UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Brandi Robinson, associate teaching professor in the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences, has received the 2025 Penn State Award for Community Engagement and Scholarship for her work on the Local Climate Action Program.
The award recognizes a project that best exemplifies Penn State as an “engaged institution,” which the Kellogg Commission defines as an institution that has redesigned teaching, research and extension and service functions to become even more sympathetically and productively involved with its communities.
The program brings students, faculty and local governments together to support climate action and create a thriving and prosperous future for all Pennsylvanians. Nominators said Robinson challenges her students to make the places they live better.
Robinson co-leads the Local Climate Action Program with Peter Buck. The 2024-25 academic year marks the third year for the program under their leadership. LCAP has now supported climate action across almost 30 local governments around the Commonwealth while providing engaged scholarship experiences for almost 60 students from University Park, Penn State World Campus and Penn State Berks.
Robinson is engaged with her students and her community through the Local Climate Action Program.
“While her students are literally all over the map through the World Campus programs in Energy and Sustainability Policy and Renewable Energy and Sustainability Systems, she asks them to think about how the global questions they are studying in class might play out locally,” a nominator said. “For capstone projects, she encourages them to work where they live and love: find a local project, and work with the community to address the issues of concern.”
Recognizing that many of her returning adult students studying through World Campus do not have the luxury of relocating for new career opportunities, she has employed a “bloom where you’re planted” approach to the coursework, challenging them to build professional networking connections in their current communities.
While thinking locally, nominators said, she’s always asking her students to see the broader impact of our local actions.
“For example, she asks students at the end of each term to envision the climate and world 50 years from now based on their understanding of the technological, political and social dimensions of the challenge; she has done this assignment long enough to be able to see real change over time,” a nominator said. “Her passion for how to help them understand complex material, and make a positive difference locally, is evident.”
The program teaches students how to create climate action plans, conduct greenhouse gas inventories, work with local governments and other agencies, and understand the communities’ needs and areas of focus.
“This engaged experiential learning is critical for students and the community alike,” a nominator said. “Students not only learn the technical skills necessary to understand greenhouse gas emissions, but also the ‘softer’ skills of engaging with communities. Communities in turn receive capacity they would not have otherwise.”
After Ferguson Township’s Board of Supervisors passed central Pennsylvania’s first net-zero greenhouse gas resolution, Robinson was chosen to lead a Climate Action Committee to construct a community-wide greenhouse gas emissions inventory and provide recommendations for reduction measures.
Nominators said they relied on Robinson’s strong background in greenhouse gas accounting, climate policy, carbon markets and education. It’s one of many ways, they said, where Robinson uses her expertise and passion for promoting effective change to make an impact on her community.
“A poll in the Centre Region surrounding Penn State University Park found that sizable majorities of residents agree that climate change is happening, that climate action is good for the economy, and that governments should take action. But how? Brandi shows us,” a nominator said. “She provides technical assistance, builds local capacity, guides policy, and delivers transformative applied education and workforce development. She creates hope through action.”