UBC Okanagan’s Campus as a Living Lab program is driving innovation with new research projects that strengthen student connections and improve indoor air quality. These initiatives transform the campus into a real-world testing ground for healthier, more sustainable living.
Two new projects funded by UBC Okanagan’s Campus as a Living Lab (CLL) program are helping tackle real-world challenges—strengthening first-year student connections and investigating indoor air quality to improve environmental health.
CLL transforms the campus into a testing ground where researchers partner with campus operations staff to develop innovative solutions to identified on-campus challenges. This year’s projects were selected from a number of impressive submissions, and highlight UBC Okanagan’s commitment to fostering both student well-being and a healthier campus environment.
Helping students build connections
Starting university can be overwhelming, and many first-year students struggle with loneliness and social isolation.
To help ease this transition, Dr. Lauren Human (Associate Professor of Psychology, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences), Steve Brodrick (Associate Director, Residence Life) and Melissa Feddersen (Manager, Campus Wellness and Education) are launching a research-driven initiative to examine how students can build meaningful relationships early in their university experience.
“Strong social connections are vital for health, well-being and overall success,” says Dr. Human, Faculty Lead for the project. “With this initiative, we aim to foster a greater sense of belonging among first-year students on campus while deepening our understanding of how social and psychological well-being influence a more positive transition into university, higher achievement and greater student retention.”
While initiatives to enhance social connection are already popular on campus, this project will be the first to study their effectiveness in fostering friendships and enhancing student well-being. The findings could help shape future programming to strengthen social connections and student success at UBCO.
Tracking airborne microplastics to improve indoor air quality
How much plastic is in the air we breathe?
That’s the question Dr. Michael Noonan (Assistant Professor of Biology, Faculty of Science), Dr. Daniel Rosa (Lab Technician and Health and Safety Associate) and Dr. Laura Grieneisen (Assistant Professor of Biology, Faculty of Science) are working to answer.
Microplastics—tiny plastic particles less than 5 mm in size—are a growing environmental concern. These particles come from sources such as degraded plastic waste, synthetic textiles and microbeads in personal care products. Once airborne, they can circulate in indoor spaces, raising potential health risks.
“Our goal is to better understand how airborne microplastics move through indoor spaces on campus,” says Dr. Noonan, the project’s Faculty Lead. “By measuring microplastic concentrations in air vents across classrooms, offices and labs, we can identify baseline levels and potential hotspots of exposure.”
In addition, the research team will analyze the microbial communities that attach to these microplastic particles, a phenomenon known as the Trojan horse effect. To do this, the team will use metagenomic sequencing, a method that sequences and analyzes all genetic material in a sample containing diverse microorganisms. By sampling a variety of campus environments, from high-traffic areas to specialized spaces like wet labs, they hope to gain insights into both microplastic exposure and associated health risks.
This project seeks to improve campus sustainability and health by generating data to inform policy, enhance air quality, and reduce plastic pollution, with potential to influence broader environmental initiatives.
Funded by UBCO’s Office of Research and Innovation, the Campus as a Living Lab program is now in its third year. While the research projects the program supports help to address on-campus challenges, they are also designed to be applicable to the broader region and world.
“I’m once again thrilled to see our researchers and staff partnering on such innovative work,” says CLL project lead, Dr. Miranda Hart. “The results from these efforts will almost immediately have positive effects on our campus and can be used to help improve lives, and the environments, in our wider community.”
Stay tuned for updates as these exciting CLL projects progress and begin to shape a stronger and more sustainable future at UBC Okanagan.
About Campus as a Living Lab
UBC Okanagan’s Campus as a Living Lab (CLL) transforms the university into a dynamic testing ground where bold ideas become real-world solutions. By uniting world-class researchers with campus operations staff, CLL drives innovative research projects that have impact in one of four priority areas—climate action, resilient systems, sustainable places and communities, and health and wellbeing. Through collaboration, knowledge exchange and hands-on experimentation, CLL turns ambition into action, creating scalable solutions that enhance UBC’s campus and inspire change beyond its borders.
