Campus As A Classroom

Student Innovation. Campus Collaboration. Sustainable Impact.

Campus As A Classroom provides experiential learning opportunities for students that support the university’s sustainability goals while fostering collaboration between students, faculty and staff. The program is coordinated by the University Sustainability Office and includes three pathways: Internships, Courses and Student-Led Projects.

Internships

The internship program provides on-campus, real-world learning opportunities about sustainability. The paid internships are for the academic year (fall and spring semesters) and pair students with operations-focused projects that improve campus sustainability. The internship experience includes the opportunity to:

Learn From Experts

Each project is proposed and led by a university employee with expertise in the project topic to facilitate student learning and project success.

Make An Impact

Students work independently on their assigned project with an opportunity to present findings and recommendations to stakeholders.

Group photo of 2022 Campus As A Classroom Students standing outside

Grow Together

A year-long cohort experience allows students to develop professional skills and grow in their understanding of sustainability.

Faculty and staff are invited to propose a project for Campus As A Classroom.

Project proposals are being accepted through May 31, 2023

Meet The Students

Courses

In addition to internships, on-campus student sustainability projects can begin in the classroom through a variety of courses. Most frequently, such projects are completed by students in capstone and senior design courses and are led by an NC State faculty or staff member. While the Sustainability Office does not oversee every project, it works to archive this interdisciplinary work at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. 

If you have a sustainability project idea, you can submit a proposal to the appropriate department. If you are a faculty member interested in adding a sustainability project to your course, reach out to the University Sustainability Office.

Student-Led Projects

Students with ideas for sustainability-related research or other projects on campus are encouraged to contact the University Sustainability Office. Depending on the project’s focus and scope, funding opportunities may be available through campus initiatives such as the NC State Sustainability Fund or an Office of Undergraduate Research Award.

Project Database

Browse the list of current and past projects that are part of the Campus As A Classroom initiative since it launched in Fall 2021. The database includes both internship projects, as well as student involvement as part of university coursework.

Year
Project or Course
Department(s)
Focus Area
Student(s)
Project Description
Fall 2022ISE 498 Senior Design ProjectTransportation and the University Sustainability OfficeTransportationMallory Padgett, Nick Berinson, and Colin Lawler NC State's Wolfline provides free public transportation for the university community, helping to reduce single occupancy vehicle use. Through research and modeling, students recommended changes to current bus routes for improved efficiency and to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Fall 2022GIS 590 Geospatial Information Science Master's ProjectOffice of the University Architect and the University Sustainability OfficeTransportationPatrick WilliamsTo support wider adoption of electric vehicles, charging stations will need to be strategically installed throughout campus. The student created a GIS model identifying optimal locations for EV charging stations based on a variety of factors like proximity to electrical meters, parking lot size and number of users.
Fall 2022GIS 590 Geospatial Information Science Master's ProjectOffice of the University Architect and GroundsLandAshley BelwolffThe student created GIS-based mobile application solutions that improve management and maintenance of campus trees by allowing for adding or updating existing trees to a shared geospatial database and documenting routine workflows such as tree inspections, damage or loss.
Fall 2022 - Spring 2023 ECEĀ 484 & 485Ā Ā (Electrical and Computer Engineering Senior Design I & II)Energy Management and the University Sustainability OfficeEnergySenior DesignStudents are completing a solar site evaluation and design, battery storage evaluation and design, and electric vehicle charging infrastructure site assessment for the Sullivan Complex on campus.
Fall 2021 - Spring 2022Climate Data and Reporting InternshipUniversity Sustainability OfficeClimateMatt Slaughter and Tyler InthavongStudents helped collect data for NC State's greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions inventory and the Sustainability Tracking, Assessment, and Rating System (STARS) report. Students also completed separate research projects that analyzed NC State's current performance and opportunities to improve.
Fall 2021 - Spring 2022Sustainability Certifications InternshipUniversity Sustainability OfficeEngagementChandler ParrishThis project focused on updating the Sustainable Events, Sustainable Student Organizations, and Sustainable Workplace Certification programs, which encourage and celebrate sustainability behaviors on campus.
Fall 2021 - Spring 2022Campus Sustainability Map InternshipUniversity Sustainability OfficeEngagementChris OatesThis project transitioned the online campus sustainability map to the ArcGIS platform for improved interactivity and accuracy. The project also included creating a StoryMap, which allows for more visual and narrative details of the campus sustainability map.
Fall 2021 - Spring 2022Grounds and Waste Sustainability Analysis InternshipGrounds and Buildings ServicesWaste, TransportationAnn WinsteadThis project in Waste Reduction and Recycling (WRR) and Grounds Services included continuation of a compost accessibility project to increase student use of compost bins in residence halls, as well as research on the benefits and feasibility of purchasing more electric grounds equipment.
Fall 2021 - Spring 2022Sustainable Wolfpack InternshipAthleticsEngagementClaire HensonThe student coordinated a Sustainable Wolfpack game for each sport, including engaging fans in sustainability-themed trivia and relays, as well as creating sustainability announcement and videos. The student also created and managed content on the Sustainable Wolfpack website.
Fall 2021 - Spring 2022Utilities and Engineering Project Support InternshipUtilities and EngineeringEnergyLauren TeagueThe project created a spreadsheet that tracked electricity costs and energy inputs and outputs from the Centennial Central Utility Plant (CCUP) to support decision making and CCUP optimization in order to reduce energy use and cost.
Fall 2021 - Spring 2022Electric Vehicle Application Study InternshipUniversity Sustainability OfficeTransportationLauren McLaughlinThis project resulted in a report that explores the opportunities and benefits of electric vehicles in the university fleet, specifically regarding cost and greenhouse gas emissions.
Fall 2021 - Spring 2022Energy Management Project Support InternshipEnergy ManagementEnergySamuel KorvieThis project supports Energy Management in its goal to reduce campus energy use intensity by 40% from the 2002 baseline. Projects include data collection, data analysis, the UTL Rebate Freezer Program, the Fume Hood Rebate Program, and the "turn it off" initiative.
Fall 2021 - Spring 2022Microbial Helpers InternshipBiological SciencesWasteRahul Sharma and Gwen DallmannStudents worked with Dr. Carlos Goller to collect samples from NC State's compost facility, measuring the microbial composition of compost piles in order to continually improve the compost process.
Fall 2022 - Spring 2023 Sustainability Projects InternshipUniversity Sustainability OfficeClimateSarah JacobsThis project supports efforts to complete NC State’s fiscal year 2022 greenhouse gas emissions inventory. Additionally, the project includes developing a Storymap that highlights sustainability features of the university's Raleigh campuses.
Fall 2022 - Spring 2023 Sustainable Fleet InternshipUniversity Sustainability OfficeTransportationChase McCrary and Madison FoleyStudents are completing an analysis to determine various strategies to make NC State vehicle fleet more sustainable.
Fall 2022 - Spring 2023 Communications and Outreach InternshipUniversity Sustainability OfficeEngagementNicholas CookeThis project promotes sustainability and boosts engagement within the campus community using social media, events, interactive tools and programs.
Fall 2022 - Spring 2023 Energy Management Project Support InternshipEnergy ManagementEnergyKelsey HudsonThis project supports Energy Management in its goal to reduce campus energy use intensity by 40% from the 2002 baseline. Projects include data collection, data analysis, the UTL Rebate Freezer Program, the Fume Hood Rebate Program, and the "turn it off" initiative.
Fall 2022 - Spring 2023 Sustainable Composting and Outreach Program (SCoOP) InternshipBiological SciencesWasteRahul Sharma, Grace Sullivan, Drew Lingerfelt, Christina Conrad, Bridget Monahan, Ariana Paul, and Abbie SeidleStudents worked with Dr. Carlos Goller to collect samples from NC State's compost facility, measuring the microbial composition of compost piles. The team explores how the microbial communities evolve as the compost changes, determining how to optimize growth of good microbes.
Fall 2022 - Spring 2023 Campus Tree Education InternshipForestry and Environmental ResourcesLandNicole Rosales-GarciaThis project supports the creation of a user-friendly app that will host multiple self-guided tours of the more than 100 tree species on NC State’s main campus that identified with high-quality arboretum tags in spring 2021. The student is also evaluating each tree’s condition, conducting research and completing a proposal that outlines the tree's selection for a tour app.
Fall 2022 - Spring 2023 Sustainable Wolfpack InternshipAthleticsEngagementClaire HensonThis project coordinates one Sustainable Wolfpack game for each sport and implemented a project to transition gameday logistics to a paperless process through the use of tablets.
Fall 2022 - Spring 2023 Ground Nesting Bee Habitat Preservation InternshipEntomology and Plant PathologyLandMax O'Connor, Jared Spurlin and Esme ChiaraStudents are designing and implementing a small space design to preserve the breeding habitat of a large colony of native, ground-nesting bees on campus.
Fall 2022 - Spring 2023 Agroecology Education Farm Outreach InternshipNC State Agroecology Education FarmFoodPeytom Rudman and Madison LawleyStudents lead and facilitate a variety of events, projects, and workshops that improve sustainability and increase student engagement with and at the Agroecology Education Farm.