UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The Penn State Sustainability Institute recently received the 2023 Arnold Addison Award during the annual Authorities, Boards, and Commissions (ABC) Dinner hosted by the Borough of State College. The award recognizes outstanding contributions to improving the quality of life and promoting Town/Gown relations in the borough.
State College was the inaugural partner of the Sustainability Institute’s Sustainable Communities Collaborative, which provides opportunities for Penn State classes to partner with the borough on specific, identified projects that advance sustainability, according to Lara Fowler, chief sustainability officer for Penn State.
"We really appreciate the long-term commitment of the borough to sustainability, and to working with the Sustainability Institute and Penn State as a partner," said Fowler. "By working on solutions together, the borough has extra capacity to address its priorities while students learn about real-world issues and how to address them."
For 10 years, Penn State students have had the opportunity to collaborate with the borough sustainability manager, human resources staff, the public works department, and risk management. In return the borough gained insights for more strategic and technical decisions, creative ideas, reports and materials to advance its sustainability plan, said Fowler.
Similarly, the Local Climate Action Planning program, administered by the Sustainability Institute in partnership with the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences, is providing class support to help calculate State College greenhouse-gas emissions as the foundation for local climate planning.
“The Sustainability Institute is a true example of Penn State’s commitment to the community as a land-grant university,” said Charima Young, assistant vice president of local government and community relations. “Programs like the Sustainable Communities Collaborative give our students unique experiences and the opportunity to help local communities thrive. Their partnership with the borough is a shining example of that.”
The Sustainability Institute also has held a myriad of public outreach activities, ranging from film screenings to speaker series, and has cohosted events in partnership with the Sustainability Institute, including the visiting Arava Institute and the semiannual Campus and Community Sustainability Expo.
Learn more about Penn State’s Sustainability Institute at sustainability.psu.edu, and follow its efforts on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn.