Research

The Mascaro Center supports an annual seed grant program aimed at engaging a core team of researchers who are passionate about sustainability

2009-2010

Environmental impact and energy efficiency of liquid cooled data centers
Mark Kimber, mechanical engineering & materials science, Pitt

Multiscale multifunctional bandgap structured materials for sustainable buildings
Bong Jae Lee, mechanical engineering & materials science, Pitt
Albert C. To, civil & environmental engineering, Pitt

Building Information Modeling for Sustainability
Steven P. Levitan, electrical & computer engineering, Pitt
Donald M. Chiarulli, computer science, Pitt

Greenhouse Gas Inventory for the University of Pittsburgh
Melissa Bilec, civil and environmental engineering, Pitt

Development of Smart Insulation for Building Retrofits
William Clark, mechanical engineering and materials science, Pitt
Laura Schaefer, mechanical engineering and materials science, Pitt

2008-2009

Minimizing Metal Working Fluid Usage in Industrial Metal Cutting Processes by Modulated Machining Technology
Ravi Shankar, industrial engineering, Pitt

A Research Project to Develop Health Care Greening Educational Materials for UPMC
Amy Landis, civil & environmental engineering, Pitt
Chris Schunn, Learning Research & Development Center, Pitt

Vandergrift Hydrokinetic Project
Lisa Weiland, mechanical engineering & materials science, Pitt

Economic Feasibility of a Residential Energy Services Company
Joe Marriott, civil & environmental engineering, Pitt

Investigation of Thermal Semiconductors for Adaptive Heat Management in Buildings
Laura Schaefer, mechanical engineering & materials science, Pitt
Buddy Clark, mechanical engineering & materials science, Pitt

Aeroelastic Wind Harvest from Bluff Interfaces
Lisa Weiland, mechanical engineering & materials science, Pitt
Kent Harries, civil & environmental engineering, Pitt

2007-2008

Micro-Fabricated PMN-PT Energy Harvesters for Self-Powered Sensors in Sustainable Buildings
William Clark, mechanical engineering & materials science, Pitt

3-D Porous Micrometer-Sized Structures Synthesized by Hierarchical Self-Assembly of Nanoparticles for Water Treatment Applications
Di Gao, chemical & petroleum engineering, Pitt

Advanced Fiber Optical Sensors for Structural Health Monitoring of Civil and Energy Transportation Facilities
Steven Levitan, electrical & computer engineering, Pitt
Kevin P. Chen, electrical & computer engineering, Pitt

Developing a Portable Model for Hands-On Learning in Sustainability
Melissa Bilec, civil & environmental engineering, Pitt
David Riley, architectural engineering, Penn State

Sustainable Hazard-resistant Construction Using Indigenous Materials & Practices
Kent Harries, civil & environmental engineering, Pitt
Bhavna Sharma, IGERT Fellow, Pitt

Vandergrift Hydrokinetic Project
Lisa Weiland, mechanical engineering & materials science, Pitt

Environmental Performance of Soybean Lubricants Affected by Demand
Amy Landis, civil & environmental engineering, Pitt
Scott Shrake, IGERT Fellow, & Xiaobo Xue, post-doc, Pitt

2006-2007

Design and Development of Super Water- and Oil-Repellent Surfaces through Nanoscale Topographic Manipulation
Di Gao, chemical and petroleum engineering, Pitt

Development of a Green Lubrication Mechanism for Sheet Metal Forming
Michael Lovell, mechanical engineering, Pitt
C. Fred Higgs, mechanical engineering, Carnegie Mellon University

High Performance Health Care Facility Lessons for Designing Green Children’s Hospitals
Kim Needy, industrial engineering, Pitt
Michael Horman, architectural engineering, Penn State
David Riley, architectural engineering, Penn State

High Power Density Biofuel Cells Based on Nano-Engineered Structures for Green Building
Minhee Yun, electrical & computer engineering, Pitt
Alex Star, chemistry, Pitt

2005-2006

Water Treatment System Design for Arsenic-Contaminated Water Supplies Using Hyperaccumulating Plants
Radisav Vidic, civil and environmental engineering, Pitt
Stephen Tonsor, biological sciences, Pitt
Joseph MacNeil, chemistry, Chatham College

Development of Nano-bimetallic Catalysts for the Removal of Nitrates from Drinking Water by Coordinated Synthesis, Structure, and Selectivity/Activity Measurements
Judith Yang, materials science and engineering, Pitt
John Shapley, chemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Charlie Werth, civil engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

High Performance Health Care Facility Design and Construction
Kim Needy, industrial engineering, Pitt
Michael Horman, architectural engineering, Penn State
David Riley, architectural engineering, Penn State

Next Generation Solid-State Illumination Systems for Green Construction
Laura Schaefer, mechanical engineering, Pitt
Martin Moeck, Arizona State University

Generation of Surfaces that Display Inhibition of Fungal Growth
Alan J Russell, McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Pitt
Richard Koepsel, chemical engineering, Pitt

Service Learning, Education and Research in Green Construction and Sustainable Development
Robert Ries, civil & environmental engineering, Pitt
Theresa Gay Rohal, coordinator of education, Powdermill Nature Reserve

2004-2005

Replacing Energy Intensive Cements with Blast Furnace Waste That Has Been Enhanced Through the Addition of a Recycled Concrete Mineral Admixture.
Julie M. Vandenbossche, civil & environmental engineering, Pitt

Green Structural Neurology - A Nervous System for Green Buildings
Marlin H. Mickle, electrical & computer engineering, Pitt
Laura Schaefer, mechanical engineering & materials science, Pitt

Development of Nano-bimetallic Catalysts for the Removal of Nitrates from Drinking Water by Coordinated Synthesis, Structure, and Selectivity/Activity Measurements
Judith Yang, mechanical engineering & materials science, Pitt

Environmental Life Cycle Assessment Under Uncertainty for Green Building Engineering
Robert Ries, civil & environmental engineering, Pitt

Modeling the Failure and Self-Healing of Surface Coatings for Green Construction
Anna Balazs, chemical engineering, Pitt
Steven Levitan, electrical & computer engineering, Pitt

Standard vs. Green Building Construction – Improvements in Worker Productivity, Health and Safety, Maintenance Costs, and Energy Savings
Kim L. Needy, industrial engineering, Pitt

Generation of Surfaces that Display Inhibition of Fungal Growth

Richard Koepsel, McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine and
Department of Chemical Engineering, Pitt
Alan Russell, McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine and
Department of Chemical Engineering, Pitt