Skip to main content
  • Home
  • About
  • Faculty Experts
  • For The Media
  • Videos
  • Topics
    • Alumni
    • Events
    • Faculty
    • Library
    • Research
    • Students
    • All Topics
  • Contact
  • Submit
Health & Society
  • All News
  • Arts & Culture
  • Business & Economy
  • Campus & Community
  • Health & Society
  • Media, Law & Policy
  • STEM
  • Veterans
  • |
  • Alumni
  • The Peel
  • Athletics
Sections
  • All News
  • Arts & Culture
  • Business & Economy
  • Campus & Community
  • Health & Society
  • Media, Law & Policy
  • STEM
  • Veterans
  • |
  • Alumni
  • The Peel
  • Athletics
  • Home
  • About
  • Faculty Experts
  • For The Media
  • Videos
  • Topics
    • Alumni
    • Events
    • Faculty
    • Library
    • Research
    • Students
    • All Topics
  • Contact
  • Submit
Health & Society

Award Will Help School of Design Examine Students’ Attitudes Toward Sustainable Materials

Monday, May 4, 2020, By News Staff
Share
College of Visual and Performing ArtsSchool of Designsustainability

A research project by a team from the College of Visual and Performing Arts’ School of Design is the recipient of one of two $5,000 awards from the New York State Association for Reduction, Reuse and Recycling (NYSAR3) and the New York State Pollution Prevention Institute (NYSP21). The second award went to a team from the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry (ESF).

Each year, NYSAR3 and NYSP21 provide two $5,000 grants to New York state universities and colleges that are members of the NYSAR3 College Council. The grants go to campuses that have projects that focus on source reduction, reuse or recycling.

The School of Design project—led by assistant professors Seyeon Lee, Louise Manfredi, Zeke Leonard and Rebecca Kelly—will collect data on first-year design students’ understanding of waste management systems. The researchers will explore a) whether the students’ attitudes toward sustainable materials can be altered when confronted by accumulated landfill waste over the course of an academic year and b) given this information, will the students reduce, reuse, recycle or send the material to the waste-to-energy facility. The research will include data to determine if there is a decrease or increase in waste.

“This grant allows for the expansion of a pilot project that aimed to reshape waste disposal culture in design studios,” says Seyeon Lee. “This grant will specifically contribute to educating incoming freshmen on how we reduce/reuse/recycle studio waste in the School of Design.

“This opportunity will support the School of Design in making a positive step toward a significant culture shift through responsible material usage in design, this reducing landfill waste,” Lee says. “The broader goal is to provide a blueprint for other colleges and New York state institutions in education planning for environmentally conscious material management in the undergraduate student population.”

The second grant will enable ESF to purchase menstrual cups and materials for reusable pads. This effort will build upon the college’s zero waste and inclusivity goals and move closer to becoming a zero-waste campus by 2025. ESF launched its campuswide composting program in August 2019 and has seen a 27 percent decrease in trash (by weight) since that time.

“ESF is now systematically identifying single-use products that are consumed on campus for replacement with reusable alternatives. Choosing reusable options for menstrual products makes sense for many reasons,” says Sustainable Facilities Manager Susan Frasier. “This grant will allow ESF to offer hundreds of reusable menstrual products to members of the campus community, free of charge. This will help pair sustainability with financial accessibility, help normalize conversations about menstruation on campus and will, of course, reduce the amount of material that is sent to the landfill/incinerator.”

The College Council is designed to provide a forum for college students, staff and faculty to share information about common challenges and best practices related to recycling, waste prevention, and other environmental issues.

The College Council is a membership-based program offering many members-only benefits, including its own listserv, an electronic newsletter, regional and statewide workshops, discounted memberships and conference registration fees. To learn more about the College Council and NYSAR3, visit nysar3.org and Why Join. Interested in joining the College Council? Visit the registration page.

  • Author

News Staff

  • Recent
  • Important Update: Spring 2021 Pre-Arrival Testing Requirements (Students from New York State and contiguous states)
    Thursday, January 14, 2021, By News Staff
  • Important Update: Spring 2021 Pre-Arrival Testing and Quarantine Requirements (Students from all states non-contiguous to New York State and international locations)
    Thursday, January 14, 2021, By News Staff
  • Students and Families Invited to Participate in Zoom Sessions to Discuss Return to Campus Planning
    Thursday, January 14, 2021, By News Staff
  • The Role of Digital Forensics and Tracking Down US Capitol Riot Criminals
    Thursday, January 14, 2021, By Daryl Lovell
  • Female Sport Analytics Students Look to Transform Their Love of Math, Sports into STEM Careers
    Thursday, January 14, 2021, By News Staff

More In Health & Society

‘Trust the Process’ with COVID Vaccine, Emergency Management Director Says

Trust the process. As a 16-year member of the United States Air Force Reserve and now in his job as director of emergency management and business continuity at the University, Joseph Hernon has always followed that philosophy. And that’s why…

Ph.D. Student in Clinical Psychology Works with Non-Profit to Fill Unmet Need in Asian Community

Jin Zhao is a fourth year Ph.D. student working toward his career goal of becoming a practicing psychologist. His qualifying exam project is researching Asian college students and how their experiences of microaggression are related to their attitudes about going…

‘2020 Was Broken and Beautiful. 2021 Needs Grace and Grit.’

The Reverend Brian E. Konkol, Ph.D., dean of Hendricks Chapel, wrote an op-ed for Syracuse.com titled “2020 was broken and beautiful. 2021 needs grace and grit.” The Rev. Konkol leads religious and spiritual life both at the University and across…

Student Gets Dose of ‘Hope, Optimism and Relief’ with COVID-19 Vaccine

Louis Smith was thrilled when he was named valedictorian of his class at Mynderse Academy in Seneca Falls, about 50 miles west of Syracuse. A lifelong Syracuse University sports fan, Smith was ecstatic when he received his acceptance letter from…

Participants Sought for Survey on Information, Preventive Behavior and Disparities in Pandemic Circumstances 

A research team in the School of Information Studies, in collaboration with the University of Texas at Austin and University of Washington, is seeking participants for a survey about information behaviors, risk perceptions and health disparities relating to COVID-19. Participants…

Subscribe to SU Today

If you need help with your subscription, contact sunews@syr.edu.

Connect With Us

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Youtube
  • LinkedIn
Social Media Directory

For the Media

Find an Expert Follow @SyracuseUNews
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Youtube
  • LinkedIn
  • @SyracuseU
  • @SyracuseUNews
  • @SUCampus
  • Social Media Directory
  • Accessibility
  • Privacy
  • Campus Status
  • Syracuse.edu
© 2021 Syracuse University News. All Rights Reserved.