About Campus as Lab
The Office of Sustainability is committed to facilitating opportunities for the campus to serve as a living lab, where students play an active role to research, present and/or drive forward solutions to address on-campus sustainability challenges. We collaborate with our partners in Facilities and Operations and the schools to mentor and support students in academic capstone courses, and show them new technologies that expand awareness of campus sustainability programs under way.
As part of Plan 2030, Columbia is committed to fostering a culture of sustainability for faculty, staff, and students. Campus as a Living Lab empowers the Columbia community to take an active role in advancing sustainability on campus.
Pathways to Campus as Lab
The Office of Sustainability fosters Campus as Lab arrangements on campus through a number of pathways and acts as a liaison between Columbia’s operational departments and project participants. Click the tabs below to see how to get involved!
The Office of Sustainability partners with various schools across Columbia to offer semester-long student-led capstone projects. Capstone projects typically connect students with Columbia's operational departments to tackle specific sustainability challenges.
Both the Office of Sustainability and various Columbia schools offer paid internships and fellowships for undergraduate and graduate students. These roles can involve general and rotating responsibilities, specific duties, or be project-based.
Student sustainability groups at Columbia can choose to collaborate with the Office of Sustainability to help advance campus sustainability. Student-led clubs can pitch their own project ideas or contribute their expertise to existing Office of Sustainability project offerings.
Students can collaborate with the Office of Sustainability on independent research and thesis projects related to sustainability goals on campus. Students can pitch their own ideas or collaborate with us to develop one. In most cases, students will be expected to identify an appropriate faculty advisor.
Columbia alumni can partner with the Office of Sustainability to explore mutually beneficial collaborations, using the campus as a testbed for their innovative ideas or products while advancing sustainability at Columbia. These partnerships not only advance cutting-edge solutions but also foster mentorship opportunities for students interested in sustainability.
Faculty conducting innovative sustainability research who wish to use the campus as a testing ground for their theories, products, or innovations can contact the Office of Sustainability. We will help identify and coordinate connections with key campus operations staff to present projects and link them into our Campus as Lab initiative.
Academic course collaborations with the Office of Sustainability provide an opportunity for professors to engage their students in real-world campus sustainability challenges, transforming theoretical knowledge into practical solutions. These courses serve as a living lab, fostering innovation, empowering future leaders, and strengthening Columbia's commitment to a sustainable future.
Have an idea for a Campus as Lab project? Fill out the Campus as Lab Collaboration and Information Request Form.
