We are excited about this opportunity from NASA to partner with PCCC on engaging students in hands-on learning and research with ����vlog faculty. This will expand our ability to prepare a diverse workforce that is ready to work on issues related to climate change and sustainability, two critical issues facing our society today.

Through its partnership with NASA, PCCC students will receive paid internships that will allow them—many of whom must work due to personal circumstances—to devote more time to their studies and remain competitive with other STEM students; have access to NASA resources for elite learning tools such as atmospheric sampling equipment and sensors; meet with NASA scientists through videoconferencing; and participate in the Environmental Science Club, to be co-sponsored by PCCC and MSU, where they can experience field trips, guest speakers, and STEM competitions.

I am looking forward to working with faculty from both institutions to incorporate climate change into PCCC courses and help prepare PCCC students for future STEM careers.

USGBC New Jersey’s prestigious awards celebrate the building projects that exemplify excellence in high-performance,  design and building; environmental stewardship; and community impact. They also serve to highlight the green building initiatives of the USGBC New Jersey community.

-certified buildings are critical to addressing climate change and meeting  goals, enhancing  and supporting more  communities. LEED is a holistic system that doesn’t simply focus on one building element, such as energy, water or health. Instead, it looks at the big picture, factoring in all critical elements that work together to create the best building possible.

Attendees heard from speakers, toasted the award winners and celebrated New Jersey’s collective sustainability accomplishments together.

Every time I talk about this program, I smile. This initiative has been very important in terms of developing a model for productive academic-corporate-community partnerships.

Participation in the paid internship program was highly competitive. “We had a rich applicant pool for 35 undergraduate and three supervisory graduate student spots,” says Tuininga. Seven teams of five students each worked with host corporations Bristol-Myers Squibb, Cox Printers, Greener by Design, NJM Insurance Group, PSEG, Prudential Real Estate Investment and Sabert.

Funded by the PSEG Foundation, this novel approach to transdisciplinary experiential learning also included professional development training, field trips to venues such as the United Nations and New Jersey’s Salem and Hope Creek Power Plants, and grounding in sustainability science.

PSEG and the PSEG Foundation have been longtime supporters of the PSEG Institute for Sustainable Studies and their Green Team program. The Green Team program is the type of program we support to help students who are increasingly broadening their knowledge of the relationship between the environment, businesses and economy.

This program goes far beyond any internship experience. It not only focuses on sustainable development and resolving real world environmental issues, but it also tied into fields like business, health and information technology. We’re coming out of this internship with hands-on experiences that we couldn’t have gotten anywhere else, so we’ll be a step above the rest.

The program benefits host companies, as well as students, by providing an opportunity to explore and develop custom-tailored sustainability solutions. For example, various departments within NJM Insurance were able to assess the sustainability of their operations and identify areas where they might improve efficiencies – while pinpointing ways to better align initiatives with their mission, vision and values.

Making the World a Better Place

The way rising senior and sustainability science major Ralph Olacio sees it, the Green Team pilot program is a bold step for the University. “It’s the first program of its kind in New Jersey to bring academia and the private sector together to promote and implement a truly sustainable future for all,” he notes.

The Cox Printers team developed ideas that could help reduce the company’s carbon footprint and initiate green programs to share with the surrounding community. As a team member, Olacio created a printable 3D design for a rooftop mini-golf course. “It was refreshing to see the future of sustainability from the perspective of a business,” he says. “Although many economic barriers inhibit true sustainability in all industries, it was great to see such institutional forward-thinking.”

According to PSEG’s Ortiz, the energy company was seeking a fresh and unbiased perspective on new trends in sustainability reporting – and what should be publicly available and reported.

“This has been a great experience,” says public health major and PSEG team member Julie Attys. “It showed me sustainability is not only about recycling but about people and making the world a better place.”

Attys learned something new every day. “I’m in a group with geology, political science, biology, and sustainability science majors. Working with them and with a large electric company was an eye-opening experience.”

Teammate Abdiel Jimenez valued the opportunity to work with PSEG. “As students, we don’t have enough experience to understand the corporate world,” the sustainability science major says. “But through this program, my team and I have learned to understand it.”

Putting Theory into Practice

Students seldom participate in corporate boardroom conversations and presentations at a Fortune 500 company, but at Prudential Global Investment Management Real Estate (PGIM Real Estate), Karthika Priya Jayaprakash and her teammates were able to do just that.

According to Jayaprakash, the experience benefits students and companies alike. “The corporate partners interacted with students who are truly passionate about sustainability, conversant with best practices and want to make a real difference,” says the computer science major. “Students got beyond theory to practice and got a ringside view into how corporations operate, how every decision has to be quantified, how risk assessments are performed, and the factors that drive policy.”

“Our participation in the MSU intern program provided us with the opportunity to engage in projects outside of our typical day-to-day activities and also challenge the students to find solutions for real-life sustainability issues,” recalls David DeVos, PGIM Real Estate VP, Global Director of Sustainability. “As a result of our collaboration, we have developed new tools to improve the implementation of our sustainability initiatives and streamline the reporting of our sustainability program.”

Seeing Green

NJM Insurance calls their Green Team students their “A Team.” The students worked collaboratively to identify and roll out easy-to-implement, cost-effective, environmentally beneficial programs that have been well received by the company. Some of the students’ ideas may eventually be incorporated into NJM’s ongoing sustainability efforts.

Jurisprudence, law and society major Emma Lavin joined the program for a hands-on experience that would teach her about energy efficiency. “We worked to help solve NJM’s sustainability issues such as finding new ways for them to decrease the yearly amount of energy they use,” she explains.

As an unexpected benefit, the internship has Lavin considering a career in environmental law.

A Win-Win Program with a Bright Future

Encouraged by the pilot program’s success, Tuininga expects to offer it again next summer. “We offered a great resource and practical deliverables to our corporate partners, while we brought students together from different disciplines who are able to build their resumes and network,” she says. “They learned hard and soft skills, from industry best practices to corporate social responsibility.”

Tuininga believes that all businesses could benefit by taking a closer look at their sustainability practices. “Our students have shown they are eager to help. So far, the program has been a win-win situation all around and we anticipate an even brighter future.”

�ճ���� is New Jersey’s premier awards program for recognizing outstanding environmental performance, programs and projects throughout the state. The awards recognize individuals, businesses, institutions, communities, organizations, educators, youth and others who have made significant contributions to environmental protection in New Jersey.

The PSEGISS joins a community of 203 other winners since the program’s inception in 2000. The Institute was honored during a special virtual ceremony on December 20, which included remarks from New Jersey First Lady Tammy Murphy and PSEGISS Director Amy Tuininga.

“We’re so pleased to be acknowledged by the state for the great work of our students and transdisciplinary teams making a difference in advancing climate science,” says Tuininga.

“Each of you [award winners] is a big reason why despite the serious threat of the climate crisis, we are incredibly optimistic about the future, and you have all set an example for others to emulate right here at home and across the nation,” Murphy said during her remarks at the ceremony.

The PSEG Institute for Sustainability Studies supports transdisciplinary research and community projects that grow more resilient communities. Through partnerships with New Jersey and multinational corporations and organizations, the Institute addresses local and global sustainability challenges including climate change, emissions, energy, clean water, waste, food and food insecurity.

The PSEG Green Teams Program, the Institute’s flagship initiative, is a transdisciplinary internship program where teams of students serve corporations, organizations, nonprofits, municipalities and community groups to address sustainability issues identified by host organizations. The program was recently awarded a  in Sustainability for innovation in higher education teaching.

“These honors highlight the Institute’s role in addressing the world’s most pressing climate challenges, and serve as even more motivation as we move forward in bringing together corporations, nonprofits and communities to make greater progress in our environmental work in New Jersey, the country and the world,” says Tuininga.

Watch the full ceremony below, the segment for the Institute begins at 26:40

Our students really care about having a healthy planet, a world where they can thrive,” she said. “We show them how to incorporate sustainability into their career.

The ����vlog PSEG Institute for Sustainability Studies has just wrapped up their 2020 Green Teams program.

Six teams of five students from universities across the tri-state area have been tasked with solving sustainability related issues for organizations in New Jersey. They worked full-time hours throughout the summer and received support from the Montclair PSEG ISS, both in terms of financial compensation as well as seminars and tutorials for the skills they needed to accomplish their goals.