Environment

EcoArt class inspires students by bringing together the social and natural worlds

Shayla Brown — Fri, 12 May 2023 18:58:12 +0000

EcoArt class inspires students by bringing together the social and natural worlds Shayla Brown Fri, 05/12/2023 - 14:58

In This Story

Students from the EcoArt course. Photo provided.

As a movement and concept, ecological art, or eco art, stretches back decades. And EcoArt has been a part of ��ӽ紫ý’s School of Art since 2010, thanks to Mark Cooley, associate professor and director of new media.

“The whole concept of eco art is understanding the interconnectedness of our social world and our natural world,” said Cooley. “The environmental problems that we face are the product of our culture.”

The Green Studio, founded and directed by Cooley, is an outdoor eco art studio, located on the grounds of Mason's Art and Design Building, which gives students a space to create environmental artworks.

“That's been a big thing is to have a studio that is outside that anybody can take advantage of,” said Cooley. “There are demos and classes that take place there out there, [although] now I'm teaching the class online.”

AVT 385 EcoArt is one of Mason’s Green Leaf courses, designed to incorporate sustainability and its practices across the curriculum. The course offer contains five areas that touch on different environmental issues for students to create their own projects around: Activism, Overconsumption, Growing and Foraging, and Environmental Remediation.

The 20 students enrolled in the course this semester come from a variety of majors. While the course is taught online, all EcoArt students have access to campus resources like the Green Studio.

Cooley provides his students with examples of different interdisciplinary artists to show them ways to create nontraditional art.

“There are so many creative pursuits. Of course, there are the traditional ‘fine arts’ painting, sculpture and so on, but there's also a whole lot more, photography, video, landscape design, cooking, foraging, farming,” said Cooley, whose own interdisciplinary creative work ranges from gallery installations, permaculture design, documentary and experimental film, and music composition.

Cooley added, “That's why in the class I'll shy away from the word 'art' at times and try to embrace a more general sense of creativity and responsibility across disciplines.”

Senior Robin Jay Macielinski, an art and visual technology major concentrating on new media, said he was inspired by an artist they studied in class who used natural dyes and pigments for his EcoArt project. “I went out into the environment and located plants that we had identified through the ‘foraging’ unit, and I turned them into dyes to use as watercolor for my own environmentally friendly watercolor dyes made from organic material.”

“Professor Cooley is very enthusiastic about what we learn and it's his favorite thing when students come to him with stuff that he either didn't know or enlightens him more on what he already knew,” said Macielinski. “He's always open to students sharing new ideas of how to apply art to what we've learned about environmentalism in the course.”

Professor Mark Cooley gardening in Mason's Green Studio. Photo provided.

Part-time Mason student Andrew Windheim is also enrolled in the class. After retiring from a 28-year career in finance, Windheim said he decided to follow his heart and focus on artistic and creative endeavors, and EcoArt fit the bill.

“Professor Cooley demonstrated for us how gardening is a creative undertaking and a step toward mitigating environmental degradation,” said Windheim, who integrated several of the course projects with his own garden development.

This involved a two-phase approach to remediate an overgrown part of his backyard and to establish a sustainable, ecological “Resurrected Garden.”

“We identified the different vegetables and herbs we wanted to grow, like rosemary, tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, and pole beans. I then graphically depicted the space, analyzed the prevailing environmental conditions, and determined which crops would be good companions,” said Windheim.

In this way, he was able to reclaim the space and get more in touch with the ecological aspects of the planning and create a viable garden in the process.

Other student projects included a marketing-based presentation on water and soil quality and remediation surrounding the Flint Water Crisis.

“Art is about the relationship of the self to the outside world,” said Cooley. “I wanted to get creative thinkers involved with environmental issues to work toward recognizing some of the problems and perhaps offering some creative solutions for the future.”

Topics

College of Visual and Performing Arts (CVPA)

PhD students get their feet wet in SMAPVEX 2022 field campaign

Rena Malai — Wed, 21 Sep 2022 18:09:07 +0000

PhD students get their feet wet in SMAPVEX 2022 field campaign Rena Malai Wed, 09/21/2022 - 14:09

Most folks with indoor plants may simply touch the soil to see how dry or wet it is. But measuring soil moisture on a larger scale is a crucial process that can play a role in detecting drought, unlikely weather patterns, ideal planting times, and forest fires.

NASA’s Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) mission is an orbiting observatory (including several satellites) measuring the amount of water on soil surfaces. ��ӽ紫ý PhD students Soelem Bhuiyan and Ishrat Dollan participated in the SMAPVEX 2022 summer field campaign to measure soil moisture under forest canopies.

“SMAPVEX22 was designed to collect validation samples of soil moisture,” says Dollan. “The samples will help us better understand SMAP's soil moisture retrieval capability.”

The field campaign took place in Millbrook, New York, and Harvard Forest, Massachusetts. Bhuiyam and Dollan were part of the Millbrook team and spent most of their time on the forest floor collecting soil samples for data analysis.

Previously a water resources engineering undergraduate, Dollan is curious about the changing hydrological cycle.

“It is critical to accurately estimate each cycle element and comprehend the uncertainties,” she says. “I am grateful to have been assigned to a team of dedicated and energetic individuals to collect massive amounts of data that will help in answering science questions in the coming years.”

A typical day started around 5 a.m., as the field campaign group prepared to foray into the forest. Armed with testing supplies, water, food, and backpacks, the group collected the first sample around 6 a.m. before moving on to other selected locations in the forest, collecting samples along the way.

It was challenging physical work, according to Bhuiyan, but a fulfilling experience both professionally and personally.

“It was great to see the measure of intricate detail that goes into satellite measurement and meet students from across the U.S.,” he says. “We had a chance to do happy hours and explore the Millbrook area on our own, after the day’s work.”

He advises students to grab any kind of field campaign experience they can. Even if it’s not directly related to their field of study, the effort and participation will pay off.

“Whatever experiences like this you can get will help you professionally, especially with getting to know new people, networking, and building relationships,” he says. “Get out there and get going!”

Topics

internships

water resource engineering; civil and infrastructure engineering

Environment

International Community Leaders Join Carter School for a One-of-a-Kind Fellowship

Paul Snodgrass — Fri, 29 Jul 2022 18:42:25 +0000

International Community Leaders Join Carter School for a One-of-a-Kind Fellowship Paul Snodgrass Fri, 07/29/2022 - 14:42

In partnership with the U.S. Department of State-sponsored Community Solutions Program (CSP) and IREX, a global development and education organization based in Washington, D.C., the Carter School is proud to welcome five community leaders from Bangladesh, Guatemala, Palestine, and Slovakia.

Together, the CSP Fellows will complete a four-month fellowship with the Carter School where their work will focus on the thematic areas of environmental issues, peace and conflict resolution, transparency and accountability, or women and gender issues.

Upon completion of the fellowship, the Fellows will return home to apply their new skills through community action projects.

Fellows

Jonathan Jiménez

Founding Partner, Family Lawyer and Professor of Law, Universidad Regional de Guatemala, Central America

Jonathan Jiménez was born in Chimaltenango a Mayan indigenous village of Guatemala. He is the legal team lead and founder of Jiménez & Jiménez Family Law Firm that provides legal services to victims of violence in the local indigenous community of Chimaltenango since 2019. Jonathan is certified by the Supreme Court of Guatemala as Law Attorney and Notary Public.

He has more than two years of experience in Human Rights litigation focused on Children and Adolescents and Family law including domestic violence and sexual abuse, mediation and arbitration, illegal immigration, and family disintegration matters.

Jonathan often serves as a speaker and panelist at human rights justice programs and seminars in his community. In addition, he is a Professor of Law at Universidad Regional de Guatemala.

Karam Al-Zaanin

Communications for Development Specialist

Karam Al-Zaanin, holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Al-Azhar University in Palestine, and a diploma in Communication for Development. His skills in communication, networking, presentation, and strategic planning are key assets to his career as a pioneer project coordinator for humanitarian and aid organizations in Gaza.

Karam has the talent to visualize success and identify unconventional yet highly effective strategies for achieving success. He skillfully balances organizational objectives and productive relationships, strategizing and recommending ways in which to achieve and maintain a competitive business edge. Karam’s decision-making and leadership talents have supported his professional growth efforts.

Karam aspires to improve his knowledge and career and pursue making a positive impact in his local community, expanding it to other communities.

Niamat Ullah

Licensed Advocate of the District and Sessions Court, Bangladesh Bar Council
Legal Officer of Legal Cell, Office of the Registrar at the Bangladesh University of Professionals (BUP)
Lead of Curriculum, Training & Project Development at Surge Bangladesh
Trainer of Peacebuilding at Peace Maker Studio (partner of UNDP Bangladesh)

Niamat Ullah is an Advocate of the District and Sessions Court under Bangladesh Bar Council and professionally works as a Legal Officer (Legal Cell), Office of the Registrar at the Bangladesh University of Professionals (BUP). Prior to joining BUP, he worked as an Assistant Manager (Complaints management) at BRAC, where he developed documentation processes for investigations by maintaining sensitivity and confidentiality with the highest levels of efficiency. He started his professional career with the PVE works at Bangladesh Youth Leadership Center as a Lead Instructor for a special project on 'Promoting Equality in Madrasa Students' supported by the US Embassy, Dhaka in 2018 & 2019.

Niamat also volunteers as a Lead, Curriculum, Training & Project Development at Surge Bangladesh. In 2020, Niamat was awarded the ‘EMK Center Small Grant 2020 award for a PVE-related project, where he successfully implemented a nine-month-long project called Project C-FRIYS “Countering fake news and radicalization with the inclusion of young students”.

He completed his Master of Laws (LLM) from the Bangladesh University of Professionals (BUP), where his thesis was “A Critical Study on the Impact of Fanaticism over Freedom of Religion for the Religious Minorities of Bangladesh.”

Simona Marcinková

Humanitarian and Co-Founding Member of STEP-IN

Simona is a passionate teacher and a lifelong humanitarian worker. As a teacher, Simona is an ambassador of Teach for Slovakia leadership program. Simona spent two years among the Roma community, teaching in the largest Roma settlement in Slovakia. As a humanitarian worker, she is a co-founding member of STEP-IN, a Slovak medical non-governmental organization focused on providing healthcare in humanitarian and post-humanitarian contexts. Simona worked with STEP-IN over two years in Iraq, coordinating a medical team in a refugee camp. Since the war spread to Europe, together with STEP-IN team, Simona continues to provide medical help in Ukraine. 

Ula ElHindi

Peacebuilder and Project Coordinator for Rosa Luxemburg Stiftung/Rosa Café

Ula ElHindi, is a project coordinator for Rosa Luxemburg Stiftung/Rosa Café in the Gaza strip, Palestine. She holds a bachelor's of English Commerce-Business Administration. Ula has several years of experience working with women in the peace field, through specialized trainings and workshops. In 2021, she was selected as a peacebuilder by UNWOMEN, a UN organization dedicated to gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls. She is the founder of Metoogaza, which raises awareness about sexual harassment and rape.

Topics

Mason receives NSF grant for Conservation Incentives and the Socio-Spatial Dynamics of Water Sustainability

Rena Malai — Thu, 09 Dec 2021 14:02:38 +0000

Mason receives NSF grant for Conservation Incentives and the Socio-Spatial Dynamics of Water Sustainability Rena Malai Thu, 12/09/2021 - 09:02

In This Story

Shima Mohebbi

Clean water is a vital component of life, and without it, human existence as it’s known today would quickly cease. This is largely why water conservation is an important and ever- growing concern, particularly when it comes to natural resources, like rivers, and the allocation and management of fresh water resources.

Shima Mohebbi, assistant professor in the College of Engineering and Computing at ��ӽ紫ý, together with researchers from the University of Oklahoma, Texas A&M, Clark University, Oklahoma State University, and Florida International University, received a nearly $1.6 million project grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) for Conservation Incentives and the Socio-Spatial Dynamics of Water Sustainability.

Although this project focuses on the Red River, the second-largest basin located in the southern part of the United States, Mohebbi says the solutions and lessons gained throughout are transferable to water systems around the world.

“Water resource management is a complex problem that is affected by water scarcity, the impact of climate change on water supplies, and decision-makers’ behavior (behind water conservation policies),” Mohebbi says. “Capturing the complex feedback between social and environmental systems over time can raise new fundamental questions in the field of Operations Research and Systems Engineering. This in turn can help with further understanding the intricacies behind water resource management and incentives allocation."

Under this grant, Mohebbi will develop novel game theory models to understand how conflicts and propensities for cooperative behavior among water users — including farmers — might vary over time across the river network.

The project will start in January 2022 and will run for five years. Working alongside colleagues from fields including geography and environmental sustainability, ecology, and agricultural engineering, Mohebbi says the project’s end goal is to demonstrate how voluntary conservation incentives—like offering subsidies to water users—could potentially be used to achieve water sustainability.

"Along with my student researchers, we will work closely with collaborators, use data collected on user’s belief and behavior, formulate the game theory models, and discover novel and fair solutions around water conservation incentive schemes,” Mohebbi says.

Additionally, Mohebbi is working on another NSF-funded project for Integrative Decision Making Framework to Enhance the Resiliency of Interdependent Critical Infrastructures. This targets water, transportation, and cyber infrastructures.

Topics

Mason DEVA Project addresses state wide air pollution

Rena Malai — Fri, 15 Oct 2021 17:04:26 +0000

Mason DEVA Project addresses state wide air pollution Rena Malai Fri, 10/15/2021 - 13:04

In This Story

Jenna Krall, PhD

DEVA project leaders and students
gather to discuss recent research findings.

Taking a deep breath of fresh, clean air is a necessity many take for granted. This basic yet vital physical function is essential for health and well-being.

Mason is doing its part to protect clean air through the “Detailed Emissions in Virginia: Novel Approaches to Estimate Air Pollution Sources for Environmental Justice” (DEVA) research project funded by the Jeffress Trust Awards Program in Interdisciplinary Research.

A dedicated team of Mason professors and undergrads will apply their research skills in 2021-2022 while exploring the sources of air pollution in Virginia and how it directly affects the surrounding communities.

“DEVA will examine the major sources of air pollution in Virginia,” says Jenna Krall, an assistant professor in the Department of Global and Community Health and DEVA project co-lead at Mason.

According to Lucas Henneman, assistant professor of environmental engineering at Mason and DEVA project lead, some populations can be more exposed to air pollution than others.

He says in the state of Virginia, there is a gap in research that explores the link between air pollution sources and vulnerable populations. One goal of DEVA is to try to fill this gap, and the research findings could play an important role in shaping clean air policies.

“We will study emission sources in Virginia—like power plants, cars, and factories—and see what the surrounding community around these sources is like in terms of income, race, and proximity to air pollution sources,” says Henneman.

An important aspect of the funded work is providing undergraduates an opportunity to perform academic research under faculty mentorship.

Students benefit from learning effective research practices that can apply to their careers.

According to junior Gabriella Armada, she sees working on DEVA as a way to help her become a better data scientist.

“I wanted to apply my data science skills outside my courses, and I wanted a real-world application like DEVA where I could apply those skills,” says Armada, who is majoring in computational and data science at Mason.

Air pollution is a major concern for Mason junior Sara Alhassani, a statistics major, and she says working on research that can help to change clean air policies is important to her.

“Looking at how air pollution affects people of lower income and minority groups is a big issue,” says Alhassani. “Being able to identify the root causes and how to minimize air pollution can have a domino effect on everything else, like health.”

The Thomas F. and Kate Miller Jeffress Memorial Trust was founded in 1981 with the mission of benefitting the people of Virginia. The Jeffress Trust Program provides seed funding to support one-year pilot studies, like DEVA.

Topics

Sophia Chapin

rstaffo2 — Fri, 16 Apr 2021 19:06:47 +0000

Sophia Chapin rstaffo2 Fri, 04/16/2021 - 15:06

Photo provided

"Being a part of the Honors College has played into the kind of person I always have been: someone who is thinking across disciplines," says Sophia Chapin.

Chapin has always brought this multidisciplinary perspective to bear, whether she's working on communications projects, environmental activism, or environmental science.

During her time at Mason, she spent a semester intensively studying conservation at the Smithsonian-Mason School of Conservation in Front Royal, which provides undergraduate students the opportunity to study at the prestigious Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute. As a result of her time there, Chapin interned with the Clifton Institute in Warrenton, helping them with a data analysis project that illuminates the relationships between bird abundance and vegetation.

Chapin previously held an internship at Huntley Meadows park in Alexandria during the first few months of the pandemic. While working at Huntley Meadows, she participated in an environmental and water quality evaluation project.

This semester, Chapin has worked with a group of students who received funding from the Patriot Green Fund to re-establish trees and restore an environmentally degraded site on campus near where the College Apartments once stood.

Her excellence in the environmental sciences has complemented her commitment to environmental activism. Throughout the past year, Chapin has been involved with the Virginia Environmental Justice Summit, an event hosted by the Mason Environmental Justice Summit. During her time working on this project, she helped to organize the event, create and promote press releases, publish articles, and coordinate a highly professional social media presence. In doing so, she showed her commitment to inspiring others to join the environmental and climate justice movements, which seek to address systemic inequality as a part of responding ongoing environmental crises.

While developing and cultivating a commitment to environmental issues, Chapin has also become a formidable communicator.

Photo by Kayla Cook

Her journey as a communicator started during her first year at Mason, when she began writing about various social justice, cultural, and environmental issues for the Her Campus publication. During her first year, she also participated in the "Filming and Photography for Conservation" study abroad program in Nepal, which gave her an opportunity to explore her interests in conservation in connection with her skills as a communicator, while learning alongside students who were often pursuing careers in film or videography.

For the last two years, Chapin has been central to the Honors College Communications team, where she's managed a portfolio of communication projects that demonstrate her exceptional ability to tell compelling stories for a range of audiences. She often found opportunities to connect her strengths as a communicator with her academic interests by finding stories that make vivid the ways that the Honors College community is engaging with environmental issues. Her supervisor, Honors College Director of Communications Richard Todd Stafford, says of her: "Sophia is one of the strongest undergraduate communicators I have had the opportunity to work with; her awareness of audience, attention to detail, and ability to manage complex projects has improved the quality of every project she has touched."

Over the last year, as Chapin approached graduation, she took leadership over the Honors College alumni newsletter. In this role, she created the processes that enable the Honors College to reach its alumni community, while developing professional and interesting content that alumni would be interested in reading. Director of Advancement Valentino Bryant says that, ever since Chapin took over the project, alumni have been reaching out to him asking about how they can give back.

Leaving Mason, Chapin is interviewing for jobs that will give her the opportunity to combine these skills and interests. She says the Honors College helped her embrace the idea that she could find a multidisciplinary career: "I don't have to necessarily choose between environmental science and communications, but I can do something that is a hybrid of multiple things I'm interested in."

Topics

Smithsonian-Mason School of Conservation