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Officials at the State University at Fredonia and Fredonia's Village Hall are trying new initiatives to help college students and the community get closer.
Lan Cheng, from SUNY Fredonia's math department, recently presented a plan to use students' work for solving issues within the village. Also, Village Trustee Jon Espersen told the OBSERVER that he is working with other SUNY Fredonia professors to brainstorm ideas for student involvement in the village.
Cheng's plan involves using math models created by the students, who would then provide suggestions based on runs of the models. She offered a presentation about the plan at the Aug. 22 Fredonia Board of Trustees meeting.
Beginning in the spring 2023 semester, the students will be creating a model to assist the village to accurately compute the actual amount of sewage used by residents. Currently the sewage amount is based on a percentage of total water usage.
Both Cheng and Espersen, the project's liaison from the Board of Trustees, anticipate a similar collaborative project in upcoming semesters.
Additionally, Espersen recently met with SUNY Fredonia professors to brainstorm about getting students involved in projects to benefit both the students and the village. Professors from environmental science, geology, biology and other disciplines participated in the discussion, chaired by Dr. Andy Karafa.
"These programs are important stepping stones in an ongoing effort to build on the already strong and symbiotic relationship between the college and the village," Espersen said. "Students will have an opportunity to participate in real world situations in their chosen field, enhancing an already strong curriculum."