UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Researchers in Penn State’s Department of Geography have been awarded $12,000 in funding from the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences (EMS) Sustainability Council for their project, "Youth Perspectives on Sustainability in the College of EMS."
The project, led by graduate student Harman Singh and Presidential Postdoctoral Scholar Mark Ortiz, aims to assess the sustainability perspectives of undergraduate and graduate students within the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences. The research will involve a comprehensive survey and in-depth interviews with student leaders to gather data on students' understanding, engagement and sources of information related to sustainability.
“As the chair of the Sustainability Council's Student Committee, I’ve met students who are interested in sustainability and engaged with other aspects within the college,” Singh said. “We want to conduct in-depth interviews with leaders within this field and EMS to get a pulse on what students think about sustainability, how they absorb information on sustainability and the Sustainable Development Goals and identify any knowledge or communication gaps.”
The data collected will be used to inform educational and institutional strategies, helping to tailor the sustainability curriculum and address gaps in knowledge and communication. Ortiz emphasized the importance of this data for faculty.
“I think we need more qualitative data that characterizes how our students are thinking about sustainability questions,” Ortiz said. “It helps us as faculty members calibrate our curricula accordingly and address any knowledge gaps that exist in our research agendas or what we're teaching in classrooms.”
According to the team, the survey will draw from previous efforts such as the Sustainability PULSE Survey, administered by Penn State’s Student Affairs Research and Assessment in 2018, and similar survey initiatives at peer institutions. They plan to distribute the survey through online platforms, fliers and classroom promotions. They also intend to reveal insights that can benchmark future sustainability efforts, uncover knowledge and commitment gaps and understand the platforms through which students form their sustainability perceptions.
This project aligns with several goals of the college’s sustainability action plan, including integrating sustainability into the curriculum, fostering cross-disciplinary collaborations and increasing student agency in sustainability efforts. Additionally, the project will involve training several undergraduate students in qualitative research methods through the Department of Geography’s Undergraduate Research Opportunities Connection (UROC) program.
Highlighting the significance of these initiatives, Ortiz underscored the college’s commitment to sustainability.
“There is a strong student interest in sustainability, and I’m curious to see how our results will compare with that interest,” Ortiz said. “This is a crucial conversation, and I believe EMS is a leader across campus in terms of approaching sustainability from a variety of perspectives.”
The results of the study will be compiled into an academic paper, which the team plans to submit to journals. The findings will also be shared through the EMS Sustainability Council’s Student Committee’s social media and the annual Global Sustainable Action Conference at Penn State.