E-News Archive

Stormwater—we can dig it

Most of the rainwater or melting snow that runs off UMass Chan Medical School’s Worcester campus ends up in Lake Quinsigamond. But first, it passes through catch basins in the campus drainage system designed to trap material carried by the water flow and thus protect the lake. See article, June 2024.

Our sustainability intern for 2024

Sandy Fontes is working as an intern in the UMass Chan Office of Sustainability this summer, which integrates two of her passions. “I really want to do biomedical research, but I am also passionate about sustainability,” Fontes said. See article, June 2024

UMass Chan is a Bee Campus

UMass Chan Medical School is now a certified Bee Campus, meeting standards set by a national organization to help sustain pollinators for their essential role in the health of the environment. See article, May 2024.

A bright idea saves energy at Pine Tree lot

All of the lighting poles and fixtures in the Pine Tree parking lot and along South Road adjacent to the lot have been replaced with fixtures that use less than half of the electricity of the old ones, while providing better uniform illumination of the parking area. See article, February 2024.

Climate change drives curriculum change

From the growing range of once-only tropical diseases to the impact of extreme heat and violent storms, the toll on human health wrought by climate change is being integrated into the UMass Chan Medical School curriculum.  See article, Feb. 2024.

A Silver for Sustainability

UMass Chan Medical School boosted its sustainability score and earned a new three-year Silver designation from the Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System (STARS), a program run by the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education. See article, December 2023.

All Charged Up with Jay Leno

With 76 electric vehicle charging ports on campus and more planned, UMass Chan  earned an Electric Vehicle Transition Leadership award from AltWheels, a nonprofit organization that promotes sustainable transportation. See article, December 2023.

Test Driving Electric Cars and Bikes

Some rode on two wheels, others on four, while many just looked on, kicked the tires and asked questions of the experts on hand to learn more about electric vehicles at the “Ride and Drive” event on campus last month. See article, December 2023.

Wellness Farm to Table

UMass Chan Medical School is working to open its new Wellness Farm, a 40-foot hydroponic freight farm that can produce up to three tons of produce each year. See article, September 2023.

Greener Buying Award

UMass Chan Medical School has earned a coveted award for leadership in sustainable electronics procurement, utilizing computers, monitors, printers and other digital networking equipment that are more efficient and easier to recycle. It's the 2023 EPEAT Purchasing Award “for excellence in procurement of sustainable technology”.  See article, August 2023.

No More Plastic Bottled Beverages

Starting this summer  at the Sherman Center Café, and evolving over the coming academic year, the café operator NexDine will begin replacing plastic bottles with glass, aluminum or cardboard alternatives. See article, August 2023.

From Spaghetti Suppers to Sneakers

Tyler Careau, 14, is currently the senior patrol leader of Boy Scout Troop 33 in Westminster, Massachusetts. His parents, Christine and Jeremy, volunteer for the troop and help with fundraisers. They had a great new recycling idea. See article, June 2023.

Meet Tionge Nakazwe

She is this year’s summer undergraduate intern in the UMass Chan Office of Sustainability. Tionge is a rising junior at Worcester Polytechnic Institute, where she is majoring in environmental and sustainability studies. See article, June 2023

VA Clinic gets LEED

The building housing the VA’s new community-based outpatient clinic at UMass Chan Medical School has been certified by two organizations that evaluate buildings for their energy efficiency and sustainability, in both construction and operations. See article, February 2023.

A Blueberry Patch on Campus

At the peak of the fall planting season, UMass Chan medical students and staff planted seven blueberry bushes in the UMass Chan Community Garden. See video, December 2022

Top 10 for Building Performance

In a highly respected review of academic campus sustainability by Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE)., UMass Chan Medical School ranked in the top 10 for building performance this year. See article, December 2022.

Decarbonlizataion Study Begins

While updated and burning primarily natural gas, the campus power plant is a major challenge as UMass Chan begins to plan for meeting its long and short term decarbonization goals by increasing efficiency and reducing its use of fossil fuels. See article, December 2022.

Electronics Recycling Event

The morning brought gray skies and waves of rain, but the campus home electronics recycling event on June 9 was not a washout. See article, August 2022.

Stormwater Plan Update

UMass Chan is in the fifth and final year of its new stormwater management plan development, to comply with federal regulations issued in July of 2018. See article, August 2022.

New Sustainability Leader

Kortni Wroten has joined UMass Chan Medical School’s Facilities Management Department as the new campus sustainability and energy manager. See article, August 2022.

Green Lawns and Stormwater
The way people care for their lawns has a big impact on the water quality of the nearby lakes, rivers, and streams. When it rains, stormwater runoff makes its way into local waterways, carrying with it excess fertilizer, yard waste, pollutants and trash. See article, May 2022.

Farm to Table Program, CSA 2022
Fresh produce from Stillman’s Farm of New Braintree will be available on campus again this year, with the return of a community supported agriculture (CSA) share program organized by the UMass Chan Medical School Offices of Well-Being and Sustainability. See article, May 2022.

Earth Day, every day
April 22 is the universal day of celebration for the environmental movement. Earth Day remains an important symbol, however the work needed to achieve progress on climate action and sustainable practices for UMass Chan Medical School is a daily matter. See article, April 2022.

SWAP Shop to Close April 29
After nearly seven years and more than $150,000 worth of equipment and materials exchanged for reuse on campus, the SWAP Shop will close for good on April 29. See article, April 2022.

All Charged Up
UMass Chan Medical School has installed 32 electric vehicle charging ports, with financial support from National Grid as part of the company’s Electric Vehicle Charging Station Program. The new 16 dual-port level 2 stations were installed in the West parking garage. See article, January 2022.

Sustainable Deconstruction
The steel, stone and concrete recently removed from the UMass Chan Medical School Worcester campus during deconstruction and excavation for a new research and education building will soon find its way into new building projects across the region. See article, October 2021.

New five-year Sustainability and Climate Action Plan released
With ambitious goals and specific initiatives to make progress toward those goals, the UMass Chan Medical School Sustainability and Climate Action Plan for 2021-2026 is now complete and ready for implementation. See article, October 2021.

UMass Chan Medical School Wins State Climate Award
At a virtual awards ceremony in December, UMass Chan Medical School received a 2020 Leading by Example Award from the Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs in recognition of the school’s successful initiatives to improve energy efficiency and sustainability on campus. See article, April 2021

Medical Students Organize Climate Elective
When four UMass Chan Medical School students wanted to learn more about the impact of climate change on public health, they didn’t wait for others to tell them. They took action. See article, April 2021.

Campus Cafe Earns Green Restaurant Certification
For its focus on local foods, energy efficiency and limited waste, the NexDine Café in the Albert Sherman Center is now a certified Green Restaurant. See article, Nov. 2020.

Water Not Down the Drain
Glassware in the laboratories throughout the Aaron Lazare Research Building are clean and greener than ever, after a five-month, $2.5 million project, to replace all of the glass washing and sterilization systems. See article, Nov. 2020.

Sustainable Foods & Electronics Recycling at Earth Day 2019
Some 350 people attended the UMass Chan Earth Day 2019 event, many of whom enjoyed samples of local foods and test rode electronic bicycles around the quad. See article,  June 2019.

Only Rain Down the Drain
With the impact of stormwater from developed surfaces an important environmental concern, the UMass Chan Medical School Environmental Health and Safety team can’t run away from the rain. See article, June 2019.

EV Chargers at Plantation Street
Funded by a $48,000 grant from National Grid, four new double-head Level 2 electric vehicle (EV) charging stations are now operating on the first floor of the Plantation Street Garage. See article, June 2019.

Reycling Update: China Impact 

In 2017 China abruptly stopped importing nearly all recycled waste, disrupting recycling programs across the United States.  See article, December 2018

2018 Update for Electric Vehicle Charging

With a growing number of commuters driving electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles to campus, new guidelines have been developed for use of on-campus electric vehicle (EV) charging stations. See article, December 2018

LED Lighting Project Biotech 2

Faculty, students and staff at Biotech Two now see their work in a whole new light, thanks to a recent project that swapped out every lighting fixture in the building. Gone are some 1,000 fluorescent bulb fixtures, which used 120 watts each on average.  See article, October 2018

Commuter Challenge Winners Announced

The inaugural UMass Chan Medical School student commuter challenge drew 100 participants who saved thousands of miles on their vehicles by instead carpooling, walking, bike riding, or taking public transportation. See article, October 2018

Electronics Recycling South Street  

When it was over, the truck was full and cars were empty. All in all, it was a successful electronics recycling event. See article, August 2018

Shut the Sash Video
Keeping the fume hood sash at its proper height is important both for safety and for saving energy. See a video produced by Students in the Emerging Professoinals Summer Internship Program at UMass Chan. See article, August, 2018

SWAP Shop Moves 

The SWAP Shop on the main campus has moved to S5-320 in the medical school building. The popular re-use spot had to move to make way for renovations on the third floor. See article, August 2018.

Battery Study for Campus Co-gen Plant 

Imagine a battery system capable of reducing the possibility of power outages, or managing peak demand for electricity on campus at UMass Chan Medical School.  See article,  June 2018.

In Search of 100 Million Gallons 

What if there was a major disruption of the city of Worcester's water supply? How would UMass Chan Medical School function for an extended period of time?  See article,  June 2018.

UMass Chan Earns Climate 'Mark of Distinction'

UMass Chan Medical School has been recognized for its ongoing commitment to adapt operations for long-term environmental benefits. See article, June 2018.

Earth Day 2018: Wet and Wild

Despite the April showers and some initial glitches with the electronics recycling station, the annual Earth Day celebration at UMass Chan Medical School proved to be an example of resiliency in action on campus. See article,  May 2018.

Chemical Surplus Program Promotes Reuse

Right now, in research labs across the campus, there are some 16,779 unique chemicals in use. With that kind of volume, there is always a little extra. See article,  March 2018.

Reycling Rates Up Since 2013

When E.L. Harvey first took over waste and recycling management services for UMass Chan Medical School and UMass Memorial Health Care, many areas did not have a formalized recycling program. See article, March 2018

UMass Memorial Wins EPA Award

Every time someone drops a bottle, plastic container or magazine into the proper recycling bin, it makes a big difference. See article,  February 2018.

Shining a Better Light on Research at LRB

A project is underway to replace more than 14,000 fluorescent light bulbs in the laboratories at the Lazare Research Building with LED bulbs that use less than half the electricity. See article,  February 2018.

Popular Reuse Program Launches at South Street

After two years of success on the main campus, the SWAP Shop expands to the university's South Street complex in Shrewsbury. The grand opening was December 21. See article, December 2017

Electric Vehicle Test Drives On Campus

Whether on two wheels or four, the opportunity to test drive an electric vehicle on campus drew a croud. See article, October 2017.

Paperless Contracting System Saves Time and Resources

A new electronic contract management system is in place to process the thousands of pages of documents required each year for the Medical School's myriad contracts and related correspondence. See article, Sept. 2017

New Guidelines for Electric Vehicle Charging

With a growing number of commuters driving electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles to campus, new guidelines have been developed for use of on-campus electric vehicle (EV) charging stations.See article, June 2017.

Hashtag Hit at Earth Day Event

At this year’s packed Earth Day celebration, 171 unique tweets flew from the campus as people posted about their commitment to sustainability to launch the @UMassMedGreen Twitter feed. See article, June 2017.

Five Campus Sustainability Policy Rolling Out

For the first time, a university-wide sustainability policy, crafted by green leaders from all five campuses working with the president’s office, is being implemented across the UMass system. See article, June 2017.

Sustainable Service from the Corps

Answering the call for a day of service on Martin Luther King Day this year, groups of students from the Grafton Job Corps helped several community programs, including the Growing Green effort at UMass Chan Medical School. See article, March 2017.

New Look for Lab Recycling

Waste stream audits have shown that the research labs on campus do a good job recycling acceptable materials. A new awareness program will help those conscientious recyclers grow even greener. See article, March 2017.

SWAP Shop at One

In its first year of operation the SWAP Shop has proven to be a popular spot, with more than 3,500 pounds of items valued at over $40,000 exchanged, thereby avoiding an ignoble trip to the incinerator. See article, Dec. 2016.

Check List for a Green Holiday Break

With the holidays around the corner, many of us will be taking some time off. Whether it’s just a couple of days, or a whole week, please run through this check list for your office and/or lab area before you leave for the break. See list, Dec. 2016

Survey Success: Parking Winners Announced

The online UMass Chan commuter survey elicited a strong response from the community, yielding important data about how people get to and from the campus. And six lucky respondents will soon enjoy a month of free premium parking. See article, Dec. 2016.

EPA Awards for Efficient Power and Reducing Waste

UMass Chan has won two awards from the Environmental Protection Agency, recognizing the school’s sustainability efforts in solid waste reduction and the efficiency of the campus power plant. See article, Dec.2016.

Green Eggs and Ham, and Beef and More

The big sellers were the green eggs. And OK, they were brown and white, and only green in the spirit of the sustainable practices used by the farmers who sell through the Massachusetts Local Food Coop that distributes on campus. See article, Oct. 2016.

Green Ideas Sprouting Around

Signs to remind people to turn off the lights leaving a conference room, or to be a “recycling champion” are just two of the staff-driven “Green Ideas” recently implemented at UMass Memorial Medical Center. See article, Oct. 2016.

UMass Chan Earns Bronze for Sustainability

After a nearly year-long reporting process covering all aspects of the campus operations, the UMass Chan Medical School has earned a Bronze rating from the Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System (STARS). See article, Oct. 2016.

A Greener Solution for Cleaning the Campus

It's an exceedingly simple solution. Instead of caustic cleaning chemicals, the campus now sparkles because of tap water and a pinch of salt. It’s called “Orbio” water and it now fills most of the spray bottles and cleaning machines used on campus. See article, May 2016.

Green Light for More Solar Power

The switch is now on at the third solar power project supported by UMass Chan through the “net metering” program. With some 9,800 solar panels spread over 12 acres, the array generates approximately 3 megawatts of electricity. See article, March 2016.