UConn Office of Sustainability Awards Environmental and Social Sustainability Grants to Student-Led Projects

Seven projects will increase environmental and social sustainability at UConn

UConn, consistently one of the top ten most sustainable universities in the United States, will be getting even better at upholding sustainable practices with the help of seven student-led projects this year.

These innovative projects are funded by the Environmental and Social Sustainability Grants (ESSG) Program through the Office of Sustainability. Creative student-faculty teams applied for funding to support campus programs that enhance environmental and social sustainability while engaging students and community members. Applicants shared ideas spanning education, research, authentic community engagement, and campus operations. This is the fourth round of ESSG funding since 2021, which has helped launch the Swap Shop (now Thrift Den), a composting privy at Spring Valley Student Farm, and efforts to combat food insecurity via hydroponic farming.

“The ESSG program is just one of the Office of Sustainability’s growing suite of experiential learning programs available to all UConn students. In alignment with UConn’s strategic goals, we are excited to be able to award these funds to empower students to take action on addressing real-world challenges that impact the wellness of people and the planet. Faculty and staff mentors play an instrumental role in ensuring the success of these projects and we’re also incredibly grateful for their support,” said Patrick McKee, Director of the Office of Sustainability.

Seven projects were awarded funds due to their interdisciplinary nature and ability to advance sustainability and equity.

 

Harnessing Phosphorus

Phosphorus is a key piece in fertilizing crops and producing food. This project aims to explore sustainable, easy ways of getting phosphorus out of wastewater to make it easier, cheaper, and less climate-intensive for farmers to grow food in underprivileged areas.

• • Student: Brenny Alcantara ’27 (CLAS)
  • Staff Mentor: Katie Milardo, Associate Director, Energy & Water Conservation

 

The Grove of Generosity: Sustainable Food Forest for Students

A food forest to create community for people, plants and wildlife on the Storrs campus. Using native plants, this project will provide habitat, food for all, and space to make connections between people and nature.

• • Students: Olivia Ballaro ’26 (CAHNR), Ella May ’27 (CAHNR), Howard Truax ’26 (CAHNR)
  • Faculty Mentor: Phoebe Godfrey, Professor in Residence, Sociology

 

Sustainability Practicum: Designing a UConn Hartford Service-Learning Course

This project will create materials for a UConn Hartford geography service-learning course titled “Sustainability Practicum,” designed to develop student leaders of environmental & social sustainability in collaboration with & in service of Keney Park Sustainability Project, a nonprofit developing sustainable community-based food systems in urban North Hartford.

• • Students: Thomas Bonitz, Ph.D. Candidate in Geography
  • Faculty Mentor: Dr. Carol Atkinson-Palombo, Professor in Geography

 

Project Racoon

Project Raccoon is a student-led initiative that collects redeemable bottles and cans to reduce waste, increase recycling, and fund student scholarships. With this grant, we will expand to over 50+ bins and engage more volunteers.

• • Student: Abigail Koval ’26 (BUS), Anny Zheng ’26 (COE), Jennifer Weng ’26 (COE), Virginia Weng ’26 (COE)
  • Staff Mentor: Cody Ryan, Innovation Zone Supervisor

 

Seeds2Sustain: Hartford & Stamford Campuses

Seeds2Sustain is a program designed to help students address food insecurity on a personal level by using hydroponics. Over 9 weeks, students are taught about the evolution of food production, food insecurity, hydroponics, nutrition, cooking and more to gain a solid foundation of knowledge.

• • Students: Lucy Ledesma ‘26 (BUS, COE), Audrey Larson ‘25 (COE)
  • Faculty Mentor: Johnathan Moore, Executive Director, Digital Frontiers Initiative, Director of OPIM Innovate Labs 

 

Disasters in Society: Working Towards Resilient & Sustainable Futures through Experiential Learning & Service

Our project captures Asheville’s recovery from Hurricane Helene, highlighting student engagement and hands-on learning in disaster resilience. Through storytelling and service, we aim to expand access to fieldwork and promote support for sustainability-focused education.

• • Students: Lisel Nee ’26 (COE), Melia Marshall, MPP Candidate, Daniel Kraemer, Ph.D. Candidate in Geography, Brandon Soto, Masters of Energy and Environmental Management Candidate 
  • Faculty Mentor: Dr. Carol Atkinson-Palombo, Professor in Geography

 

Sustainable Dairy Wastewater Treatment Using Microalgae at UConn

This project addresses the challenge of dairy wastewater from the UConn barns, which can be a significant source of pollution if not properly managed. By using microalgae to treat wastewater, we can convert it into a sustainable biomass that can be used as poultry feed. This approach not only helps clean and recycle wastewater but also aligns with circular bioeconomy principles, turning waste into valuable resources. This initiative advances UConn’s environmental goals and contributes to a more sustainable campus ecosystem.

• • Students: Azeem Sarwar ’27 (COE), Syed Zahid Ahmad, Ph.D. Candidate in Mechanical Engineering
  • Faculty Mentors: Dr. Yu Lei, Professor in Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, Dr. Yongku Cho, Associate Professor in Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering

 

Over $37,000 will be awarded in total to support these student-lead projects.

Thomas Bonitz, a grantee pursuing a Ph.D. in Geography says, “As an aspiring educator, I am thrilled to work on designing a “sustainability practicum” course for the UConn Hartford campus. There is obvious educational and community value getting students out of the traditional classroom setting to learn from and contribute to real-world efforts to practice sustainability.” His project exemplifies UConn’s dedication to promoting student success and providing service to Connecticut communities.

“I look forward to moving onto the next stage for my Harnessing Phosphorus project and being able to work with more resources. I’ve been working on this project independently since my first semester at UConn, so receiving this grant and finding support from new mentors is a reminder of how far I’ve come. It’s great to see the University also believes in my project’s potential,” shares Brenny Alcantara ’27 (CLAS) who will be working on ways to make fertilizer more accessible, less likely to cause algae blooms, and decrease the carbon footprint of a critical agricultural ingredient.

Students will present their project findings and impacts this fall at the Climate Change Cafe poster symposium in December.

For more details on the Environmental and Social Sustainability Small Grants Program, please visit: https://sustainability.uconn.edu/environmental-social-sustainability-small-grants-program/ 

If you’re inspired by these students and their positive impact, please donate to the Campus Sustainability Fund to support future grantees.

At the May 19, 2025 unveiling of Casella’s upgraded recycling processing facility in Willimantic, CT, a generous donation of $10,000 was made to UConn’s Office of Sustainability in order to support a graduate fellowship focused on zero waste efforts. The Zero Waste Program Coordinator will play a key role in advancing UConn’s Zero Waste efforts. The coordinator will work closely with students, faculty, staff, and sustainability partners to implement strategies that reduce waste and promote circular economy principles across campus. They will also provide first-level leadership over the Thrift Den (UConn’s free store) and the Thrift Den Interns.

Casella processes UConn Storrs’ recyclables, and their updated facility will now be able to double the amount of cans, paper, and glass recycled in a year! In addition to the upgraded sorting machinery, Casella also partnered with Eversource to enhance the facility’s electrical efficiency and minimize its energy usage.

Thank you Casella for supporting zero waste efforts at UConn!

June 9-11: NECSC Summit

The Northeast Campus Sustainability Consortium (NECSC) Summit will be held the evening of Monday, June 9, 2025 through the afternoon of Wednesday, June 11, 2025 at the UConn Avery Point Campus. The co-hosts are Connecticut College and the University of Connecticut.

The NECSC Summit is known for being an inclusive, fun, and informative gathering of sustainability professionals representing higher education institutions across the Northeast, Southeast Canada and the upper mid-Atlantic.

Topics of discussion include the current political sustainability landscape, student engagement and career development, decarbonization, and more. To see the most up-to-date information and registration information, click here.

About NECSC

The Northeast Campus Sustainability Consortium (NECSC) was established in October 2004 to support sustainability officers in advancing education about and demonstration of sustainable systems on university campuses in the northeast and maritime region. Organized around the UN Decade of Education for Sustainable Development, the NECSC members have committed to an annual meeting that advances campus sustainability by providing close networking opportunities, professional development, and access to the area’s vibrant and growing college and university sustainability practitioner community. With no formalized structure, the NECSC is a collaborative, participatory network serving sustainability professionals in higher education in the northeast region.

Attention UConn Faculty and Staff Members:

The steering committee for the UConn@COP Fellowship Program is pleased to extend a call for expressions of interest by UConn faculty and staff members who are interested in joining the UConn@COP30 contingent as it travels to Belém, Brazil from November 15-22, 2025 to attend the United Nations Conference of the Parties (UN COP30) climate change conference.

Critically, participation in the formal Fellowship Program and travel with the group require all travel expenses, including flight and hotel fees be self-funded.

Due to space limitations, only two faculty and staff members will be able to stay with the group as part of the official delegation. Nonetheless, anyone already planning to attend the conference is more than welcome to meet with the UConn delegation in Brazil.

Please note, conference passes are scarce and not guaranteed. Priority for passes will be given to students before faculty or staff members. We encourage applicants to seek alternative sources for obtaining an official UN conference badge.

Opportunities to contribute to the program include:

• Leading topic-specific “breakfast club” conversations in the mornings at the conference with the UConn@COP fellows
• Participating in group cultural immersion excursions
• Leading or participating in pre-travel educational meetings
• Participating in the Climate Change Café and Symposium on December 3, 2025 from 4-6pm in the Student Union.

To submit your expression of interest, please email the UConn@COP steering committee at sustainability@uconn.edu by June 13^th.  Please be sure to address the following questions in your email:

1. What contributions to the UConn@COP Fellowship Program might you offer the students?
2. What will you gain professionally by joining the UConn delegation attending COP30?

Please feel free to email the UConn@COP Fellowship Program steering committee with any questions, at:  sustainability@uconn.edu