Past Events
ESS Pre-registration Get-together
The Environmental and Sustainability Studies program hosted its Fall 2024 pre-registration event on April 9th. This event served as an opportunity to meet other ESS students and to discuss courses of interest before registration week.
2024 Steinbrenner Sustainability Symposium
The Steinbrenner Institute hosted its annual Sustainability Symposium on March 29th, 2024 in McKenna-Peter-Wright. The symposium was an opportunity for undergraduate and graduate students to showcase projects and research of theirs which relate to sustainability in some way. Two students with exemplary projects were awarded with $1,500 Travel Awards.
Indigenous Ecological Knowledge in Literature of Inner Mongolia, China
Robin Visser, Professor and Associate Chair of UNC Chapel Hill's Department of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies, spoke at Posner Hall 340 on Thursday, November 30th from 12:00 - 1:30 PM. In this talk, Visser discussed her new book, Questioning Borders: Ecoliterature of China and Taiwan. Published by Columbia University Press in 2023, the book engages with the intersection of ethnic minorities and environmental studies in modern China from a comparative, interdisciplinary, and global context.
This event was sponsored by the Steinbrenner Institute for Environmental Education and Research, Global Studies in the History Department, the Environmental Humanities Research Seminar, and the Humanities Scholars Program.
An Evening with Carey Gillam, the Truth Behind Monsanto and Roundup
Women for a Healthy Environment hosted An Evening with Carey Gillam on Thursday, 11/9 at Pitt's University Club. The event included a lively presentation with journalist and author Carey Gillam, who discussed her book, The Monsanto Papers, and delved into topics such as modern agriculture's overuse of deadly pesticides and corporate efforts to censor the truth.
ESS Pre-registration Get-together
The Environmental and Sustainability Studies Program hosted its semesterly pre-registration event Wednesday, November 8th in the Tung Au Lab. The get-together began with pizza and introductions. We then had two seniors pursuing the ESS additional major, Minerva Schafer and Chloe Kim, speak about their capstone projects and how the program has impacted them. The group also discussed courses of interest and gave each other course recommendations and general pointers. The event wrapped up with some questions students had and casual discussion.
EHRS Curriculum Workshop
The Environmental Humanities Research Seminar hosted a curriculum workshop on November 3rd, 2023 to discuss Environmental Studies programs at Pittsburgh institutions. As Environmental Studies programs continue to grow, it's important to reflect on student feedback, program objectives, and ways to refine and improve these programs moving forward. The event kicked off with a panel with CMU's Program Director, Abigail Owen, and Pitt's Program Director, Mark Collins, discussing the programs at these universities; then transitioned into a student and alumni focus group, moderated by Noah Theriault; and ended with a curriculum workshop for faculty and current PhD students, asking "how does my syllabus fit into a curriculum?"
Bananapocalypse: Externalities in the Un/Making of Plantation Capitalism
Environmental anthrohistorian and Assistant Professor of Anthropology at the University of Michigan, Alyssa Paredes, shared her work on plantations in the southern Philippines on September 21st from 5 - 6:30pm at the Carnegie Museum of Natural History's Earth Theater. Her public lecture focused on her forthcoming book, Bananapocalypse: Externalities in the Un/Making of Plantation Capitalism. More information about the lecture and Paredes can be found here.
Environmental and Sustainability Studies Graduation Celebration
The Steinbrenner Institute hosted a celebratory event for graduating Environmental and Sustainability Studies students on Thursday, May 11th at Baker Hall Patio. We had an amazing cohort of students graduating this year and celebrated with a sunny day, great food, and even better company. Congrats Class of 2023!
A Conversation with Ambassador Maritza Chan
You are cordially invited to join a conversation with Ambassador Maritza Chan, the first woman to serve as the Permanent Representative of Costa Rica to the United Nations, and Sustainability Initiative Director Alexandra Hiniker, about global advocacy for local change. Ambassador Chan will share what Costa Rica's priorities are at the United Nations, how she employs the Sustainable Development Goals to advance that agenda, and how universities can help the world achieve these ambitious objectives by 2030. There will be an opportunity for Q&A at the end of the session, with priority given to questions submitted by students.
Panel on Environmental Racism and the Impact of Colonialism on the Climate Crisis
Free the Planet is collaborating with the University of Pittsburgh's Student Office of Sustainability for an open-invitation panel on environmental racism and the impact of colonialism on the climate crisis. Their goal for the panel is to open up discussions on race, empire, and other longstanding systems that contribute to environmental degradation as well as the inequities within it. They especially want to emphasize BIPOC voices within the greater Pittsburgh area and beyond to share their thoughts and experiences with members of the Pitt community. The event will take place Friday, March 24th from 3-5pm at William Pitt Union room 837. Steinbrenner Institute Faculty Affiliate, Noah Theriault, will be participating on the panel.
Steinbrenner Institute Sustainability Symposium
The Steinbrenner Institute hosted its annual Sustainability Symposium on March 17th, 2023. The symposium is an opportunity for students to showcase projects and research they have worked on or are currently working on which relate to sustainability in some way.
Climate Action Learn & Listen Session
CMU's Climate Action Working Group will be hosting its first Learn & Listen Session on February 9th from 4-6pm in the Tepper’s Simmons Auditorium. There will be a poster session from several Pittsburgh groups doing climate-related work, a standing reception, and an opportunity for attendees to provide feedback on CMU's environmental initiatives. Refreshments will be provided.
A Conversation with Shanti Gamper-Rabindran & Neil Donahue
Join University of Pittsburgh's Shanti Gamper-Rabindran and Carnegie Mellon University's Neil Donahue for a discussion on the future of energy in America. Learn about Gamper-Rabindran's book, America's Energy Gamble and how can America get back to an energy transition that's good for the economy and the environment.
Environmental and Sustainability Studies Pre-Registration Event
The Environmental and Sustainability Studies Program will be hosting our semesterly pre-registration event on Thursday, November 10th from 5-6:30pm in the CEE Conference Room (Porter Hall A7E). As usual, there will be food, and you'll get the opportunity to meet other ESS students and discuss courses of interest. We will also have two guest speakers come talk about their work and studies.
Environmental Sustainability Open Studio
Join us for the inaugural Sustainability Open Studio, an opportunity for students, faculty, and staff to learn how to engage with sustainability efforts across campus. This month, we’re focusing on environmental sustainability. Stop by from 3–5 on Wednesday, October 12, at the Sustainability Studio in Hunt Library to meet with representatives from the Environment & Water Resources Institute Graduate Student Chapter, Green Practices, the Staff Council Sustainability Committee, the Steinbrenner Institute, Sustainable Earth, and the Scott Institute for Energy Innovation. Free coffee and snacks from De Fer!