Sustainability Added To River Hawk Experience Distinction Program

By Admin March 12, 2023 Post a Comment

When applying for graduate work, plastic engineering sophomore Abby Mastromonaco can better communicate her sustainability experience to employers with a new River Hawk Experience Distinction (RHED) submission.

Launched in 2017, the RHED program combines pre-approved courses with out-of-classroom experiences, allowing students to earn special credits through course transcripts. The differences will be in the areas of leadership, entrepreneurship, global engagement, community engagement and sustainability from January 2023.

“It's important for future employers to see how passionate I am about sustainability,” said Mastromonaco, a freshman enrolled in the RHED Sustainability Award. "Discrimination sets me apart."

Director of Experiential Learning and Cooperative Education Ray Berry oversees the RHED program and says now is the right time to introduce a new option.

"We see a lot of student interest in sustainable development," he says. "That's a price most of them will accept."

For Wendy Hyatt, assistant director of experiential learning and brand programs, the beauty of diversity in sustainability is that it is a multidisciplinary discipline.

"Sustainability is not limited to one area," he says. "Every large organization can have a way of realizing its need for sustainable development."

Students seeking sustainability certification must complete two pre-approved courses, such as an environmental letter or an introduction to polymer sustainability. The already established list is growing as UMass Lowell welcomes sustainability-related academic programs to campus, including a sustainability concentration in political science and environmental policy and a sustainability option in environmental science.

"It's great that all the programs are working at the same time as UMass Lowell is gaining more recognition for its sustainability," said Lori Weeden, assistant professor of environmental, earth and atmospheric sciences, who helped launch RHED. Longevity.

A wide range of programs and courses allow students to go beyond their degrees and explore sustainability in a variety of areas. At Mastromonaco, the course load is focused on plastics development, but you are looking at an introduction to environmental economics with the RHED program.

"Breaking it apart helps me get a different perspective," she says.

In addition to taking two courses, students are required to complete two internships related to sustainability. As a first attempt, Mastromonaco is helping Raytheon develop sustainable technologies, one of which includes a video campaign to spread the word that simple actions like turning off lights and turning off computers can save energy.

"This shows how a big company like Raytheon can make a difference," said Mastromonaco, who has been working with the team in Andover, Massachusetts, for six months.

Other experiences of interest to RHED around sustainability include serving as a UML student observer at the UN Conference of the Parties, receiving the Heritage Institute's Climate Change Mitigation Award, receiving a Sustainable Participation and Enrichment Development Grant, and volunteering with the environment. Work on greenhouse and green roof projects with the Office of Sustainable Development and Sustainability and run the IN-ROADS climate simulator for a school group or community organization.

Students can approve different experiences for faculty and staff groups.

"Not all students who think about sustainability have the same interests or the same focus," she says. "The program is flexible to meet the needs of students."

Students are required to write a reflection on each course and experience they have in the RHED program. Through these findings, students learn how to better articulate how they can expand their knowledge of sustainable development.

"The RHED program provides a great opportunity for our students," says Hyatt. "This is a powerful way for students to connect their personal interests with academic knowledge in a validated way, and when they graduate, they can present their knowledge to employers."