U n i v e r s i t y o f p i t t s b U r g h

Vision/MissionEstablished in 2003, the Mascaro Center for Sustainable

Innovation is a center of excellence in sustainable

engineering focusing on the design of sustainable

neighborhoods. We encourage and nurture new

collaborative projects based on strong and innovative

research, translating the fundamental science of

sustainability into real products and processes.

Our goal is to create innovations that positively impact

the environment and improve quality of life. Our research

includes projects on greening the built environment,

the more sustainable use of water, and the design of

distributed power systems.

Fast Facts>> Residential and commercial buildings account

for 39 percent of U.S. primary energy use, 70

percent of U.S. electricity consumption, 30 percent

of total U.S. greenhouse gas emissions, and 12

percent of potable water in the United States.

>> It is estimated that water and wastewater

infrastructure repair costs may be as much as

$745 billion to $1 trillion over the next 20 years.

>> It is estimated that 2–3 billion people currently lack

access to clean water and that 10,000–30,000

people die each day from water-born diseases.

>> The U.S. Department of Transportation estimates

that deferred maintenance for highways and

bridges totals a staggering $10.3 billion.

www.mascarocenter.pitt.edu

ResearchThe Mascaro Center engages a core team of researchers

who are passionate about sustainability and whose

expertise has led to novel and revolutionary solutions to

problems related to sustainable innovation. All Mascaro

Center-funded projects share a close relationship to

sustainable design and global importance and a strong

connection to quality of life. The Mascaro Center draws

on the collective knowledge and experience of faculty

and PhD students from all six departments in the

Swanson School of Engineering as well as collaborative

partnerships with the University of Pittsburgh Joseph

M. Katz Graduate School of Business and Schools of

Education, Medicine, Public and International Affairs,

and Public Health as well as the Center for Latin

American Studies.

Areas of Focus>> Green Building Design and Construction: fast

payback systems for energy use reduction, melding

aesthetics and sustainability, existing structures, life

cycle assessment

>> Infrastructure: nondestructive evaluation, minimally

invasive analysis and rejuvenation, water and power

distribution and transport networks

>> Materials: reducing embedded energy and water,

reducing volume of materials to landfill, eliminating

materials with toxicity problems through green design

www.mascarocenter.pitt.edu/research

EducationThe Mascaro Center’s educational programs include

innovative multidisciplinary courses, collaborative

community education projects, summer research

programs for undergraduates, and fellowships for

graduate students. These programs have a strong

history of attracting excellent students at both the

undergraduate and graduate levels.

Fast Facts>> Undergraduate summer research programs

enable students to develop their own ideas,

working independently or in small groups on

hands-on research projects in sustainable

engineering with guidance from a faculty mentor.

>> The Mascaro Center offers multiple opportunities

for students to live and work cross culturally,

learning how to address sustainability issues and

develop green technologies around the world.

>> Working across departmental boundaries, the

Mascaro Center offers both undergraduate

and graduate courses on a variety of topics

related to sustainability. Students gain

real-world experience in such areas as

entrepreneurship and product realization.

www.mascarocenter.pitt.edu/prospective-students

CommunityAn important aspect of the Mascaro Center’s mission

is ensuring that its research is translated into real

products and processes that benefit our community

and beyond. Faculty and students regularly consult

and collaborate both regionally and nationally with

nonprofits, government agencies, and corporations on

important sustainability topics. In addition, collaboration

with local school districts and education nonprofits

has enabled the center to introduce young people

throughout the region to the concepts of science,

engineering, and sustainability at the K–12 level.

Fast Facts>> The Mascaro Center hosts a biannual international

conference to explore the state-of-the-art in

sustainability research. Experts from academia,

industry, and government convene to address the

global challenges we face in becoming a more

sustainable community as well as the progress we

are making to this end.

>> The Vandergrift Improvement Project, made up of a

group of local citizens, is working with the Mascaro

Center to improve the town of Vandergrift, Pa., both

economically and environmentally using principles

of sustainability.

>> The center works with local school districts helping

to create new green curricula for middle and high

school students.

www.mascarocenter.pitt.edu/community

How to get involvedWe are always looking for partners to collaborate on

projects that have an impact on the community and

that build our students’ real-world engineering skills.

Interested students should visit our Web site at

www.mascarocenter.pitt.edu/prospective-students

to apply for one of several undergraduate research

grant or graduate fellowship programs.

Those who would like more information about

partnering with the Mascaro Center on

community projects should visit our Web site at

www.mascarocenter.pitt.edu/community or contact

mcsi@pitt.edu.

Prospective faculty/researchers should visit our

Web site at www.mascarocenter.pitt.edu/people/

faculty-recruitment.php.

Mascaro Center for Sustainable Innovation

University of Pittsburgh

Swanson School of Engineering

Phone: 412-624-6718

E-mail: mcsi@pitt.edu

The University of Pittsburgh is an affirmative action, equal opportunity institution. Published in cooperation with the Department of University Marketing Communications. UMC66640-0209

Mascaro Center for Sustainable Innovation