News | Program Update

Celebrating Our Graduating MISD Students: Champions of Sustainable Innovation

MISD_24-25_GraduationEvent — AY2024-25 MISD students celebrate their Master Research Project (MRP) defense presentations in their graduating semester. From left to right Darwin Thomas, Jenny Basantes, Jourdan Friedlander, Thelma Morgan, Alexandria O’Donovan (behind) and Romina Mucollari. (Photo credit: Jenny Basantes.)

The SBE Program is proud to celebrate the achievements of our MISD graduating students whose groundbreaking research is shaping the future of sustainable development. Their dedication, creativity, and commitment to real-world impact were showcased through their final projects. Here’s a look at their inspiring work.

Alexandria O’Donovan

Project Title: Evaluating the Effectiveness of Living Shorelines
Alexandria explored how living shorelines can serve as a cost-effective and environmentally sustainable alternative to traditional coastal stabilization methods for low-income communities in Florida. Her analysis of 33 projects revealed that living shorelines offer lower costs and greater environmental and social benefits.

Darwin Thomas

Project Title: A Suitability Analysis for Sponge City Infrastructure in St. Augustine
This project assessed the potential for implementing sponge city infrastructure in St. Augustine to address climate-related flooding. Using GIS data, the study identified three key sites suitable for green infrastructure, including schools and public campuses.

Jenny Basantes

Project Title: Are New Green Residential Constructions Encouraging Rising Real Estate Prices?
Jenny investigated how green building practices influence real estate values in climate-vulnerable areas. Her findings support the adoption of Sustainability Comparative Market Analysis (SCMA) as a more holistic approach to property valuation.

Jourdan Friedlander

Project Title: Creating Sustainable Landscapes to Meet SITES Standards
Jourdan’s research demonstrated how integrating urban green infrastructure into healthcare facilities can reduce energy use and stormwater runoff. Her study showed that low-impact development strategies could cut energy use by 7% and runoff by 37%.

Thelma Morgan

Project Title: Evaluating the Energy Performance of Green Certified Buildings
Thelma examined the effectiveness of green building certifications in tropical climates. Her comparative analysis showed that certified buildings had significantly better energy performance, and she proposed a region-specific framework for certification.

Romina Mucollari

Project Title: Optimizing Residential Energy Retrofits in Gainesville
Romina modeled retrofit strategies for single-family homes in Gainesville, Florida. Her findings showed that even minimal upgrades could reduce energy use by 25%, with full retrofits achieving up to 50% savings.