The School of Design—led by Pat Crawford and Elizabeth Tofte—and nine students traveled to Joplin, Missouri, this spring to take on a significant community visioning project that could bring a dilapidated train station back to life. The project was part of a multi-year grant through the Environmental Protection Agency. 

Can avocados help curb a plastic waste problem?

The U.S. and the rest of the world have been dealing with a growing environmental crisis spurred on by an overreliance on plastic. Could avocados—specifically avocado peels—provide a potential solution? According to a study conducted by Srinivas Janaswamy, the fibers of avocado peels could possibly be used to make biodegradable films—something that could ultimately replace plastic as a packaging material. 

According to research conducted by recent Ph.D. graduate Deepak Joshi, cover crops increase the soil organic carbon—a measurable component of soil organic matter and a key element in determining soil quality. A higher soil organic carbon percentage indicates greater soil health. Joshi found that cover crops increase soil organic carbon by 7.3%—a significant number. 

Many countries around the world struggle with food insecurity, forcing citizens to search for nourishment on their own. In some countries, wild food—or food that grows naturally in forests and on common land—is relied upon to supplement the daily caloric intake. Does that food contribute to a healthy diet? According to research from Jennifer Zavaleta Cheek, wild foods can positively contribute to a person's diet and, in some cases, are crucial to maintaining a diverse, nutrient-rich diet.