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Student Capstone Projects

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Class of 2014

Elizabeth C. Bogle

An Integrated Watershed Management Model: What are the Best 鈥淪ustainable鈥澛燤anagement Practices Associated with the Revitalization of A Watershed Ecosystem聽Within the United States?

Her project looks to address the issues related with watershed pollution and聽how to best alleviate the problem while maintaining a sustainable watershed聽ecosystem.

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Joseph Goggin

Corporate Social Responsibility: A Tool to Advance the Pharmaceutical Industry

His capstone project examined how corporate social responsibility can create a competitive advantage for companies by creating a green business model. His project specifically focused on the pharmaceutical industry. Through an analysis of best practices, he created a cost effective road map for companies to transition to a green business model.

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Raheen Khan

Green Is The New Black: Sustainability In The Apparel Industry

She studied sustainability trends and indicators to develop a comprehensive whole systems business strategy for the local apparel industry.

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Karin La Greca

Re-Greening New Jersey Communities: A Citizen Science Model

She studies best practices in empowering local communities to bring in sustainable change. Through a Citizen Science approach she explains the interconnectedness of natural, economic and social capital in New Jersey鈥檚 Green infrastructure, and creates a participative framework to promote the balance.

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Sean O鈥橦agan

Creating A Sustainable Business Policy In the Electric Utility Sector

His capstone project examined best practices in sustainability business models in聽the Utility Sector. Through a rigorous analysis of shifts in the energy industry such聽as energy efficiency, distributed generation in the form of renewables and the need聽to reduce carbon emissions, his capstone project underscored how the existing聽utility business models are transitioning towards Sustainability.

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Brian Zach

Ringwood: Lay Epidemiology and Perceptions of Health Assessments

His capstone project studies the toxic dumping in Ringwood by Ford and the health implications on communities.

Class of 2013

Daniel G. Cummings

Sustainable Jersey: The Program, the Successes and the Path To One Hundred Percent Certification In Bergen County

His project investigated the New Jersey鈥檚 voluntary Sustainable Jersey certification program, especially its implementation in Bergen County. The investigation combined peer reviewed research, quantitative analysis of perceived indicators demonstrated through mapping and qualitative collection of interview data from various municipal participants.

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Benjamin W. Grace

Sustainable Landscape Design and Green Infrastructure Assessment at the Ramapo Campus

His capstone project focused on transforming lawn areas into green spaces and the beneficial aspects of installing plant material while reducing maintenance costs to large scale facilities

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Sara H. Hambleton

Exploring Global Renewable Energy Strategies for the 鈥淣ew Green Economy鈥

Her capstone project was on distributed generation policy and practices in the context of a global strategy for energy poverty alleviation.

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Jeff Hogan

ISO 14001: A Potential Catalyst for Global Sustainable Development

Jeff’s capstone project was an analysis of two sustainability related certifications for global businesses. The first being ISO 14001, the second being the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI).

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Mike Hoogerhyde

A Landscape Business Approach To Designing Sustainable Communities: Beautiful,聽Healthy, Ecologically Functional landscapes

His project explores the creation of a sustainable landscape business, NJ聽Wildflowers, which recognizes the growing need for socio-ecological services and聽builds it鈥檚 business guided by principles of Permaculture. As a new landscape聽market emerges, NJ Wildflowers incorporates this learning to create beautiful,聽healthy, and ecologically functional landscapes.

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Rebecca Jost

Recycling Program for Middle School Students

Through field based observational research of recycling habits of Middle school students, her capstone project designed recycling lesson plans for schools.

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Kyle Tafuri

Environmental Sustainability In Healthcare: A General Guide for Implementation

Based on extensive case studies of best practices in sustainability initiatives at hospitals around North America, his project defined a general strategy for making healthcare provision more sustainable.

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Grace A. Whitney

Sustainable Practices and Wellness: Recommendations for the Christian Health Care Center鈥檚 Vista Project

Her capstone project was focused on utilizing sustainable practices in the creation of a Continuing Care Retirement Community (CCRC). Grace worked with the Christian Health Care Center in Wyckoff, New Jersey as they developed plans for a new CCRC, The Vista. Through case study research, Grace was able to make a
series of recommendations for The Vista project

Class of 2012

Robert S. Dill:

Moving Bergen Community College Towards Sustainability: An Action Plan in Sustainability Initiatives.

While his project focused on Bergen Community College, he developed a聽sustainability plan that could be implemented at any midsize college or university.聽His Action Plan in Sustainability Initiatives has been an invaluable resource to聽bringing sustainability projects to Bergen Community College campus.

Presentation (PDF)

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Chris P. Hanson:

Sustainable Jersey鈥檚 Progress in Essex County Municipalities: The Efficacy of Sustainable Development Frameworks.

His project examines the effectiveness of Sustainable Jersey Certification program through an analysis of a cluster of municipalities in Essex County.
Presentation (PDF)

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Amy Heid:

Sustainable Business Plan for a Local Cafe.

Her business plan proposed to open a caf茅 with locally supplied materials in the Ringwood Manor state park.
Presentation (PDF)

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Jenny R. Isaacs:

Protecting Migratory Shorebirds: A Stewardship Model of Conservation

Her project studied conservation practices pertaining to migratory shore birds, using surveys and participatory research to derive best practices.
Presentation (PDF)

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Sue J. Pinera:

Renovating Homes Sustainably

She used her own home renovation project to research the complexities for the average homeowner to renovate their home in an efficient and sustainable manner.
Presentation (PDF)

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Lee Pratt:

City Survivors to City Thrivers: Shifting form a Sustainability Mindset to Community Thrivability

Her project focused on the Community aspect of Sustainability and the Sustainability aspect of Community. Through a study of community and grassroots sustainability initiatives in Patterson, she unveiled how the Urban National Historical Park in Patterson could re-envision a thriving community.
Presentation (PDF)

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Leslie S. Raucher:

A Pocked Guide to Pocket Parks

Her project was designed give the average citizen the knowledge and power necessary to successfully build their own Pocket Park from start to finish. Through case studies of pocket parks in urban centers, Leslie鈥檚 project showed the significance of pocket parks and how they could be established in urban neighborhoods.
Presentation (PDF)

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Peter Russo

Mahwah: A Case Study In Sustainable Cities

His project studied actions taken by the Township of Mahwah to move in the聽direction of sustainability. An analysis of the Master Plan, it鈥檚 Addendum, and聽various town ordinances showed what the town could do to become a leader in聽sustainability.

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Christopher M. Scaffa:

Reimagining Communities : A Look Into Green Infrastructure and Green Building Design

His project focused the principles of Green Building design on the development of intentional communities.

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Julianne D. Scarola:

Reconnecting Communities By Growing Food: Retrofits to Suburbia

Her project focused on the participatory transformation of lawns and yards into edible landscapes and the use of suburban farming as a way of building stronger community ties.
Presentation (PDF)

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Lauren A. Shur:

Walkabilty: A Key Component of Sustainability

Her project is a comparative study of cities with no walkability and those with significant walkable infrastructure. Through the comparative analysis of walkable infrastructure and community well being, Lauren demonstrated the benefits of walkability.
Presentation (PDF)

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Rachel G. Weiland:

An Exploration of the Next Generation of Sustainability Leadership: A Case Study of Current Youth Sustainability Leaders

Her project focused on an analysis of the knowledge, skills and attitudes found in a sample of Youth Leaders, in an effort to derive trends and best practices.
Presentation (PDF)