UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The Sustainability Institute at Penn State will host its semiannual Campus and Community Sustainability Expo and Awards Ceremony from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 11, at the Days Inn in State College.
The event is co-sponsored by the Borough of State College and includes a poster-style exposition showcasing projects from the Sustainable Communities Collaborative (SCC), a program of Penn State’s Sustainability Institute. The SCC connects Penn State faculty, students and staff with local communities to address sustainability challenges through an engaged, collaborative effort. More than 30 projects will be on display this year touching on a variety of topics and issues, including water-quality testing on Halfmoon Creek in collaboration with the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, digital humanities projects, and greenhouse gas inventorying.
For the first time, the event also will include the presentation of the John Roe Student Sustainability Awards, which recognize exemplary performance by individuals who consistently excel at cultivating opportunities to advance the U.N. Sustainable Development Goals while demonstrating personal integrity, an unwavering commitment to their values/morals, and a commitment to the mission/values of Penn State. The awards are named in honor of the late Penn State mathematics professor John Roe, who was passionate about sustainability and the outdoors and incorporated these values into his teaching. His wife, Liane Roe, established the Dr. John Roe Fund for a Just and Sustainable Future this fall.
This year, special remarks will be delivered by B. Stephen Carpenter II, interim director of the School of Visual Arts and professor of art education and African American studies at Penn State. Together, the expo and awards ceremony will highlight how students are gaining real-world experiences and taking strategic actions with campus and community partners toward a more sustainable future. The event is free and open to public. Guests are invited to attend for a portion or the entirety of the event.