The Valorization of Waste Cooking Oil research project, awarded to discover means of upcycling waste cooking oil, a local pollutant currently disposed of in landfills.
Project | Description | Award Amount |
| Material Exchange + | Awarded to the Department of Design, College of Fine Arts to revitalize the Material Exchange program to direct waste into recycling channels and other systems of internal reuse. By managing waste effectively, this project aims to foster creative thinking and give materials new life. | $9,540 |
| Valorization of Waste Cooking Oil | Awarded to a graduate student in the McKetta Department of Chemical Engineering, this research project aims to discover means of upcycling waste cooking oil, a local pollutant currently disposed of in landfills. Focusing on the potential use of the yeast, Yarrowia lipolytica, the project will train undergraduates in sustainability research and raise campus awareness for outreach events such as Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day. | $5,000 |
| On-Board Truck Scale | Awarded to Resource Recovery staff, this grant will fund the purchase and installation of an on-board truck scale for Solid Waste and Recycling’s recycle compactor truck to aid in data collection. This data will then inform the selection of a compactor fleet and avoid long-term operational failures. | $20,000 |
| To Be Green or to be Cool | Awarded to a graduate student in the Stan Richards School of Advertising and Public Relations. This research grant aims to explore the connection between authentic and hubristic pride, and sustainable consumption. The team will also study the moderating effect intrinsic and extrinsic motivations have on consumer preferences for sustainable clothing. | $4,850 |
| Developing a Travel Demand Model for the UT-Austin campus | Awarded to the Center for Transportation Research (CTR), this is joint effort from researchers in the departments of Civil, Architectural, and Electrical Engineering, as well as the CTR. The project will develop a travel demand model to understand and analyze existing travel patterns to and from UT’s campus. | $50,000 |
| Pollinator Garden Construction and Outreach Activities | Awarded to the student organization, BEEVO Beekeeping, for the creation of a student-run, low-water use pollinator garden near the UT Tower. The initiative aims to educate students about the role pollinators play in our biome while also beautifying campus. | $27,500 |
| Landscape Services Student Interns | Awarded to Landscape Services for the hiring of two student interns over three years. These interns will be responsible for administering outreach activities and improving overall engagement with the campus community regarding Waller Creek and native plants. | $44,700 |
| Communicating Sustainability: International Podcast and Interactive Multi-Media | Awarded to the Fostering Green Entrepreneurialism team of the President’s Award for Global Learning, this project aims to educate UT Austin students on intersectional sustainability efforts at campuses across the world through audio and visual elements. | $10,680 |
| Into a Highly Mediated World | Awarded to a graduate student in the Stan Richards School of Advertising and Public Relations, this research grant aims to discover the efficacy of 360-degree videos in promoting environmental behaviors among young adults. Mainly, the study will focus on determining whether 360-degree videos are more effective than a traditional format and explore how emotion and perspective elements affect efficacy. | $4,700 |
| Creek Comms Cohort | Awarded to the Moody College of Communication to provide a platform for students to engage in interdisciplinary projects and enhance the protection of urban ecosystems throughout the Austin community. In the new course, Environmental Communication, students focus on promoting and protecting Waller Creek with efforts continuing from one semester to the next. | $21,500 |
| Leveling Up Your Green Game | Awarded to a graduate student in the Stan Richards School of Advertising and Public Relations to research how gamification relates to intrinsic and extrinsic motivations which help change societal perspectives on sustainability. The study will include developing a gamification app to encourage behavioral changes which adhere to UT’s zero-waste initiative. | $5,000 |
| Bleed Orange, Measure IAQ: A Campus0Wide Indoor Air Quality Monitoring Network | Awarded to the Department of Civil, Architectural, and Environmental Engineering for the monitoring of carbon dioxide, particulate matter, volatile organic compounds, and radon in indoor building spaces across the university. Findings will be displayed on a UT community dashboard. | $33,652 |
| Energy Efficient Kinetic Envelopes | Awarded to an undergraduate in the School of Architecture, the research project explores kinetic building skins which adapt to diverse weather and a changing climate. Using their findings, the researcher will then design a prototype panel using active Shape Memory Alloy wiring to be attached to existing structures. | $1,000 |
| Investigation of Vantablack as a Solar Thermal Coating Material | Awarded to an undergraduate student in the Walker Department of Mechanical Engineering to explore the properties of Vantablack and evaluate its potential to make solar collection towers more efficient. | $1,000 |
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