MCSI is pleased to share three unique summer research opportunities for Pitt Students.
*Please review each program description for specific application process and program details.
Summer Research in Sustainability
Open to all Pitt undergraduate and master's students in all fields and majors
Deadline to apply: February 17, 2025
Intended for Pitt undergraduate and master's level students interested in gaining hands on experiences related to the broad topic of sustainability. ALL majors are eligible to apply. The 10-week program runs May 12 - July 18, 2025, and provides a $5,000 stipend.
Collaborative Research Opportunity with the Carnegie Museum of Natural History
Surveying the Woody Vegetation across Powdermill Nature Reserve to Track Change Over Time
Open to all Pitt undergraduate students. Sophomore & Junior students preferred.
Deadline to apply: February 17, 2025
The Mascaro Center for Sustainable Innovation is pleased to present a unique summer research opportunity in partnership with the Carnegie Museum of Natural History at their facility at the Powdermill Nature Reserve. This full-time, 12-week program runs May 19 - August 8 with compensation at $16/hour. Housing is available on site.
Frederick Honors College Brackenridge Sustainability Scholars
Open to all Pitt undergraduates
Deadline to apply: February 26, 2025
The Frederick Honors College Brackenridge Fellowship is an interdisciplinary, $4,000 award which annually supports undergraduate students seeking to complete research or a creative project over the summer. To enhance this undergraduate opportunity, the Mascaro Center has collaborated with the Honors College to provide an additional $500 of support to students conducting research in areas related to sustainability.
2024 Program Highlights
Congratulations to the 27 students accepted to our Summer 2024 Undergraduate Research Program! The program ran from May 6 to July 23. Visit the Pitt Sustainability YouTube page to view project videos from this year's symposium, or review the list of summer research scholars, their projects, and their advisors here.
Past Projects and Highlights
Attendees of the annual Undergraduate Summer Research Symposium vote for the best presentations based on clarity, creativity, quality of research, and connection to sustainability.
Videos of select projects can be viewed on YouTube, or featured project videos can be viewed below.
2024 Featured Projects
Best Video: Olivia Rossi
Deciphering the Impact of Sewers on Urban Street Tree Nutrition
Advisor: Emily Elliott, Geology & Environmental Science
Best Presentation: Steven Panico
The Effect of In-Solution Particles on Reusable, Additive Manufactured Metal Filters
Advisor: Markus Chmielus, Mechanical Engineering & Materials Science
Best Presentation: Pocket Pizzutillo
Materials Design for Advanced Manufacturing of Cobalt-Free Cemented Carbides
Advisor: Wei Xiong, Mechanical Engineering & Materials Science
Best Presentation: Neeharika Kolli
Climate Inventory and Targets
Advisor: Kate Zettl, UPMC Center for Sustainability
- 2023 Featured Projects
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Ekaterini Papazekos
Silicon Solar Module Recycling
Advisor: Paul Leu, Industrial EngineeringPaloma DiBella
Urban Permaculture
Advisors: Kevin Bell, Bioengineering, and Corey Flynn, School of Medicine - 2022 Featured Projects
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Rebecca Hotton
Increasing the Energy Efficiency of 3D Binder Jet Printed Metal Filters
Advisor: Markus Chmielus, Mechanical Engineering and Materials ScienceMolly Draper
Sustainable Forestry within the Eastern Deciduous Forest Biome: Is Salvage Logging Compatible with Healthy Forest Regeneration Following a Major Windstorm?
Advisors: Dr. Walter Carson, Biological Sciences, and
Hannah Assour, Biological Sciences - 2021 Featured Projects
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Sydney DuBose
Environmental Justice Teaching
Advisor: Cassie Quigley, School of EducationHeather Phillips
Microbial Fuel Cells for BMG Electrodes
Advisor: Dr. David Sanchez, Civil and Environmental EngineeringNatalie Britton
Assessing Environmental (In)justices in U.S. Public Housing Siting Decisions
Advisors: Michael Blackhurst, University Center for Social and Urban Research, and
Randy Walsh, Economics - 2020 Featured Projects
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Frankie Fattori
Energy-efficient processors, sensors, and systems for space-based sensing and computing
Advisor: Alan George, electrical and computer engineeringAli Carroll
Biodiversity collapse at the urban-rural interface: Consequences for the sustainability and economic viability of small, privately owned forests in PA
Advisor: Walter Carson, Biological SciencesMax Smith
Simulations of First Solar Cells
Advisor: Paul Leu, Industrial EngineeringSridhar Reddy
Hardware acceleration of artificial neural network for neuromorphic computing
Advisor: Feng Xiong, Electrical and Computer Engineering