Elizabeth Scott ’22 is studying the current environment on the Lowerre Family Terrace to determine how to make it a more effective and sustainable green roof. The terrace, with its many different types of plants and deep soil, functions as an intensive green roof. While green roofs are known for their cooling effect, excessive sunlight can make the terrace really hot in the summer. Elizabeth is using sophisticated data loggers to collect seasonal soil temperature, air temperature, and sunlight intensity in different parts of the terrace to find areas that act well for cooling and other areas could use some improvement. She is also studying the plant biodiversity on the terrace. This research is being done in Professor Lundquist’s Urban Ecology Lab and is being funded by a MMC Faculty Scholarship Award. For more information on this and other research projects, visit the Lundquist Lab website. For information about green roofs in New York City, check out Green Roofs NYC.
As MMC worked to reopen its Main Campus for the Fall 2020 semester, the Department of Natural Sciences developed a plan to continue performing in-person laboratory courses while also accommodating remote learners. MMC’s science labs underwent extensive safety reinforcement to allow in-person students to participate in labs with their remote partners learning from home.
