SUSTAINABILITY

Two students conduct research in the field.

In the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences sustainability is more than reusing and recycling—it is woven into the entire interdisciplinary curriculum.

CLAS is deeply committed to proposing and implementing sustainability practices. The College provides the resources, structure and inspiration so that individual students, staff and faculty are empowered to make sustainability an integrated component of the College experience.

Courses across departments address issues from climate change to biodiversity, from public policy to environmental history. Specific undergraduate and graduate degree programs are also offered.

Bachelor's of Science

Sustainability Studies Minor

Bachelor's of Arts

Master's degree

Programs in Peace and Justice

Center for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Stewardship

The College's Center for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Stewardship (CBEST) seeks to promote research in biodiversity and ecosystem science with a focus on understanding ongoing changes in ecosystems, their component organisms, and the benefits they provide to society.

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Green Lab Certification

Green Lab certification gives recognition to those who are helping to make their lab area safer for people and the greater environment. Born out of a partnership between Environmental Health and Safety, the Office of Sustainability and Villanova lab representatives, the certification is meant to unite all three efforts to improve lab safety and sustainability, without compromising lab productivity.

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Course Initiative Grants in Sustainability

The College offers course initiative grants for faculty to develop new courses in sustainability—strengthening faculty contributions to the College in ways that will benefit students, scholarship and intellectual life in relevant and responsible ways.

NEWS AND EVENTS

SCHOLARSHIPS FOR STEM

Lauren Arnold ’25 CLAS, Environmental Science major and Spanish and Global Health minor, and Hailey Bierling ’25 CLAS, Chemistry, were named 2024 Goldwater Scholars by the Barry Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Foundation. Lauren and Hailey received scholarships to further their research in STEM fields. Lauren is pursuing a research career focused on the intersection of human health and the environment, particularly in disadvantaged populations. Hailey is focused on tackling environmental issues by discovering clean alternatives to fossil fuels, specifically through researching proton-coupled electron transfer reactions and preparing catalyst complexes for these reactions.

FULBRIGHT FURTHERS FLOODING RESEARCH

Chrissy Polakiewicz '24 CLAS served as president of the University's chapter of Alpha Gamma Delta and as a co-chair of the Villanova Service-Learning Community. In 2023, she received the Villanova Undergraduate Research Fund (VURF) to assess the potential spread of radioisotopes due to Hurricane Ida flooding. During her Fulbright year, Chrissy will evaluate the impacts of radiation in Bali's waterways and along tourist beaches resulting from nuclear dumping into the ocean. In addition, as a recipient of the Fulbright Critical Language Enhancement Award, Polakiewicz will spend three months familiarizing herself with the Indonesian language and culture at a local university.

CORPORATE SUSTAINABILITY AND RESPONSIBILITY

As the Sustainability and Corporate Social Responsibility Lead for the Consumer Product Division at L’Oréal USA, Morgan Hagney ’07 CLAS is passionate about working toward a more just, equitable and sustainable future. “I have the privilege to work at the world’s largest beauty company; given our size, scale and brands, when we make positive change, it has a large, compounding impact,” Hagney explains. She credits her Villanova education with fostering intellectual courage and ethical leadership, which have been pivotal in her career. “It was important to take classes that offered new and/or different perspectives from my own.”