MCSI Broadens its Influence Through Campus Engagement

Events

MCSI led over 20 events impacting over 700 faculty, staff, students, and friends. These events brought outstanding leaders to share their expertise on topics including equitable engineering, food systems, carbon neutrality and environmental justice. MCSI events provide opportunities for Pitt faculty to share their expertise and for us to learn from national and international leaders on a variety of topics.

Public Health & Engineering Climate & Health Research Symposium

This April 21 symposium was led by Deans Maureen Litchveld and James Martin with a group of faculty members interested in exploring the potential for alignments (research, curricular, or otherwise) related to climate and health. In addition to guest speaker, Dr. Natalia Rodriguez (Purdue University), Dr. Melissa Bilec served as a lead speaker addressing MCSI and efforts related to these topics.

2022 Pitt Sustainability Awardees & Champions

In recognition of their leadership and commitment to Pitt Sustainability, 18 members of the University community were selected as 2022 Pitt Sustainability Awardees and Student Champions. Together, these individuals represent undergraduate and graduate students, faculty, and staff from 14 different academic or operational departments. Watch our video or read more about all 2022 Pitt Sustainability Awardees and Student Champions.

2022 Pitt Sustainability Awardees

Faculty

Dr. Danielle Andrews-Brown, Geology and Environmental Science

Dr. Cassie Quigley, School of Education

Staff

Mei Yu-Kephalogianis, Pitt Housing

Students

Brandon Brewster, Geology and Environmental Science

Aaron Carr, Geology and Environmental Science

Felicity Shafer, Geology and Environmental Science

2022 Student Sustainability Champions

Annalise Abraham, Urban Studies & English Writing Emily Albrecht, Psychology Suchi Attota, Computer Science Anita Bargaje, Computational Biology Jared Deluccia, Economics & History Matthew Hess, Geology and Environmental Science Lucy Klug, Geology and Environmental Science Taylor Laing, Geology and Environmental Science Daniel Nigh, Master’s in Business Administration Meri Raughley, Ecology & Evolution Madison Stanley, Political Science Abby Zolner, Geology and Environmental Science

Pitt Employee Professional Development Courses

MCSI continues its collaboration with the Office of Sustainability, creating two core classes for Pitt’s new Professional Certificate in Sustainability for employees offered through the Faculty and Staff Development Program. Samantha Chan and Ellie Cadden created and co-taught two courses in both the Fall and Spring semesters. In this academic year, 113 employees attended Sustainability:

Environment, Ecosystems, and You and 115 employees attended Sustainability Foundations: Balancing the Three E’s.

Food Ecosystem Scholar Community Student Programs

During the Spring 2022 semester, MCSI’s Community Engagement Intern, Emily Albrecht, worked with Dr. David Sanchez in collaboration with the Pitt Honors Food Ecosystem Scholar Community to organize student collaborative events, which helped to encourage student awareness and engagement in the Scholar Community (for which Dr. Sanchez is the faculty lead). Emily collaborated with the Quiz Bowl Club, The Hydroponics Club, Food Recovery Heroes, Free the Planet and Plant2Plate to create educational and hands-on programs. Each program also consisted of food purchased from local Pittsburgh businesses, including Antoon’s Pizza, La Palapa, Veggies N’At, and Millie’s.

At least 187 attendees experienced these student collaborative events, of which at least 152 attendees were unique, with 35 participants attending more than one event. 24% of attendees were first year undergraduate students, 35.6% second-year, 17.8% third-year, and 22.6% fourth-year, fifth-year, or graduate students. With almost 60% of overall attendees first or second-year students, there is a great opportunity to grow the community among younger and incoming students.

Every year, the MCSI Faculty Sustainability Task Force develops working groups to advance identifies key Pitt Sustainability Plan goals and topics. This year, our two new focus areas included:

1) Environmental Justice - Leading the conversation on how the University can engage on this important topic through research and community engagement. An important research advancement is a

forthcoming NSF: NRT proposal on environmental justice with partners from Public Health,

Geology, History, and Engineering (Led by Melissa Bilec).

2) Faculty Resource Hub for sustainability course materials - Creating resources to help Pitt faculty integrate sustainability into their curricula. MCSI is working to pilot several topical hubs for Fall 2022, with plans to add additional topics throughout the academic year. (Led by Gena Kovalcik)

Pitt Climate Action Plan

The first ever Pitt Climate Action Plan (PittCAP) for the University of Pittsburgh’s Pittsburgh campus presents our strategy, approach, and details to achieve carbon neutrality by 2037 (the 250th anniversary of our founding). The University worked to ensure that our carbon neutrality strategy fulfills our full sustainability aspirations of reaching toward environmental solutions while balancing and addressing our academic mission, pursuing equitable outcomes, and helping create economic resilience for our University and communities. Developed under the direction of the Carbon Commitment Committee of the Chancellor’s Advisory Council on Sustainability, this PittCAP builds on the goals of our existing Pitt Sustainability Plan, while setting both an insistent and realistic approach on the carbon opportunities and challenges in front of our campus, community, and world. Read the Pitt Climate Action Plan

Pitt Day of Giving

MCSI led the Pitt Day of Giving effort as a part of the Pitt Sustainability campaign. Together over 30 donors contributed to Pitt Sustainability funds. Watch Pitt Day of Giving Thank You video.