Sustainability on Campus
Sustainability From the Ground Up
From plants on the roofs of some WCU buildings to geothermal wells under campus acreage, the Office of Sustainability (OoS) supports sustainability from top to bottom. To encourage the campus community to learn about and engage with sustainable practices at the University, the team at OoS annually coordinates programs and activities in sustainability issues such as transportation options, zero waste, and more.
Sustainability Showcase
At the Sustainability Showcase on Wednesday, September 16, find out about green roofs, responsible purchasing, recycling and waste reduction, education for sustainability, and how to become more involved. Open to both campus and community, the event offers games, food, and takeaways as well as information. 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in Sykes Student Union Ballrooms.
Sustainability Research and Practice Seminars
OoS organizes weekly Sustainability Research and Practice Seminars on Wednesdays at noon each semester. Held both in person in Sykes 255 A/B and on Zoom, these programs feature experts from both WCU and the community who explore and apply principles of environmental, social, and economic sustainability in their research and practice. Cookies and coffee are provided each week! The seminars are 50 minutes and are co-sponsored with the Sustainability Council’s Scholarly and Creative Activities Committee and the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs.
Programs are recorded and archived in the Francis Harvey Green Library’s Digital Commons site.
The list of Wednesday lunchtime programs is below.
Sustainability Tours
This fall, OoS has organized a series of one-hour campus tours to highlight various ways the University puts sustainability into practice. The series kicks off on Tuesday, September 22, with a tour of the green roof on the Science and Engineering Center and The Commons (SECC). The curious are invited to meet at The Commons (dining hall) at 12 p.m.
Two tours in October showcase North Campus sustainability initiatives (Thursday, October 15) and the Gordon Natural Area on South Campus (Monday, October 26). On Friday, November 13, learn how WCU saves energy with a tour of the geothermal pumphouse.
All tours take place from 12 to 1 p.m. Sign up for one or all of the tours here.
Panel on Plastics and Health
OoS and the West Chester Green Team (WCGT) have partnered to present a community panel on Plastics and Health on Thursday, October 22. Panelists are WCU faculty Dr. Elliott Arnold, Earth and Space Sciences, and Dr. Megan Fork, Biology, along with Erika Prinz Ben-Zur, acupuncture and Chinese medicine practitioner. Moderator is Elizabeth Gombosi, West Chester Green Team. The program begins with a reception with light refreshments at 6 p.m. in the Business and Public Management Center (50 Sharpless Street), Room 102, followed by the panel at 6:30 p.m. in Room 116. WCGT will also present its Environmental Leadership Award to Rachael Griffith, Sustainability Director, Chester County Planning Commission. Free and open to the public.
Sustainability Council
Anyone on campus can become involved in WCU’s sustainability efforts by attending Sustainability Council meetings, which take place monthly during the academic year on the second Fridays from 1:30 to 3 p.m. both in person and via Zoom. This semester, those take place in Philips Lower Level Conference Room on the following dates: September 11, October 9, and November 13. Reach out to sustainability@wcupa.edu for the Zoom link.
Together, OoS and the Sustainability Council work to further West Chester University’s commitments to environmental, economic, and social sustainability in teaching, scholarship, and operations. One way they bring awareness to issues is by hosting and organizing events, most of which are listed in the OoS Sustainability Bulletin, which you can subscribe to here.
In addition, bird walks take place every semester in the Gordon Natural Area on South Campus. Join the birding email list here.
For more information on any events or meetings, visit wcupa.edu/sustainability or email sustainability@wcupa.edu.
Sustainability Research and Practice Seminars | Fall 2026
September 9
Dr. Chiwoneso Beverley Tinago, Public Health Sciences: Healthy Youth for a Sustainable Future: The Role of Sustainability in Adolescent Health and Well-Being
September 23
- tonya thames-taylor, History, African American Studies, Dr. Tia Malkin-Fontecchio, History, director of Latin American and Latinx Studies, and McKenzie Kemble, senior Communication Studies major: Reimagining Banana Day: A Political, Economic, Colonial, and Environmental Review of Banana Cultivation
September 30
Dr. Jenny Uehling, Biology, and Chloe Campbell, junior Early Grades Prep, PreK-4: Bird-building Collisions at WCU: Risks and Opportunities for Action
October 7
Reagan Smiley, Geography and Planning, and Dr. Carlos A. Morales-Ramírez, Geography and Planning: X Marks the Spot! Using Maps to Balance Ecotourism and Whale Shark Habitats
October 14
John Day, Artist: My Relationship to Wilderness Through Art with a Concern About Sustainability
October 21
Kristopher Benedict, Art + Design: Ruins in Reverse: Landscape Painting, Time, and the Galleria at Crystal Run
October 28
Dr. Natalya Khimich, Accounting: The Impact of Hedge Funds Activism on Corporate Social Responsibility
November 4
Leslie Davidson, Executive Director and Co-Founder, PA Fibershed, and Rachel Higgins, Co-Founder, PA Fibershed: Do You Know Who Grows Your Clothes?
November 11
David Roth ’20, WCU Geoscience alumnus, Energy & Sustainability Program Manager, US Venture: Corporate Sustainability: Building a Financial Case to Lower GHG Emissions
November 18
Dr. Cheryl Wanko, English: An Autobiographical Journey in Residential Renewable Energy in Which All Works Out Well in the End. So Far.
December 3
Tiffany Kennedy ’19, WCU Nutrition & Dietetics alumna, Farm Education Coordinator, Pennsylvania Horticultural Society: Addressing Food Insecurity Through the PHS Community Farm & Food as Medicine Program