September 2025
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Welcome back Wildcats!
Welcome back to a new year at WSU! We're excited to kick off another year of collective efforts toward sustainability and are already off to a strong start. The upgrades to the McKay Education building have incorporated biophilic designs and the building has been fully electrified. You may have also noticed the new flaming “W” on the hill. It is infilled with a solar array, which feeds energy to our campus. This year thousands of students will take courses, which incorporate sustainability education, and we will be opening a new community center dedicated to sustainability (more on this in coming newsletters). Striving toward sustainability is a shared effort at Weber State, just as it is across the wider world. We hope you will join us in making our campus and community a better place, and celebrate our successes this year.
Sustainability Snapshot Series
The Sustainability Snapshot series brings together faculty from an array of disciplines during the year to share about their sustainability research, teaching or other projects. Understanding and addressing the critical challenges we face—such as climate change, poor air and water quality—while embracing new opportunities across the intersecting realms of environment, society and economy, requires insight, expertise, and skills from all disciplines. Learn how different fields contribute to building a more sustainable world! 
Fall 2025 Series:
Dates: Tuesdays, September 16 | October 21 | November 11
Time: 1:30 – 2:45 p.m.
Location: Hetzel-Hoellein Room, Stewart Library, LI-321
September’s snapshot will focus on September’s Green Badge theme of Air Quality with faculty:
Hal Crimmel, English | Demetrios Pagonis, Chemistry | Brandon Stevenson, Automotive Tech.
Explore Sustainability at Weber State with this Interactive Map
Are you interested in discovering how sustainability comes to life at WSU? The Weber State Sustainability Map is your one-stop resource for exploring the many sustainability features and initiatives happening on campus.
The interactive map highlights a wide range of features, including transportation, energy, water, waste, food, and more—helping users connect with WSU’s su.png/Untitled (17)__300x300.png)
stainability efforts in real time.
Curious about sustainable transportation? The map pinpoints the locations of bike lockers, bike repair stations, EV charging stations, and OGX transit stops. Want to learn more about water conservation and campus ecology? Discover features like Lindquist Pond, native landscaping, and other water-wise installations. The map also showcases energy initiatives, including solar installations, electrified buildings, ground-source heating and cooling systems, and other clean energy technologies implemented across campus.
Whether you're a student, faculty member, or visitor, the Sustainability Map is a valuable tool for understanding how Weber State is working toward a more sustainable future. Take a moment to explore the map and see sustainability in action across campus - and how you can be part of it.
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Apply for SUS course attribute
Faculty, if you teach a class that connects with sustainability or would like to, you are encouraged to apply for the Sustainability (SUS) Course Attribute. All disciplines, perspectives, and skills are needed to address our collective sustainability challenges and improve life for all. Currently, 63% of WSU departments offer one or more SUS cla.png/Untitled-3 (1)__300x300.png)
sses. Is your department one of them?
Applications for Spring 2026 courses are due October 1.
The application involves two steps: preparing your syllabus to include the required SUS elements and completing the HIEE attribute form (used for all course attributes, e.g., CEL, SUS, CRE). Visit here for details.
Two SUS help sessions are open to faculty interested in learning more about SUS or wanting assistance with
their application. Join one or more sessions:
Monday, Sept 15, 12:30-1:30 pm, via Zoom
Tuesday, Sept 23, noon-1:00 pm, via Zoom
A SUS course can cover various topics and approaches within sustainability's intersecting environmental, social, and economic aspects.. These courses help students develop a meaningful understanding of sustainability and provide tools to create positive change on local and global scales. The attribute also helps students find relevant courses during registration.
For questions or more information, contact the SUS Attribute Committee Chair, Alice Mulder, at amulder@weber.edu.
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SPARC is excited to announce another round of funding for the Sustainability Teaching, Application, and Research (STAR) Grants. These grants aim to support WSU faculty in leading research and practices that foster engagement with sustainability at Weber State. Projects may receive funding of up to $5,000, with the possibility of up to $10,000 for high-impact, collaborative initiatives. Each year, a total of $20,000 is allocated for funding grants.
Proposals should be submitted to heatherroot@weber.edu by September 19, 2025.
Learn more here.
Hurst Artist-in-Residence: Aimee Nezhukumatathil Public Reading .png)
Join the Lindquist College of Arts & Humanities for a reading and Q&A with Aimee Nezhukumatathil. Aimee is an award-winning American poet and ess
ayist known for her vivid, joyful work focusing on the natural world, her family, and her heritage as a woman of Filipina and Indian descent. A professor of English and creative writing, her writings are celebrated for their rich imagery, humor, and deep sense of wonder. She is author of Bite By Bite: Nourishments and Jamborees and the New York Times best-selling World of Wonders: In Praise of Fireflies, Whale Sharks & Other Astonishments.
Free and Open to the Public
Date/Time: September 23 | 7 p.m.
Location: Shepherd Union Building | Wildcat Theater
Come be part of the event as Aimee shares excerpts from her essays and poetry and welcomes an open conversation with the audience. There’s a nature journaling event open to the public as well, on Wednesday September 24, 9:00 a.m. at Beus Pond.
Welcome ESO’s new staff
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The Environmental Sustainability Office (ESO) at Weber State is excited to welcome three new student staff members to the team.
Anika Draper, a Geology major with a Botany minor, joins the ESO team as the new President of the Environmental Ambassadors Club with an enthusiasm for sustainability that is matched by her love of nature and the arts. Her academic and personal passions—ranging from rocks and plants to art and kindness—come together in her vision of becoming a soil research scientist who works alongside environmentalists to promote sustainable agriculture. Anika believes that the most inspiring part of science, and of life itself, is the interconnectedness of everything.
Looking ahead, she is helping plan exciting activities for the upcoming school year.
Michael Daugherty joins the team as the new Community Garden Coordinator. He is a Missouri native with what he describes as a lifelong “green thumb,” Michael’s fascination with plants began in childhood with simple questions: How do they grow? Why do they grow that way? Do they communicate? Over time, his curiosity developed into both a hobby and a calling. Michael is excited to put his curiosity and skills into practice at Weber State’s Community Garden. He has plans for teaching practical gardening methods to students of all experience levels, firmly believing in the value of showing rather than simply telling. “The garden,” he says, “is a place where you can learn, grow, eat, and build meaningful connections.”
Adding a spirited and innovative approach to the team, Umang Gupta has taken on the role of Food Sustainability Coordinator and President of Weber State’s Food Recovery Network (FRN). Umang describes the position as something of a “part-time superhero gig.” He will coordinate volunteers to recover excess food from campus dining facilities and redirect it to local organizations in need. This year, Umang plans to expand sustainability efforts through initiatives such as composting in the dorms, introducing plant-based dining perks, and strengthening food recovery systems.
Students, faculty, and staff are encouraged to join in upcoming activities, volunteer opportunities, and initiatives.
Work with the WSU Sustainability Team
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SPARC is hiring two new student positions and one full-time Energy Navigator position.
Learn more & apply now.
Green Badge Program Update
This summer, WSU students who participated in earning the Biodiversity Green Badge enriched their learning about the importance of biodiversity, deepened their understanding of both the challenges and opportunities of life, and strengthened their ability to support biodiversity efforts in our region.
One participant, Tawny Choi, shared that they found the “Why is Biodiversity Important? with Sir David Attenborough video especially inspiring. (If you missed it, you can watch the 5-minute video here.)
The Green Badge program offers faculty, staff, and students a way to gain deeper knowledge about our planet while taking simple actions to protect our shared home.
We look forward to seeing you engage with September’s green badge: Air Quality.
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The Green Department Program is for faculty and staff to learn ways to make their departments or offices more sustainable. Green Teams work together to earn points and recognition by implementing change and taking actions outlined in a Green Team checklist.
Two new teams joined the Green Department Program over the summer!
The new College of Science Advising Green Team achieved Gold certification and the new High School Dual Enrollment team achieved Silver certification. In addition, the DOCE- Community Education Center Green Team achieved Gold certification!
Upcoming Events & Important Dates
Food Recoveries
Einstein Bros Bagels, Shepherd Union Building
Tuesdays and Thursdays
1 – 2:15 p.m.
Volunteer here
Eco Ready Fest with SPARC
Layton Hills Mall
Friday, September 12
4:00 – 6:30 p.m.
Learn more
Sustainability Snapshots with SPARC
Hetzel-Hoellein room in Stewart Library, LI-321
Tuesday, September 16
1:30 – 2:45 p.m.
Learn more
Volunteer at the Ogden Bicycle Collective with Environmental Ambassadors Club
Shepherd Union Building
Wednesday, September 17
12:30 – 1:30 p.m.
Register here
"Living in the World as if Our Lives Depend on it" : Lindquist Lecture with Dr. Alice Mulder
Hetzel-Hoellein room in Stewart Library, LI-321
Wednesday, September 17
2:00 – 3:30 p.m.
Learn more
Zero Waste Athletics - Football
Stewart Stadium
Saturday, September 20
6:00 p.m.
Register here
Hurst Artist-in-Residence: Aimee Nezhukumatathil Public Reading
Wildcat Theater, Shepherd Union Building
Tuesday, September 23
7:00 p.m.
Learn more
Nature Journaling Walk and Talk with Dr. John Cavitt and Aimee Nezhukumatathil
Beus Pond
Wednesday, September 24
9 - 10:15 a.m.
Learn more
Take the OGX to Cuppa with Environmental Ambassadors Club
Shephard Union Building
Wednesday, September 24
12:30 – 1:30 p.m.
Register here
Free Wildlife Movie Night
Tracy Aviary Nature Center at Pia Okwai
Friday, September 26
6:30 p.m.
Learn more
News & Resources
Weber State University’s SPARC program receives $2.4 million grant | Standard Examiner
Readers’ Forum: Don’t block renewable energy — let the free market choose | Deseret News
With support in Utah, plug-in solar is just starting to have its moment | KEUR
26 ways to improve your home’s indoor air quality (and save some $$) | EnergyRight
Inside the Plastics Industry Playbook: Delay, Deny, and Distract | Yale Environment 360
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