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�þ��� as a Living Lab connects �þ��� students, faculty and staff interested in research about sustainability issues right on Elon’s campus. The idea behind this program is that Elon’s campus operations and programs can serve as a platform for exploring and demonstrating innovative sustainability solutions.

By using real-world Elon systems for projects, students can learn about sustainability innovation on campus and help improve systems in real time. �þ���, faculty and staff are also able to and browse potential project ideas. 

Sophie Remisio ’27 is a Lumen Scholar at Elon, majoring in environmental engineering and applied math. She first became interested in conducting sustainability research while taking an engineering class and learning about the impacts of fertilizer and eutrophication on water bodies.

Her current research explores the use of sorbents to remove PFAS from drinking water. Through this experience, however, she became aware of the large amount of plastic waste generated in the lab setting. She is currently working on developing a regenerative water filter to remove contaminants while addressing waste accumulation, combining her passions for engineering and sustainability.

For students interested in sustainability research but who are unsure of where to start, Remisio mentioned the importance of connecting with professors and peers.

“Use your resources,” she encouraged. “If you’re interested in sustainability but don’t know where to begin, reflect on what piques your interest the most in a field.”

�þ��� are eligible to apply for research funding through the Sustainability Research Grant program each spring semester. One student is awarded $1000 each academic year for research related to sustainability.

For more information on �þ��� as a Living Lab, please visit the Office of Sustainability’s website.