Updates
Here is a history of Global Sustainability Initiative updates by year since 2009.
updates, history of events, University of Virginia, global sustainability, global sustainability minor, global sustainability major, Global Sustainability Initiative, Global Sustainability Initiative at the University of Virginia
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UPDATES

2023

  • The Global Environments + Sustainability (GSVS) class of 2023 graduated on Saturday, May 20, 2023. 43 degrees were conferred.
  • 52 students graduated in May 2023 with the Minor in Global Sustainability.
  • 169 students in the Fall 2023 Global Sustainability course wrote Advocacy Letters to government, business, and NGO decision-makers.

2022

  • The Global Environments + Sustainability (GSVS) class of 2022 graduated on Saturday, May 21, 2022. 43 degrees were conferred.
  • 70 students graduated in May 2022 with the Minor in Global Sustainability.
  • 168 students in the Fall 2022 Global Sustainability course wrote Advocacy Letters to a wide range of decision-makers and stakeholders.

2021

  • The Global Environments + Sustainability (GSVS) class of 2021 graduated on Saturday, May 15, 2021. 37 degrees were conferred..
  • 39 students graduated in May 2021 with the Minor in Global Sustainability.
  • 179 students in the Fall 2021 Global Sustainability course wrote Advocacy Letters to a wide range of decision-makers and stakeholders.

2020

  • The Global Environments + Sustainability (GSVS) class of 2020 graduated on Saturday, May 16, 2020. 35 degrees were conferred virtually due to the COVID-19 global pandemic. An in-person ceremony on the Lawn is planned for Spring 2021.
  • 38 students graduated in May 2020 with the Minor in Global Sustainability.
  • 174 students in the Fall 2020 Global Sustainability course wrote Advocacy Letters to a wide range of decision-makers and stakeholders.

2019

  • 162 students in the Fall 2019 Global Sustainability course collaborated with the University of Virginia Office for Sustainability to develop pitches for Think Global/Act Local projects.
  • The Global Studies Welcome Back Reception was held on Monday, September 9, 2019 from 4-6pm at Global Grounds.
  • Prof. Phoebe Crisman received a UVA Library Course Enrichment Grant to integrate Video Technology into the Fall 2019 Global Sustainability course projects.
  • The Global Environments + Sustainability (GSVS) class of 2019 graduated on Saturday, May 18, 2019. Twenty-seven degrees were conferred in the UVA Chapel.
  • Forty-eight students graduated in May 2019 with the Minor in Global Sustainability.

2018

  • The next application deadline for the Minor in Global Sustainability is November 15, 2018.
  • The University of Virginia’s multi-day Bicentennial Sustainability Leadership Summit will be held on October 27 30, 2018.
  • 275 students in the Fall 2018 Global Sustainability course are collaborating with the University of Virginia Office for Sustainability to develop pitches for Think Global/Act Local projects on grounds.
  • The Global Environments + Sustainability (GSVS) class of 2018 graduated on Saturday, May 19, 2018. Thirty degrees were conferred in the UVA Chapel.
  • The next application deadline for the Minor in Global Sustainability is April 15, 2018.
  • Thirty 4th year Global Environments + Sustainability majors presented their Capstone Research Projects on April 15, 2018 at the University of Virginia’s Earth Week Expo event.

2017

  • The next application deadline for the Minor in Global Sustainability is November 15, 2017.
  • The Global Environments + Sustainability (GSVS) class of 2017 graduated on Saturday, May 20, 2017. Thirty-one degrees were conferred in the UVA Chapel.
  • The next application deadline for the Minor in Global Sustainability is April 15, 2018.

2016

  • The next application deadline for the Minor in Global Sustainability is November 15, 2018.
  • The Global Sustainability Poster Competition will be held on November 15, 2016 from 2 – 3:15 pm in the Newcomb Hall Ballroom. This event is part of the University of Virginia Sustainability Day celebrations.
  • The next application deadline for the Minor in Global Sustainability is November 15, 2016.
  • UVA Office of Sustainability Director Andrea Trimble and Prof. Phoebe Crisman jointly presented “Engage, Steward, Discover: Aligning Global Sustainability Curriculum with Strategic Student-Led On-Campus Projects,” at the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) Conference in Baltimore on October 11, 2016.
  • The Fall 2016 Global Sustainability course is partnering with the University of Virginia’s Office for Sustainability to complete 30 Think Global/Act Local projects on grounds.
  • In August Prof. Phoebe Crisman and Cheryl Gomez, UVA Director of Energy & Utilities, were appointed as Co-chairs of the University Committee on Sustainability Committee.
  • The inaugural class of Global Environments + Sustainability (GSVS) students graduated on Saturday, May 21, 2016. Twenty-three degrees were conferred in the UVA Chapel.
  • As part of UVA’s Earth Day celebrations, over 150 Global Sustainability students presented their Think Global/Act Local project posters on April 20, 2016 from 12 – 1:30 pm in the Newcomb Hall Ballroom.
  • The next application deadline for the Minor in Global Sustainability is April 15, 2016.
  • Students in the Spring 2016 Global Sustainability course collaborated with the University of Virginia Office for Sustainability to develop 30 Think Global/Act Local projects.

2015

  • The next application deadline for the Minor in Global Sustainability is November 15, 2015.
  • Partnering with the Center for Wind Energy of James Madison University, the University of Virginia hosted the Regional KidWind Challenge March 21st in the School of Architecture to showcase competing wind turbine designs from students grades 4-12.
  • The Global Sustainability Poster Competition was held November 19, 2015 from 11 – 12:15 pm in the School of Architecture.
  • The School of Architecture EcoReps installed a pilot composting initiative in Campbell Hall through funding from the GIFT grant.
  • Fourth year Jeremy W. Hurley partnered with Green Grounds to collect nearly 100 lbs of aluminum waste to make a donation to Loaves and Fishes. Cans to Cans was a continuation of his past semester project in the Global Sustainability Course.

2014

  • The winners of the poster competition were announced by section. Winning projects were: “Don’t Give Up on the Solo Cup”, “Community Hive”, “Reform the Corner”, “Pedaling Towards a Sustainable UVA”, “Changing the Way We Drive”, “Shower Sense”, and “Water Bottle Ban”.
  • The Global Sustainability Poster Competition was held November 13, 2014 from 2 – 3:15 pm in Ern Commons, displaying more than 70 student project proposals from the course.
  • Maxine Verstraete, Vice President for Sustainability for Hilton Worldwide joined us for a public lecture on November 20th at 2:00 in Campbell Hall 153.
  • “A Model for Integrating Sustainability within Global Studies” was presented by Prof. Crisman at the Innovation for Sustainable Economies & Communities Conference.  Organized by the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE), the conference was held in Portland, Oregon from 10/26-29/2014.
  • The first class of students in the Global Studies – Environments + Sustainability Major celebrated the start of the semester at a GSVS Reception on 9/4/2014.
  • Thanks to the generous support of Hilton Worldwide, the Global Sustainability course was offered to UVA students for the second time this year. Prof. Carla Jones taught the Fall 2014 course.
  • Student projects from a capstone course taught by Prof. Crisman were featured in her recent article, “The Value of Design Research in the Architecture Academy,” published in the Romanian journal Arhitectura, 6/2014.
  • Think Global/Act Local Projects from 150 students in the Spring 2014 Global Sustainability course were displayed at the UVA Earth Week Expo on 4/22/2014.
  • Students and faculty involved in the Global Sustainability Minor celebrated the spring semester during a Minor Mingle on 2/5/2014.
  • Prof. Crisman received the 2014 Richard D. Donchian Fellowship in Ethics awarded by the Institute for Practical Ethics and Public Life at the University of Virginia. The fellowship will support her efforts to more fully incorporate ethical analysis and reasoning into the undergraduate Global Sustainability lecture course. Integrating ethics into this foundational, multi-disciplinary class that serves over 150 students each year from diverse fields of study across grounds will have a significant influence on the lives of individual students and across the University.
  • The Faculty Senate and Office of the Provost approved a new interdisciplinary Major in Global Studies, including a track in Environments & Sustainability. For more information, see “A Worldly Education,” Cavalier Daily, 1/23/2014.
  • The Beazley Foundation awarded a $125,000 grant to fund construction of a Water Filtration Pavilion at the Paradise Creek Nature Park in Portsmouth, VA. UVA students in Prof. Crisman’s Global Sustainability capstone studio completed schematic design for the structure.
  • The Global Sustainability course offered during Spring 2014 semester by Prof. Carla Jones.

2013

  • The Dominion Foundation awarded a $125,000 grant to fund construction of the Wetland Learning Lab at the Paradise Creek Nature Park. UVA students in Prof. Crisman’s Global Sustainability capstone studio completed schematic design for the structure.
  • Profs. Mark White and Phoebe Crisman publish Global Sustainability (Cognella Academic Publishers, 2013). This edited volume serves as the primary text for the foundational Global Sustainability course.
  • Prof. Crisman awarded VSAIA Prize for Design Research & Scholarship, Honorable Mention for “Health and the Built Environment: Shaping Policy and Place through Innovative Community and Academic Partnerships,” Virginia Society of the American Institute of Architects. The research paper examined the pedagogy that connects university student sustainability research with local community partners. Crisman’s essay is published in The Visibility of Research. C. Jarrett, K.H. Kim, N. Senske, eds. Charlotte: University of North Carolina Charlotte. Pp. 370-376.
  • The Hilton Worldwide Foundation has made an $80,000 gift to support an additional offering of the Global Sustainability course each year for the next three years. For more information, see “Hilton Worldwide backs U.Va. Architecture School’s Global Sustainability Program,” UVA Today, 7/19/2013.
  • Fourteen UVA students participated in the second year of a sustainability-focused, summer study abroad program in India. Taught by Profs. Phoebe Crisman and Peter Waldman, the seven-week program focused on the many manifestation of fire, including heat, light and energy. The student design research was exhibited in the Elmaleh Gallery and celebrated with a Gallery Opening on 8/30/2013.
  • Student teams from the Spring 2013 Global Sustainability course presented their Think Global/Act Local research posters at the UVA Campus Sustainability Day on 4/24/2013. Prof. Crisman participated in the panel discussion: Opening Sustainability: Discussions across Disciplines.
  • Spring 2013 Global Sustainability students designed and built a recycled plastic bottle greenhouse in the Venable Elementary schoolyard garden. The project was featured in the article: “U.Va. Students, City Fourth-Graders Build Greenhouse,” UVA Today, 4/22/2013.
  • A panel on “Sustainability in the Curriculum” presented during a UVA Teaching Resource Center World Cafe on 4/19/2013.
  • Building on both their Fall 2010 Global Sustainability project and subsequent research in the Fall 2011 class, UVA undergraduate students Ashley Badesch and Matt Boegner were acknowledged for their successful efforts in “Zero-Waste Project at U.Va.’s John Paul Jones Arena is Successful,” UVA Today, 3/12/2013.
  • “University of Virginia Wins Crystal Award for Sustainability,” UVA Today, 1/31/2013.
  • 162 students enrolled in Spring 2013 Global Sustainability course taught by Architecture Prof. Crisman. Students worked in teams to develop Think Global/Act Local research projects focused on sustainable communities, renewable energy and conservation, designing K-12 educational programs at the Paradise Creek Nature Park, increasing sustainability in the UVA curriculum, reducing waste at UVA, and educating about local food.
  • Prof. Crisman presented the UVA Global Sustainability curriculum during the “Higher Education Roundtable: Sustainability in Curricula” at the Energy & Sustainability Conference. Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, 1/2013.

2012

  • The Earthweek Forum showcasing UVA sustainability efforts included a panel with Global Sustainability Director Phoebe Crisman, University Architect David Neumann, and Chief Facilities Officer Don Sundren. As noted in the following article, the discussion focused on “faculty/student/administrator collaborations and the role of these innovative partnerships in reaching University sustainability goals.” “University Extends Sustainability Initiatives,” The Cavalier Daily, 10/23/2012.
  • Featuring research from her Global Sustainability capstone course, Prof. Crisman presented the paper “Collaborating around Art + Architecture” at the Investing in the Future Conference. Organized by the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE), the conference was held in Los Angeles, 10/16/2012.
  • Design Research from the India Summer Study Abroad program was exhibited in the Elmaleh Gallery and discussed during the India Initiative Symposium on 8/30 – 8/31/2012.
  • Architecture Profs. Phoebe Crisman and Peter Waldman develop a new sustainability-focused, summer study abroad program in India that includes a Design Studio and Research Seminar, 6/23 – 8/17/2012. Global Sustainability course concepts were extended to the physical and cultural conditions of the Indian subcontinent, with a focus on water.
  • Prof. Crisman presented a research paper, “The Paradise Creek Nature Park: a Collaborative Model of Academic Civic Engagement,” at the CHANGE: Architecture, Education, Practices Conference in Barcelona, Spain, 6/21/2012.
  • Spring 2012 Global Sustainability student research presented in Atlanta at the Windpower Conference organized by the American Wind Energy Association, 6/2012. The research paper, “Overcoming Small Wind Project Development Barriers: A Virginia School Project Case Study,” is co-authored by R. Pangle (Virginia Center for Wind Energy), P. Crisman (University of Virginia), J. Mile (James Madison University), and L. Snoddy, (Albemarle County Public Schools).
  • The Paradise Creek Nature Park Studio design research included in an exhibit, INTERSECTION: Health + the Built Environment, at the University of Virginia’s Elmaleh Gallery, 5-8/2012. This collaborative capstone research was also featured in “Architecture Students Explore Links Between Design and Health,” UVa Today, 5/16/2012.
  • Global Sustainability capstone students awarded first place in the university-wide Undergraduate Research category of the UVA Presidential Research Poster Competition. The ARCH 4020: Paradise Creek Nature Park Studio, led by Prof. Crisman, collaborated with the City of Portsmouth, Portsmouth Public Schools, and the Elizabeth River Project to design sustainable education structures for a new public wetland park in Portsmouth, Virginia. UVA President Teresa Sullivan bestowed the award in the Rotunda on 5/4/2012.
  • Prof. Crisman presented a research paper, “Sustainability in Higher Education: Collaboration and Innovation at the University of Virginia,” at the Environment Virginia Symposium 2012: Collaboration. Innovation. Results. VMI Center for Leadership and Ethics, Lexington, VA 4/12/2012.
  • Global Sustainability capstone students from ARCH 4020: Paradise Creek Nature Park Studio, presented their work at the Park Ground-Breaking Celebration in Portmouth, Virginia. See The Virginian-Pilot article for more info: “Crowd Breaks Ground on Portsmouth Nature Park,” 3/30/2012.

2011

  • The Minor in Global Sustainability featured in articles about the “exceptional teaching and new courses, programs and degrees [that] enriched the U.Va. student experience in 2011.” Read more here: “In 2011, Teaching Remained at the Heart of U.Va’s Mission,” UVA Today, 12/20/2011.
  • Students in the Fall 2011 Global Sustainability course collaborated with the Virginia Center for Wind Energy to teach Henley Middle School students about renewable energy and to install a 45-foot wind turbine at their school. See this article for more info: “Renewable Energy Center Unveiled at Albemarle Middle School,” Charlottesville Today, 12/17/2011.
  • More great media coverage for the Minor! “A Minor with a Major Impact: New Sustainability Minor Draws on Every School at the University,” Cavalier Daily, 12/16/2011.
  • Over 150 Global Sustainability students presented their collaborative research projects to community partners. Read more about their successful efforts in “Global Sustainability Students Demonstrate How to Bring the Message Home,” Cavalier Daily, 12/15/2011.
  • Graduate Student Carla Jones and Prof. Crisman presented their research paper, “Creating and Implementing an Interdisciplinary Global Sustainability Minor at the University of Virginia,” at the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education Conference, Pittsburgh, 10/10/2011.
  • The Global Sustainability Minor featured as one of the University of Virginia’s new green initiatives in “Striving to be Sustainable,” Cavalier Daily, 10/3/2011.
  • Five teams of four students from the Fall 2011 Global Sustainability course collaborated with former students Ashley Badesch and Matt Boegner to further develop their Zero Waste Football Initiative began in Fall 2010. They performed research requested by UVA staff and administration following a stakeholder meeting in August 2011. Their findings were analyzed and synthesized into a three-phase action plan.
  • 154 students enrolled in the Fall 2011 Global Sustainability course taught by Architecture Prof. Crisman. Students worked in teams to develop Think Global/Act Local research projects focused on sustainable housing, energy and education, transportation, food and waste, green business and sustainability assessment. Students partnered with the Albemarle Housing and Improvement Program to design a green neighborhood, developed a wind energy education program with the Albemarle County Public Schools and the Virginia Center for Wind Energy, conducted Food Waste audits with UVA Dining Services, worked to implement Zero Waste Football with UVA Athletics, developed Biking Initiatives with the UVA Parking & Transportation, used the AASHE Sustainability Tracking Assessment and Rating System (STARS) to analyze and make recommendations for the School of Architecture, and advised ten local Charlottesville businesses in Better World Betty’s Better Business Challenge.
  • More positive press about the new Minor! “Green Efforts Growing Stronger at UVA,” Mother Nature Network, 4/26/2011 and “United We Sustain: A New Collaborative Sustainability Initiative will Help the Planet and the Student Body,” Cavalier Daily, 4/19/2011.
  • Students Ashley Badesch and Matt Boegner win Best Overall Award in the UVA Student Sustainability Project Competition. Their project, Zero Waste Football, began as Fall 2010 Global Sustainability course Think Global/Act Local project that they presented to Athletic Facilities Management in December 2010.
  • After several months of program development and review, the new Minor in Global Sustainability was approved by Office of the Provost on January 28, 2011. See the following articles for more detail: “Global Sustainability Minor makes major waves at UVA,” Mother Nature Network, 3/11/2011; “University Students Launch New Minor: Architecture School Introduces First Interdisciplinary Minor; Program Focuses on Global Sustainability,” Cavalier Daily, 2/15/2011; “U.Va Launches Interdisciplinary Minor in Global Sustainability,” UVA Today, 2/11/2011.

2010

  • Global Sustainability course featured in UVA Today article, “Global Sustainability Course Educated Leaders for Sustainable Change,” 12/10/2010.
  • Prof. Crisman presented “Educating Agents of Change: A Campus-Wide Course on Global Sustainability” at the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education Conference, Denver, 10/12/2010.
  • Fall 2010 Global Sustainability course co-taught to 114 UVA students as a cross-listed course by Architecture Prof. Crisman and Engineering Prof. Marshall.
  • Research from a Global Sustainability capstone course included in Prof. Crisman’s book chapter, “Environmental and Social Action in the Studio: Three Live Projects along the Elizabeth River,” Agency: Working with Uncertain Architectures. F. Kossak, D. Petrescu, S. Walker, et al., eds. London: Routledge.

2009

  • Fall 2009 Global Sustainability course co-taught as a lecture course by Architecture Prof. Crisman and Engineering Prof. Marshall. The course is cross-listed in Architecture (ARCH), Commerce (COMM), Engineering (ENGR), and Environmental Thought & Practice (ETP).
  • Global Sustainability course initiated and co-taught as a University Seminar (USEM) by Architecture Prof. Phoebe Crisman, Commerce Prof. Mark White, and Engineering Prof. Paxton Marshall during Spring 2009 semester.