What Is a Living Laboratory?

The Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) Sustainability tracking, Assessment & Rating System (STARS) recommends that universities use their campuses as a living laboratory.

This means that the university’s infrastructure and operations are used to foster multidisciplinary student learning and applied research that contributes to understanding campus sustainability challenges or advancing sustainability on campus.

Such efforts produce substantive work by students and/or faculty (e.g. class projects, thesis projects, term papers, published papers) that involve active and experiential learning. These efforts, in addition to immersive education programs, co-curricular activities, and community service, help to create an interconnected and holistic learning system on campus.

How Our Campus Acts as a Living Laboratory

Our campus provides unique opportunities for students and researchers to gain hands-on experience with laboratory studies in a dynamic, real-world environment. By collaborating across departments, community partnerships, and sustainability professionals, students can enhance their educational and professional careers simultaneously. This prepares them to weave sustainability into their diverse career paths, ensuring their success in a climate-challenged world.   
As a living lab, UML integrates sustainability across campus in many ways. UML’s certification as an arboretum facilitates urban agriculture studies, leading to the Food Forest on South Campus, where students monitor soil changes and biodiversity. East Campus features the Rist Urban Agriculture Greenhouse and Farm, a full-scale agricultural site and research facility. Some campus buildings are equipped with rooftop gardens, further enriching research opportunities. 
Courses that teach sustainability encourage students across disciplines to apply their knowledge to real-world scenarios, partnering with on-campus and local initiatives to develop practical solutions, conduct impactful research, and foster community engagement. Competitions and fellowships funded by the Rist Institute empower students to create innovative solutions for reducing CO2 emissions. By collaborating with university officials and utilizing campus resources, students can demonstrate their ability to make impactful environmental change. 

Past Examples of How Our Campus Has Been a Living Laboratory