The secrets to success in urban design
2/28/13 The key to designing successful sustainable cities of the future is keeping many factors of urban design in mind simultaneously, according to landscape architect Gerdo P. Aquino.
News
Climate change and national security
2/20/13 Climate change is causing sea levels to rise, and that’s a serious concern for the United States Navy, according to David W. Titley, a retired rear admiral.
Researchers transcend boundaries for science
2/19/13 To understand and overcome the complexities of climate change, scientists, engineers, social scientists, and policy makers must transcend the boundaries that have traditionally confined their work, according to Northeastern University professor Matthias Ruth. He delivered the statement on Sunday at a symposium he hosted on urban adaptation to environmental changes.
Seminal conference to explore urban coastal sustainability
2/5/13 The majority of the world’s cities lie on a shoreline, and by 2020, two-thirds of all Americans are expected to reside in coastal cities. From San Francisco to Boston to Hong Kong, humans are living in ever-closer quarters with the marine species that set up shop here eons ago.
Farmers market on wheels
1/24/13 Boston residents who live in neighborhoods lacking access to healthy and affordable produce may soon be able to purchase high-quality fresh fruits and vegetables at a reasonable cost. Two alumni are working to convert a bus into the Fresh Truck, a social venture that would transport healthy food into “food deserts,” or districts in urban settings without wide access to grocery stores.
Bike repairs made easy
1/18/13 Members of Northeastern’s cycling community now have a dedicated location to perform every-day fix-its on low tires, loose chains, and other meddlesome problems.
Students join global leaders’ climate change mission
1/9/13 Victoria Porell, a fourth-year political science and international affairs combined major, frames climate change as the quintessential global issue, one which cannot be solved on a country-by-country basis. “Climate change is one of the first truly global human security problems,” she explained. “It’s not something that any one state can take on, because climate doesn’t understand borders.”
The politics of climate change
1/3/13 For years, scientists, politicians, and other stakeholders have debated the existence of climate change and its impact on the environment. But the devastating impact of Hurricane Sandy appears to have been a tipping point in the national conversation.
New journal explores urban climate change
12/11/12 Matthias Ruth, a professor with joint appointments in the College of Engineering and the College of Social Sciences and Humanities, is the co-editor in chief of a new academic journal that takes an interdisciplinary look at the relationship between urban dynamics and climate change.
Clearing the air on pollution’s health effects
11/29/12 Policymakers often develop new environmental rules and regulations based on the recommendations of researchers whose expertise lie in the environmental health sciences.
Green High Performance Computing Center opens its doors
11/19/12 We heat up when we’re working hard. Computers do, too. And as big data continues to get bigger, we’re asking these machines to work even harder, which means they require more energy than ever.
3Qs: How cities prepare for the next Sandy
11/14/12 Several weeks after Hurricane Sandy made landfall on the East Coast, the devastation is still being felt — particularly in hard-hit sections of New York and New Jersey. The storm has also raised questions about how major cities can prepare for the next major weather event of its kind. Jane Amidon, professor of architecture and director of the urban landscape program in the College of Arts, Media and Design, looks at what urban design lessons can be learned from Hurricane Sandy, and why researchers must take an interdisciplinary approach to preparing for another natural disaster.
Erin Brockovich to students: Never give up
11/9/12 In 1993, Erin Brockovich found herself steeped in an environmental and public health crisis affecting the town of Hinckley, Calif. Hundreds of people of all ages were being diagnosed with cancer, an outcome ultimately traced to groundwater contamination stemming from a local energy plant. Without the aid of any legal training, Brockovich became the community’s primary advocate and forced the company to be held responsible for its negligent actions—an effort that garnered her national fame.
For energy-storage devices, thin is in
11/9/12 Cell phones as thin and flexible as a sheet of paper. Energy-storing house paint. Roll-up touch screen displays. These are the sorts of devices that the engineering industry is preparing for and expecting. But if any of them is to work, said Northeastern University mechanical and industrial engineering professor Yung Joon Jung, experts also need to create a thin and flexible energy-storage system. His lab has developed such a system.
3Qs: Lessons from Sandy
11/1/12 Hurricane Sandy killed dozens and left millions in the dark. Stephen Flynn, the founding co-director of Northeastern’s George J. Kostas Research Institute for Homeland Security, and an expert in community resilience and critical infrastructure protection, suggests that the key to withstanding such fierce natural disasters lies in taking care of our nation’s critical infrastructure.
3Qs: With Sandy, climate change ‘loads the dice’
10/31/12 Though it’s difficult to tie a specific storm like Hurricane Sandy to the phenomenon of climate change, Auroop Ganguly, an associate professor of civil and environmental engineering at Northeastern, says “It is becoming increasingly harder to ignore the empirical evidence” that human-influenced climate change affects the weather.
Environmental economics reframe pipeline debate
10/10/12 A 750-mile pipeline across Canada cuts through First Nation lands and pristine environments to bring oil-rich tar sands to a new terminal on the Pacific Ocean. The company behind the project, the Calgary, Alberta-based Enbridge Inc., argues that the pipeline will create thousands of jobs and an influx of cash from the Asian companies that will buy and process the tar sands.
Do species matter?
10/3/12 Even under the most optimistic climate-change scenarios, species loss may reach 30 percent by the end of the century, according to Ronald Sandler, associate professor of philosophy in the College of Social Sciences and Humanities.
Scientists study seawalls on the seashore
9/25/12 Oyster reefs and sandy beaches have historically bordered many picturesque coastlines. But in an effort to prevent erosion, coastal developers are increasingly replacing these living shorelines with rocks and seawalls.
A ‘model’ approach to studying coastal ecosystems
9/24/12 In the Pacific Northwest, beach grass communities often create sand dunes that mitigate coastal erosion and flooding risks stemming from rising sea levels caused by climate change.
An old species blossoms anew to pollute water
9/21/12 Cyanobacteria are among the oldest organisms on earth — they were the original oxygen-producing species and are thought to be responsible for the direction life has taken on earth. Nonetheless, they aren’t the friendliest of species. Cyanobacteria produce neurotoxins, which can kill mammals in a matter of hours if ingested.
An economics approach to sustainability
9/18/12 Matthias Ruth had long been interested in environmental issues but found it hard to use his own discipline—economics —as a tool to unite economic decision making with industrial and urban constraints. “Economists are really good at developing models of things that are traded in markets, but a lot of things we value—like the environment—have no market and no price,” said Ruth, who is joining Northeastern’s faculty this fall as a professor with joint appointments in the College of Social Sciences and Humanities’ School of Public Policy & Urban Affairs and the College of Engineering.
Northeastern to host Millennium Campus Conference
9/10/12 Northeastern University will host the fourth annual Millennium Campus Conference on Sept. 14–15, bringing together world-renowned speakers and 1,000 college students to discuss issues of sustainable development and extreme poverty.
High honors for ‘green’ efforts, career services
8/23/12 Northeastern University has received high marks for its commitment to sustainability and outstanding career services in The Princeton Review’s latest annual rankings of the 377 Best Colleges.
Sustainable design for sustainable energy
8/10/12 The United States has set a goal of generating 54 gigawatts of offshore wind energy by 2030 — enough to power tens of millions of American homes. But in order to reach that goal, experts must first overcome a variety of limitations, including the vulnerabilities of wind farms in hurricanes.
3Qs: Back to the dust bowl?
8/1/12 The western and southern United States is currently experiencing the worst drought since 1988, prompting the U.S. Department of Agriculture to declare a federal disaster area in 1,300 counties across 29 states. Drought, says civil and environmental engineering professor Auroop Ganguly, has a major impact on food production and freshwater security, in addition to personal safety, which has been impaired by wildfires sparked by the lack of precipitation. We asked Ganguly to explain the effects of climate change on drought and its impact on the environment.
Moving past Qatar’s carbon economy
6/26/12 Mechanical and industrial engineering researchers at Northeastern University have been awarded three, three-year grants totaling $785,000 from the Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development.
Keeping it clean
6/25/12 This story appears in the School of Law’s Summer 2012 Magazine. It was written by freelancer Tracey Palmer.
Wheeling toward a sustainable future
6/22/12 When compared with a four-mile car ride, a four-mile bicycle ride keeps about 15 pounds of pollutants out of the air we breathe, according to the Worldwatch Institute. But a host of challenges tend to stand in our way, not the least of which may be the piercing pain we feel in our quadriceps while pedaling up steep hills.
Catalan president talks public transit, economy
6/21/12 Artur Mas, the 129th president of the government of Catalonia, Spain, said on Wednesday morning at Northeastern University that his community of roughly 7 million people strives to emulate Massachusetts’ economic success.
Safe city biking: It can happen
6/20/12 Cycling can have enormous benefits both for our own health and the health of the environment. Urban areas are uniquely primed to allow commuters to drastically reduce their carbon footprint by choosing to bike to work rather than drive or even use public transportation. But in the United States, fewer than one percent of commuters actually choose this option.
3Qs: Hot, hot heat
6/12/12 A record-breaking heat wave hit the East Coast last week, followed by a spate of rain and thunderstorms. We asked Auroop Ganguly, an associate professor of civil and environmental engineering whose expertise lies in understanding climate change and extreme weather, to explain the relationship between heat waves and global warming.
Farmers market returns with more food options
5/24/12 The popular campus Farmers Market, which launched last summer after years of behind-the-scenes work by student organizers, has returned for the season with more vendors and a broader selection of goods.
Design for deconstruction: building with sustainability in mind
5/24/12 When Northeastern professor Jerry Hajjar thinks about the future of building design, he envisions a booming new industry that hinges on sustainability. This means dismantling aging buildings and reusing the components in new structures, rather than leveling the buildings and starting from scratch.
'Green' dress, red carpet
5/23/12 For years, Valentina Delfino, BA’10, has longed to be the answer to the fashion industry’s most important question: “Who are you wearing?” But she didn’t think she would garner such recognition so early in her career.
The environmental impact of anesthetic gases
5/22/12 The potential health impacts of climate change are far reaching. Cardiovascular disease, heat-related asthma and malnutrition due to compromised food security are just a few of the associated risks. The health-care system in which patients are eventually treated is responsible for 8 percent of the nation’s greenhouse gas emissions. According to civil and environmental engineering assistant professor Matthew Eckelman, this all raises the interesting question of how the health-care industry itself is affecting our health through direct and indirect changes in our environment.
A solar-powered solution to the worldwide water crisis
5/11/12 Northeastern University student-researchers have created a solar-powered desalination system designed to address the worldwide water crisis by producing potable ocean water.
Service under the sun
5/1/12 Ten seniors donned gardening gloves, wielded loppers and swung pickaxes under the Monday morning sun on Mission Hill’s McLaughlin Woodlands.
A better future for urban coastal environments
4/26/12 More than two-thirds of the world’s major cities are by the sea. As the world’s population grows, many of those cities are experiencing massive influxes, which translate into increasing burdens on coastal environments, according to Geoff Trussell, director of Northeastern’s Marine Science Center and chair of the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences.
Redesigning Boston’s North End
4/24/12 Six Northeastern University civil engineering seniors say they have the answer to solving traffic problems and pedestrian congestion that plague Boston’s North End: seasonal, portable sidewalks.
3Qs: Green chemistry
4/23/12 On Sunday, people in more than 175 countries celebrated Earth Day in honor of making the planet a little greener. We decided to take that opportunity to speak with chemistry and chemical biology chair Graham Jones about Northeastern’s role in the emerging field of green chemistry.
Swimming in that ‘dirty’ water?
4/20/12 The Charles River has a long history of pollution — Boston’s anthem, “Dirty Water,” was first recorded more than forty years ago. But taking a dip was common practice until the 1950s, when people started to realize that industrial waste and sewage runoff were making swimming hazardous.
Walking the talk to bring sustainability to the forefront
4/11/12 The College of Business Administration recently launched the new Business Sustainability Institute to promote sustainability in research, teaching and service as well as through interdisciplinary collaborations within the university and with industry.
Measuring water contamination in New Zealand
3/29/12 The magnitude 6.3 earthquake that struck Christchurch, New Zealand, in February 2011 is considered to be one of the island country’s most deadly and expensive disasters, killing 185 people and costing an estimated $30 million.
3Qs: What is ‘global weirding’?
3/20/12 Auroop Ganguly — an associate professor of civil and environmental engineering who heads Northeastern’s Sustainability and Data Sciences Lab — explains how global climate change and extreme weather, such as hurricanes and heat waves, could affect water sustainability, critical infrastructures and human health.
Helping scientific discovery grow
3/19/12 Murray Gibson, dean of the College of Science, opened the 15th annual Humic Science and Technology Conference — held last week at Northeastern — by admitting that he, like many people, didn’t know what humic substances (HS) were for most of his life.
Study: Loss of rare species can harm ecosystems
3/15/12 Here’s another reason to cheer for the little guy. A new study co-authored by Matthew Bracken, assistant professor of biology in Northeastern’s College of Science, has found that rare species from the bottom of the food chain can have a large impact on an ecosystem’s health.
Building a better city
3/7/12 George Thrush, director of Northeastern’s School of Architecture in the College of Arts, Media and Design, said great academic programs are predicated on three key elements: a strong faculty, a close examination of timely problems and students who understand the importance of those problems.
Population growth would fuel global water shortage
3/7/12 A century from now, the world will be a dryer place. Population rise will lead to a greater demand for water and climate change will decrease global rainfall, increase evaporation and lower supply. These changes will have a tangible impact on society, from individuals hoping to quench their thirst to governments planning national security strategies and international trade routes.
Building a super magnet
3/2/12 Super strong magnets found in electronic devices such as computers and mobile phones play a crucial role in modern life, but the rare earth elements that power these magnets have fallen into short supply.
University’s commitment to sustainability garners global acclaim
1/11/12 Northeastern University continues to gain recognition for its long-standing commitment to sustainability, ranking second among 178 schools worldwide in the University of Indonesia (UI) GreenMetric Ranking of World Universities. The UI GreenMetric ranks higher education institutions on their efforts toward campus sustainability and environmentally friendly university management.
Taking on extreme weather
12/20/11 Auroop Ganguly, an associate professor of civil and environmental engineering at Northeastern University, studies climate change and extreme weather events — such as hurricanes, rainfall and heat waves — from an interdisciplinary perspective.
Students seek to bag global pollution
11/28/11 Every year, more than one trillion plastic bags are circulated across the globe — roughly one million every minute. Northeastern students Kelly Benoit and Adrian Van are working to reduce that number, starting on Huntington Avenue.
Unlocking nature’s secrets
11/28/11 Northeastern University freshman Steffi Klosterman completed her first experiential learning opportunity even before she arrived on campus in the fall.
From trash to treasure
8/24/11 Students looking for practical dorm room staples this fall, such as mirrors, bed risers and storage units, have an alternative to shelling out dough at the nearest retail store. In fact, their fellow Huskies may have already donated the goods they seek.
Recycle your ride
8/3/11 Northeastern University has partnered with the city of Boston as part of a bike-sharing program called Hubway, which allows users to rent bicycles and pedal between a series of newly installed stations throughout Boston’s neighborhoods. The program will feature 61 stations, including one at Northeastern’s North Parking Lot on Hemenway Street that holds up to 11 bicycles at a time. A second Hubway station, though not maintained by the University, is situated on Columbus Avenue between Renaissance Garage and International Village near the Ruggles T Station.
Northeastern rated a standout among the best
8/3/11 For the third consecutive year, Northeastern University has been recognized by The Princeton Review for its commitment to sustainability. In the new 2012 annual college guide, “The 376 Best Colleges,” Northeastern made the Green Honor Roll for its outstanding commitment to campus sustainability through environmental policies, practices and academic offerings.
Inaugural farmers market makes fresh impression
7/22/11 Some of the freshest fruits and vegetables in Boston could be found at Northeastern University on Wednesday, when the campus’s first-ever farmers market was held on Centennial Common.
Solar boat designers feeling good about green
7/15/11 Over the last year, a group of Northeastern University engineering students built a solar-powered boat not only to compete in a national collegiate competition, but also to shed light on the potential of green technology.
3Qs: When oil and water (and land) mix
7/12/11 Last year it was the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, and then another in China in early June and just last week, Montana suffered an oil spill, with an estimated 42,000 gallons dumping into the Yellowstone River. Jennifer Cole, director of the Environmental Studies Program at Northeastern, discusses how oil spills affect wildlife and irrigation, and emphasizes the need to reevaluate our dependence on fossil fuels.
From undergraduate paper to global policy document
6/28/11 It’s not often than an undergraduate term paper turns into an internationally circulated policy document. But that’s exactly what happened to Tori Porell, a sophomore international affairs major at Northeastern University, who is wrapping up a six-month co-op at the Geneva Centre for Security Policy (GCSP) in Switzerland.
From Northeastern lab bench to field test in Africa
6/17/11 A Northeastern University team will travel to Cameroon this fall to test a device designed by students to help poor farmers preserve their food using solar power — an endeavor that they hope will ultimately result in new opportunities for entrepreneurship and healthier living in the western African country.
Students design system to power down home appliances
5/26/11 Excess home power usage can send individuals’ energy bills through the roof and often leave utility companies scrambling to relieve pressure on the grid. So Northeastern University students devised a home energy-control system that monitors power levels inside a particular home — or even throughout an entire apartment building or neighborhood — potentially saving homeowners cash and helping to prevent widespread blackouts.
One person’s trash is their treasure
5/18/11 During the Spring 2008 move-out, then-Northeastern sophomore Dan Abrams noticed his roommate was preparing to junk an unwanted toaster.
Foresight provides insight
5/4/11 Not only has Praful Mathur’s entrepreneurial spirit helped him flourish at Northeastern University, but it also recently provided him with an opportunity to attend a dynamic international conference that brought together world leaders, visionary minds and ambitious students.
A high honor for harnessing ocean’s energy
5/4/11 Alexander Gorlov, professor emeritus of mechanical engineering at Northeastern University, has been nominated for a 2011 European Inventor Award for designing an environmentally friendly water turbine.
High honors for 'green' campus
4/19/11 Northeastern University has been honored with the 2011 Green Business Award, presented on Friday by Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino at the fifth annual Mayor’s Green Awards. The University is the only higher-education institution this year to be recognized for its multi-dimensional sustainability strategy and leadership in green initiatives.
Allergic to home
4/6/11 Building characteristics—public housing or private duplex, tall or short, new or old—are associated with indoor allergens, according to a new study by Northeastern researchers. The report, published in the Journal of Urban Health, found a clinically significant level of cat allergen was associated with living in high-rise buildings, and a high level of mouse allergen was associated with living in public housing. We asked lead author Lindsay Rosenfeld, associate research scientist for the Institute on Urban Health Research, to assess the findings.
Career fair for the socially minded
3/21/11 By May, senior Jason Whye could be restoring natural habitats or removing invasive plants as a community crew leader for a national conservation group that hires students to work in the national parks and forests.
Engineering a response to world hunger—the solar food dryer
2/2/11 A group of Northeastern University engineering students has come up with a low-cost way to help the world’s poor preserve food with the power of the sun.
Undergraduates design clean, green heating machine
1/28/11 Calls to curb the world’s dependence on fossil fuels have grown louder in recent years, and scientists worldwide continue to push for breakthroughs in the green technology industry. Last year, five Northeastern University engineering students found themselves in the heart of this global issue—designing a low-cost bioreactor that produces clean biofuels.
Northeastern does it in the dark
1/11/11 Each year, the student environmental group HEAT (Husky Energy Action Team) sponsors a three-week-long called Do it in the Dark. The goal: to reduce each on-campus residence hall's overall energy consumption.
More Green High Marks for Northeastern
1/3/11 Universatas Indonesia (UI) announced its Green Metric World University Ranking for 2010. Out of nearly 95 universities surveyed throughout the world, Northeastern ranked fourth overall, and second in the United States. UI factored in the location, amount of green space, electrical consumption, waste management, as well as policies, actions, and communication related to sustainability. The criteria was weighted and given a corresponding numerical score, which allows for quick comparisons with other universities addressing the problems of sustainability and environmental impact.
Rare earth elements and global energy strategy
12/6/10 Economic and geopolitical trends suggest the supply of rare earth elements (REEs) will not be able to keep up with global demand. A concern is growing as China, which controls about 95 percent of the world's REE exports, has indicated that it might reduce its international trade in the metals. These elements are critical components in the development of clean energy products and have applications in defense and high-technology manufacturing.
Green Report Card
11/10/10 Northeastern University earned one of the highest ratings in the country in the 2011 College Sustainability Report Card, an annual survey that ranks sustainability and energy efficiency at more than 300 North American college and university campuses. The report card is developed and released each year by the Sustainable Endowments Institute, an independent organization engaged in research and education to advance sustainability in campus operations and endowment practices.
Warming seas may imperil Antarctic fish
10/14/10 William Detrich, professor of biochemistry and marine biology in the College of Science at Northeastern University, has been awarded $639,000 from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to advance his research on the effects of global warming on Antarctic fish and the role of these fish in the Antarctic food chain.
Green, chic, and a great place to eat
10/1/10 Northeastern University’s newest residence hall, International Village, has recently won Food Management magazine’s “Best Concept” award and was named “Best New Facility” by Food Management Magazine not only for its high-quality and sustainable menu options, but for leading the way in green construction. Chock full of vegan, vegetarian and exotic food choices, it is also the first LEED Gold Certified university dining facility to operate two 3-star certified Green Restaurants in the United States.
Spotlight on Sustainability
9/30/10 Dozens of Northeastern University students trekked in a loop around campus on Wednesday, hauling five-gallon jugs of water in the sweltering midday heat. No, it wasn’t an innovative new workout regimen—instead, it was an awareness exercise organized by Northeastern’s student chapter of Engineers Without Borders (EWB) that highlighted a clean-water distribution system the group is working on in Uganda.
Predicting the impact of climate change
9/21/10 The functional differences between organisms will provide a critical view into how the effects of global warming may take hold in the future, according to internationally renowned biologist George Somero, who spoke at the inaugural Distinguished Lectureship hosted by Northeastern University’s Department of Biology on Sept. 15.
Marine Science Center expanding research capacity
9/17/10 Northeastern University's Marine Science Center in Nahant will undergo dramatic renovations that will strengthen the coastal facility's capability to perform marine science and ocean engineering research, thanks to a $1.8 million grant from the National Science Foundation.
Learning to build more sustainable lives
8/9/10 A month-long field study in sustainability to Costa Rica this past spring got off to a shaky start - mudslides turned a 40-mile car trip into a four-hour adventure - but it yielded a transformative experiential learning opportunity for the nine Northeastern students who participated.
Northeastern named to Green Honor Roll, again
8/2/10 Northeastern was among 18 colleges and universities selected from 703 institutions that made the Princeton Review "2010 Green Rating Honor Roll" for its outstanding commitment to campus sustainability through environmental policies, practices, and academic offerings. Each school named to the honor roll received the highest possible score (99) in its Green Rating tallies. This is the second year in a row Northeastern made the list.
Time to test the water
7/30/10 Every afternoon, Northeastern University graduate student Xioadan Ruan rides her bike along the Charles River, collecting water samples at five potential swimming areas.
Northeastern helps boost neighborhood energy saving campaign
7/5/10 This summer Cambridge Energy Alliance (CAE) and NSTAR will be reaching out to Cambridge's small business community to promote energy efficiency measures and accompanied incentives. The Cambridge commercial canvass is made possible through a partnership with Northeastern University's Summer Discovery program, which is supplying six volunteers for the duration of the small commercial campaign. After several days of training, volunteers will visit Cambridge's small businesses establishments, and alert businesses of money-saving opportunities in their buildings.
A passion for problem solving, and saving trees
5/26/10 Northeastern student Kassi Stein says she has long had a passion for research. Participating in the Gordon Engineering Leadership Scholar Program her freshman year got her off to a strong start in pursuing that passion.
Transforming waste plastic into an alternative fuel
5/10/10 Student researchers at Northeastern University have designed an apparatus to convert plastic waste into clean energy without releasing harmful emissions.
President leads tour of Northeastern’s coastal research gem
5/4/10 Northeastern University President Joseph E. Aoun welcomed leaders from the public and private sectors to the Marine Science Center in Nahant on May 3, providing a tour of the facility that highlighted the groundbreaking research being done off the coastal shores of Massachusetts.
It’s easy being green after all
5/3/10 Joan Fitzgerald, urban planner, professor, and director of the Law, Policy and Society program in Northeastern's College of Arts and Sciences, recently authored "Emerald Cities: Urban Sustainability and Economic Development." The book extols the value of going green to drive economic growth in our cities. In this Q&A, Fitzgerald offers her perspective on best practices, examples of what cities can accomplish, and direction on policies that are needed for a post-fossil fuel economy.
Northeastern recognized in 2010 RecycleMania competition
4/30/10 The Massachusetts College and University Recycling Council presented Northeastern with a certificate of achievement for excellence in two recycling categories: garbage and food.
International Village earns top honors
4/23/10 Northeastern University's newest residence hall, International Village, has received two new honors that recognize top priorities at the university-the fostering of a strong relationship with the surrounding community, and the promotion of sustainability.
As green as you want to be
4/22/10 Determined to find ways to reduce the world's energy consumption, a group of five electrical and computer engineering seniors at Northeastern University have developed a home power-monitoring system that not only tracks how much energy specific devices use, but gives consumers simple ways of making greener decisions, even when they're away from the house.
New green architecture program
4/21/10 The Faculty Senate on April 21 approved two new dynamic academic programs at Northeastern that will expand the fields of study in the key areas of urban architecture and computer and network security.
Northeastern awarded $9.9 million NIH grant
4/15/10 Northeastern University has received a $9.9 million grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to study the impact of exposure to environmental contamination on preterm birth rates and to develop sustainable solutions.
Green Expedition Heads to Antarctica
3/12/10 A Northeastern University biochemistry and marine biology professor and one of his undergraduate students are preparing to embark on a six-month expedition to Antarctica to study the effect of global climate change on marine organisms.
Northeastern Coolest Co-op Contest Goes Green
3/4/10 Northeastern University student Michaela D'Amico earned a "Coolest Co-op" title for a video snapshot of her co-op working with the Amazon Defense Coalition in Ecuador. The video placed third in the first annual Coolest Co-op Contest, launched to help celebrate the centennial year of Northeastern's renowned co-op and experiential-learning program.
The Green Team
12/15/09 In December a group of 15 Northeastern students attended the fifteenth annual United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen. The students, who dubbed themselves the COP15 crew, got to observe more than 15,000 representatives from 192 countries working to negotiate a framework for reducing greenhouse gas emissions worldwide.
What’s in our water?
11/5/09 Although America's supply of drinking water is considered among the world's safest, there is an urgent need to develop more stringent regulations to guide how water is monitored for pollutants, according to April Gu, assistant professor of civil and environmental engineering at Northeastern University. Gu is working on the fundamental research underlying our ability to identify and monitor real and potential pollutants in water and remove them at lower cost than is now possible.
It's easy being green
10/20/09 Built around a broad base of sustainability research and an overarching commitment to creating a “greener” campus, Northeastern University this week marked the first Sustainability Week with programs, lectures and a prestigious award for the Dockser Hall renovation.
Law School’s new moot court gets ‘green’ thumbs up
10/2/09 The Northeastern University School of Law's Dockser Hall recently earned LEED gold certification from the U.S. Green building council, the nation's second highest "green" building status. It is the first LEED Gold building at Northeastern.
Students show their "green" moves
9/8/09 Northeastern is taking tag sales to a whole new level. Taking its cue from the heaps of trash typically accumulated—and then hauled away—during spring move-out, the student-run environmental group Husky Energy Action Team (HEAT) kicked off the first Trash2Treasure initiative this year.
Northeastern Makes National ‘Green’ Honor Roll
8/3/09 The Princeton Review's annual Green Rating gave Northeastern the highest possible score for creating one of the most environmentally friendly campuses in the United States. (See USA Today's follow-up report in its education section.)
Bringing Water to the World
6/2/09 In late April, students from Northeastern's chapter of Engineers Without Borders traveled to Bbanda, Uganda, about 72 miles west of the capital, Kampala, to gather data for designing a clean-water distribution system. The trip was funded by Friends of the Sick and Poor, a Dorchester, Mass.-based community organization working to repair the devastation caused by Bbanda's AIDS epidemic.
Northeastern participates in 2009 MassCommuter Challenge
5/11/09 This week, the Northeastern University community is celebrating national Bike Month by participating in the 2009 MassCommuter Challenge. Faculty, staff, and students can pledge to bike for all or part of their regular commute by choosing to pedal to the university or to public transportation.
Searching for green solutions
4/22/09 The Northeastern University Center for Renewable Energy Technology (NUCRET) is preparing to host an international symposium titled "Energy Challenges for the New Millennium," featuring forums, scientific sessions and educational outreach programs.
Northeastern’s Fashion-forward Green Initiative
3/30/09 Who says going green means having to skimp on style? Recently Northeastern transformed more than 90 banners that once lined Huntington and Columbus Avenues and refashioned them into 300 one-of-a-kind tote bags.
Northeastern Participates in Boston Earth Hour on March 28
3/26/09 Northeastern University is participating in Boston's Earth Hour by asking all faculty, staff and students to turn off non-essential lighting on Saturday, March 28, from 8:30 - 9:30 p.m.
Winds of Change
3/23/09 Growing up in the blustery hills of Vermont, Matilda Urie never lost the propulsion toward a career in wind farm development.
Made in China: physics students help factory go green
3/19/09 For juniors Mark Martino and Brendan Tanguay, a "Made in China" sticker conjures up fond memories of their international co-op rather than concerns about the world economy. That's because for six months, they called home a plastics and electronics factory in Fenggang, China.
70,000 lightbulbs to bring big savings
1/30/09 In six weeks, nearly 70,000 lightbulbs—or “lamps” as they’re known in the industry—were replaced with more sustainable alternatives campus-wide. This energy-saving measure is part of an ongoing effort by the facilities division to reduce the university’s carbon footprint and save money.
Engineering students partner with Greek firm to invent robotized cleaning system for solar panels
12/11/08 A group of Northeastern University mechanical and industrial engineering students have designed a groundbreaking, robotic cleaning system for solar panels that has been submitted for a patent.
University Makes Grade for Growing Greener
11/27/07 The Husky black and red is getting a touch of green. Northeastern’s grade from the College Sustainability Report Card, which tracks environmentally friendly practices and policies on U.S. and Canadian campuses, improved dramatically over the past year, up to B from C-, according to the Sustainable Endowments Institute. The university was one of five institutions singled out for demonstrating the greatest year-to-year improvement, along with such schools as the University of Southern California and Notre Dame.
Northeastern University Receives Grant to Raise Environmental Awareness with Computer Simulation Game
10/29/07 Northeastern University has received a $498,803 grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to assess next generation learning through computer-facilitated networked play. The project focuses on a cooperative interdisciplinary computer game, Shortfall Online, developed by faculty and staff from the Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering and the Department of Visual Arts and Multimedia Studies.
Red, Black & Green Initiative at John D. O’Bryant African-American Institute
5/23/07 The John D. O'Bryant African-American Institute (JDOAAI) is incorporating the redblack&GREEN project, an innovative new campaign designed by JDOAAI staff member and N.U. alumna, Núrí Chandler-Smith, with strong support from Dean Lula Petty-Edwards. The goal of the project is to educate JDOAAI students, staff, and the larger community on issues of environmental sustainability and to implement sustainability practices throughout the Institute.