Science Center & Sustainability

• The building's east-west orientation maximizes solar radiation exposure and enhancing energy efficiency.
• Rain water and snow melt are collected in underground tanks located on the west side of the building, then filtered and pumped into the building for flushing toilets, watering the plants in the 300 square foot greenhouse, and drip irrigation of the vegetative roof garden.
• Covering roughly one third of the building, our garden roof will provide habitat for wildlife, storm-water erosion control and treatment, thermal insulation and moderation, an outdoor botanical classroom, and a beautiful place for instruction and inspiration.
• Sun tunnels (“sun pipes”) located in the hallways in the north and south wings of the building,  bring natural daylight from the rooftops into interior hallways, enhancing natural lighting and reducing electricity use.  The electrical lights in these spaces contain sensors minimizing power use during daylight hours.
• Educational display cabinets in hallway walls in the north and south corridors, visible from both sides of the walls, allowing light to penetrate the hallways from the outside windows, and displays of specimen, models, and other educational materials for viewing by passers-by.
• Light shelves  and sun screens, installed on either the inside or the outside of the windows, are used to either diffuse additional natural light into the building without producing additional heat, or limit intense sunlight of summer, enhancing energy efficiency.
• Windows and doors have Solarban 80 glass, a high-performance, Low-E glass for solar control.
• Significant outside wall space dedicated to windows allows healthy full-spectrum daylight into the building in all classroom, laboratory, and study areas.
• Approximately 40% of the project area has been restored to a meadow habitat seeded with native flowers, grasses, shrubs, and trees, restoring valuable wetland ecosystem functions and habitat for wildlife, and providing outdoor laboratories and learning spaces.
• Eastern and western pergola and canopy systems provide shading with an aesthetic appeal, and native landscaping and plantings for wildlife surround the building.
• Water-permeable pathways lead from the building to JCC’s College Park. These porous, gravel pathways reduce storm-water run-off and soil erosion, allow groundwater recharge, and affording faculty, students, and visitors the opportunity to walk from the building to the park to observe native plant species in a natural environment.
• The white roofing membrane is light reflective to minimize heat buildup and heat island effects in the warm weather months.
• A demonstration photovoltaic solar array located on the south stair tower and a two-well geothermal well system showcase energy consciousness and conservation and are linked to a real-time digital dashboard panel displaying power consumption and energy savings associated with these carbon footprint-reducing technologies.
• Motion sensors monitor room occupancy and adjust lighting and energy utilization accordingly.
• An energy efficient air handling system has been incorporated into the construction of the building.
• A bike rack is available for those students, faculty, and visitors who prefer to use bicycles as opposed to motor vehicles.
• Recycled materials were used in the building and furniture, and FSC-certified wood was used where possible to promote environmentally-sustainable natural resource consumption. Likewise, a portion of all building materials were required to be purchased from suppliers within a 500-mile radius, promoting regional economies and minimizing fossil fuel use associated with shipping materials.
• A significant amount of construction waste was diverted from landfills and instead has been recycled.
• Indoor environmental quality has been assured via use of low-emitting adhesives, sealants, paints, coatings, carpet systems, composite wood, and agrifiber products.

• Biorad gel documentation system
• C1000 thermocycler with dual blocks
• Carbon dioxide incubators
• Cyropreservation tank
• Cytospin
• Electrophoresis equipment for westerns and submarine electrophoresis systems
• ELISA plate reader
• EZ gel documentation system
• FPLC and refrigerator
• Immunoblot system
• Inverted microscope and imaging system
• Laminar flow hood, 6 ft.
• Luminometer
• Magnetic cell separation system
• MilliQ water system
• Nanodrop
• Olympus fluorescence microscope and imaging system
• Real time thermocycler
• Refrigerated centrifuges
• Speedvac
• UV-Vis spectrophotometer
• Various microfuges

Our equipment has been supplied by various grants from Promega Corporation, the Darrah Foundation, Oishei Foundation, and the New York State Department of Education.

JCC is a signatory of the American College & University Presidents’ Climate Commitment to promote a more sustainable campus and healthy environmental living. Since signing the climate commitment in 2008, JCC has:

• Set the target date of 2030 for the college to achieve climate neutrality (net total of zero greenhouse gas emissions)
• Completed a baseline GHG inventory for 2008
• Updated the GHG inventory for 2011
• Completed a Climate Action Plan in 2010
• Developed an environmental science program (2011)
• Constructed a new Science Center, which has received LEED Gold certification (2011)
• Established an Office of Sustainability, which is staffed with a sustainability coordinator (2012)
• Established sustainability internships
• Achieved Tree Campus USA designation (2009)
• Established a Zero Sort recycling program (2010)
• Instituted a green purchasing policy (2009)
• Implemented both long- and short-term actions to reduce GHG emissions college-wide

JCC is a member of the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education. AASHE's goals are to:

• Make sustainable practices the norm within higher education
• Facilitate institutional efforts to integrate sustainability into teaching, research, operations, and public engagement
• Disseminate knowledge and best practices and promote resource sharing
• Support all sectors of campus in achieving sustainability goals
• Increase collaboration among individuals, institutions, and external partners to speed the adoption of sustainability practices
• Influence education policy so that sustainability is a focus at local, state and national levels

JCC continues to receive Tree Campus Higher Education recognition by the Arbor Day Foundation for our commitment to effective urban forest management.

The Tree Campus Higher Education recognition signifies a college’s commitment to campus forest management and engaging staff and students in conservation goals. JCC became the first community college in New York to receive the designation in 2009 and has received it each year since. There are 403 campuses across the United States that have received this recognition.

To qualify, campuses must have met five standards set by the Arbor Day Foundation: maintaining a tree advisory committee, a campus tree-care plan, dedicated annual expenditures for its campus tree program, an Arbor Day observance, and student service-learning project.