Tag: Sustainability

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Brightfield for Bright Future

Students in PLAN 203: Regional Analysis and Design, conducted solar potential analysis for brownfields in Muncie. They applied Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to study the ownership of the brownfields, current land use and zoning ordinances, preexisting conditions, and then analyzed solar PV potentials using a publicly available PV watts tool developed by the US Department of Energy.

The project focused primarily on the reuse of brownfields for solar PV installation. Brownfields are previously developed land that former use, like the potential presence of hazardous substances, makes reuse complicated.  PLAN 203 students identified six brownfield sites in Muncie for potential solar PV installation. Together with brownfields, students also analyzed the solar PV potentials for city-owned facilities including fire stations and Muncie Sanitary District facilities. Two fire stations and two of Muncie Sanitary District’s water treatment facility sites were selected.

Explore the story map created for the project.

Faculty Mentor: Sanglim Yoo
Department: Urban Planning
Community Partner: Sierra Club Hoosier Chapter
Students: Adam Coleson, Lauren Doppke, Michael Grossniklaus, Elise Jones, Kaelyn Leach, Enzo Lundy, Mattew Pytel, Kaylie Slate, Eric Snowden, and Christian Terrell

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VIDEO: Sanglim Yoo: Discovering New Ways to Improve Cities

Video screen shot

Ball State University Alumni magazine recapped the recent immersive learning work of CERES Affiliated Faculty Sanglim Yoo, Assistant Professor of Urban Planning.  Funded by Provost Immersive Learning grants, Dr. Yoo has led student teams in analyzing the potential of brownfields in Delaware and Grant Counties as sites for solar farms and in assessing and improving economic sustainability efforts in Muncie.  These projects also allow students to improve their skills in using socioeconomic and demographic data and the geographic information system (GIS) mapping tool.  Read more on the BSU Alumni Magazine’s website!

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Sustainable Muncie Project:  Assessing Sustainability for the City of Muncie

This spring, the Sustainable Muncie Project was implemented in Urban Planning’s Regional Analysis and Design Studio class. The students inventoried, assessed, analyzed, and mapped the social, environmental, and economic factors for Muncie, Indiana, to promote a more sustainable community and identify its vulnerable populations and areas. The students partnered with the Muncie Action Plan’s Task Force 2, which focuses on strengthening neighborhoods through organizing associations, building leadership, and fostering collaborations. The project produced a location-specific inventory and analysis of indicators for the City of Muncie.

See the StoryMap page | Read the final report (pdf – coming soon)

Faculty Mentor: Sanglim Yoo
Department: Urban Planning
Community Partner: Muncie Action Plan Task Force 2
Student Team: Lauren Bouslog, Sydney Fawcett, Dylan Gehring, Hannah Jones, Riley Jones, Andrew Kanwit, Laiha Lane, Will Snyder, Jeffery Tompkins, and Brett Willaman

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Study of Lead (Pb) in Muncie (ongoing)

 

Spring 2020: Urban Health in Muncie, IN:  Pb in the Soils

Lead (Pb) is a dangerous neurotoxin especially harmful to children,and residents in Delaware County have blood lead levels testing at three times the national average. A 2018 immersive project mapped locations where blood levels were high and sampled local soils.In this year’s immersive project,“Urban Health in Muncie, IN: Pb in Soils,”students looking for the location of potential lead sources. The goal of the project was for students and the United Way of Delaware, Henry, and Randolph Counties to better understand why, despite proven access to lead-free water, local children have higher-than average blood concentrations of lead.

Faculty Mentors: Carolyn Dowling, Jessi Haeft
Departments: Environment, Geology, and Natural Resources
Community Partners: United Way of Delaware, Henry, and Randolph Counties
Students: Emma Altimus, Brady Andres, Cameron Bell, Joseph Hall, Jordan Lee, Katryn Lods, Patrick Ollier, Erin Powell, Elizabeth Riester, Ignacio Rodriguez, Quentin Simpson, Matt Stickler, Drew Toombs, Luke Vanderveen, and Gunnar Young

Fall 2018: Preliminary Study of Lead (Pb) in Muncie (PSLM)

Lead (Pb) is a persistent neurotoxin, and over 7% of population tested in Muncie and Delaware County has elevated blood lead levels (BLL), ~3x greater than the national average (2.5%). Through research and analysis, students in this project hoped to find the source(s) of lead that is driving these high BLL in Muncie/Delaware County. The students wrote a final report that summarized their high-impact community research project and recommended the next steps to continue the project, and presented their findings to United Way of Delaware County.

Faculty Mentors: Carolyn Dowling, Jessi Haeft
Departments: Geological Sciences, Natural Resources and Environmental Management
Community Partners: United Way of Delaware County
Students: Ben Azar, Allison Bolser, Peter Danzl-Tauer, Chelsea Eickleberry, Maryssa Engstrom, Adeline Evans, Sam Fields, Kerragon Garab, Hannah Gastineau, Adrion Gibson, Henry David Isenberg, Tony Keller, Josh Kiler, Angela Lankford, Jennifer Loyal, Andy Riley,Rose Snyder, Sarah Wilber, Julia Ysidron

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Spring 2020 Ball State Immersive Learning Projects

Ball State faculty, students, and community partners worked together this spring on a number of immersive learning projects in and around Muncie.

Academy of Model Aeronautics Video Project
Faculty Mentors: Tim Pollard, Department of Telecommunications; Suzanne Plesha, Office of Immersive Learning
Community Partner: Academy of Model Aeronautics

Assigning the Living Quality of Muncie Neighborhoods Using Remote Sensing and GIS
Faculty Mentor:  Jason Yang, Department of Geography
Community Partner:  Muncie Action Plan

Beneficence Records (ongoing)
Faculty Mentor:  Daniel Porter, Department of Music Media Production
Community Partner:  Indiana Public Radio

Capturing “The Big Idea”
Faculty Mentor: Melinda Messineo, Department of Sociology
Community Partner: Second Harvest Food Bank

Geospatial Design Laboratory
Faculty Mentor: Jörn Seemann, Department of Geography
Community Partner: Muncie Visitors Bureau

Halteman Park Landscape Architecture Studio Project
Faculty Mentors:  Chris Baas, Jeremy Merrill, J.P. Hall; Department of Landscape Architecture
Community Partners:  Halteman Village Neighborhood Association, City of Muncie, Muncie Parks Department

Human Rights Symposium
Faculty Mentor: Ruby Cain, Department of Educational Studies
Community Partners: City of Muncie Human Rights Commission, Industry Neighborhood Association, Whitely Community Council, Muncie Public Library, Muncie Housing Authority, It Is Well With My Soul, DePaul University School of New Learning and Service Engagement Projects, Northeast Indiana Workers Project, Inc.

i-Made (Indiana Made) Muncie:  Custom Fabricated Design-through-Production (ongoing)
Faculty Mentor:  Kevin Klinger, Department of Architecture
Community Partners:  Indiana Hardwoods (IHLA), Midwest Metals, Minnetrista, Mobile Market

The Junior Producers Club
Faculty Mentor:  Christoph Thompson, School of Music
Community Partners:  Boys and Girls Club, Buley Community Center

Muncie Neighborhood Visual Identity Design (ongoing)
Faculty Mentor:  Shantanu Suman, School of Art
Community Partners:  Building Better Neighborhoods, Muncie Action Plan

Preserving the Past and Looking Toward the Future:  Historic Preservation and Digital Storytelling for a Muncie Landmark Church
Faculty Mentor:  Peggy Fisher, Department of Communication Studies
Community Partner:  St. Mary Catholic Church

Renovation of Residential Structures
Faculty Mentor: Janet Fick, Department of Construction Management and Interior Design
Community Partners: ecoREHAB, Urban Light, and Brothers 2 Brothers

Sustainable Muncie Project:  Assessing Sustainability for the City of Muncie
Faculty Mentor:  Sanglim Yoo, Department of Urban Planning
Community Partner: Muncie Action Plan

Teen Dating Violence
Faculty Mentor: Ron Dolon, Department of Social Work
Community Partner: A Better Way

Tourist Maps for Muncie and Delaware County
Faculty Mentor: Jörn Seemann, Department of Geography
Community Partner: Muncie Visitors Bureau

Urban Health in Muncie, IN:  Pb in the Soils (ongoing)
Faculty Mentors:  Carolyn Dowling, Department of Geological Sciences; Jessi Haeft, Department
of Natural Resources and Environment Management
Community Partner:  United Way of Delaware County

Well Connected 
Faculty Mentor:  Jane Ellery, School of Kinesiology
Community Partners:  Muncie Action Plan, Future of Work/Sustainable Muncie, George and Frances Ball Foundation

Working with the Whitely Community to Identify Needs and Resources of Men who are Reentering the Community After Periods of Incarceration
Faculty Mentor:  Keisha Warren-Gordon, Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology
Community Partner:  Whitely Community Council

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Energy Assessment for Small Commercial Buildings in Muncie

In this immersive energy assessment course, students received instruction in current assessment techniques and then used tools and equipment to assess energy utilization for small local commercial buildings in partnership with business professionals. After learning the proper role and methodology for each energy assessment tool, the collected data was turned into readily understandable remediation information for building owners. Additionally, the class investigated the feasibility of implementing the suggested measures along with the anticipated long-term financial return.

Faculty Mentor: Sherif Attallah
Department: Construction Management and Interior Design
Community Partner: Muncie Chamber of Commerce
Students: Michale Delong, Cassie Dorony, Ethan Hacker, Josh Hillery, Avery Reiter, Hannah Schuler, Colten Showalter,
Brian Szymanski, Jacob Wendrickx, Kevin Zielinski