Sustainability Institute

Fowler named director of Sustainability Institute, chief sustainability officer

Lara B. Fowler immediately assumes roles after serving as interim since July 2022

Lara B. Fowler has been named director of the Sustainability Institute at Penn State and the University’s chief sustainability officer, effective May 15, 2023. She has served in both roles on an interim basis since July 1, 2022. Credit: Patrick Mansell / Penn StateCreative Commons

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Lara B. Fowler, teaching professor of law at Penn State Law and researcher with expertise centering on water, energy, agriculture and dispute resolution, has been named director of the Sustainability Institute at Penn State and the University’s chief sustainability officer, effective May 15. Fowler has served in both roles on an interim basis since July 1, 2022.

Tasked with moving forward on Penn State’s commitments to addressing climate change through the Carbon Emissions Reduction Task Force’s plan, examining interdisciplinary education, and identifying opportunities to increase grant funding, Fowler will work with leadership to guide the University toward advancing initiatives across the commonwealth that will deliver greater benefits for students, faculty, staff and society.

“Fowler’s exceptional leadership and dedication to advancing sustainability at Penn State has been evident throughout her time as interim director of the Sustainability Institute and chief sustainability officer,” said Justin Schwartz, Penn State’s executive vice president and provost. “Her vision, expertise and tireless commitment to sustainability will continue to inspire our communities, foster innovation, and advance transformative initiatives across all of Penn State’s campuses that will propel the University toward a more sustainable future.”

Previously, Fowler served as assistant director for outreach and engagement at Penn State’s Institutes of Energy and the Environment and continues to teach water law, energy law, negotiation, and environmental mediation at Penn State Law, all while maintaining an appointment as an affiliate faculty member in the Penn State School of International Affairs.

“It is an honor to continue leading our University’s sustainability efforts and building upon the progress we’ve made since the institute’s inception about a decade ago,” said Fowler. “Sustainability broadly impacts the lives of all Penn Staters and deserves to command our attention. Together, we will forge new pathways, inspire innovation, and cultivate a culture of sustainability that extends across our statewide and international footprint. I am truly grateful for this opportunity and look forward to the transformative journey ahead.”

Since taking on the interim roles in July 2022, Fowler transitioned the Sustainability Institute fully into the Office of the Provost and has focused on assessing the University’s position by interviewing more than 100 stakeholders and fostering dialogue with the Sustainability Councils. She worked on numerous events, including the first-ever student-led sustainability summit, which included United Nations Youth Ambassador AY Young.

As Fowler continues in her roles, she will provide ongoing leadership alongside Lee Kump, John Leone Dean in the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences, as co-chair of a task force examining how Penn State might better promote interdisciplinary education. Additionally, she will focus on identifying opportunities for the Sustainability Institute to continue partnering with units across Penn State to apply for operational grants to improve waste management, acquire heavy-duty electric vehicles, and more, as well as look for more ways for the University to operate more sustainably.

Sara Thorndike, senior vice president for Finance and Business, observed Fowler’s willingness to partner and collaborate across the University for the greater good.

“I appreciate Dr. Fowler’s willingness to dive into topics as varied as partnering with Intercollegiate Athletics and the Office of Physical Plant on improving waste management at events like football games and how to address sustainability through risk management,” Thorndike said.

Fowler is finishing her eighth year as a member of the Chesapeake Bay Program’s Scientific and Technical Advisory Committee, having served on the executive committee for part of that time. She also is chair of the jury for the Stockholm International Water Institute’s Junior Water Prize, a global competition for students ages 15 to 20 who have developed research projects that can help address major water challenges.

During the 2019-20 academic year, she was a visiting Fulbright Scholar at Uppsala University in Sweden, where her research focused on finding and understanding examples of where cooperation over managing water resources — both water quality and quantity — have played out.

Current and recent projects involve the law and policy related to sustainable aviation fuel; the potential for biodigesters to create renewable natural gas by including perennial grasses; questions related to water for and from agriculture through effective stakeholder engagement; how to build community resilience to address flooding, Pennsylvania’s most significant natural hazard; and issues of climate change and migration impacting Alaska Native Tribes.

Fowler’s professional experience prior to joining Penn State includes work for a private law firm in Seattle, Washington, as a mediator, facilitator and attorney, and for the Oregon Water Resources Department on water policy issues.

She holds a bachelor of arts degree in Asian studies from Dartmouth College while accomplishing a senior fellowship program on Native American water rights and earned her juris doctor from the University of Washington School of Law with a focus on environmental mediation. She also received training at the Harvard Program on Negotiation.   

Fowler succeeds the immediate past director and chief sustainability officer, Paul Shrivastava, who stepped down to return to research and teaching on the faculty of the Department of Management and Organization in Penn State’s Smeal College of Business.

“We thank Paul for his contributions to growing and shaping the Sustainability Institute,” Fowler said. “Paul’s efforts were truly invaluable in highlighting how Penn State could engage with the United Nation’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals, particularly through sustainability councils in different colleges, campuses and schools. His guidance positioned our team well to continue advancing the mission of the institute throughout Penn State, our surrounding communities across the entire commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and beyond.”

The Sustainability Institute provides many University-wide programs at Penn State, including Green Teams, Green Paws and more. Public-facing programs include the Sustainable Communities Collaborative, which focuses on developing University partnerships around community-identified projects, and the Local Climate Action Planning process, which helps communities conduct greenhouse gas inventories and develop a climate action plan.

Last Updated May 22, 2023