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As a child, College of Arts, Sciences and Letters student Zach Pousak played at a popular park that was on the edge of the Detroit River. There were slides, swings, and pavilions — and power plant equipment and a large pile of coal.

Pousak, a Fall 2024 graduate who is majoring in environmental studies with a minor in urban and regional studies, says the industrial materials were removed a few years ago when his community converted to natural gas and solar panels as energy sources, but the memory has stayed with him.

 “As a kid, it’s something I noticed around me but didn’t think much about at the time. But as I got older, I couldn't help but wonder about the effects that playing near a coal pile can have,” says Pousak, who lives in Wyandotte. “Fortunately, the coal pile is now gone and the Detroit River is cleaner. I’ve seen changes in my lifetime for the better, so I know we can have healthier, more sustainable communities — but you need to have people who care and work to make change happen.”

Pousak is now working to become one of those people. 

At UM-Dearborn, Pousak is creating computerized “smart” rain barrels — for Detroit residents in collaboration with Mechanical Engineering Assistant Professor Chris Pannier. He attended a Study Abroad experience in Norway, where he focused on the effects of climate change and the public education surrounding it. He took part in UM-Dearborn-led research work with the nonprofit Rescue MI Nature Now, where he did Detroit-based community conservation work like cleaning alleyways and turning them into usable spaces for residents in the Nolan neighborhood.

“I didn’t know what I wanted to do as a career until I came to UM-Dearborn. There are classes, study abroad trips, and research opportunities that let you explore your interests here,” Pousak says. “The more I did, the clearer it became that making urban spaces greener, healthier, more efficient, and sustainable was the right path for me.”

Pousak, who chose to attend UM-Dearborn because of the post-college success his alum family members experienced and the university’s small class sizes, says that childhood memory didn’t connect him with his future field of sustainability work until he took a class on campus.

He says a Foundations course — seminar-style classes first-year CASL students take to help explore their interests — called “Weeds and Wastelands” opened his eyes to environmental impacts that highly populated areas face due to pollution, lack of green spaces and more.

“As a project, I studied the city I grew up in and the improvements that had been made. Many of the communities around here are considered industrial. Some have made changes, others haven’t. Why is that? What can be done?” he asks. “And what can I do to move things forward?”

Pousak says that the course was the first step in a series of many toward his chosen field. Another was traveling outside of North America for the first time during a two-week Study Abroad with Geology Professor Jacob Napieralski, where they visited Oslo and other towns like Stryn — which at the end of the Innvikfjorden fjord and the Jostedalsbreen glacier — to monitor glacial melt.

While in Norway, Pousak says he talked to residents about how the melting glaciers were impacting their communities and industry. But, perhaps more importantly, he also learned how educators were teaching about the impacts of climate change. 

“They openly discuss how much the glaciers have melted over the last 20 years and teach climate change in schools to children, along with asking the question, ‘How do we solve the problems we created?’ I went into communities and talked about this with farmers, city leaders, educators, and others. They recognize that they are lucky to be surrounded by fresh water, even though climate change doesn’t negatively affect their communities as it does in other parts of the world. They are conscious of the energy used and discuss worldwide impacts,” he says. “Having that Study Abroad experience reinforced how much I care about this field, creating a global network within it, and the cool things I can do with my degree.”

To help bring sustainability education and efforts closer to home, Pousak says he applied for UM-Dearborn’s Summer Undergraduate Research Experience Program, where students get research training, a stipend and help a faculty member with a project. He worked with Sociology Professor Paul Draus and Pannier to create environmentally friendly interventions for Detroit city residents, like creating a green space “” and later working to assemble and 3D-print parts for smart rain barrels. The barrels use a motorized ball valve that opens and closes automatically thanks  to a small solar panel and an Arduino mini controller board, allowing the water to be released in short intervals.

Recently working in Pannier’s Engineering Lab Building space, Pousak showed off the microcontroller holders they’re developing to keep the rain barrel’s components dry but still accessible in case repairs need to be made. With his upcoming graduation, Pousak says he plans to continue working with his professors on the project until the barrels are complete and distributed to residents.

Pousak, who previously completed an internship at Environmental Testing and Consulting where he tested home materials for asbestos contents, says he’s currently searching for a professional role where he can make an impact in underserved communities and make the lives of the people who live within them better.

After all, he knows from experience that environmental changes can be made in a relatively short period of time when communities prioritize sustainable futures and work together.

“This is the contribution I can make,” he says. “I want to do my part in moving sustainability practices forward, especially in urban areas where so many of us live. My time at UM-Dearborn showed me paths I can take to do this right here and in other areas of the world.” 

Story by Sarah Tuxbury