Student Science Notes: A Course Project Focused on the Big Picture

This post was prepared by Dr. Casey Canfield, who is an Assistant Professor in Engineering Management & Systems Engineering at Missouri University of Science & Technology. She also serves on the MOST Policy Fellows Advisory Board.

Writing Community Science Notes is a fantastic class project for helping students think about real-world implementation. In my course, Energy & Sustainability Management Engineering, students were highly engaged and interested in the topics that they presented.

Energy & Sustainability Management Engineering (see the syllabus) is an upper-level course that includes both undergraduate and graduate students. The course content is interdisciplinary, with a focus on how technology, markets, policy, and individual behavior interact to encourage or discourage the transition to more distributed and greener technologies in the power system.

Community Science Notes, modeled after the Legislative Science Notes, are written by local experts and community members to summarize the scientific literature related to a policy issue. These notes are objective and contain non-partisan information, refraining from making policy recommendations.

This course project grew out of a partnership with the Missouri Energy Initiative (MEI) and later, the MOST Policy Initiative (MOST). The Student Science Note project was structured with smaller assignments spread out over the course of the semester, such as:

1. Propose — students individually pitched project topics to MEI and MOST. Based on this external input, I selected 7 project topics and grouped students into 3–4 person teams.
2. Research — students learned how to conduct a literature search from a research librarian and wrote annotated bibliographies.
3. Network — I helped students identify a local industry expert to interview to get an on-the-ground perspective for their topic.
4. Revise — students conducted an internal peer review process to improve each other’s drafts before the final submission.
5. Present — in addition to the written science note, student created educational videos on their topic.

Although the course itself was relatively focused on electricity production, I allowed students to choose any topic related to energy and sustainability for the project. Pitch Day was one of my favorite parts because every student gets to stand up and explain what they think is interesting and worth further investigation as part of the course. For other educators who want to implement a project like this, I recommend seeding relevant and timely project ideas in advance of the Pitch Day. As we learned new material, I would mention things that might be a good project topic. I have found that it is valuable to provide guidance and examples for the students to ensure there are clear expectations.

In Spring 2023, my students wrote the 7 Student Science Notes described below. A subset were selected for further development to become full-fledged Community Science Notes based on the quality of the note and the need for a Community Science Note on the topic.

Bringing Solar Panels to Missouri

Authors: Adewole Adegbola, Audrey Jansen, Bo Blomenkamp

• Recycling glass, silicon, and precious metals from solar panels may have positive economic and environmental outcomes.
• Investing in recycling infrastructure may create an opportunity to co-locate manufacturing based on access to cost-effective materials for producing new solar panels.
• More research is needed to identify efficient recycling processes, especially as solar panel technology advances.

Read more in the Student Science Note.

Food Waste Reduction

Authors: Brandi Carlyle, Heather Rood, Jesse George, Julia Meyr

• Over 30% of food is sent to landfills, which contribute to greenhouse gas emissions, despite the fact that over 10% of the US population suffers from food insecurity.
• Food waste can be reduced by minimizing the volume that goes to landfills (mitigation) or using biological processes to convert the food waste into activated-carbon that filters contaminants (adaptation).
• In addition, urban agriculture may be an effective multisolving strategy for addressing climate and equity concerns by minimizing transportation of food, increasing composting, and reducing food deserts.

Read more in the Student Science Note.

The Future of Hydrogen

Authors: Audrey Metcalf, Charley Burton, David Pisoni, Jacob Nyhagen

• Hydrogen can be a carbonless source of energy, depending on how it is produced, that can be used for transportation and energy storage (i.e., fuel cells).
• Although hydrogen production is currently very costly, technology and market advancements are expected to bring down the cost associated with siting manufacturing facilities and transporting the hydrogen.
• In Missouri, alternative fuel incentives include hydrogen fuel cell vehicles.

Read more in the Student Science Note.

Feedstocks for Biofuel and Biodiesel

Authors: Chase Johnson, Joseph Hibbits, Mason Middleton, Mya Raciti

• There are negative economic and environmental impacts associated with conventional feedstocks, which include corn, soybeans, sugarcane for biofuels and vegetable oils/animal fats for biodiesel.
• Alternative feedstocks, such as algae and switchgrass, can reduce competition with food production, land use, and carbon emissions.
• However, there are limitations associated with when and where certain feedstocks can be availability, which may make them less economically viable.

Read more in the Student Science Note.

Future of Nuclear

Authors: Alex Callahan, Colten Johnson, Jacob Mendez

• Building a large nuclear power plant requires a significant amount of space, has high capital costs, and takes a long time to plan and construct.
• Alternative approaches include small modular reactors (SMRs), which can be prefabricated and then installed in a location, and converting retired coal power plants to nuclear.
• Public opinion is an important consideration for nuclear deployment and it is unclear whether SMRs are perceived as safer.

Read more in the Student Science Note.

HVAC Energy Efficiency and its Social Impacts

Authors: Adam Poster, Anthony Dorsey, Derick Harjo, Steven Holden

• Energy efficiency technologies are well understood and there are many financing options for installation.
• However, the lack of a skilled workforce decreases uptake of these technologies.
• The split incentive between renters and landlords can increase energy burden for low-income families.

Read more in the Student Science Note.

Improving Soil Health for Carbon Sequestration

Authors: Cameron Fox, Grant Wilkins, Shelby Ply, Victoria Kraemer

• Implementing no-till or shallow till farming, crop rotation, cover crops, and biochar-mineral fertilizers can have dual-benefits of increasing soil health and carbon sequestration in the soil.
• However, these methods can also lead to contamination of local water sources or an increase in unwanted plants if not implemented carefully.
• There are few incentives for farmers to change land management practices, which impose costs for limited direct benefits.

Read more in the Student Science Note.