Graduate Student Projects

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Mapping Risks: Expanding Climate Hazard Assessment Tools

Partner Organization: Fernleaf
Project Timeline: July 2025 – June 2026

Project Overview
As part of the Climate Smart Communities Initiative (CSCI), our MACS student team is partnering with Fernleaf to expand their existing hazard assessment capabilities by adding critical water quality risk analysis for the communities of Swannanoa and Woodfin, both significantly impacted by Hurricane Helene. This work will not only strengthen local resilience planning but also provide a replicable model for water quality hazard assessment that can be integrated into community resilience frameworks across the country.

The Challenge
While Fernleaf’s AccelAdapt platform currently assesses multiple climate hazards including flood risk, wildfire, and landslides, water quality hazards remain a critical gap in their assessment suite. Post-Helene, understanding how extreme rainfall events affect potable water quality has become essential for community resilience planning, particularly in vulnerable watersheds where contamination sources and infrastructure vulnerabilities intersect.

Project Approach
Building on existing resilience assessments from the Land of Sky Regional Council, our student team is developing comprehensive water quality risk maps and vulnerability assessments. They’re analyzing both current and historical water quality data, identifying contamination sources, assessing infrastructure vulnerabilities, and examining socioeconomic factors that increase community risk during extreme weather events.

Expected Impact

  • Interactive maps showing water quality risks in Swannanoa and Woodfin watersheds
  • Vulnerability assessments identifying communities most at risk
  • Risk management strategies and mitigation recommendations
  • Best practices presentation for nationwide CSCI grantees

Restoring Cultural and Ecological Heritage: Rivercane Conservation Along the Swannanoa River

Partner Organization: RiverLink & Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians Cooperative Extension

Project Overview
Our MACS student team is partnering with RiverLink and the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI) Cooperative Extension to advance the protection and restoration of rivercane (Arundinaria gigantea) along the Middle Swannanoa River. This work addresses the urgent need to restore a critically endangered ecosystem while honoring the deep cultural significance of rivercane to Cherokee communities.

This project demonstrates how environmental restoration can simultaneously serve ecological resilience and cultural preservation goals. By centering Cherokee knowledge and cultural needs while addressing urgent flood mitigation needs in post-Helene recovery, the work models collaborative approaches to ecosystem restoration that honor both scientific and traditional ecological knowledge.

The Challenge
Rivercane ecosystems have been reduced to less than 2% of their historic range, representing one of the most critically endangered ecosystems in the Southeastern United States. Despite rivercane’s exceptional benefits for flood mitigation, water quality improvement, and wildlife habitat, regulatory frameworks and commercial nursery systems provide little support for restoration efforts. Meanwhile, Cherokee artisans struggle to access quality rivercane for traditional basketry and cultural practices that date back over 1,400 years.

Project Approach
Working at the intersection of science, policy, and cultural preservation, our student team is developing a comprehensive strategy for rivercane restoration. They’re conducting GIS mapping to identify optimal restoration sites along the Middle Swannanoa River, researching policy barriers and opportunities, and creating community engagement materials that highlight both ecological and cultural values. A key focus involves working with utility companies to explore rivercane management in right-of-way easements as a cost-effective alternative to herbicide treatments.

Expected Impact

  • Policy research report identifying regulatory barriers and opportunities for rivercane
    restoration
  • Community engagement toolkit promoting ecological benefits and cultural significance
  • GIS analysis contributing to the Middle Swannanoa River Restoration Plan
  • Strategic recommendations for utility easement management
  • Nursery industry assessment and outreach to increase commercial propagation

Building Community Resilience: A Framework for Disaster Preparedness

Partner Organization: Mountaintrue & Appalachian Design Center (ADC)

Project Overview
In the wake of Hurricane Helene’s devastating impact on Western North Carolina, our MACS student team is partnering with Mountaintrue to address a critical aspect of disaster preparedness: strategies for establishing resilience hubs in communities with significant risk exposure.

The Challenge
Climate disasters act on and can exacerbate socio-economic vulnerabilities and unequal access to resources. While resilience hubs (community spaces that provide shelter, supplies, and coordination during emergencies) can be lifesaving, there’s limited support for clear approaches to creating or sustaining them. This leaves many communities without adequate disaster response infrastructure when they need it most.

Project Approach
Working closely with the Swannanoa watershed communities affected by Hurricane Helene, our student team is developing a comprehensive, replicable framework for establishing effective resilience hubs. They’re conducting community forums, analyzing local needs, and studying successful models to create actionable guidance that other counties, cities, and states can adapt to their own contexts.

Expected Impact

  • Clear parameters for resilience hub location, infrastructure, and services
  • Sustainability strategies for funding, staffing, and governance
  • Community-informed recommendations based on real disaster experience
  • Transferable lessons for strengthening disaster preparedness and equitable recovery

Rebuilding Campus Climate Action: Revitalizing Warren Wilson’s Sustainability Data Systems

Partner Organization: Warren Wilson College Administration (Keith McDade & Dave Ellum)

Project Overview

Warren Wilson College has a strong sustainability ethos but lacks the systematic data collection and reporting processes needed to track progress toward climate goals. Our MACS student team is partnering with college administration to rebuild the institutional foundation for climate action by establishing robust greenhouse gas inventory systems and developing a comprehensive Climate Action Plan.

This project will position Warren Wilson College as a leader in higher education climate action while creating sustainable systems for long-term environmental stewardship. The work demonstrates how MACS students can drive institutional change, combining technical expertise with community engagement to advance climate solutions at the campus level.

The Challenge

Despite Warren Wilson’s commitment to sustainability and a previous goal of reaching net zero emissions by 2025, the college has struggled to maintain momentum in data collection and climate reporting. The last comprehensive greenhouse gas inventory was completed in 2019, and the college’s AASHE STARS Gold rating expired in 2023. Without systematic data collection processes, the institution cannot track progress, set realistic goals, or demonstrate climate leadership to the campus community and beyond.

Project Approach

This two-year project unfolds in strategic phases. Year one focuses on rebuilding data infrastructure: systematizing greenhouse gas emission data collection across all three scopes, completing AASHE STARS Operations category reporting, and aligning with Princeton Review requirements. Year two expands to community engagement, conducting focus groups and resilience assessments while developing a comprehensive Climate Action Plan with broad campus input.

Expected Impact

  • Standardized, replicable data collection processes for ongoing GHG monitoring
  • Complete greenhouse gas inventory across all emission scopes
  • Updated AASHE STARS reporting across all categories
  • Comprehensive Climate Action Plan developed through community engagement
  • Public commitment to climate neutrality milestones through Second Nature pledge
  • Educational dashboard or “living report” for transparent progress tracking