2001 Projects

The projects for the first year of the Harvard Green Campus Initiative's Student Internship Program include the following:

Alternative Fuel Vehicles (AFV) I

Alternative Fuel Vehicles 2001 Presentation Cover

Sponsor

Ford Motor Company

Intern Manager

Leith Sharp, Director, Harvard Green Campus Initiative (HGCI)

Interns

Dave M. Thompson
John Y. Hsu
Kelly Seary

Overview of Tasks

  • Conduct detailed review of current vehicle fleet characteristics, fleet activities, environmental impacts, client interests, current fleet purchasing decision-making process.
  • Review AFV options, such as electric bicycles or neighborhood vehicles, assess potential applications at the University and the associated environmental, social and economic benefits.
  • Design education strategies and incentive programs that will effectively drive client preferences towards AFVs.
  • Identify and establish partnerships with champions within the University to support the introduction of AFVs in Stage II of the program.
  • Build links to AFV suppliers and explore opportunities for student interns to visit and assist suppliers in market development and product design activities.

Resources and Support

John Nolan, Director, Transportation Services
Dave Harris, Manager, Passenger Transport and Fleet Management Services

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Computer Energy Management

Computer Energy Reduction Program Cover image and link to presentation

Sponsor

Faculty of Arts and Sciences (FAS)

Intern Managers

Leith Sharp, Director, Harvard Green Campus Initiative (HGCI)
Antje Danielson, Project Manager, HGCI

Interns

Sarah Cove
Jesse Eliso

General Purpose

To assist FAS in the identification, collection, analysis and presentation of information relevant to computer energy conservation projects, such as monitor sleep programming.

Overview of Tasks

  • Make a baseline assessment of computer use patterns and associated attitudes within FAS.
  • Project potential future savings associated with energy conservation strategies.
  • Document a computer monitor case study in one building.
  • Prepare to implement computer energy conservation strategies within student dorms in the fall.

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High Performance Building Design

hpb internship presentation cover

Sponsor

Harvard Planning and Real Estate (HPRE)

Intern Manager

Leith Sharp, Director, Harvard Green Campus Initiative (HGCI)

Intern

Amy Sheehan

General Purpose

To help HPRE develop new approaches in environmental building design, construction and renovation.

Overview of Tasks

  • Identify, describe and map all research and operational activities related to high performance (i.e., environmental) building design happening at Harvard.
  • Document historical efforts to incorporate environmental design into Harvard buildings.
  • Develop interview protocol, including the following:
    • Meet with all relevant stakeholders/participants in the building design and construction process.
    • Document findings.
    • Evaluate historical experience to help development of contract details and design criteria that will further high performance building design at Harvard.
  • Research and list architects that have proven high performance building design experience or expertise.
  • Assist in the development of an effective means of engaging clients in support of high performance building projects conducted through HPRE and Faculty of Arts and Sciences.
  • Assist in identifying and promoting training events to further dialogue around high performance building design within HPRE.

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Green Procurement

UOS Green Procurement Internship Cover

Sponsor

University Operations Services (UOS)

Intern Manager

Leith Sharp, Director, Harvard Green Campus Initiative (HGCI)

Intern

Molly McOwen, third-year undergraduate at Harvard University, BS candidate in Environmental Science and Public Policy. Chairperson for the Harvard green campus student organization. Served as research assistant at the Kennedy School of Government, examining the role of governmental incentives in promoting alternative energy sources.

General Purpose

To help UOS identify, collect, analyze and present information relevant to the effective design of environmental procurement practices and energy conservation strategies.

Background

The UOS Environmental Procurement Project is designed to evaluate the environmental impacts of the products purchased through UOS. Our evaluation is based on a product's environmental impacts upstream, where it was manufactured; mid stream, where the workers often come into contact with toxic chemicals; and downstream, where the used product is recycled, re-used or discarded.

The Environmental Procurement Project commences this summer with a series of pilot projects. From the 67,000 items available through the UOS catalog, several test products will be selected and replaced with an environmentally preferable alternative.

Simultaneously, two or three campus buildings will be selected for a comprehensive energy audit. The experience of implementing and evaluating these changes will help establish partnerships between the service providers, the building clientele and the UOS procurement department. The results of these trials will inform UOS' continued use of low-impact, recycled and recyclable products. Coupled with environmental education and conservation, environmental procurement stands to be a long-term priority at UOS and within the University at large.

Overview of Tasks

  • Quantify current procurement and energy consumption practice within UOS.
  • Evaluate past energy conservation and environmental procurement trials, such as those with computer monitors and toner cartridges.
  • Explore and document case studies, programs, products and services that could assist UOS in energy conservation and environmental procurement.
  • Identify energy conservation and environmental procurement practices that may be feasible for UOS.

Resources and Support

Susan Jones, Manager of Procurement Services, UOS
Mary Maloley, Director of Administration and Finance, UOS

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Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Inventory

ghg final presentation cover image

Sponsor

Environmental Health and Safety

Intern Manager

Leith Sharp, Director, Harvard Green Campus Initiative (HGCI)

Intern

Karl Peet, Harvard Graduate School of Design

General Purpose

To do the primary data collection and resource investigation in preparation for the University's GHG Inventory.

Resources and Support

Joe Griffin, Director, Environmental Health and Safety

Deliverables

At the end of the internship, licenses for GHG Inventory calculators were purchased from the International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives.

Institutional Impact

HGCI and Environmental Health and Safety staff completed the GHG Inventory, which is now available to the public on the HGCI website.

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Organic and Non-GMO Foods

organic foods internship presentation cover

Sponsor

Harvard University Dining Services (HUDS)

Intern Manager

Alix McNitt, Director for Communications and Marketing, HUDS

Intern

Paul Jones, BA in Theology from Oxford University 1995, MDiv from the Harvard University Divinity School, 1999, Ph.D candidate at the Harvard Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, the Committee on the Study of Religion. Former experience as a counselor at a homeless shelter, office manager, research, theater background, proofreading and copying.

General Purpose

To help HUDS identify, collect, analyze and present information relevant to the decision-making process around organic and non-GMO food.

The internship had the following goals:

  • To carry out basic research into genetically modified foods in the United States, paying special attention to the ecological and human health concerns.
  • To carry out basic research into organic foods in the United States, looking chiefly at the associated ecological and health advantages.
  • To identify the current state of Harvard's food intake with regard to groceries and produce, identifying which foods contain genetically modified ingredients and which foods have been organically grown.
  • To outline more ecologically responsible purchasing options for HUDS.
  • To identify and contact potential organic food suppliers.
  • To examine the economic impact of shifting toward organic foodstuffs. 

Overview of Tasks

  • Explore and document case studies, programs, products and services that could assist HUDS in evaluating future opportunities for organic and non GMO food provision.
  • Evaluate costs, benefits and implications of using organic and non GMO foods.
  • Identify of a range of potential products that may be feasible for HUDS.

Resources and Support

Alix McNitt, Director for Communications and Marketing
Susan Burgess, Assistant Director for Procurement

Deliverables

Final report with recommendations for an implementation plan. The report included the following elements:

  • SWOT analysis (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats)
  • timetable
  • targeted products and commodities
  • detailed explanation

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Energy Efficiency Services

uos energy efficiency internship presentation cover

Sponsor

University Operations Services (UOS)

Project Management

Doug Garron, Director of Engineering and Utilities

Intern

Daniel Olson

Advisory Committee

General Purpose

To assess the benefits of UOS' involvement with programs like the Environmental Protection Agency's Energy Star program as part of a larger review of the degree to which energy-efficiency awareness is integrated with UOS operations.

Overview of Tasks

The internship identified tasks to undertake within two areas: internal operations and the Harvard energy environment. For internal operations, the tasks were as following:

  • Determine UOS competencies.
  • Define the Energy Star program and UOS-relevant resources.
  • Assess Energy Star-UOS compatibility and the value of a relationship.
  • Evaluate UOS operations on the basis of energy-efficiency opportunities throughout Harvard's campuses.
  • Help create UOS' energy vision by answering the question: How can UOS departments best function to increase the value-added services it provides to Harvard University in the area of energy efficiency?

For the Harvard Energy Environment, the identified task was to secure interdepartmental upper management and facilities maintenance support for energy-efficiency initiatives.

The intern was brought on to coordinate the Green Campus Loan Fund. In this position, he would build on the knowledge and contact base he developed during the internship.

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