Hyperlocal Research Guide
At the University of Utah, sustainability comes to life as the campus serves as a dynamic living laboratory. This research guide aims to connect you to insights about our campus initiatives and showcase inspiring projects led by fellow students, sparking ideas for your own sustainability journey.
Focusing on a very small, local area for research is crucial. This hyperlocal approach allows for a deep dive into the unique needs, challenges and dynamics of that specific community. By understanding these nuances, solutions and programs can be designed to be much more targeted and effective than those based on a wider, less specific approach. Ultimately, this granular level of attention leads to better results for the community and encourages greater participation from its members.
Find more information on past student projects
Most student projects are not saved in an official capacity via campus resources. Some exceptions, thesis, dissertation or Sustainable Campus Initiative Funded projects, undergo other documentation processes that ultimately are captured in an official capacity. Some classes may also produce a report to document a group project in applied sustainability learning. You may find information on these recorded projects below.
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Projects that received funding from the Sustainable Campus Initiative Fund.
https://sustainability.utah.edu/scif/apply/
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Written by undergraduates in the Honors Program, these often use the campus as a subject, though not always.
https://collections.lib.utah.edu/search?&facet_setname_s=ir_htoa
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CMP Masters students' projects often focus on the local community.
https://collections.lib.utah.edu/search?facet_setname_s=ir_cmp
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Stores scholarship generated by members of the University of Utah Community.
https://lib.utah.edu/digital-scholarship/uspace-uscholar.php
Learn more about sustainability on campus
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Every three years, the U’s Sustainability Office submits a Sustainability Tracking, Assessment, and Rating System (STARS) report, providing a comprehensive overview of campus sustainability efforts—a perfect starting point to explore what's happening across campus.
https://reports.aashe.org/institutions/university-of-utah-ut/report/
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The Sustainability Office has a mission to empower students, employees and the broader community through education, engagement and collaborative action to build a sustainable future and bolster the University of Utah as a beacon of sustainability, inspiring positive change locally and globally.
https://sustainability.utah.edu/
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Thanks to the efforts of campus and local journalists, many projects, milestones and climate action efforts have been captured via articles. Browse the following sites for more information on campus and student projects.
@theU
U of U Marketing & Communications issues articles and press releases. If you’re involved in something cool, you can submit an article or story idea.
https://attheu.utah.edu/U of U Student Media
Student journalists write for the Daily Utah Chronicle, Wasatch Magazine and other media.
https://ustudentmedia.com/U Alumni Magazine
Formerly “Continuum”, this magazine is sent to people who graduated from the U of U.
https://magazine.utah.edu/
Marriott Library Special Collections & Archives
Librarians are a resource to help you find information about the U of U.
https://lib.utah.edu/collections/special-collections/Sustainable U of U Blog
https://sustainability.utah.edu/sustainable-utah/ -
Find a researcher
https://faculty.utah.edu/findaresearcher/Fund a sustainability class
(search for courses with the SUST course attribute)
https://registrar.utah.edu/Catalog-schedules.php -
The university’s planning documents outline bold commitments to sustainability, though not all facilities management data is publicly available. For a deeper dive into the data collected about campus sustainability, the STARS Report is an excellent resource.
University of Utah Physical Development Plan
https://updp.utah.edu/University of Utah Climate Action Plan
https://climate.utah.edu/University Analytics and Institutional Reporting
https://data.utah.edu/Facilities Management Sustainability & Energy
https://facilities.utah.edu/se/ -
Campus facilities and field stations fuel involvement, education and research opportunities that contribute to the U’s sustainability goals.
Bennion Center
https://bennioncenter.utah.edu/about/index.phpWilkes Center for Climate Science and Policy
https://wilkescenter.utah.edu/Dept of Atmospheric Sciences Air Quality
https://atmos.utah.edu/air-quality/University of Utah Campus Map
https://www.map.utah.edu/Embedded in Nature: The University of Utah Field Stations (2019 book)
https://utah-primoprod.hosted.exlibrisgroup.com/permalink/f/dtufc4/UUU_ALMA21469347040002001
