The Green Transition
Innovating for sustainability on campus
When the University of California Merced opened in 2005 the edict was clear: Sustainability would be the focal point of the institution—not a retrofit, but baked into its DNA. As the first new research university of the 21st Century, UC Merced continues to hold sustainability as one of its core principles—one that drives its work related to environmental, economic and social stewardship.
That commitment shows up everywhere from course design to long-range development plans. Academically, sustainability is woven into the curriculum through offerings like the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Lab, which immerses students in real world applications of green building design and construction. On the research side, the Sierra Nevada Research Institute actively discovers and disseminates knowledge that contributes to sustaining natural resources fostering innovation in environmental conservation and resilience.
“Sustainability was never meant to be an initiative at UC Merced—it is the framework for every decision we make,” says Daryl M. Pierson, Ph.D., LEED AP, the Director of Sustainability at UC Merced. “When you design a campus from the ground up with that mindset, you are not adding green features, you are building a culture of environmental, economic and social responsibility that shapes how people learn, research and live here.”
“The living lab program helps UC Merced advance its goal to develop students into future leaders and scholars by providing experiential learning that helps prepare them to address the globe’s climate-related challenges.”
— Daryl M. Pierson, Ph.D., LEED AP, Director of Sustainability, University of California Merced
Dr. Pierson says sustainability is not just a facilities story—it is a student and faculty story. For example, in 2023 UC Merced launched Climate Action Research grants that awarded approximately $4.1 million to projects focused on outcomes like strengthening protections for climate-vulnerable communities and accelerating nature-based climate solutions. “The requested outcomes are intended to provide a holistic pathway for research projects while also helping projects align with the ecosystem model.”
The Living Lab program reinforces that connection for undergraduates. With $25,000 in annual support, the initiative incentivizes faculty to integrate sustainability and climate content into SPARK, UC Merced’s first-year experiential learning framework, and general education coursework. First year students encounter sustainability not as a slogan but as a set of questions they can explore on their own campus.
“The living lab program helps UC Merced advance its goal to develop students into future leaders and scholars by providing experiential learning that helps prepare them to address the globe’s climate-related challenges,” Dr. Pierson says.
UC Merced’s circular economy “waste hub” brings those ideas to life on the ground. Long before statewide mandates on organic waste, the campus created an on-campus compost site through collaboration among the Campus Garden, Smart Farm, research greenhouses and the grounds department. The compost collaborative now serves as a testbed for other institutions. A surplus operation, clothing closet and housing move-out donation drive support reuse while an on-campus recycling center sorts and bales material for remanufacturers.
For students attracted to purpose-driven institutions, the message is clear. UC Merced offers a place to live, work and play in a sustainability focused campus environment, while contributing to research, policy and practice that will shape climate resilience in the San Joaquin Valley and beyond.
A Living Lab for Climate Literacy
At University of California Irvine, sustainability is equally comprehensive with a distinctive emphasis on climate literacy and community impact. Asli Sezen-Barrie, Ph.D., sees a campus that treats climate resilience as both an academic and operational mandate.
Through the UC and California State University Environmental and Climate Change Literacy Projects initiative housed at Irvine, Dr. Sezen-Barrie and her colleagues work across systems to expand environmental and climate literacy for future educators and community stakeholders. Faculty teach a growing number of courses focused on climate change and sustainability that prepare students to meet global challenges in classrooms, agencies and careers.
Those values are visible in daily campus life. As both a faculty member and campus resident, Dr. Sezen-Barrie, the Stacey Nicholas Endowed Chair of Environmental and Climate Change Education and an Associate Professor in the School of Education, experiences UCI’s waste diversion and water practices up close.
“We have strengthened recycling and composting access, which reduces landfill waste and supports responsible material use,” Dr. Sezen-Barrie says. “Recycled water is used across large portions of landscaping and operational systems which helps lower demand for potable water and strengthens drought resilience in a region defined by water scarcity.”
Decarbonization is another major front. UCI is transitioning to more efficient electrified systems and building one of the most visible sustainability statements in American higher education—the new UCI Health hospital in Irvine. “As the first hospital in the United States designed to operate entirely on electricity, it sets a new national standard for sustainable healthcare infrastructure,” Dr. Sezen-Barrie says.
Students are not bystanders to those changes. The UCI Climate Collaboration connects researchers, students, public agencies and community partners to address climate impacts from wildfire prediction to flood resilience and climate informed policy. Funding from the collaboration encourages students to join research teams whose work directly affects California communities.
“The result is a culture where students who value environmental responsibility are drawn to institutions that lead by example and where visible achievements like the all-electric hospital make that leadership tangible.”
— Asli Sezen-Barrie, Ph.D., Stacey Nicholas Endowed Chair of Environmental and Climate Change Education, University of California, Irvine
Interdisciplinary programs such as the Newkirk Fellows bring faculty and students together to examine issues that shape environmental resilience and community well-being. Dr. Sezen-Barrie also points to the Research Justice Shop, which collaborates with Black, Indigenous and People of Color led organizations on community driven environmental justice projects. For eco-conscious students, that combination of technical climate science and justice-oriented partnerships signals that sustainability is about people as much as it is about parts per million.
The institution is explicit about using the “Campus as a Living Lab” approach to integrate academic learning and operations. Sustainability is embedded in long-term strategy so that research, teaching and community engagement reinforce one another. “The result is a culture where students who value environmental responsibility are drawn to institutions that lead by example and where visible achievements like the all-electric hospital make that leadership tangible,” Dr. Sezen-Barrie says.
Scaling Sustainability on a Teaching Campus
At Fitchburg State University in Massachusetts, the green transition looks different in scale, but not in spirit. President Donna Hodge, Ph.D., is candid about the role students play in pushing the institution forward.
Recent projects show how a regional public university can turn that passion into measurable change. The campus expanded electric vehicle chargers from two stations to eight for use by students, employees and visitors. Recycling jumped from 122.06 tons in fiscal year 2024 to 227 tons in fiscal year 2025—an 86% increase based on data from campus partner E.L. Harvey.
In addition, solar panels installed on the Athletics and Recreation Center in 2024-25 will soon come online following a transformer upgrade and the university continues to explore solar canopies on buildings and parking areas.
“We hope we are demonstrating that each of us can play a role in creating a sustainable environment for the campus community and beyond.”
— Donna Hodge, Ph.D., President, Fitchburg State University
Lighting upgrades led by Associate VP of Capital Planning and Maintenance Matt Lechter are reducing energy use in residence halls. In partnership with the Massachusetts State College Building Authority, the university introduced LED lighting and advanced controls in common areas of Aubuchon Hall with plans to expand into student rooms. Sensors and percentage-based lighting allow spaces to operate below full capacity when occupancy is low, which saves energy without sacrificing safety.
Student input is formalized through a reestablished Sustainability Committee that includes members from across the campus community. Fitchburg State’s Lechter meets regularly with a representative from the Student Government Association to discuss project priorities. One recent outcome improved the visibility and accessibility of recycling across campus, resulting in more bins in common areas and a more structured process in residence halls.
“We know students are passionate and curious about these topics, raising them to university administration in search of meaningful action,” Dr. Hodge says. “We have embraced these opportunities to enhance sustainability and we will continue to do so with projects that are in the works. We hope we are demonstrating that each of us can play a role in creating a sustainable environment for the campus community and beyond.” As climate pressures intensify, higher education is shifting from talking about sustainability to living it. What once sat on the periphery is now embedded in strategy, operations and the student experience. Across campuses of every size, sustainability is becoming the blueprint—proof that institutions can lead by design and prepare the next generation to do the same.
