UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Penn State’s Sustainable Lab Ambassador Program was recently recognized for its unique approach to promoting experiential learning and environmental stewardship by the International Institute for Sustainable Laboratories (I2SL) with an honorable Mmention in its Sustainable Laboratory Awards program. Krista Bailey, sustainability strategist for Penn State Sustainability, accepted the award on behalf of the program’s leadership team.
The I2SL Sustainable Laboratory Awards recognize projects, programs and people that decrease greenhouse gas emissions, improve water and energy efficiency, divert waste from landfills, and promote sustainable best practices. Winners inspire, educate and uplift others in the sustainable laboratory community with their dedication to advancing sustainable laboratories.
“This year’s Sustainable Laboratory Award winners demonstrated a commitment to advancing both science and sustainability, and their efforts contribute to the overall goal of more efficient, safe and decarbonized laboratories around the world,” said Kathleen Brady, executive director of I2SL.
Penn State’s Sustainable Lab Ambassador (SLA) program is an educational, student engagement approach to creating a more sustainable research lab culture and operation. Through activities such as safety training, job shadowing and lab orientation, plug load assessment, a waste audit, water assessment, and fume hood analysis, students create a systems level understanding of how their assigned lab operates. Weekly educational training meetings include content that connects these activities to the global Sustainable Development Goals, waste and recycling at Penn State, behavior change strategies, green chemistry, communication, project management, and leadership.
Begun in 2022 with five students and funded by the College of Engineering’s Leonhard Center for Enhancement of Engineering Education, the SLA program has expanded to 17 students in its second year. Reflecting on this experience, one of the three returning students, Gavin Maxson, a third-year agricultural and biological engineering major, commented, “My experience training in and working with lab sustainability over the past year and a half with Krista Bailey and (former staff member) Nagwa Elnwishy has been the single most impactful and insightful experience I’ve received in my college education so far. I’m delighted to see the team receiving recognition for this program!”
Undergraduate SLAs are provided with a stipend for their work with a research lab over two semesters. Each lab implements more sustainable practices through their pursuit of a U.N.-endorsed certification by the nonprofit My Green Lab (MGL). Partnership is a key element of the program’s management, which is hosted by Penn State Sustainability in collaboration with multiple colleges, and the Center for Nanoscale Science (a National Science Foundation funded Materials Research Science and Engineering Center). Now in its second pilot year, the Sustainable Labs program has 29 researchers participating, including five at the Commonwealth Campuses, one at Hershey Medical School, and the others distributed among various colleges at the University Park campus. About half of the labs pursue MGL certification without student SLA support. The program’s multi-pronged emphasis on student engagement, safety and energy reduction aligns with Penn State President Neeli Bendapudi’s priorities as illustrated by her opening remarks for the SPARK 2050 energy summit last month.
“The Penn State Sustainable Labs Program has played a key role in my college experience over the past 1 1/2 years. I'm very thankful for the work done by Krista Bailey and Nagwa Elnwishy to lead our first cohort of Sustainable Lab Ambassadors (SLAs) last year and am grateful for the opportunity to assist in leading the first-year SLAs through sustainability implementation processes alongside Caden Vitti this year. I'm excited to see how far this program will grow thanks to the leadership team and SLAs,” said Mary Wilson, second-year SLA participant.
Recruitment for next year’s cohort of SLAs and research labs will begin in January. For more information, visit the website or contact Jack Rumery, sustainability education and engagement specialist within Penn State Sustainability.