Living Lab Fellowship Program Completes First Year of Student-Led Sustainability Projects

When Sergio Sánchez came to Stanford, he didn’t expect driving an electric tractor would be part of his PhD. However, as he embarked on advancing electrification of the O’Donohue Family Educational Farm through the Sustainable Stanford Living Lab Fellowship Program, he was empowered to integrate his studies and expertise in energy policy and advocacy into tangible, operational progress on campus. Leading this project included meeting with vendors and campus stakeholders to determine the feasibility of moving towards renewable energy sources on the farm, navigating administrative hurdles and permitting, securing funding, and more. All steps of this ongoing project have been an incredible learning opportunity for Sergio to experience how sustainability change occurs within institutions as he prepares to continue this work next academic year for a second fellowship.

Launched in fall quarter of 2023, the fellowship program has successfully completed its inaugural year, with a second year of student-led change management projects set for next academic year to continue creating real change for Stanford’s sustainability operations.  A key component of the program is driving people, process, and systems change —helping bridge the gap between academic insight and institutional implementation. The fellowship program realizes Stanford’s position as a living lab and demonstrates how campus efforts can be applied to sustainability initiatives beyond Stanford (for example, to other small-scale farms, in the case of Sergio’s project). 

An impactful benefit of the program is the opportunity to bring together stakeholders who may not have collaborated otherwise. For example, a staff mentor in the Department of Project Management within Stanford Land, Buildings & Real Estate (LBRE) who typically works “behind the scenes” and never directly with students was able to connect with doctoral student Eleni Alexandraki, who worked to weave academic research in sustainable construction and embodied carbon into the development of Stanford’s Whole Building Life Cycle Assessment Guidelines, contributing to Stanford’s emissions reductions and net zero efforts. “Overall, the fellowship was a highly positive experience where I learned a great deal and received valuable support from my mentor. I enjoyed engaging with project stakeholders and had the privilege of learning from leading experts in embodied carbon, including David Gottfried and Professor Amory Lovins,” shared Eleni. Each project is supported by an advisory board of campus subject matter experts who provide guidance throughout the academic year, ensuring students have access to valuable insights and mentorship. In addition to this structured support, the program fosters networking opportunities at Living Lab events, where students, faculty, and staff can connect, celebrate achievements, and explore future sustainability collaborations.

In another project, fellow Justin West worked closely with faculty mentor Jacques de Chalendar and LBRE’s Facilities & Energy Management team, conducting research that not only informed energy sustainability strategies but also inspired him to pursue a coterminal master’s degree in sustainability through the Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability. “The Living Lab Fellowship was more than an internship, extracurricular, or class to me. Instead, it helped showcase that the goals and values that I strive to achieve are present here at Stanford while giving me pathways to continue my journey,” reflects Justin. His trajectory highlights how the fellowship nurtures pathways for students to deepen their engagement with sustainability, reinforcing the importance of institutionalizing these experiential learning opportunities.

With a strong foundation now in place, Sustainable Stanford’s Living Lab Fellowship Program is poised to enter its next phase of growth as the second cohort of fellows and mentors prepares for a fruitful academic year of innovative projects. The success of this first year demonstrates the effectiveness of structured collaboration in transforming sustainability efforts from isolated, ad hoc projects into strategic, integrated, and scalable solutions. As the fellowship continues to evolve, it will remain a beacon for universities seeking to enhance their own campus ecosystems, proving that when academia and operations align, new pathways for optimized sustainability innovations emerge.