Master of Environmental Studies Capstone Projects
The interaction between humans and the environment is not a purely scientific matter. Questions of politics, economics, ethics, religion and culture also come into play. Recognizing this, the Master of Environmental Studies (MES) Program offers a multidisciplinary approach to the study of the environment. Toward the end of the program, each student undertakes a Capstone Project, an independent, one-semester research exercise that demonstrates the student's mastery of the subject matter. While less comprehensive than a traditional master's thesis, the Capstone documents the student's ability to define a research question; design a protocol to address that question; acquire the data necessary to clarify, if not resolve, that question; critically assess the quality of the data acquired; draw defensible conclusions from those data; and communicate that process and those conclusions to professional colleagues with clarity and precision. More information about the Program and Capstone Project may be found here.
MES students should complete this Author Agreement and submit it with their capstone projects. Once received, the electronic version of the capstone project will then be uploaded onto this site.
Capstones from 2022
Electrifying the Vehicle Fleet Within the United States, a Feasibilitiy Analysis of Environmental Impact and Technical Deployment, Bryan Cashman
Understanding Street Tree Species Composition Shifts Over Time, Emma LaNoce
Environmental Impacts of Increased Circularity in Bicycle Sharing Service, Yansong Li
Policy Actions to Improve Economic and Environmental Outcomes of Poultry Litter Management in Delmarva, Justin Fulton Maroccia
Functioning Industrial Symbiosis Model Application to Organic Waste: A Case Study of a Paper Mill Company in Cochambamba, Bolivia, Natalia Mendoza Abujder
Snag Availability and Preference of Cavity-Nesting Species in Philadelphia Urban Parks, Angelique Noëlle Raezer
A Comparison of Solar and Wind Energy Development Between Western China and the Western US, Haoge Xu
Capstones from 2021
SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS, AIR QUALITY, AND ASTHMA PREVALENCE TO ASSESS ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE IN PHILADELPHIA, Paula Kwasniewska
The Circular Economy and Industrial Symbiosis Potentialof the Bicycle Industry, Yansong Li
The Fate and Persistence of Standing Dead Street Trees in Philadelphia, PA, Regan Rosemary Wilson
Capstones from 2020
A Sustainability Assessment of The Solarize Philly Program, Samanvitha Danda
Middle school students and climate change: Assessing attitudes and emotions, Beth Mark
NGO and Corporate Collaboration, Rebecca Ross
Life Cycle Assessment of Hydrogen as a Transportation Fuel in the California Market, Diana S. Swidler
Benchmarking the effectiveness of united by blue and tentree’s buy-one-give-one models to traditional corporate philanthropy efforts, Charlie Wurzer
Capstones from 2019
Birds as Ecological Indicators at the University of Pennsylvania, Chloe Cerwinka
The Assessment of Soundscape Quality in Urban Parks - A Case Study in Penn Park, Jiujia Guo
Solving the ‘Wicked Problem’ of China’s Environmental Future: Cautious Optimism in the Face of Unprecedented Threats, Jamison Maley
Quantifying the U.S. Coast Guard Ecological Risk Assessment on Diluted Bitumen, Eric Nielsen
Penn Park: A Study of Ecological Health in an Urban Environment, Sam Royer
An Analysis of Trends of Print Media Coverage on Climate Change in the Trump Era, Mollie Simon
Capstones from 2018
Credit Downgrade Threat as a Non-regulatory Driver for Flood Risk Mitigation and Sea Level Rise Adaptation, John A. Miller
Calculating the Value of Nature & The Cost of Hurricane Harvey: Leveraging Eco-Adaptation Valuation in American Policy & Practice, Karema Mohamed Seliem
Bridging the Disclosure Gap: Investor Perspectives on Environmental, Social, & Governance (ESG) Disclosures, Visvesh Sridharan
Capstones from 2017
Land Use and Water Quality in Bangladesh and Bhutan, Bryan Currinder
Improving Supplier Engagement as a Means to Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions of a Global Company, Kristen Elizabeth King
Capstones from 2016
Restoring Habitat in Densely-Populated Suburbs in the Northeast: A Demonstration Project, Mary A. Westervelt
Capstones from 2015
The Environmental Benefits of Trees on an Urban University Campus, Corinne G. Bassett
Promoting Sustainability and Equity in WASH Service Coverage With Indicators - Proposal for UN’s Sustainable Development Goal 6, Jessica Campo
Capstones from 2014
An Adaptive Management Plan for the Natural Lands Section of Morris Arboretum of the University of Pennsylvania, Tracy Beerley
Sustainability Issues and Strategies in the Outdoor Apparel Brand Industry, John Butow
Environmental Psychology and Urban Green Space: Supporting Place-Based Conservation in Philadelphia, PA, Alicia Coleman
Invasive Plant Species Management at Gwynedd Wildlife Preserve, Ambler, PA, Nathan Hartshorne
Ensuring Sustainable Water Supply in Lagos, Nigeria, Judith Afooma Jideonwo
A Business Analytics Approach to Corporate Sustainability Analysis, Jeff Wen
Framing Climate Change in Local News Before and After Hurricane Sandy, Brian A. Werner
Capstones from 2013
DNA Barcode Examination of North American Mayflies Across Their Natural Distribution Reveals Cryptic Species Complexes, Robert J. George
Sustainability Rankings: Impacts on Corporate Sustainability, Sharon Muli
The Voluntary Carbon Market and Business Innovation for Sustainable Development, David Schreiber
Capstones from 2012
Understanding Tropospheric Ozone in a Montane Tropical Rainforest: An Analysis of Ozone Levels in the Luquillo Mountains of Puerto Rico, Chennery Fife
The Compost Activist: An Educational Website to Promote Composting, Paige Hasling
The Environmental Benefits of Urban Agriculture on Unused, Impermeable and Semi-Permeable Spaces in Major Cities With a Focus on Philadelphia, PA, Knizhnik L. Heather
An Analysis of Rangeland Preservation in Western States, Ian Howell
Environment, Energy, and Economy: Impacts of Natural Gas Pipelines in 9 Watersheds of North-Central Pennsylvania, Stephanie Leach
Management of the Urban Forest: A Zip Code Level Approach, Nykia M. Perez Kibler
The Producer-Pollinator Dilemma: Neonicotinoids and Honeybee Colony Collapse, Benjamin W. Reynard
College House RA/GA Sustainable Living Manual, Marissa Rosen
Bangkok Recycling Program: An Empirical Study of an Incentive-Based Recycling Program, Pitchayanin Sukholthaman
Green Brook Flood Control Project: Saving Bound Brook, Robin Blackstone Valinski
Distribution and Habitat Characteristics of a Freshwater Gastropod, Pleurocera Proxima, in Eastern Pennsylvania, Saras Windecker
Capstones from 2011
The Recycling of Organics: Opportunities for Municipal Programs and a Case Study for Philadelphia, Emily Marie Bush
The Practical Air Quality Planning and Self-Evaluation Guide for Biomass Projects, William Dunagan
Lessons Learned from EPA's Climate Leaders Program: An Evaluation to Fortify Voluntary Environmental Initiatives, Vivian Futran
Comprehensive Stormwater Management Plans on University Campuses: Challenges and Opportunities, Steven R. Gillard
Unionville Serpentine Barrens: Analyzing the Relationship Between Soil Profiles and Forest Succession Rate, Elizabeth Haegele
Capstones from 2010
Greening the Antarctic Leadership Venture: Preparing Leaders for a Sustainable Future, Kathleen Atkins
Understanding Pennsylvania's Underground Storage Tank Regulations; A Guidance Document for Storage Tank Owners and Operators, Julie Baniewicz
Environmental and Human-Health Consequences of the Chernobyl Nuclear Disaster in Belarus, Valerie Frankel
Spatial Variation of Stable Carbon and Nitrogen Isotope Ratios and C:N of Perennial Plant Species in the Steppe Grassland of Northern Mongolia, Robert Goldman
The Global Development of a CSS-Based Service and Technology Market with a Focus on the US, France, and China, Cameron Rolfe McQuale
Building a Sustainable Business Community in Cherry Hill, NJ, Tony Tancini
A Study of the Irregation Water Pricing System in China, Xizi Wang
Fish Production in Streams With and Without Natural Broan Trout Populations, Scott Weisinger
Capstones from 2009
Energy Efficiency Projects in Pennsylvania Small Businesses, Joseph J. Lavin
Every Drop Counts: Short Stories on Global Water and Sanitation Issues, Nalat Phanit
Capstones from 2008
Compact Discard: Finding Environmentally Responsible Ways to Manage Discarded Household CDs and DVDs, Alan W. Biehn
Combining DNA Barcoding and Macroinvertebrate Sampling to Assess Water Quality, Tanya Dapkey
This Land is Our Land: Raising Awareness of Contemporary U.S. Environmental and Social Justice Issues through Folksong, Joshua Marcus Greenberg
Collaboratively Addressing the Growth of the Port Industry to Ensure Environmnetal Justice, Matthew T. Lee
Evaluating Strategies to Protect Open Space and Slow Sprawl in the Philadelphia Region, Paul Lumia
Community Managed Water Projects and Poverty Reduction: A Case Study from Guatemala, Sarah Martiny
Examining Human-Elephant Conflict in Southern Africa: Causes and Options for Coexistence, M. Zoë Warner
Capstones from 2007
Dog Parks: Benefits and Liabilities, Laurel Allen
Mapping Electricity Use on the University of Pennsylvania Campus, Shani Arbel
Hiking Benton MacKaye's Hike: Expanding the Appalachian Trail Experience, Julia DeGagne
Valuing water and sediment tradeoffs between forest and pasture in montane tropical environments in Puerto Rico, Elizabeth A. Gingold
Global Water Finance: Assessment of the Funding Needed to Attain the Millennium Development Goals for Water and Sanitation, Hideyuki Hiruma
A Framework for Ecosystem Services Conservation Zoning: An Integration into Land Use Planning, Joshua Kahan
Private Investment in Brownfield Redevelopment in the Greater Philadelphia Area: A Case-Study Analysis, Ryan Kraske
Ngorongoro Conservation Area: Spring of Life, Lori A. Swanson
A Quantitative Analysis of the Pennsylvania Alternative Energy Portfolio Standard: And Options for the Future, Nicholas Tichich
Sustainable Management Practices of Under Story "Brush" Species in Southern Coastal Oregon, Bill Vought
Capstones from 2006
Electric Energy-Saving Education Guidelines for Senior High School Students in Honduras, José Jorge Canales Martinez
How Should Global Society Address Climate Change? - The Kyoto Protocol and Its Future, Takeshi Hamada
The Junior Ecologist Program, Katera Y. Moore
The Influence of Urban Street Characteristics on Pedestrian Heat Comfort Levels in Philadelphia, Masayoshi Oka
Evaluating The Use of Fairmount Dam Fish Passage Facility By Anadromous Fishes In The Schuylkill River, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Joseph A. Perillo Jr.
Trends in street tree survival, Philadelphia, PA, Lara Roman
RMP Compliance, Stephen T. Roth
The Necessity and Possibilities of Constitutional Environmental Rights, Christina Simeone
Are we preserving the right land? Recommendations to improve New Jersey farmland preservation, Lauren Wasilauski
The Status of Recycling in Philadelphia: Analysis and Recommendations for Philadelphia’s Floundering Recycling Program, Megan Wellington