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SWEET Co(LAB)orative
The SWEET Col(LAB)orative is an environmental studies research group who often, but not always, use insects as a lens onto broader systems. We use a range of quantitative and qualitative tools to study science and society. Global environmental problems necessitate a diverse group of minds, bodies, and lives coming together to imagine (and then achieve!) conserving and sustaining natural and human communities in ethical ways. This work is interdisciplinary and done in community, with a wide range of collaborators across disciplines and institutions.
We do this while also working to:
- create space to be our full(er) selves,
- address positionality and power in our research and teams,
- do "open" research without extraction.
We are located on unceded Seneca Nations (Onöndowa'ga) lands. Learn more here.
Latest News
- May 11, 2026
congrats to Hayden!
Many congratulations to Hayden on successfully defending her Masters project final report and graduating last week! Her Masters project, completed as part of her Environmental Science MS degree, was titled "Understanding Communication in Green Infrastructure Project Teams in Rochester NY Region: Coordination, Negotiation, and Constraints." She used qualitative, interview based methods to understand how interdisciplinary green infrastructure teams communicate and collaborate. Read it here!
- May 8, 2026
congrats to graduates!
Several col(LAB) members are graduating this spring! Congrats to Madelaine, Abigail, and Julia on their college graduation -- and recognition with the Undergraduate Research Scholar designation! Hands waving high and excited to see what you do next!
- April 30, 2026
congrats to Julia on profile in RIT News
Julia was recently profiled in RIT News about her path to college, experiences and goals, and also her future law school plans. Hands waving high for the recognition! Read it here.
- April 28, 2026
congrats to Julia on film premiere!
Current STS Aberg Family Fellow Julia Resciniti premiered her film "Where the Bomb Trains End" with a screening on campus on April 28. The film is a new student-made documentary about the intersection of petrochemical disaster and disability justice. Everyone can watch the virtual premiere on May 4th at 12PM EST on YouTube!
A small town in Ohio experienced a horrifi c disaster when a highly explosive train derailed there. This student-made documentary explores disabled resilience through the lens of the East Palestine Train Derailment and petrochemical disasters. What do disabled people do when disaster strikes?
- YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@WheretheBombTrainsEndMovie
- Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tHtSkPmhYc0
Research
Critical examinations of ecosystem services
Environmental science is a human endeavor, shaped by individual and institutional structures, processes, and biases. Part of my research program centers on understanding how these factors shape contemporary ecosystem service sciences.
Ableism and accessibility in biology and society
In fieldwork and informatics based work, SWEET is committed to inclusion, accessibility, and reproducibility. In particular, we focus on disability access and inclusion (or lack thereof) in open science and beyond.
