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Spotlight on Simmons

It's Easy Being Green at Simmons

The story below is taken from the Simmons College faculty/staff newsletter.

When you think about environmental efforts at Simmons, the ongoing construction of the Simmons School of Management/academic building and quad project probably comes to mind. However, there are many other activities taking place College-wide that focus on sustainability and being "green" — many of which take place right under your nose.  These notable initiatives range from the Facilities department sustainability projects and food service modifications, to classroom learning and student recycling campaigns.

In recent years, the College has taken steps to improve its sustainability, by using resources in ways that avoid waste and are environmentally sound. Facilities has established a number of energy efficiency standards in Simmons's class and meeting spaces, such as climate control that is based on room occupancy, controlling interior lights through room sensors, and controlling exterior lights by photo cell (a devise that detects and measures light), based on existing daylight hours.

Sustainability plays a large role in the College's new and renovated buildings, said Director of Facilities Janet Fishstein.  "For Facilities, sustainability means determining what's driving the use of the space, and setting guidelines for energy use according to need." All new buildings on campus are being developed with a full lighting control system, she said.

The newly renovated Beatley Library has a number of  "green" elements, including energy-efficient windows, quiet and sustainable cork flooring, a full lighting control system, and a heat recovery ventilation system that allows for recapturing and reusing energy created within the building. Additionally, nearly all of the College's academic and administrative buildings have converted to compact fluorescent lighting from regular fluorescent bulbs. Each energy-efficient bulb can last up to five years, and over its lifetime prevents the release of 1,000-2,000 lbs. of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.

Eco-Friendly Food
Director of Simmons Dining Services Jeffrey Stone has changed the way we eat on campus. In "The Fens" cafeteria, Java City, and the Meyers Café, all disposable items used — from plates and cups to straws and "grab-and-go" salad containers — are compostable. "The volume of cups and plates that are used here is extraordinary. I feel that we're making a big impact," he said.  Earlier this month, the wrapping of the "grab-and-go" sandwiches was replaced with paper compostable wrap. "The response has been favorable so far, even though the wrapper isn't see-through anymore," he said.

The food services staff also uses compostable trash bags for the disposable goods, as well as green chemicals in the dishwashing machines and for floor and glass cleaners, on the residence and main campuses. Stone has even made some changes to food products. He switched potato chip vendors from Kettle Chips to Cape Cod Potato Chips, to support the local business. "And because the product is shipped within the state, there's less energy used for transportation," he said. He also has secured Pura Vida Coffee, a fair trade, shade grown, organic coffee, in the Library's Meyers Café, and is looking into a similar coffee line for Java City.

Enthusiastic about recycling, Stone not only recycles at home, but also has his own compost pile. He said one small way the Simmons community can make a big difference is to avoid using trays in the cafeteria. "When we wash the trays, it increases our water use and energy consumption," he said. "Recycling and sustainability are the wave of the future, and are what students and others are looking for."

Sustainable Students
The College's Sustainability Committee has 20 active student members — advised by Sue Stafford, professor of philosophy — who have taken recycling initiatives to a new level. Introduced last May in conjunction with Business Affairs, Project Move Out collects items left behind by students moving out of the residence halls. Instead of being discarded, products such as small appliances, batteries, books, and clothing were made available to 30 non-profits in the Boston area, including domestic violence shelters.

"The committee is really cooking this year," said Stafford. "This year, in addition to holding a Project Move Out in May, we're considering hosting one in December, before holiday break. The students advocated for this second recycling event."

Overseen by Business Affairs, students also have led the "Switch Your Bulb" program for more than a year. Student sustainability representatives provide compact fluorescent light bulbs free of charge to students to replace their dorm's regular lightbulbs. There also is a lightbulb recycling closet in Smith Hall to safely house used bulbs for recycling, said Sophia Benedicktus, manager of Residence Campus Services.

Receptacles for paper recycling are available in each dorm room, said Benedicktus, and students are looking to expand other recycling efforts in the residence halls. Growing up in Europe as a child, Benedicktus remembers seeing recycling bins on every corner, which made a lasting impression. "Recycling is a part of my life. But I'm more involved after working with such passionate students," she said.

Stafford encourages environmentally conscious employees to get involved with the Sustainability Committee. "We could use help with energy audits for classrooms, with the communication of sustainability efforts to the College community, and with campus-wide recycling," she said.

Green Theory in the Classroom and Beyond
Several faculty members have taken the lead on "green" education and research.  Simmons Assistant Professor of Chemistry Rich Gurney has overseen his students' "Cups to Cleaners: Trash to Treasure" project, in which they developed a method to convert the Fens Cafeteria's biodegradable cups, once discarded, into a "green" cleaning product that removes lime scale and soap scum in bathrooms.

"This project is a great example of research collaboration," said Gurney. "What started as an idea from one student, has expanded into an ongoing project with 12 students. For example, one student is doing research to see if the cups could be converted into alternative fuel, while another is looking into turning the cups into a greener solvent."

This year, the project is led by seniors Jennifer Boice, Meredith McFarland, Lauren Morrell, ShunYi Tsui, and Christina King, who are taking their research to the chemistry industry. Boice will give a 20-minute presentation in Boston at the Materials Research Society Meeting, an international conference on materials science in November ("Something I haven't even been asked to do!" said Gurney), and several students will present abstracts of their research at the American Chemical Society's annual meeting in New Orleans in April.

Stafford is teaching Environmental Ethics this spring, and plans to involve her students in service-learning projects with two local organizations: Groundwork Somerville, an organization that works to build sustainable communities; and E — the Environmental Learning and Action Center, a Cambridge organization that pairs science education with community action to bring environmental change to urban communities.

When Stafford and Gurney discovered that their courses complemented each other, they developed a Green Chemistry and Environmental Ethics Learning Community. They hope to disseminate the curricula as a teaching model at other educational institutions. "Most environmentalists don't have a knowledge of chemistry, so they can't say why a chemical is 'bad,'" said Gurney. "This coursework puts it into context, so that they can understand the problem, as well as the green solution. On the other hand, chemists understand the scientific details about environmentally dangerous substances, but don't have the concepts and skills to articulate those facts. This course answers both sets of needs."

Simmons also is sharing its green expertise on a global scale. Simmons is one of only 10 colleges in the Green Chemistry Education Network, an international virtual community focusing on green curriculum development for educational institutions. And this summer, Gurney hosted a Green Chemistry Lab Development program to help college professors across the country use green chemistry in their lab courses. The event was sponsored by Fisher Scientific, who will post the proposed labs on its website later in December.

Examining our Natural Resources
With global warming on everyone's radar screen, the work of ecologists such as Simmons Biology Assistant Professor Vlad Douhovnikoff will become even more important. Ecology - the study of interactions between organisms and with their physical environment - plays a critical role in understanding the impact humans have on the earth's natural resources.

"In a sense, ecology is the economics, social science, and history of the natural world which happens to include humans," Douhovnikoff said. He is currently the College's sole ecology professor; the biology department is hiring a marine evolutionary biologist later this year.

This past summer, Douhovnikoff led a two-week student course to explore the diverse natural ecosystems of California, visiting sites including the redwoods of Muir Woods National Park, the vast Sierra Nevada Mountain Range, and the glacier-carved valleys of Yosemite National Park. The trip enabled students to examine the wildlife, plant life, and physical environment of the various ecosystems, and to examine potential and existing strategies to manage them as natural resources.

"California is the most ecologically diverse state in the U.S. Students experienced firsthand ecosystem types they had only seen in pictures. It was also an ideal place to observe the pervasive ecological impacts of human activities, such as gold mining, timber harvesting, fire, and water management," said Douhovnikoff.


Simmons students getting ready for another hard day of field work in the California Sierra Nevada forests. Students and Professor Douhovnikoff are pictured with their beloved "Steam Donkey" in which they traveled over 1,550 miles.

In response to observations that the Arctic tundra is being invaded by shrubby plants, Douhovinkoff recently oversaw a research project in which his students analyzed DNA samples from Alaskan vegetation. By identifying how the vegetation is colonizing new ground (by cloning themselves or by reproduction through seeds), students were able to gauge how plants are affected by global warming. "This is probably another impact of global warming, and we are interested in understanding the mechanism by which this change has come about."

For more information on the ecosystems travel course, click here.  To read more about Douhovinkoff's research, visit  his web page.

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle: Simmons Facts and Stats

  • Students initiated the College's first recycling program in 1999, collecting 15 tons of mixed paper by the end of that year.
  • This year alone, the College has recycled 54.5 tons of paper and cardboard, 7.6 tons of beverage containers, and 1.5 tons of electronics


  • In 2001, Simmons became one of the first colleges to join the Institution Recycling Network (IRN), a co-op with 125 member institutions across New England. Through IRN, Simmons has donated unwanted books and furniture to non-profits, and shipped some Project Move Out items to victims of Hurricane Katrina.
  • Technology has donated more than 1,700 old computers, monitors, and other equipment to public schools, community centers, and non-profits.
  • Business Affairs usually holds an annual office furniture yard sale for the Simmons community featuring unneeded furniture. The most recent sale was held in mid-August, and remaining furniture was offered to the Horace Mann Elementary School, Brighton Day Habilitation Center, Hearth, Inc., Boston Community Leadership Academy, Norwood Public Schools, and the Youth Workers' Alliance

Learn more about recycling opportunities at Simmons.