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GSVS Capstone Thesis


Class of 2024

Student | Capstone Title

Jade Alvarez | Stealing Life and Land: Damming as an American Settler-Colonial Technology

Alannah Bell | Nassau Street: A Case Study on the Housing Crisis, Floodplain Maps, and Environmental Justice

Noah Brown | The Human Ecology of Public Land Management in the United States

Olivia Cox | Dead White Man’s Clothes: The Environmental, Economic, & Social Consequences of the Second-Hand Clothing Trade in Ghana

Summer DeLellis-Sturgis | Assembling Value in Sustainable Society: Ecosystem Services Beyond Anthropocentrism

Yushun Ding | How does REDD+ grow a new homeland: A case study of Zambézia Integrated Landscape Management Program

Spenser Duval | Harvesting Justice: An Exploration of Sustainable Food through the Slow Food Movement

Ryan Thomas Eagan | The Smell of Bacon: A Policy Analysis of Hog Farming Regulations and Guidelines in North Carolina

Hannah Ellis | The Value of Green Land Value Taxes: A Socio-Economic and Environmental Analysis for Charlottesville

Lila Fenner | Private Protected Areas: Warning Signs of a Colonialist Agenda in Ecotourism Developments

Julianne Feuchter | Does the Current American Democracy have the Capacity to Truly Represent the People? Sustainability and Intergenerational Justice

Taylor Frame | Harvesting the Future: A Comparative Analysis of Regional Renewable Energy Transitions

Sophie Gajadhar-Smith | Guyana and the Resource Curse

Aditi Iyengar | Skewed Shade: How Legacies of Racial Discrimination Shape Charlottesville’s Present-Day Urban Tree Canopy Distribution

Anna Jett | Broaden Your Green Horizons: Appealing to the Conscious Non-Consumer through Sustainable Marketing

Aayusha Khanal | Pathways Interrupted: Navigating Mobility Challenges of Refugee Women in Charlottesville

Chloe Kienzle | Using Interpersonal Influence to Inspire Behavior Change on Climate Issues

Maya Koehn-Wu | Dancing Through Climate Change: Exploring the Role of Dance in Addressing Multiculturalism and Climate-Driven Mass Migration

Allison Lai | Wildlife Trafficking in the Internet Age: How Cybersecurity Can Help Against the Illegal Wildlife Trade

Sophie Lettes | Waste Colonialism: Social and Environmental Implications of Mass Clothing Dumping in Chile’s Atacama Desert

Hillary Lewis | Forest Management in the Pacific Northwest: Indigenous vs. Federal

Cassie Lipton | Gendered Safety and the Built Environment at the University of Virginia

Alexandra Lum | Beyond the Surface: Digging into the Controversies of Lithium Mining - A Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis of Policy Alternatives in the Lithium Industry

Anna Mollen | Lithium Mining in Chile’s Atacama Desert: Balancing Economic Growth with Environmental and Social Responsibility

Sarah Moran | Driving the Green Finance Revolution: Exploring Carbon Credit Investments and the Impact on Businesses from Sustainable Portfolios

Benjamin Bror Nilson | Redistricting by Watershed: Grouping Voters by the Water They Drink, Not What Kool Aid They've Drunk

Hill Nystrom | Livestock Depredation by Gray Wolves: Analyzing Oregon and Predicting Colorado

Rebecca Popp | Groaning with Creation: Evangelical Reframing of Climate Change

Naomi Suber | Feast

Tytus Suchotinunt | Revitalizing Charlottesville Area Transit: Analysis and Advocacy for Improved Public Transportation

Elliot Toler | Food Justice and Displacement: A Comparative Analysis of German Case Studies & Relevant Strategies for America

Rosie Tomiak | Climate Reparations

Olivia Vargo | A Greener Grounds: Circular Landscape & Plant Cultivation Approach at the University of Virginia

Roshan Vemuri | The Importance of Prioritizing Apex Predator Conservation

Yulin Wang | Exploration of Factors that Influence Small and Medium Enterprise’s (SME) Perception on ESG Practices: A Case Study on the United Kingdom and China

Grey Webbert | The Decarbonization Divide: Preparing for Future E-Waste, Current Labor Exploitation, and How We Move Forward

Alex Yang | Net Zero Energy Building Proposal for Morven Meeting Barn

Victoria Zhu | Sustainable Transformations: A Comparative Case Study of Adaptive Reuse in Industrial Buildings

Class of 2023

Student | Capstone Title

Abby Adams | Collaborative Consumption and the Sharing Economy: One Solution to the Externalities Problem

Maira Asmat | Little Robot on the Prairie: How AI Can Improve Irrigation in the "Prairie Gateway" Region of the United States

Lindsay Asmussen | Shining a Light on Electricity Access: Recommendations for Rural Solar in Niger

Tahne Badenhorst | Making a Rainbow Nation Green: Cape Town, South Africa at the Forefront of Renewable Energy Transitions in Africa

Noelani Brockett | Non-Financial Contributions to College Food Insecurity and Implication for Policy: The case of the University of Virginia

Alexandra Burtnett | Sustainable Practices at the Olympic Games

Sy Coffey | Climate Migration into Appalachia: A Just Economic Transition for a Just Climate Future

Sarina Cooper | Gender Informed Natural Disaster Response in the Northern Triangle Region

Julia Edwards | Scope 3 Emissions Calculation for UVA's Paper Procurement

Ella Fesler | To Till or Not to Till: Political and Social Barriers to the Adoption of Conservation Agriculture in the United States & University-Led Agricultre as a Solution

Keely Fitzsimmons | Measuring Progress: Examining the United Nations SDG Index and Redefining the Global Standard for Sustainable Development Progress

Frances Garner | Hanoi's Hong River: Climate, Development, and Rights ot the City

Noah Ginsburg | Conserving Concerts: An Investigation into Sustainability in the Live Music Industry

Izzy Hamilon | Hoos Sharing: UVA's Library of Goods and the Benefits of Collaborative Consumption

Teddy Hill | Battery Energy Storage System Analysis and Prospective ERCOT Acquisition

Cailan Kelly | Scope 3 Emissions Calculation for UVA's Paper Procurement

Kasey Kiefer | Three Notched Trail in Charlottesville: Assessing Importance and Mapping Routes to Expand into a Cycle-Friendly City

Syd Kirk | Powering a Sustainable Future: Exploring the Potential of Nuclear in the Clean Energy Transition

Jaden Ko | Sustainability in the Food and Beverage Industry

Halle Krantz | Polluted Policies: Perpetuation of Environmental Racism in Cancer Alley and the U.S.

Brandon Licata | The Grass Isn't Always Greener: Environmental Effects of Grass Lawns and Sustainable Alternatives

Dillon McDowell | Landscapes, Their Stories, and the Inspiration to Care

Jack Mills | What Plant Spirit Medicine Says to Us: Articulating Plant Spirit Medicine in Indigenous Ontological and Epistemological Terms

Gabrielle Moore | Value of Visual Art in the Climate Crisis

Sara Moreno | Alt-Meat: The Commodification of meatless Diets and its place in the United States' Culture of Nourishment

Catherine Nguyen | Swept Under the Carpet: A Case of Environmental Justice in Dalton, GA

Allison O'Neill | Exploring Ecological Sustainability within New England Agriculture: Food Hubs as a Potential Champion

Luca Pfeiffer | A Visual History of Albermarle Wildlife

Spencer Pierce | The Politicization of ESG Investing and Its Implications on the Social Pillar of ESG

Brendan Puglisi | Addressing The United Nations' Top Sustainability Goals With Data Science

Olivia Redding | To Dune or Not to Dune: The Conflict Between Protecting Coastal Landscapes and Conserving Endangered Sea Turtles

Evan Riegle | Corporate Sustainability at Apex Clean Energy

Ana Roney | Global Threats to Mangroves and Conservation Efforts

Gabrielle Rosario | A Resilient Future: Steps & Recommendations for a Climate Resilience Plan in York County, Virginia

Carter Shields | Mapping and Evaluating Solid Waste Management in Hanoi, Vietnam

Eliza Stowe | The Decarbonization of our Appalachian Energy Systems: A Clash of the Labor and Climate Justice Movements

Cassandrew Torres | Conservation in Conversation: Sustainable Tourism in Gozo

Katherine Turk | Corporate Sustainability in Denmark vs. the United States

Jaylah Koree Webb | Pargons or Pariahs?: Black People and the Environmental Movement

Mason Wilson | Prioritizing Sustainability in Cloud Computing: A Search for the Most Sustainable Cloud Provider

Coleman Wise | Battery Energy Storage System Analysis and Prospective ERCOT Acquisition

Naomi Wren | Urban Agriculture and Mutual Aid in Richmond, Virginia: Cultivating an Equitable Food System through Solidarity

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Class of 2022

Student | Capstone Title

Tahne Badenhorst | Making a Rainbow Nation Green: Cape Town, South Africa, at the Forefront of Renewable Energy Transitions in Africa

Lyons Brown | Reuniting Native FIsh, People, and Water: Damn Removal and Salmon Restoration on the Lower Snake River

Emma Clark | An Analysis of Differential Capacities for Environmental Justice Work in Renewable Energy: Residential, Community, and Utility-Scale

Janet Conklin | Waste to Winter Wonder: Comprehensive Wastewater Reuse in Big Sky, Montana

Madison Crouch | Taking Out the Trash: A Comparison of Solid Waste Management Practices at Various Universities

Mereditch Deloia (with Diplomacy lab) | The Morven Sustainability Lab: Integrating Actions for Land, Architecture, and Education

Spencer Dietz | Counter-mapping the Ancestral Homeland of the Monacan Nation: Disrupting Colonial Geographies in Central Virginia through Cartography

Brooke Crouch | Effective Engagement of Youth in the Climate Movement: Fostering Action Competence, Meaning & Porblem Based Coping Strategies, & Constructive Hope

Eleanor Dilworth | Toward an Ecopoetics of the South: History, Futurity, and Responsibility

Kelly Drash | Combating Urban Sprawl by Building Within: An Argument for Accessory Dwelling Units

Keely Fitzsimmons | Measuring Progress: Examining the United Nations SDG Index and Redefining the Global Standard for Sustainable Development Progress

Bryce Forys | A Flawed Forecast: A Critique of NEMS Modeling of Natural Gas and Analysis of the Industry Going Forward

Grace George | The Morven Sustainability Lab: Integrating Actions for Land, Architecture, and Education

Elizabeth Harrington | Fresh Fruit for Free: Urban Food Forestry in Booker T. Washington Park for Food Security and Community Benefits

Emma Harrison (with Diplomacy Lab) | The Morven Sustainability Lab: Integrating Actions for Land, Architecture, and Education

Lukas Houpt (with Megan Sprottle) | Climate Crossroads

Hunter Hess | Democracy's Dicisive Position in Environmental Political Theory: A Comparative Analysis of Denmark, China, and the USA

Evan Janson | A Sustainable Future: Tapering Inefficient Fossil Fuel Subsidies in the United States

Eleanor Jones | The Environmental Price of Fast Fashion: Solutions for Sustainable Development in the Worlds of Business and Fashion

Paul Kay | Understanding the Discursive Construction and Material Impact of Ecoterrorism: A Comparative Analysis of Earth Liberation Front and Extinction Rebellion

Jieon Jenny Kim | Rewriting the Hospital Food Script: An Analysis of Our Current Hospital Food System and Potential Solutions

Catherine Leigh (with Diplomacy Lab) | The Morven Sustainability Lab: Integrating Actions for Land, Architecture, and Education

Zachary Marhanka (with Patricia Matyas) | An Equitable Sun? National Lessons to Inform Local Impact sof Low-Income Solar

Dulaney Marsh | Managed Retreat on Tangier Island

Hayley Marshall | Scallops, Science & Sustainability: Integrating Knowledge from Different Stakeholders in a Virginia Bay Scallop Fishery

Patricia Matyas (with Zachary Marhanka) | An Equitable Sun? National Lessons to Inform Local Impacts of Low-Income Solar

Dylan May | The Importance of Context: Critical Success Factors for Electrification Projects in Developing Countries

Amber Peake | Integrating Sustainable Initiatives in the Fire Department: A Holistic Review of the Implementation of Class A Foams

Sophie Peng | Evaluation of the Effectiveness of Sustainability Education in UVA;s Architecture Curriculum

Alex Prince | Off Grounds Composting: Envisioning a Service to Reduce Food Waste at The University of Virginia

Ester Rekhelman | Payments for Environmental Services: A Comparative Case Study Analysis for Application on Ethiopia;s Coffee Smallholder Farms

Charlotte Roberts (with Diplomacy Lab) | The Morven Sustainability Lab: Integrating Actions for Land, Architecture, and Education

Megan Sprotte (with Lucas Houpt) | Climate Crossroads

Elizabeth Suffa (with Diplomacy Lab) | The Morven Sustainability Lab: Integrating Actions for Land, Architecture, and Education

Trevor Storm | Equity Combating Urban Heat Island Effect in Hunting Park, Philadelphia Through GRI, HVIs, and Increasing Urban Tree Canopy Coverage

Eliza Stowe | The Decarbonization of our Appalachian Energy Systems: A Clash of the Labor and Climate Justice Movements

Mary Katherine Terrell | Selling the Coal Story: An Analysis of Coal Heritage Tourism in Southern Appalachia

Smritee Thapa | The Humans vs. Nature Dichtomy of the West

Schyler Vander Schaaf | Queering Urban Parks: Reconceptualizing the Natural towards a Queer Urban Sustainability

Berkeley Wilkins | Meeting Point: Disability & Environmental Justice

Megan Williams | Sustainable Agriculture at the Intersection of the Fight against Climate Change and for Food Security

Katie Yared | The Push to End Factory Farming

Emma Zawierucha | The Harm of Private Vehicles in Natural Spaces and Viable Transportation Alternatives

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Class of 2021

Student | Capstone Title

Adelyn Klimek | Strategies for Sustainable Development and Affordable Housing In Kingston, Jamaica

Alana McBane | Defining Gentrification as an Environmental Injustice: Understanding Systematic Inequality in Washington D.C.

Alexandra Spencer | Can Volleyball Teams Also Be Sustainable Teams? Leadership Qualities Creating a Sustainable Environment 

Alicia Zheng | Strategies for Sustainable Development and Affordable Housing In Kingston, Jamaica

Amelia Lindsey | Strategies for Sustainable Development and Affordable Housing In Kingston, Jamaica

Anna Beatrice | Analysis of Massachusetts and Virginia’s Offshore Wind Energy Development: Vineyard Wind 1 and Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind

Caroline Pittard | Strategies for Sustainable Development and Affordable Housing In Kingston, Jamaica

Davion Zeno | A Lack of Legislation: Understanding Food Insecurity and Toxic Waste Sites in Houston, Texas

Elizabeth Williams | Coffee and Conservation: Intersections of Agriculture and Biodiversity in Costa Rica and Indonesia

Ellie Bowen | How To Relay the Narrative of Sustainability as a Corporate Brand

Emma Cantwell | Greening Our Mindsets: Why the Dark Green Religion Wicca is Key to Saving Our Environmental Future

Grace Gallagher | A Daughter of Earth and a Mighty River of Justice

Grace Sailer | Land Loss in Māori Literature: How Māori poets express land loss from colonization and human-induced environmental degradation through ecocritical literature

Gracie Tilman | Strategies for Sustainable Development and Affordable Housing In Kingston, Jamaica

Harry Monroe | The Sustainable Master Plan: Review and Recommendations of The UVA Athletics Master Plan

Jasmine Noel | Strategies for Sustainable Development and Affordable Housing In Kingston, Jamaica

Kendall Hanks | A Fear-Inducing, Invisible Pollutant: A Case Study of GenX in Wilmington, North Carolina

Lea Taylor | Strategies for Sustainable Development and Affordable Housing In Kingston, Jamaica

Liv Gwilliam | Strategies for Sustainable Development and Affordable Housing In Kingston, Jamaica

Macie O'Connor | Strategies for Sustainable Development and Affordable Housing In Kingston, Jamaica

Madison Parse | Strategies for Sustainable Development and Affordable Housing In Kingston, Jamaica

May Robison | Analysis and Application of Social Return on Investment: Forecasted Return on Investment for Appalachian Botanical Company

Michael Nicklas | North Carolina Swine CAFOs: Problems, Solutions, and Envisioning Multispecies Justice

Molly Cullen | Uniquely Vulnerable: Assessing the Social and Ecological Vulnerability of Delmarva Coastal Farmland to Saltwater Intrusion

Morgan Dakota DeLong-Maxey | Identification of Climate Migrants: Complexity, Responsibility, And Bias

Sabrina Sampson | Strategies for Sustainable Development and Affordable Housing In Kingston, Jamaica

Sarah Benda | The Virginia Energy Policy Simulator: Improvements and Application to Public Policy

Satori Greene | Strategies for Sustainable Development and Affordable Housing In Kingston, Jamaica

Scott Danforth | Strategies for Sustainable Development and Affordable Housing In Kingston, Jamaica

Shelby Curry | Strategies for Sustainable Development and Affordable Housing In Kingston, Jamaica

Skylar Wampler | Strategies for Sustainable Development and Affordable Housing In Kingston, Jamaica

Somes Huwiler | Cleaner and Greener: A Case Study of Sustainability in Denmark

Sydney Mathis | Black Farmers Matter

Tara Boyd | Strategies for Sustainable Development and Affordable Housing In Kingston, Jamaica

Yewon Choi | Strategies for Sustainable Development and Affordable Housing In Kingston, Jamaica

Yuki Zheng | Strategies for Sustainable Development and Affordable Housing In Kingston, Jamaica

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Class of 2020

Student | Capstone Title

Allie Tattersall | Glacier Retreat and Water Insecurity: Building Resilient Mountain Communities

Amber Arnold | The Avenues to Renewable Energy in Charlottesville: A Proposal for Local Initiative in the Face of Global Climate Disaster

Amelia Wilt | Justice for Stolen Lands: A Case Study of the Mapuche People and Their Land in Patagonia

Annie Manville | Reaching Inner Worlds through Outdoor Space: How Universities Can Inculcate Sustainable Values with Landscape Architecture

Anthony Malabad | Analysis and Recommendations for Phosphorus Management in P-Limited & P-Abundant Watersheds

Ariana Piacquadio | Straddling the Species Divide: Intersectionality in Animal Rights Advocacy 

Ava Reynolds | Toxic Beauty: Examining Environmental Inequity Through an Artistic Lens

Brian Hnat | A Comparative Analysis of RTOs’ Integration of Wind Energy + Transmission: ERCOT and MISO

Cas Crim | The Future of Bioplastics: How Small Restaurants Can Teach The World

Cece Hopkinson | Living Shorelines and the Efficacy of Oyster Reefs in Mitigating Wave Action and Erosive Processes

Daniel Brooks | The Toxic Sublime in Italian Cinema

Eliza Fisher | From Coalfields to Prisonfields: Envisioning coalition-building between environmental and criminal justice movements in Appalachia

Elizabeth Stais | In the Fast Lane: Strategies to Decarbonizing Personal Transport- San Francisco and California State Focus

Ginny Brooks | Reimagining the Galapagos Islands Through a Socio-Ecological Lens: A Historical Analysis and Modern Contextualization of the “Pristine Nature” Myth

Grace Cogguillo | Controlling Consumer Deception in Green Advertising: An Intersection of Sustainability, Marketing, and Policy

Hannah Bates | The Value of Green Building Technologies in Hotels: A Case Study on Denmark’s Green Solution House

Jackson Brandberg | Silvopasture as a Response and Mitigation Technique for Climate Change in the Caatinga Biome

Jake DiMeglio | Capturing Social Value: A Forecast Analysis of Cashew Nut Processing in Ratanakiri, Cambodia

Jamie Wertz | Fossil Fuel Divestment in U.S. Higher Education: Advocacy at the University of Virginia

Jenna Wilkey | Suicide Bombing, Civilian Oppression...and a Green New Deal? New Environmental Focus from Islamic Militant Groups in Afghanistan 

Jessica Anderson | Scaling Back: Evaluating the Suitability of Anthroposophy as a Means to Reorganize Environmental Relationships Through a Lens of Justice

Katherine McPherson | Making it Personal: The Ways in Which We Communicate Sustainability, and How to Target the Individual Using Language

Katie Mulder | A History of Shenandoah National Park: The Failure of the National Park Service to Properly Acknowledge Displaced Peoples

Lauren Hotung | Coral Bleaching and Death: Causes, Consequences, and Strategies for Resilience

Leah Silverman | Participating in Charlottesville's Local Food System

Maitlyn Murphy | How the Obesity and Environmental Crises in America Are Related and Perpetuated by the Food Industry’s Influence over the U.S. Government

McKenna Savoca | The Impact of Land Tenure in the Northern Highlands of Vietnam and Opportunities for Agroforestry Development

Meriwether Bryant | Sustainable Community-Based Ecotourism: Skill Development, Socio-Cultural, Environmental, and Economic Dynamics in Costa Rica and Kenya

Natalia Zhiltsova | Reforming the Introductory Microeconomics Curriculum: The Importance of Sustainability and Equity

Nick Gomer | An Investigation of a Tax on Second Homes and Its Ability to Foster Affordable Housing

Samuel Mogen | Health and Socio-Economic Costs of Air Pollution Derived from Fossil Fuels: A Case Study at UVA

Sarah Bryan | Justice for Stolen Lands: A Case Study of the Mapuche People and Their Land in Patagonia

Sofya Olenicheva | Neighborliness: How Informal Networks of Social Support Inform Coastal Resilience

Tyler Lohmeyer | Rethinking Justice and Equity Considerations in Virginia’s Transition to Carbon-Free Electricity

Virginia Harris | The Forecasted Social Impact of the Maasai Health & Academic Resource Center in Laikipia, Kenya

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Class of 2019

Student | Capstone Title

Abby Peizer | Green Buildings and Financial Performance in the U.S. Real Estate Sector

Ana Rabogliatti | The Psychology of Business Sustainability: Why the Corporate World is Unequipped for Sustainable Change

Anna Wright | Unsustainable Cattle Agriculture and the Little River: A Water Quality, Stakeholder, and Policy Analysis

Ava Scott | Environmental Degradation or Energy Poverty in the Andean Amazon Basin: What’s at stake?

Benjamin Whisnant | How “Green” is Your Fridge: Are the Advancements in Refrigerator Technology Creating More Sustainable Kitchens?

Candace Craig | Creating Coastal Resilience through Community Engagement: A Plan for Lake Taylor (group project)*

Caroline Alberti | Return to Tradition: An Examination of Native American Food Sovereignty Movements and a Case Study of the Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate

Emily Saul | Waste Diversion and the Politics of Consumption: The Delicate Balance of Diversion Programs

Emma Blake Tillitski | The Aesthetics of Waste: Aesthetic Values and Public Perceptions of Waste to Energy Facilities in America and Denmark

Hannah Kirk Nass | Redemption in Conflict: The Environmental Origins and Effects of the Occupation of Palestine 

Hannah Noah | Do CSR Communication Strategies Matter? A Case Study of how Reporting CSR Initiatives Impacts the Reputations of Pharmaceutical Companies

India Brahm | Sacrifice Populations: Extractivism and Conservation in Correa’s Ecuador

Isabel Getz | Sustainable Agriculture in an Era of Increasing Food Safety Standards: A Case Study of Rainwater Harvesting at Morven Kitchen Garden

Isabelle Hermsmeier | The Psychological and Physical Effects of Outdoors Classrooms on Young People: How the Incorporation of Outdoor Classrooms into School Counseling Programs Stand to Improve Students’ Mental Outlook

Jessica Shalvey | A Certified System: The Mixed Role of Organic Certification in the Future of American Food Security

Johanna Vosler | Bioenergy: A Sustainable Choice to Reduce Fossil Fuel Dependence in China?

Justin Pender | The Financial Implications of Corporate Sustainability Strategy: When Does Environmental Performance Predict Increased Company Valuation?

Kasey Whitfield | Campaign for Cosmetics: The Impact of Cosmetics on Humans and the Environment

Kate Green | Creating Coastal Resilience through Community Engagement: A Plan for Lake Taylor (group project)*

Lauren Foley | Water Policy in Tanzania: What an Analysis of the Nation’s Past Policies can Teach us about a More Promising Future

Nicholas Molodow | Disaster, Toxicity, Crisis and Emergency: Words That Call Attention to Environmental Injustice in Italy

Riley Chitwood | Establishing a Community Food System in Charlottesville 

Samantha Brainard | Connecting the Dots: Understanding & Solving Sustainability’s Knowledge-Behavior Gap

Samantha Hunt | Creating Coastal Resilience through Community Engagement: A Plan for Lake Taylor (group project)*

Sarah Overton | Smart Technology for Home Energy Reduction: Bridging the Gap between Education and Automation

Sarah Singer | Weighing Two Sides of the (Bit) coin: Exploring Blockchain Applications and Implications for Global Sustainability

Susannah Gilmore | The Rise and Sprawl of the American Dream: The Social Causes and Environmental Effects of Urban Development in the Florida Everglades

Yizong Hu | The Future of the Tonle Sap: What is the Role of International Collaboration?

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Class of 2018

Student | Capstone Title

Adam Bernstein | Island Communities as Models of Sustainability

Athena Ka Weng Loi | Evaluating the Protective Services of Urban Wetland in Mitigating Intensifying Storm Surges: An Application to ShenZhen, China

Austin Parks | Building Beyond the Footprint: Impact Development in Richmond, Virginia

Brittany McDonough | What’s in your (School’s) Lunchbox?

Brooke Kinsey | Determining the Impact of a Community Cannery on the Ability of the University of Virginia Dining to Increase its Local Food Purchasing

Caroline Denney | Trailing Behind: A Comparative Analysis of Renewable Energy Policy in Denmark and the United States

Dominique Ong | Who is Protected by the Clean Air Act? A Case Study in Southern California

Elise Watt | Realizing a Vision for the First Lady's Food Lab at UVA's Morven Farm (group project)*

Emma Kulow | Best Implementation Practices When Charging for One-Time Use Bags

Gabby Levet | Realizing a Vision for the First Lady's Food Lab at UVA's Morven Farm (group project)*

Georgianna Reid | Beyond the Obvious... Digging Deeper into the Issue of Pipelines

Gordon Knapp | Business Models for Model Businesses: Apple, Google, and the Corporate Procurement of Renewable Energy

Haley Lieberman | Creating Coastal Resilience Strategies to Mitigate Climate Change Impacts in Norfolk's Poplar Hall Community (group project)*

Holland Cathey | Sustainability in the Fashion Industry: Finding Solutions for Waste through Business

Kate Moody | The Effects of Railway-to-Park Conversions in Urban Spaces: Capitalizing on Value

Mary Elizabeth Blount | Assessing the Effectiveness of Coral Reef Rehabilitation Systems

Matthew Mongan | Residential Energy Efficiency

Megan Dister | Concepts of Conservation by Traditional Healers around Medicinal Plants in Sagara Village, Tanzania

Megan Routbort | The Next Century in the Sierras: The Business of Conservation in American Public Lands

Michael Bateman | Because They're There: Identifying and Addressing the Environmental Impacts of Mountaineering

Mohammad Malik | An Inquiry into the Role of Fuel Retailing Sites in Sustainable Transport

Pooja Seth | On Reserve: A Study of Sustainable Community Development Addressing Hunger Needs in Charlottesville

Rachel Vadham | Creating Coastal Resilience Strategies to Mitigate Climate Change Impacts in Norfolk's Poplar Hall Community (group project)*

Rhaude Dahlinghaus | Creating Coastal Resilience Strategies to Mitigate Climate Change Impacts in Norfolk's Poplar Hall Community (group project)*

Rita Cliffton | Defining Environmental Migrants

Ryan Gillies | Environmental Migration and Climate Adaptation Policy in Bangladesh

Scott Gilb | Creating Coastal Resilience Strategies to Mitigate Climate Change Impacts in Norfolk's Poplar Hall Community (group project)*

Sophia Woods | Emancipation Park Anew from a Planner’s Perspective

William Saul Pasco | Regenerative Agriculture: Transforming our Farms

William Southard | Creating Coastal Resilience Strategies to Mitigate Climate Change Impacts in Norfolk's Poplar Hall Community (group project)*

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Class of 2017

Student | Capstone Title

Alec Paget | In Ecuador's Search for "El Buen Vivir," Is Extractivism Really the Only Way?

Allison Owens | Greening Ingleside Front-to-Back: Seeking Sustainable Solutions for Sea-Level Rise, Flood Management, and Water Quality Challenges (group project)*

Allison Turner | Imagining a Place for Local Food Education at UVA's Morven Garden Garage*

Amalia Harte | Rites Of Passage Programs for Emerging Adults: Forming Sustainable Lifestyles through Contemplation and Nature Connection

Ashley Cappo | Greening Ingleside Front-to-Back: Seeking Sustainable Solutions for Sea-Level Rise, Flood Management, and Water Quality Challenges (group project)*

Brittany Kwolek | Imagining a Place for Local Food Education at UVA's Morven Garden Garage*

Broghan Kelly | Insuring a Better Food Future

Charlotte Bemiss | Waste Beyond the Bin: An Investigative Photoessay

Chelsea Granados | Exploring the Link between Mindfulness and Social Justice: A Case Study of the Nonprofit Organization Global Grassroots

Cody Simms | Greening the Reel: Film Production, Content, and Behavioral Change (group project)*

Elise Dixon | Forum Models, Strategies, and Tips: the Development of a Rural Farmer's Forum in Tanzania

Erica Fink | Greening the Reel: Film Production, Content, and Behavioral Change (group project)*

Garland Mooney | Analyzing Local Food Systems: How can Charlottesville's Be Improved?

Jessica Flester | Measurement of Vertical and Horizontal Change in Salt Marshes Experiencing Rapid Sea-Level Rise and Impacts on Local Farmers

Katherine Phillips | Greening Ingleside Front-to-Back: Seeking Sustainable Solutions for Sea-Level Rise, Flood Management, and Water Quality Challenges (group project)*

Katherine Wilkin | Greening Ingleside Front-to-Back: Seeking Sustainable Solutions for Sea-Level Rise, Flood Management, and Water Quality Challenges (group project)*

Katy Miller | The Use of Internet and Media in Environmental Movements: A Critique of Swachh Bharat Abhiyan to Address Waste Management Problems in India

Kristen Lepe | International Environmental Economics: The Widening Economic Development Gap Between Rich And Poor Countries due to Climate Change

Laura Rozner | Imagining a Place for Local Food Education at UVA's Morven Garden Garage*

Lizzie Main | From Hummus to Humus: A Comparative Analysis of Food Waste in the United States and Nicaragua

Mary Moore | Unilever Case Study: Reducing the Environmental Impact of the Consumer Use Phase for Dove Products

Molly Golski | Imagining a Place for Local Food Education at UVA's Morven Garden Garage (group project)*

Monika Gehl | Reclaiming Parking for Sustainability: A Case Study in Downtown Denver

Nicole Duimstra | Imagining a Place for Local Food Education at UVA's Morven Garden Garage (group project)*

Nodjimadji Stringfellow | The Global E-waste Trade from the West to West Africa: An Unfair Response

Sam Friday | Greening Ingleside Front-to-Back: Seeking Sustainable Solutions for Sea-Level Rise, Flood Management, and Water Quality Challenges (group project)*

Sarah Littlefield | When You Give a Billionaire a City: Exploring the Impact of Private Influence on Sustainable Initiatives in Detroit

Suchita Chharia | The Rise of Smart Cities: From Charlottesville to Copenhagen

Taylor Gestwick | De-motorizing the Corner: A Sustainable Transportation Model for Charlottesville, Virginia

Tyler Berkeley | Imagining a Place for Local Food Education at UVA's Morven Garden Garage (group project)*

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Class of 2016

Student | Capstone Title

Annie Weidhaas | Disability and Equitable Accessibility in the US Built Environment

Artem Demchenko | Community Empowerment through Co-Design of Urban Gardens: Restoring Food Justice in the Westhaven public housing community through the Growing for Change project

Brianna Mackay | The Implications of Corn Subsidies on Consumers Connectivity to their Food System

Brun Sonnett | SWOT Analysis of Urban Rooftop Agriculture: The Untapped Potential of Urban Sustainability

Camille Adkins | Urban Refuge: Implementing Participatory Architecture to Address Informal Refugee Housing Settlements and the Political, Social, and Physical Status of Displaced Persons

Camille Knable | Social Sustainability in Charlottesville: Success Perspectives and the Culture of Counter-Cultures

Caroline Macdonald | Does Detroit Deserve the Label of "Food Desert"?

Carolyn Albright | Assessing Perception as a Barrier to Conservation Agriculture Adoption: A Comparison of Parana, Brazil and the Laikipia District, Kenya

Cassidy McGrain | Low-Income and Malnutrition: A Study of the Role of Income in Obtaining Local, Sustainable Foods in Charlottesville, Virginia

Elizabeth Duffield | Sustainable Tourism Development in Northeastern Brazil: Stakeholder Collaboration in Fortaleza

Emily Keenan | Water Savings to Restore Ecosystems: Comparing Governmental Initiatives in the U.S. and Australia

Ezti Fricano | Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations and the Costs to Society: A Comprehensive Review of Environmental Threats and Their Implications in the US

Hailley Thompson | Eco-labeling: The Effectiveness and Reliability of Voluntary Product Labeling to Promote and Foster Sustainable Fisheries Management

Jamie Stafford | London 2012: Sustainability Implications to East London and the Surrounding Area

Katie Groody | The Effects of International Climate Policy on Lesser Developed Countries

Kelly McNally | Potential Economic Benefits of Promoting Small-Scale Farming in Panama

Kelsey Galantich | Biofuels: Keeping It Local

Mary Shifflett | Implications of Consumer Decisions on Environmental Health: The Rise of Efficient Products and their Role in Fostering Consumer Complicity in Environmental Degradation

Megan McDaniels | Wetland Restoration and Community-Integrated Design in Norfolk, Virginia

Michelle Crowley | Response to Public Health Emergencies and Sustainable Rebuilding Post Disaster: A Case Study of the Ebola Outbreak in West Africa

Natasha Butler | From Seed to Sale: A Look into Sustainable Food Systems

Tessa Crews | Cultivated Awareness: Vedic Wisdom and Contemporary Stewardship

Vanessa Owens | The Overregulation of Environmentally Beneficial Activities: A Sociopolitical History of Hemp Prohibition in the United States since the 1930s