The recognizes mid-career individuals who are significantly contributing to the advancement of sustainability in higher education. Durr is one of ten individuals chosen to receive this award in its second year. Selection was based on the impact recipients are making in the field of higher education sustainability through one or more of the following: programs and projects; products, presentations and publications; service and mentorship.

鈥淚 am truly honored to receive the AASHE Fellows Award,鈥� said Durr. 鈥淚mpactful sustainability work is not done in isolation. I am grateful for the collaboration, support and involvement of many 黑料不打烊 staff, students and faculty, as well as colleagues at other institutions, and for the support and opportunities provided by AASHE.鈥�

Durr has been at 黑料不打烊 since 2008, when she was hired as the university鈥檚 first full-time sustainability professional. Since her arrival, 黑料不打烊鈥檚 sustainability program has advanced significantly and received local and national recognition.

鈥淪ince joining 黑料不打烊, Elaine has approached this work with passion, creativity and a deep commitment to cultivating sustainability within all aspects of the 黑料不打烊 community,鈥� said Brad Moore, Associate Vice President for Facilities and Chief Facilities Officer. 鈥淭his is a tremendous honor for her to be recognized as one of the top 10 leaders doing this work. We are incredibly proud of her and grateful for the lasting difference she continues to make at 黑料不打烊.鈥�

The AASHE Fellows Award is one of four annual awards given by AASHE.

鈥淭he 2026 AASHE Sustainability Award recipients reflect the momentum and innovation driving change across higher education. Among their community, these individuals are true changemakers鈥攖urning bold ideas into action and setting a powerful example of leadership and impact for the field,鈥� said AASHE Executive Director Meghan Fay Zahniser.

To learn more about AASHE鈥檚 Sustainability Awards programs, please visit .

Students,聽faculty聽and staff are encouraged to attend as many events as you can for your chance to win various prizes! First, second and third place winners will be聽determined聽by those who attend the most events throughout the week. There will be one set of student winners and another set of faculty/staff winners. More聽competition details may be viewed on the聽

Huria Tahiry 鈥�26, environmental justice intern for 黑料不打烊鈥檚 Office of Sustainability, has attended several Earth Week events over the past three years, and says that Earth Week is聽鈥渁 wonderful opportunity to learn, make new friends, have fun, and take a moment to appreciate the Earth.” Tahiry is particularly excited for this year鈥檚 Earth Week, since there will be more events聽than聽any previous聽year.

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS聽

Saturday, April 18

SUSTAINABLE DAY OF SERVICE | VARIOUS TIMES & LOCATIONS (TRANSPORTATION PROVIDED)
9 – 12 p.m. | PARK REVITALIZATION WITH ALAMANCE COUNTY PARKS & RECREATION

Help restore one of the local Alamance parks that聽serves聽the whole community! The event will be at聽Swepsonville聽River Park (2472聽Boywood聽Rd.聽Swepsonville聽N.C.) The activities will include repainting the entrance gate, and staining two Kiosks, and a couple of park benches.

Transportation will be provided from the 黑料不打烊 Express Bus Stop between Inman Admissions and the Library

9:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. | MORROWTOWN COMMUNITY GARDEN聽WORK DAY聽| MORROWTOWN COMMUNITY GARDEN

Spend time outdoors, connect with others, and support a space that provides fresh food and connection opportunities in Burlington! Come get聽your hands dirty, learn something new, and be part of growing something meaningful together. 罢丑别听Morrowtown聽Community Garden was founded and is managed by the聽Morrowtown聽Community Group, which was formed to inspire positive social and environmental change for a diverse community in Burlington that deserves to thrive. Participants should wear clothing and shoes they聽don鈥檛聽mind getting dirty. Please bring a reusable water bottle and sunscreen. Transportation to the event will be from the 黑料不打烊 Express spot outside of the library.

1:30 – 4:30 p.m. | KAYAK CLEAN UP | LAKE MACKINTOSH

Take care of local Lake Mackintosh while enjoying the beauty of nature. Kayaks, gloves and trash bags聽provided.聽New and聽experienced kayakers are welcome!聽聽Please wear聽clothing聽you聽don鈥檛聽mind getting dirty and bring a reusable water bottle and sunscreen.聽Transportation to the event will be from the 黑料不打烊 Express stop outside of the library.

Monday, April 20

9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. | CAREER CLOSET | UPSTAIRS LAKESIDE

Join us for the Career Closet 鈥済rand opening鈥� for a special one-day pop-up shopping event!

The Career Closet empowers 黑料不打烊 students by increasing access to professional and formal attire while fostering leadership, service, and community impact. In partnership with the Student Professional Development Center, the Center for Leadership, the Office of Sustainability and Student Involvement, this on-campus resource encourages students to think ahead, support one another and give back to the 黑料不打烊 community.

This event is open to all members of the 黑料不打烊 community.

Have聽extra professional or formal wear? Donate gently used items from April 7th鈥揂pril 17th in the Center for Leadership to give back, support fellow students and promote sustainability on campus.

Stop by, shop sustainably and find the perfect look for your next interview, internship, or formal event!

11 a.m. – 1 p.m. | ORGANIC MOCKTAILS | CLOHAN DINING HALL

Come try a delicious mocktail featuring Certified Organic Tractor Beverage and learn about organic produce with 黑料不打烊 Dining鈥檚 Sustainability Manager Leslie Bosse!

11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m. | SOOTHING SOUNDS OF SUCCULENTS | NUMEN LUMEN SACRED SPACE

Step into a space designed to help you slow down, breathe deeply and reconnect. Soothing Sounds & Sprouts is a mental-health-centered gathering where calming music and hands-on planting come together to nurture you.

Enjoy a curated soundscape of gentle, restorative music; learn how different sounds can聽impact聽mood; and plant your own small herb to take home鈥攁 living reminder of growth, care and resilience. We will share simple grounding practices you can use anytime stress feels overwhelming and use our senses to be more present.

Whether you stay for five minutes or the full experience, this event invites you to pause, reset, and tend to yourself鈥攂ecause just like plants, we thrive when we receive light, care, and space to grow.

4 – 6 p.m.聽 | POP UP SWAP SHOP | DOWNSTAIRS MOSELEY
Looking to refresh your closet?聽Have聽any聽perfectly good聽clothing you no longer wear? Bring it to the Pop-Up Swap Shop to trade for new-to-you shirts, pants, dresses, and more! No clothing to swap? No problem! Commit to a sustainable habit OR donate any fabric scraps on hand to earn free clothing!

罢丑别听Pop Up聽Swap Shop聽runs in聽downstairs Moseley every Monday (4 – 6 p.m.) and Friday (3:30-6 pm) during the Spring 2026 semester.

4:15 – 5:30 p.m. | BOOK DISCUSSION 鈥� SAVING US: A CLIMATE SCIENTIST鈥橲 CASE FOR HOPE AND HEALING IN A DIVIDED WORLD | LOY FARM

In preparation for Katharine Hayhoe鈥檚 keynote address on Wednesday, April 22, join Faculty Fellow for Sustainability Scott Morrison for a discussion about Hayhoe鈥檚聽most recent book. Light snacks will be provided for those who register.

5:30 – 6:30 p.m. | HONORING INDIGENOUS VOICES | CREDE

Join us for a conversation with Corey Roberts, assistant professor of Native American and Indigenous studies, exploring indigenous history, culture and perspectives connected to this region. This event aims to create space for learning,聽reflection聽and dialogue within the 黑料不打烊 community. Traditional food will be shared as part of the gathering.

Tuesday, April 21

9:40-10:20 a.m. | COLLEGE COFFEE聽

Stop by the Office of Sustainability鈥檚 table at College Coffee to learn about sustainability efforts on campus.聽Don鈥檛聽forget your reusable mug to enter to win $100 Phoenix Cash!

11 a.m. – 12:15 p.m. | COASTAL CRAFTS: SHELL JEWELRY DISHES | YOUNG COMMONS

Create or聽take home聽oyster and wampum shell jewelry dishes while learning about their ecological significance and Indigenous cultural importance in the Northeastern United States.

11 a.m. – 2 p.m. | GARDEN PARTY | MCEWEN DINING HALL

McEwen Dining Hall will feature garden party themed foods, including small plates and plant-forward options. Come join us for this super fun and sustainable lunch!

4 – 5 p.m. | STARS CELEBRATION | LAKESIDE MEETING ROOMS

Celebrate 黑料不打烊鈥檚 most recent Sustainability, Tracking, Assessment & Rating System (STARS) Report with food, interactive聽activities聽and exciting prizes! Learn about 黑料不打烊鈥檚 sustainability efforts, connect with聽others聽and discover opportunities to support sustainability at 黑料不打烊. This event is open to all students,聽faculty聽and staff.

Wednesday, April 22

11:30 a.m. – 2 p.m. | PICKLE POP UP | LAKESIDE DINING HALL
Join 黑料不打烊 Dining to taste how delicious and sustainable pickling can be!

12 – 2聽 p.m. | TOTE-ALLY SUSTAINABLE | MEDALLION PLAZA
Join us to paint your own reusable tote bag while learning about how to reduce waste!

5 – 6:30 p.m. | BELTANE CELEBRATION | ELON COMMUNITY GARDEN
Beltane is a time of renewal, protection and community where people can come together to share stories, offerings for deities, and have fun by dancing and making crafts. Beltane is historically a practical agricultural and seasonal holiday signifying the start of the growing seasons and time of abundance. Come celebrate together by making flower crowns, mini maypoles, and enjoying聽good food!

7 – 8 p.m. | EARTH WEEK KEYNOTE: KATHARINE HAYHOE, 鈥淪OLVING CLIMATE CHANGE STARTS WITH US (BUT NOT THE WAY YOU THINK!)鈥� | MCKINNON HALL, MOSELEY CENTER

鈥淲hat can I do?鈥� is most people鈥檚 top climate question. The truth is, while our personal choices matter, the most important action any of us can take聽isn鈥檛聽changing a lightbulb, eating a plant-based burger or buying an electric vehicle (EV).聽Drawing on聽lessons from science, history, and social movements, Katherine Hayhoe shows how using our voices to call for systemic change is the first step towards catalyzing the tipping points that will help us build a better future. Solving climate change does start with us鈥攂ut in ways far more powerful than we might imagine.

Katharine Hayhoe is the chief scientist for聽The Nature聽Conservancy and a Horn Distinguished Professor and endowed professor of public policy and public law at Texas Tech University. She has served as a lead author for the second, third and fourth U.S. National Climate Assessments. She is the author of the best-selling book 鈥淪aving Us: A Climate Scientist鈥檚 Case for Hope and Healing in a Divided World.鈥� Hayhoe has been named to lists including the TIME 100 Most Influential People and Fortune鈥檚 50 World鈥檚 Greatest Leaders.

Sponsored by the Office of Sustainability, the Environmental Studies Department, Facilities Management, the School of Communications, the Sustainable Enterprises program and the Truitt Center for Religious and Spiritual Life.

9 – 10 p.m. | S鈥橫ORES WITH OUTDOORS | BECK POOL PATIO

Join 黑料不打烊 Outdoors and the Eco-Reps for a special Earth Week S鈥檓ores with Outdoors! Make your own sustainable bug spray so that you can enjoy more time outdoors.

Thursday, April 23

9:50 – 10:30 a.m. | NUMEN LUMEN | NUMEN LUMEN PAVILION 110

The challenges we face expand our perspectives. The moments that leave us speechless have the power to change lives. The stories we tell help us to make sense of these challenges, moments, and everything in between.

Grounding ourselves in this moment is how we show up in an unexpected and ever-changing world.

This week鈥檚 speaker is Becca Bishopric Patterson, associate director of the聽 Gender and LGBTQIA Center at 黑料不打烊 where her work focuses on gender equity, LGBTQ+ inclusion, survivor support and violence prevention. For the last 15 years, Becca鈥檚 life and work聽has聽been dedicated to聽facilitating聽healing, justice, sustainability, and connection within communities in professional and personal roles. Becca has served on leadership and organizing teams across Alamance County, currently leading initiatives within the Alamance Racial Equity Alliance and Transcend Alamance. Bischipric Patterson lives in 黑料不打烊 with her spouse, toddlers, and (many) pets, and loves spending time with friends envisioning a world where all life can thrive.

5 – 7 p.m. PM | PARTY FOR THE PLANET | MOSELEY WEST LAWN

Celebrate sustainability with fun activities and live entertainment! This event will also feature a swap shop where students can trade their gently used clothes for new (gently used) clothes.

5 – 7:30 PM | EARTH FEST | LAKE MARY NELL

Try over a dozen dishes featuring local foods and meet the local聽partners themselves聽at 黑料不打烊 Dining鈥檚 Earth Fest!聽You鈥檒l聽even get to meet our most famous local partner, Pearl the dairy cow, from Ran-Lew Dairy.

Friday, April 24

PIZZA & PRAYERS FOR THE PLANET | VARIOUS TIMES | MCBRIDE GATHERING SPACE (NUMEN LUMEN)

Join the Truitt Center鈥檚 Rabbi Maor Greene, Father Peter Tremblay and Imam Shane Atkinson for Earth Week themed sermons and guided discussion on being caretakers of the natural world. All are welcome to attend one or聽all of聽the following sessions:

12:15 -12:45 p.m.聽 鈥� Catholic Mass
12:45 – 1:15 p.m.聽 鈥� Lunch & Learn with Rabbi Maor
1:15 – 1:30 p.m. 鈥� Jumuah Prayer

3:30-6 p.m. | POP UP SWAP SHOP | DOWNSTAIRS MOSELEY

Looking to refresh your closet?聽Have聽any聽perfectly good聽clothing you no longer wear? Bring it to the Pop-Up Swap Shop to trade for new-to-you shirts, pants, dresses, and more! No clothing to swap?聽聽No problem! Commit to a sustainable habit OR donate any fabric scraps on hand to earn free clothing!

罢丑别听Pop Up聽Swap Shop聽runs in聽downstairs Moseley every Monday (4-6 pm) and Friday (3:30-6 pm) during the Spring 2026 semester.

8:00-9:00 p.m. | SUSTAINABLE FASHION SHOW | GREAT HALL, SATO COMMONS

Join us for a student-led sustainable fashion show celebrating the creativity and potential of upcycled fashion! Featuring three main themes of聽comfy, casual, and classy, student designers and聽models are聽showcasing聽the endless possibilities of sustainable styles! Come early to enjoy sustainable sweets and a scrap fruit mocktail prior to the show!

Sunday, April 26

1 – 3 p.m. | ZERO WASTE BASEBALL GAME | LATHAM PARK

Join us at Latham Park for a Zero Waste Baseball Game鈥攚here cheering for 黑料不打烊 also means cheering for the planet! Enjoy the game while helping us reduce landfill waste through composting and recycling.聽Come learn聽how small actions can make聽a big difference聽and help us show that game day can be both fun and sustainable.

Hayhoe is the chief scientist for聽The Nature聽Conservancy and a Horn Distinguished Professor and endowed professor of public policy and public law at Texas Tech University. She has served as a lead author for the second, third and fourth U.S. National Climate Assessments. She is the author of the best-selling book 鈥淪aving Us: A Climate Scientist鈥檚 Case for Hope and Healing in a Divided World.鈥� Hayhoe has been named to lists including the TIME 100 Most Influential People and Fortune鈥檚 50 World鈥檚 Greatest Leaders.

Hayhoe鈥檚 talk will focus on the importance of calling for systemic change聽to聽tackle the climate crisis.聽Many people are eager to learn what they can do as individuals to help address climate change.聽While聽personal聽actions聽are important,聽Hayhoe emphasizes that聽solving聽climate change聽is dependent on people using their voices to help build a better future.

Hayhoe is also the creator of 鈥淭alking Climate鈥�,聽an online聽newsletter that shares helpful climate science and solutions through weekly聽climate聽updates, positive聽climate聽stories and more.聽

To view the full schedule of Earth Week events聽and read more about the聽upcoming聽keynote, visit the聽Office of Sustainability鈥檚 website.聽聽

罢丑别听黑料不打烊聽Farmer鈥檚 Market聽runs聽every Thursday at the 黑料不打烊 Community Church parking lot from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. (271 N. Williamson Ave., 黑料不打烊). Typical items sold at the market include fruits and vegetables, seasonal聽fresh-cut聽flowers, homemade bread,聽eggs聽and聽more.

Other聽occasional聽and聽guest聽vendors聽sell items including聽pottery,聽jewelry, crafts,聽clothing聽and聽apothecary products.聽Additionally,聽Alamance County Public Libraries聽attends the Farmer鈥檚 Market every other week聽to encourage聽residents to take advantage of the books and library resources available in Alamance聽County.

鈥淲e love when 黑料不打烊 students and faculty not only shop but also聽participate聽in the market,” said Sarah Bass, the manager of the farmer’s market. “We have had many students聽participate聽as guest vendors and musicians. We also have a professor selling her artwork at the market this season鈥�.

黑料不打烊鈥檚 Office of Sustainability will be tabling during聽opening聽day of聽the Farmer鈥檚 market聽about聽鈥渦gly鈥� produce聽and shopping sustainably. For more information on the聽Farmer鈥檚 Market, visit the聽聽For聽additional聽information on sustainability-related events at 黑料不打烊, visit the聽Office of Sustainability鈥檚 website.

AASHE鈥檚 STARS program boasts over 1,200 participants representing 58 countries, making it the most widely recognized framework in the world for publicly reporting comprehensive information related to a college or university鈥檚 sustainability efforts.聽Participants聽report information聽across five areas: academics, engagement, operations, planning and administration, and innovation and leadership.

Senior Director of Sustainability Elaine Durr spearheads the compilation of the STARS report. 鈥淭he STARS report is a comprehensive assessment of聽university-wide聽sustainability efforts and requires聽involvement from聽many individuals across campus,鈥� Durr said. 鈥淚聽appreciate their contributions and collective effort.鈥�

The STARS report illustrates that聽progress on 黑料不打烊鈥檚聽sustainability goals聽requires campus-wide collaboration. By breaking down categories into subcategories and credits, each with its own score, the report also serves as a practical tool for pinpointing areas of improvement and guiding future sustainability endeavors.

鈥淪TARS was developed by the campus sustainability community to provide high standards for recognizing campus sustainability efforts,鈥� said AASHE Executive Director Meghan Fay Zahniser. 鈥満诹喜淮蜢� has demonstrated a substantial commitment to sustainability by achieving a STARS Silver rating and is to be congratulated for their efforts.鈥�

To learn about the programs and practices that contributed to 黑料不打烊鈥檚 STARS Silver rating,聽.

Unlike other聽rating聽or ranking systems, this program is open to all institutions of higher education, and the criteria that聽determine聽a聽STARS聽rating are transparent and accessible to anyone.聽This is 黑料不打烊鈥檚 first report using the聽updated聽.聽For more information, visit the聽.

Over the span of the grant, this project will involve collaborations between several Environmental Studies and Outdoor Leadership and Education courses and students at Providence Montessori to address the urgent need for habitat restoration and the protection of native, edible and medicinal plant species. 黑料不打烊 students will be engaged in course-based research and community-based learning projects to support Providence students and teachers in restoring damaged habitats, identifying and mapping key plant species, evaluating soil health, and integrating environmental stewardship and mindfulness into K鈥�12 learning. Through hands-on work at both Providence鈥檚 food forest and outdoor nature school, students will document species and their habitat, study cultural and historical uses, and create advocacy tools to protect these habitats on campus and in the wider community.

Faculty say addressing these issues is critically important because restoring native ecosystems not only protects biodiversity but also strengthens community resilience, improves mental health and empowers students to become responsible stewards of the planet. Through research, restoration, and hands-on learning, faculty say the project seeks to revitalize natural spaces, promote environmental justice, and reconnect students with nature in ways that foster gratitude, responsibility and long-term care for the earth

One of those teams, purchasing & technology, shows how sustainability can fit naturally into the work people already do by working towards 1) reducing the campus printing footprint by digitizing self-service options and encouraging electronic resources, 2) sourcing technology that uses environmentally conscious best practices and manage its lifecycle responsibly, and 3) educating and engaging the campus community about sustainable technology practices.

Those strategies might sound complex, but the team says most of the work builds on existing processes and collaborations. Adding sustainability often means asking one more question or making one small adjustment.

鈥淲e regularly partner with purchasing on contract management and business agreements,鈥� said Pat Donohue, one of the team leads and the university鈥檚 deputy chief information officer. 鈥淎dding a request for sustainability transparency from our vendors is a natural improvement of existing processes to align with university strategic objectives.聽 This is an example of how bold strategy can often be a minor adjustment in organizational behavior.鈥�

Patrick Schwartz is the assistant director of procure to pay at 黑料不打烊 and one of the team leads for the purchasing & technology implementation team. He added, 鈥淛ust by being part of this team, the collaboration between our two departments was already strong, and it strengthens every day.鈥�

When IT evaluates vendors, the team already asks about data security, storage and compliance. Now, they also ask vendors to disclose their carbon footprint and energy consumption. It is a simple step that helps 黑料不打烊 make informed decisions about the products and services it uses.

In addition, Schwartz said the purchasing team can see the purchasing trends on the backend and, leveraging their strong relationship with IT, work together to assure that vendors are providing products to campus that are environmentally and fiscally sustainable and responsible.

Collaboration creates momentum

Collaboration has been key to success. Conversations about sustainability often uncover other opportunities to improve processes, strengthen partnerships and share resources.

Edith Smith shared one of those ideas. She serves as a purchasing agent at 黑料不打烊 and is a member of the purchasing & technology implementation team. She worked with Amazon to ensure that the first products displayed when employees search for a product are those that have sustainable qualities. In addition to this, Smith and others are looking into ways to encourage the university to increase its partnership with local vendors to reduce environmental impact and support the local economy.

鈥淚t can be difficult to put a list of vendors together for a campus with decentralized purchasing, but for me, it鈥檚 important to ask how we can encourage our colleagues on campus to use local vendors more regularly and to work with vendors that will cut emissions,” said Smith.

鈥淭he focus on sustainability gave us a framework to accelerate improvements we were already pursuing,鈥� said Donohue. 鈥淚t has been a clear example of how bringing together diverse mindsets with a shared purpose can improve service delivery, streamline business processes and create long-term value for the university.

Schwartz agrees with this sentiment and adds that the team is educating people to consider which sustainable products are offered by vendors.

鈥淣one of us can do this work on our own,鈥� he added.

Fiscal responsibility meets sustainability

One of the most significant changes was extending the lifecycle of university-owned laptops and desktops to five years.

鈥淲e ensure an extended lifecycle by applying updates and doing necessary maintenance on the equipment throughout its usable lifecycle,” said Rebecca Black,聽director of campus technology support and member of the purchasing & technology implementation team.

When the lifecycle of the technology ends for us, it goes through a chain of disposal through an agreement with ethically responsible vendors, who repurpose the equipment or its components.

鈥淭he equipment we recover doesn鈥檛 just go into a waste facility. It has another, purposeful life afterward,鈥� she added.

Donohue added that the proceeds from selling depreciated equipment is reinvested to subsidize advanced support of 黑料不打烊 computers.

鈥淭his benefits our community through faster repairs and maintenance while allowing campus technology support specialists to focus on high-value service delivery than hardware break/fix efforts. It鈥檚 a win-win,鈥� he said.

The same principle applies to reducing the number of printers on campus. Fewer devices mean less energy consumption and less paper use, but the change also reflects a cultural shift. Convenience often competes with sustainability, and the team acknowledges that change takes time.

鈥淭here鈥檚 a fine line between doing what鈥檚 easy and convenient and making an extra, impactful effort towards sustainability,鈥� Beck said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e in the moment where this is a necessary priority.鈥�

Schwartz added, 鈥淭his is one of the best examples of how our work aligns together. We evaluated paper processes on campus and moved purchase card request forms and Adobe signatures to digital processes.鈥�

In addition to the paper and cost-savings, Schwartz and Smith say that these processes also simplify and better organize employee workflows.

鈥淲hen we thoughtfully scale technology resources in ways such as consolidating printers and encouraging digitization, we also reduce costs and free-up resources that can be reinvested into new innovations that benefit the university,鈥� Beck said. 鈥淭hese efforts will also help us operate more efficiently and enhance the quality of services for our 黑料不打烊 campuses.鈥�

About the Sustainability Master Plan

The Boldly 黑料不打烊 Strategic Plan calls on 黑料不打烊 to 鈥淓ngage the campus in sustainable practices to become carbon neutral by 2037 鈥� invest in renewable energy, reduce campus energy consumption 20 percent, purchase offsets to make the global study program carbon neutral and continue to build LEED certified buildings 鈥� and prepare students to lead lives that build a sustainable future.鈥� The 10-year Sustainability Master Plan 2025 is a roadmap for that bold commitment.

The Haw River stretches 110聽miles,聽and tributaries of the Haw River extend through several counties聽(including Alamance County), providing drinking water and recreational opportunities to residents.

鈥淎s a聽current聽intern聽and past Eco-Rep聽for the Office of Sustainability at 黑料不打烊, I have been able to聽learn how聽sustainability聽is applicable聽to many different聽fields聽and聽areas of study. Now as an聽intern for the Haw River Assembly, I have an even greater understanding of how聽sustainability聽is important in addressing聽both human and environmental health,鈥� Campbell said.

Campbell’s role as an intern for the Haw River Assembly is to聽conduct surveys of聽several聽streams and tributaries聽in the Haw River watershed with the goal of聽contributing聽to聽research聽on the聽overall聽health of the聽watershed. Data collection includes biological and chemical parameters, as well as macroinvertebrate sampling.聽Macroinvertebrates聽are聽organisms that can be seen without a microscope. Stream macroinvertebrates聽are good indicators of聽water quality since聽different types聽have varying tolerances to pollution. Pollution-sensitive macroinvertebrates, such as stoneflies and caddisflies,聽for example,聽can only be found in聽good quality聽water.

The Haw River Assembly has several opportunities for community members to get involved聽in helping to protect the river, including educational events聽and聽.

Anyone interested in learning more about the Haw River Assembly may聽聽on events and聽information聽or view the聽.

鈥淚 work to ensure that when conversations are happening about programming or policy, we as student representatives are also considering the impacts on people, the planet, and prosperity,鈥� Costa-Helmsteadt聽said

In addition to聽meeting regularly聽with other members of聽Student聽Government, Costa-Helmsteadt also聽works聽with聽the聽Environmental Advisory聽Council聽at 黑料不打烊. The council is聽comprised聽of聽faculty,聽staff聽and students聽and聽serves聽to聽raise awareness of environmental issues and sustainable practices.

Through her work as both an Eco-Rep and SGA senator, Marielle has聽gained a broader understanding of sustainability and聽emphasized聽how it can relate to many聽different aspects聽of everyday聽life.

鈥淭hrough these roles,聽I鈥檝e聽learned a lot about the policy side of sustainable work,”聽Costa-Helmsteadt said. “I鈥檝e聽also realized that people often think of sustainability as more complicated than it really is.聽In reality, it聽can be embedded into everyday choices and systems with intentionality and collective action.鈥�

Finally,聽Costa-Helmsteadt hopes that through her work she can help show other students at 黑料不打烊 how they can incorporate sustainability into their own lives easily.

鈥淚 love being in these positions because聽they鈥檝e聽shown me that sustainability聽doesn鈥檛聽have to be overwhelming,” she said. “Through my work, I hope to keep聽demonstrating聽to 黑料不打烊鈥檚 community that sustainability can be as simple as choosing reusable options at events, being mindful about where funding is directed, or just pausing to consider how a decision impacts people, the planet, and long-term prosperity!”

Visit the聽SGA website聽to view the full list of representatives from each academic and undergraduate college.聽For more information on sustainability聽initiatives and events聽at 黑料不打烊, visit the聽Office of Sustainability鈥檚 website.

Lauren Hill 鈥�24 graduated from 黑料不打烊 with a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Engineering. During her time at 黑料不打烊,聽she聽worked as an Intern for the Office of Sustainability, where she regularly attended the Sustainable Alumni Speaker Series.聽Lauren聽also聽participated聽in聽the Sustainable Alumni Speaker Series as an聽黑料不打烊 graduate聽in聽September聽2025.

Hill currently works聽for聽the North聽Carolina Department of Environmental Quality聽as a permit engineer within the Division of Waste Management.聽Her responsibilities include聽reviewing permit applications for large composting facilities, which聽helps聽support public health and the environment.

罢丑别听Sustainable聽Alumni聽Speaker Series helped to show Hill, as an 黑料不打烊 student, that the path to finding a job in a sustainable career is rarely linear.

鈥淯p until you graduate, you鈥檙e always聽in聽a really set path,鈥� Hill聽observed.

Additionally, hearing from several different alumni聽working in sustainability聽helped聽her聽to gain a broader perspective of how different the job path聽can be for everyone.

鈥淢y biggest takeaway from the speaker series that I attended and something I really felt when I was looking for a job is just how different that journey is for everyone,鈥� she聽said.

Students may view upcoming Sustainable Alumni Speaker Series on the聽Office of Sustainability鈥檚 events webpage.聽Students may聽聽to virtual meetings.聽聽For more information on upcoming sustainability-related聽events聽across campus,聽please visit the聽.