People and Projects

Research in the Sustainable Communities Research Community aims to investigate the complexities of social, economic, and environmental interactions at the interface between human and natural landscapes, striving to develop technologies, models and policies that foster community engagement, resource efficiency, and long-term ecological balance.

Below are some examples of research in our community: 

KSU Field Station

Ahyoung Lee

Water Quality Monitoring System for Intelligent Bacteria Forecast

The team is researching and developing a state-of-the-art water quality monitoring system to provide real-time data and predictive analytics on bacterial levels in water bodies. The approach integrates energy-efficient LoRaWAN technology with a cloud-connected mobile application powered by advanced AI algorithms.

This research bridges multiple disciplines, including Computer Science (for AI algorithm development, optimal LoRaWAN networks, and mobile app/database design), Electrical and Computer Engineering (for designing sensor devices with energy-efficient transmission), Biology (for advising and verifying AI algorithms related to bacterial analysis), and Environmental Engineering (for ensuring a sustainable water monitoring framework).

Mario Bretfeld

Safeguarding, Education, Propagation, and Applied Research Laboratory (SEPAL)

Established in 2023, the Safeguarding, Education, Propagation, and Applied Research Laboratory (SEPAL) acts as a dynamic living outdoor laboratory to further the Field Station鈥檚 commitment to environmental restoration and healing.

The protection and reintegration of native plants into developed landscapes offer a wealth of opportunities for interdisciplinary projects. These include ecological studies (e.g., pollinator visitation), psychological research (e.g., perceptual and affective science), and creative arts initiatives (e.g., signage, landscape design).

mario bretfeld plants

Vanessa Slinger-Friedman

KSU Food Forest

The KSU Food Forest has been established as a model of sustainable agriculture. We welcome faculty of all disciplines to consider it as a site to explore research on precision agriculture, smart automation, data connectivity and transfer, and to demonstrate best practices in a climate-smart agriculture production system that enhances sustainability and farm Profitability.

The KSU Food Forest could be used to evaluate digital and smart technologies to provide accessible, data-driven solutions that support regenerative agricultural and value-added practices. The KSU Food Forest is also a site to practice and research applied and active pedagogies.

more information

Christopher Cornelison & Kyle Gabriel

Controlled Environment Mushroom Cultivation 

The initiative aims to make mushroom farming more accessible by developing advanced environmental control systems to optimize the growth of edible mushrooms.

Used shipping containers are retrofitted into ready-to-use cultivation units, equipped with specialized hardware managed by Mycodo, a custom software developed by Dr. Gabriel.

The research integrates sustainable agriculture, microbiology, and small-scale farming economics, providing innovative solutions for specialty mushroom growers.

kyle gabriel mushrooms
field station tomatoes

Join Us

Do you have a sustainability project or would like to collaborate with others in the field? Sign up and become a member of our community.