The Penn State University system is hosting multiple forums throughout its many campuses. These forums each focus on different aspects that will enhance Penn State campuses. They will accumulate to what Penn State calls its “Strategic Plan”.

 

The first forum, “Stewarding our Planet’s Resources,” in a series to help develop Penn State University’s Strategic Plan took place on Jan. 23. Held at the Penn State Greater Allegheny campus, the forum addressed the environmental aspect of the Strategic Plan. The five forums are being organized at different campuses, but they are all livestreamed so anyone who is a Penn State student, faculty or staff member can still be a part of the process.

 

During the first forum, a panel answered questions posed by the audience and by people watching the livestream. The questions and discussion during the forum focused on a variety of environmental topics, such as resources, water, food, energy, and economics. There was also a large focus on how research within the community can help drive positive change.

 

One of the goals set by the panel is for the university to be free of greenhouse gas emission by 2030. To achieve this goal, there must be change in infrastructure and how the university as a whole operates. Another goal is to greatly decrease waste produced by all Penn State campuses. To achieve both of the above goals, the panel emphasized that the size and scale of each individual campus must be taken into consideration.

 

Shannon Steves, a junior Environmental Science student at Behrend, emphasized the impact each individual can have. “We could probably do a better job of litter cleanup and prevention.” He noted that people often leave garbage in the gorge and that an increase in trash cans could help with this issue.

 

As expected, the panel and the questions had a large emphasis on education. One panel member expressed her wish for every Penn State student to acknowledge where and how the resources they use are produced, whether it be food, energy, or goods. She also wishes for students to recognize where their waste goes and how it is dealt with. Creating a better knowledge of how resource intensive an individual’s lifestyle can help them to assess their needs and allow them to change to become more sustainable.

 

“The professors do a great job of expressing the need to be environmentally aware,” said Steves. Some classes at Behrend, such as Sustainability 200, have taken trips to the wastewater treatment plant in Erie and to a recycling facility in Pittsburgh.

 

Across the university, the importance of research in aiding the transition to becoming more environmentally conscious is greatly stressed. Even at Behrend, students and faculty are doing research with the goal of creating positive change not only within the Penn State community, but also on a larger scale.

 

“Research is monumental in order to analyze new approaches to any challenge society is facing,” said Rose Kerr, a senior Environmental Science major at Behrend. She is part of a research project on campus to assess the use of road salt in the winter. “Without data generated from research, we simply wouldn’t have proof that a new system or idea is indeed superior, or an understanding as to why or how a new system is able to function the way it does.”

 

The next forum is entitled “Enhancing Health” and will be from 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Feb. 9, in Morrison Gallery, Library, Penn State Harrisburg. The link to the livestream will be emailed out to all Penn State students, faculty, and staff.

The final forum will be held at Penn State Behrend. It will be entitled “Driving Digital Innovation” from 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. on March 30 in Burke Center Room 180.