Behrend College; and University Park.
If every on-campus student at University Park reduced his or her time in the shower by just five minutes, Penn State would save 100,000 gallons of water each school year. That is enough to fill five swimming pools and lower the University's carbon footprint by 18,980 pounds every year.
