This article appears in UConn Today from May 11, 2026.

UConn highlights wellness of people and planet in its strategic plan, and students play a key role in pushing that commitment. Ten new student-lead projects will enhance planetary and social health in the latest round of Environmental and Social Sustainability Grants.

Organized and funded through the UConn Office of Sustainability, the Environmental and Social Sustainability Grants (ESSG) Program funds projects that enhance environmental and social sustainability while engaging students and community members. Each student grantee is supported by a faculty or staff member over the course of the grant period. Applicants shared ideas spanning education, research, authentic community engagement, and campus operations. This is the fifth 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 one of several experiential learning programs led by the Office of Sustainability that empower UConn students to translate ideas into meaningful action. As sustainability challenges become increasingly interconnected, these projects give students the opportunity to develop real-world solutions that advance environmental stewardship, community resilience, and social well-being. We are proud to support students who are helping shape a more sustainable future for Connecticut and beyond. The dedication of our faculty and staff mentors continues to be instrumental in turning these ideas into impactful, lasting initiatives,” shares Patrick McKee, Director of the Office of Sustainability.

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

Frosted Elfin Butterfly Habitat Expansion Planning at UConn

UConn hosts a population of the state-threatened Frosted Elfin butterfly. This project will monitor the population, assess habitat across campus, and create a habitat expansion plan to guide future management while engaging students in hands-on biodiversity conservation.

• Student: Charlotte Brennan, MS Candidate in Natural Resources and the Environment
• Faculty Mentor: Dr. Chadwick Rittenhouse, Associate Professor in Residence, Natural Resources and the Environment

Greening the Gap: Heat Equity and Nature Access at UConn Stamford

Stamford’s low-income neighborhoods face dangerous urban heat and green space deprivation, which research links to a 20% increase in psychiatric risk, impaired sleep, higher stress, and increased violence. Yet no map of where these risks concentrate exists. Using GIS mapping, community engagement, and co-designed cooling interventions, Greening the Gap will give residents, planners, and UConn a shared evidence base for environmental justice action.

• Student: Agatha Cardoso Freitas ’28 (CLAS)
• Faculty Mentors: Sohyun Park, Associate Professor in Plant Science and Landscape Architecture, Julia Smachylo, Assistant Professor in Plant Science and Landscape Architecture

Soils Under Treatment: Evaluating the Influence of Fungal Biomass on the Recovery of a Long-Term Contaminated Soil From New England

This project will evaluate the effect of fungal amendments on the mobility of heavy metals, decomposition of recalcitrant organic compounds, and soil health parameters, to determine if using fungi for bioremediation is a feasible strategy for rehabilitating soils from brownfields in Connecticut.

• Student: Paulette Goyes, Ph.D. Candidate in Plant Science
• Faculty Mentor: Mia Maltz, Assistant Professor in Plant Science and Landscape Architecture

Birding Infrastructure and Engagement at the HEEP

The Hillside Environmental Education Park (HEEP) supports a diverse community of birds on the UConn campus. This project will document bird species and habitat use, assess birdwatching infrastructure, and develop recommendations to improve viewing areas and educational resources.

• Student: Alexander Jeziorski ’28 (CAHNR)
• Faculty Mentor: Dr. Chadwick Rittenhouse, Associate Professor in Residence, Natural Resources and the Environment

Mapping the Path to Climate-Smart Farming: A National Biochar Suitability Tool for US Croplands

Biochar is a promising fertilizer that increases farm yields, reduces harmful runoff and sequesters carbon. We’re turning thousands of biochar research studies into a free, interactive map so any US farmer can see exactly which biochar type to apply and how much for their specific farm, soil, and goals.

• Students: Yogesh Kumar, Ph.D. Candidate in Natural Resources and the Environment, Ritu Mohanpuria, Ph.D. Candidate in Natural Resources and the Environment, Qiangyu Li, Ph.D. Candidate in Natural Resources and the Environment
• Faculty and Postdoctoral Mentors: Wei Ren, Associate Professor in Natural Resources and the Environment, Yakai Wang, Postdoctoral Research Associate in Natural Resources and the Environment

A Growing Community

This project will contribute to the success of community farms by informing and inspiring people who wish to foster new or existing community gardens. It will create a website that includes different business plans with examples of different types of community farms, and a documentary that will inspire people to get involved with their local community farms.

• Student: Isabella Lawless ’27 (CAHNR)
• Faculty Mentor: Stacy Maddern, Associate Professor-in-Residence in Geography, Sustainability, Community, and Urban Studies

Upcycling SkillShares

Although there is a renewed interest in thrifting to combat the problem of clothing waste, there are still many clothing items that cannot be accepted for re-wear. This project aims to find uses for those items while encouraging students to upcycle their own clothing through SkillShares, hosted with the I-Zone.

• Student: Phoebe Lu ’29 (CAHNR)
• Staff Mentor: Heather Parker, Undergraduate Academic Advisor in History

Cultivating Community: Intergenerational Service-Learning to Support Sustainable Food Systems in Waterbury, CT

This program will engage older and younger adult students at UConn Waterbury in an experiential learning course about sustainable food systems and community cohesion. The program will develop coursework that integrates undergraduates into urban gardening at the Osher Lifelong Institute (OLLI) Garden while expanding local food access and fostering intergenerational partnership.

• Student: Hannah Peterson, M.S. Candidate in Health Promotion Sciences
• Faculty Mentor: Anna-Michelle McSorley, Assistant Professor in Allied Health Sciences

Simulation Automation Applied to Atmospheric Water Harvesting

Atmospheric water harvesting (AWH) is an energy-intense method of pulling potable water from the air. This project will create a simulation automation tool to investigate an AWH system integrated with a geothermal power plant, to see how it could be done without creating carbon emissions. It will provide insight into the viability of this type of dual resource system while creating a useful tool for similar projects.

• Students: Evan Piotrowski ’27 (COE), Hasan Nikkhah, Ph.D. Candidate in Chemical Engineering
• Faculty Mentor: Burcu Beykal, Assistant Professor in Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering

Scaling Connecticut’s Native Meadow Movement: Policy Research, Coalition Building, and Community Engagement

This student led research and coalition project will support new Connecticut legislation for lawn to meadow tax incentives. The project will combine economic analysis, stakeholder engagement, and documentary filmmaking to demonstrate policy viability while addressing water quality, pollinator habitat, and environmental justice issues.

• Students: William Sweet ’29 (CLAS), Brennan DaMota ’27 (BUS), Alexandre Zemke ’29 (BUS)
• Faculty Mentor: David Wagner, Professor in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology

Over $50,000 will be awarded in total to support these student projects.

Hannah Peterson, a grantee pursuing a M.S. in Health Promotion Sciences says, “I’m excited to create a new community collaboration at UConn Waterbury, which can support undergraduate students’ service-learning opportunities, and build local capacity to sustain a valued urban-greening resource – the OLLI Garden!” Peterson’s project will connect undergraduate students with Osher Lifelong Institute (OLLI) learners (aged 50 and up) over shared educational experiences at the OLLI Garden in Waterbury. The garden provides nearly 3,000 pounds of food to local food pantries and the new service-learning course will help combat loneliness experienced by young undergraduate students and community seniors. Peterson’s project exemplifies UConn’s dedication to providing services to Connecticut communities.

Agriculture isn’t the only theme covered in the grants program. “This funding will help us set up and maintain a hopefully long-term, closed-loop system to mitigate clothing waste through recycling and education at UConn,” shares Phoebe Lu ’29 (CAHNR) who will be tackling textile waste created by fast fashion. Clothing donated to the Thrift Den, UConn’s free thrift store, is not always fit for wearing – like extensive rips or stains. However, through Lu’s project, the clothing can get new life as an upcycled item (e.g. animal beds), stuffing, or through specialty textile recycling. She plans to host sewing workshops at the I-Zone, connect with community organizations in need of pet beds, and help further reduce clothing waste on campus.

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.