BACKGROUND AND OVERVIEW Studies have demonstrated that significant weight gain during first semester college is a real phenomenon and can be contributed to environmental influences. (Levitsky, et al) CONCLUSIONS  This study creates a preliminary model to evaluate the contributions of the built environment to energy expenditure in a university setting.  The built environment can be used as a tool to increase or decrease human energy expenditure in a quantifiable fashion.  This preliminary model can be expanded to design interventions to increase energy expenditure. The interventions would allow an individual to pick, choose and execute various combinations of routes and PA to meet or exceed the daily recommended activity level. RESULTS  The daily recommended 30 minutes of moderate intensity PA results in an energy expenditure of 200 kcal. The students varying daily levels of PA resulted in varying amounts of energy expenditure shown in the figure below.  These results indicate that Midpoke and Fastpoke meet the daily recommended energy expenditure of 200 kcal. Slowpoke does not meet it! LIMITATIONS/FUTURE WORK Future research will incorporate the use of Geographic Information Systems to model the built environment and incorporate analytical features such as elevation change and rate variable energy expenditure. METHODS  A model was created to calculate the energy expenditure of three students, each with varying levels of PA: they exceed, meet, or fail to meet the National Recommendations of being physically active for 30 minutes or more daily with moderate intensity.  The model calculates the students' 5 day energy expenditure for navigation to and from 2 classes per day and 3 meals at dining facilities with their dorm rooms as a "home" reference point. The dorm rooms, classes and dining facilities are all spatially located in the built environment of USC. The students have the same beginning, intermediate, and final destination points during the day. (See figure at right)  Their activity levels determine how they will navigate the campus: one student (Fastpoke) power-walks to and from classes and dining facilities for 15 minutes each way and always takes the stairs; another student (Midpoke) spends half their time riding the bus and the other half walking; the last student (Slowpoke) maximizes riding the bus and avoids walking whenever possible. DATA ANALYSIS total energy = walking kcal + stair climbing kcal + sitting kcal expenditure Using the Built Environment to Alter Human Energy Expenditure Veronica Addison 1, Nadia Craig 1, Dawn K. Wilson 2, Wally Peters 1 1 University of South Carolina, Department of Mechanical Engineering 2 University of South Carolina, Department of Psychology, Columbia, SC SAMPLE ROUTE FOR ONE TRIP PURPOSE This study compares the energy expenditures of three hypothetical students with varying levels of physical activity (PA) within the built environment of the University of South Carolina (USC) campus during a semester. PA Behavior + Built Environment ability to meet recommended energy expenditure