Research & Education

The AJLC was designed to teach — conceived as a demonstration project, testing ground, educational venue, and catalyst for the emerging field of ecological design.

On a cold sunny day, a group of students in winter coats operate an old-fashioned cider press.

Setting out to construct something aesthetically pleasing and useful for sustainability education, Griff Radulski ’14, a student assistant in the Lewis Center for most of his time at Oberlin, built a traditional apple cider press using reclaimed lumber.

Photo credit: Yvette Chen ’16

Lessons embodied in its technology and design choices were intended to reinforce those taught in its classrooms. The AJLC provides fertile ground for courses in a variety of disciplines, lecture series, student research, community groups, regional schools, and universities and professionals from abroad. Opportunities for interdisciplinary scientific, social and psychological inquiry abound.

Goals & Questions

A variety of research questions follow from the design goals for the Adam Joseph Lewis Center.

Goals & Questions

Data Acquisition, Analysis & Display

AJLC’s extensive data monitoring system provides real-time feedback on ecological performance.

AJLC Data Systems

Living Machine Projects

The Living Machine serves as a laboratory for exploring issues of wastewater, wetland ecology, microbiology and plant dynamics.

Living Machine Projects

Partners

AJLC collaborates with partners in areas such as monitoring systems and indoor air quality testing.

AJLC Partners

Courses and Educational Events

Home to the Environmental Studies department, the AJLC hosts many courses, independent study projects, tours, and more.

Course Offerings & Educational Events