Golisano Institute for Sustainability

05/08/2026

GIS graduates...it's almost time! 👏🎓

04/30/2026

The Department of Architecture held its annual Architecture Online Immersion last week with 40 online Master of Architecture students who came to the RIT campus for 4 days. During the Immersion, on-campus and online students from all 3 years of the program presented their final design studio projects to 📐 local architects and faculty.

Online students toured area buildings, visited local architecture firm SWBR, and attended a keynote lecture about 🌿 sustainable design by Alison Kwok, Professor Emerita, University of Oregon.

Students also spent valuable time networking with each other and local professionals at evening social events throughout the week. Many on-campus and online students commented on how beneficial this event is for bringing the whole architecture student body together in one place. ✨

04/28/2026

Office furniture is one of the largest—and often overlooked—sources of durable‑goods landfill waste in the U.S. Unlocking circular value at scale requires more than good intentions; it requires measured, verifiable impact.

At the REMADE Institute® Circular Economy Tech Summit & Conference in Washington, DC, a GIS researcher presented new work examining how remanufacturing office furniture can significantly reduce landfill flows and embodied emissions.

🔹 Reducing Landfill Flows from Office Furniture: LCA of the Davies Office Reman Answer System

Presented by Allen Luccitti, with co‑authors Miko Buenk, Ava Labuzetta, and Kim Bawden, this research applies life cycle assessment (LCA) and a third‑party verified Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) to quantify the environmental benefits of remanufactured office systems.

By combining EPA disposal data, product‑level material composition, and EPD‑verified impact factors, the analysis demonstrates how large‑scale remanufacturing—particularly of steel‑intensive office systems—can drive measurable reductions in embodied emissions and landfill diversion, while maintaining performance comparable to new products.

This work underscores the importance of rigorous, transparent metrics in validating circular economy strategies and accelerating adoption across durable‑goods sectors.

📄 Full paper forthcoming later this year.

04/27/2026

👏 Huge thanks to all our visitors who stopped by the Golisano Institute for Sustainability at Green Place. We loved seeing so many curious minds exploring our spaces, asking thoughtful questions, and engaging with our work. The energy and enthusiasm were truly inspiring and motivate us to keep pushing forward.

We are also deeply grateful to the Center of Excellence in Advanced and Sustainable Manufacturing (COE-ASM) and NYS Pollution Prevention Institute (NYSP2I) for being such integral partners in making this event a success. And to our volunteers who shared their time, energy, and expertise across exhibits, information tables, setup, and presentations, your behind-the-scenes efforts and warm welcome helped create a vibrant experience for every visitor. We are so thankful for each of you.

A special thank you to Valley Cadillac for the incredible EV car showcase. It was a crowd favorite and offered a fun, hands-on experience for visitors of all ages.

Events like this highlight the power of collaboration. Thank you to every team member and partner who helped bring Green Place to life, and to everyone who stopped by to be part of the Imagine RIT experience with us. 🐅

02/27/2026

Today, at a UN Environment Programme forum to strengthen investment in the circular electronics sector in Mexico, GIS director Nabil Nasr is presenting key findings for industry leaders and investors from his study, “Advancing the Circular Economy in the Consumer Electronics Market.” The full report, a comprehensive and original investigation of circular economy potential for discarded electronics on a global scale, is forthcoming from UNEP’s International Resource Panel (IRP) this year. Dr. Nasr’s 2018 report, Redefining Value—The Manufacturing Revolution, fundamentally supports the IRP’s advancement of resource efficiency, waste management, and value-retention in manufactured goods.

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Re-thinking how we manufacture industrial products and deal with them at the end of their useful life could provide breakthrough environmental, social and economic benefits. Adopting value-retention processes is a win-win situation for governments, industry and customers. Governments would have less...

02/24/2026

Sustainability moves at the speed of the thinkers, testers, builders, and fixers who advance manufacturing and all the systems we depend on. Happy Engineers Week to the people who make it work!

01/22/2026

GIS is ! We’re seeking a Senior Staff Assistant to support Sustainability Department leadership, faculty, and graduate students in a fast‑paced, collaborative environment.

🔸 Full‑time, on‑campus role
🔸 Supporting graduate programs and department operations
🔸 Ideal for experienced administrative professionals (academic experience a plus!)

Join a world‑leading sustainability institute and help support programs shaping a more sustainable future.

👉 Apply here: https://careers.rit.edu/staff
(Search by position title)

01/05/2026

JECA Energy Bars Founder & CEO, Ree Dolnick, reflects on the technical journey—from early design challenges to scalable manufacturing solutions. With support from the Center of Excellence in Advanced and Sustainable Manufacturing, JECA overcame production bottlenecks, implemented elegant prototyping, and increased output by over 400%—all while staying true to their handcrafted quality.

We're excited to share how thoughtful engineering, clear communication, and focused collaboration helped bring this vision to life.

We’re proud to partner with innovators like JECA and we're excited for what’s next!

12/22/2025

✨ What a year! As we wrap up 2025, we’re reflecting on the rich collaborations that have advanced sustainability for our partners and fueled research and graduate education. With heartfelt gratitude, we wish you a joyful holiday season and a healthy, successful 2026.

12/03/2025

We’ve been building, creating, and sharing resources to help you stay ahead. Our latest newsletter is more than an update, it’s a toolkit for your next big step!

👉 Catch up here: https://ow.ly/6p0L50XBzaF