Annual Report 2025 2026

Image: Pawpaws photographed during a visit to Imago, a Cincinnati-based environmental education center

SCHOOL OF ENVIRONMENT & SUSTAINABILITY ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES PROGRAM

2025-2026 Annual Newsletter

Image: Students visiting a local gardening space in one of their advanced topics courses.

Table of Contents 02

Table of Contents

15

Research & Scholarship

03

Director Message

21

Engagement

04

About Us

26

Thank you

05

Teaching & Learning

A Year's Overview

A MESSAGE FROM THE SCHOOL DIRECTOR Welcome to the annual report from the School of Environment and Sustainability (SEaS), the home of the Environmental Studies program in the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Cincinnati.

We have also maintained an array of experiential learning opportunities for our students in the form of study abroad programs, community engagement, campus as a living laboratory, place-based learning, and research opportunities.

In our program, more than 40 faculty and postdoctoral scholars come together with students and local partners to forge a transdisciplinary, vibrant community in the Greater Cincinnati Area. We address pressing social and environmental crises together, providing real-time learning opportunities and responsive, responsible, usable scholarship.

Whether students participated in water quality on park lands, measuring methane in the city, or Miyawaki (tiny forest) care and maintenance at the UC Field Center, they are learning about transforming the world and engendering sustainable futures.

SEaS continues to flourish in its third year.

SEaS remains the foundational home of interdisciplinary environmental programs at UC, where we are offering BS and BA degrees, as well as two minor tracks. Combined, our programs serve more than 300 students. This year, we were excited to offer a co-op option for the BA students for the first time, while maintaining our longstanding BS co-op program, extending our partnerships, impact, and reach in the local community.

This past year, we prioritized competencybased, real-world curricular development for students and professionals alike, adding three microcredentials to our offerings: Land Ethic Conservation, Land Ethic Advocacy, and Outdoor Education.

Our land ethic curriculum, spearheaded by Bob Hyland, fostered new partnerships with the Aldo Leopold Foundation, offering unparalleled opportunities and spaces for learning among our students. We are in the process of developing graduate degree offerings and look forward to sharing more in the near future about upcoming courses and programs.

Co-curricular and extracurricular partnerships with student organizations on campus are fundamental to our success. Work with Leaders for Environmental Awareness and Protection (LEAP), Net Impact, UC Students for Burnet Woods, the Horticulture Club, Ornithology Club, and others offered opportunities to collaborate on end-of-theyear events at Burnet Woods, table at sustainability fairs, and co-create green learning opportunities.

SEaS is also excited to partner with the UC Field Center. We would welcome you to check out its programming. Open throughout the week, its 17.6-acre parcel of land is one of the university’s most advanced teaching and research facilities.

Want to stay involved? Here is how: Learn more about recent SEaS news by visiting our website.

Support our programs and give to a fund that furthers the work of our school.

Connect with us to discover opportunities to interact with, mentor, and employ our current students.

Laura Zanotti, PhD Director and Professor School of Environment and Sustainability

ABOUT US

Image: Jayla Dixon Photo Contest Honorable Mention, Hoverfly

The School of Environment and Sustainability (SEaS) is a community of scholars and students dedicated to understanding and meeting the world’s environmental challenges. The School of Environment and Sustainability is home to the Environmental Studies BS and BA, minors in Environmental Studies and Environmental Analysis and Policy, as well as microcredentials in sustainability.

SEaS brings together expertise in the natural sciences, social sciences, and humanities to create a transdisciplinary approach to problem-solving both in the classroom and beyond. Students, faculty, and staff in SEaS co-create impactful action that can meet the seemingly insurmountable challenges we face.

COOPERATIVELY CREATING A JUST AND ECOLOGICALLY THRIVING WORLD.

TEACHING & LEARNING

WE OFFER Majors Environmental Studies, BS Environmental Studies, BA Minors Environmental Studies Minor Environmental Analysis + Policy Minor Micro-Credentials Introduction to Sustainability Advanced Topics Sustainability Land Ethic: Conservation New Land Ethic: Advocacy New Outdoor Education New Graduate Sustainability Micro-Credential

STUDENTS AND FACULTY WORK TOGETHER IN ACTION-ORIENTED CLASSROOMS THAT SUPPORT CO-OP, INTERNSHIP AND RESEARCH OPPORTUNITIES AS WELL AS CAREER PLANNING.

Image: Areej Khan with UC Beekeeping Club and the Queen City Pollinator Project, Photo Saving the Colony with Our Colony

Image: Garden grown tomatoes, photo courtesy of Wade Isphording

STUDENTS ARE AT THE HEART OF WHAT WE DO. Muhammad Faruque and Susanna Tong inspire students in Environmental Studies introductory courses by connecting real-world experts with the classroom to support early career exploration. From working in conservation at the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden to solid waste management at the county level, students hear directly from working professionals, engage in informational interviews, and learn about resources in the Bearcat Career Studio.

Daniel Murphy and R. Alan Wight catalyze problem-solving and community-based work in their environmental studies, food mapping, and anthropology courses that teach creative uses of GIS, applied research, futures thinking, and more!

In a new exciting partnership with the Aldo Leopold Foundation, forged by Bob Hyland, Professors Hyland and Rob Skipper teach in the Land Ethic microcredentials curriculum about pathways for transformative change.

Image: Elise Bergeron Photo Contest winner, photo Bird Banding

STUDY ABROAD Experiential and place-based learning in international contexts afford our students opportunities to engage in cross-cultural exchange, increase awareness of local to global problems, and learn critical skills for the global workforce.

BRAZIL Stephen Matter and Dr. Laura Zanotti lead students to Brazil on two separate study abroad programs. The Amazon River basin is one of the largest, intact tropical ecosystems in the world and has long been stewarded by Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities.

These courses offer students the opportunity to personally experience and develop a passion for sustainability, community collaborations, and biocultural diversity as they reflect on the interconnectedness of riverscapes across the Americas.

Image: Students and faculty on the Brazil abroad course traveling by boat.

COSTA RICA

Teri Jacobs leads students to Costa Rica where they are immersed in learning about how a nation can meet sustainable challenges and address a myriad of environmental problems (e.g., sustainable farming for coffee and chocolate, biodiversity conservation, ecotourism, etc.). At the same time, students responsibly enjoy beaches and rainforests, boost local economies, support local host communities, reduce ecological impacts, restore biodiversity, and understand Pura Vida (i.e., the way of Costa Rican life).

Image: A view of a landscape in Costa Rica. Photo courtesy of Teri Jacobs.

GERMANY

Image: Students on David Stradling’s recent trip to Germany in Spring 2025

David Stradling offers a Germany study abroad experience to Amsterdam and Essen where students analyze the development of American and German cities in the second half of the 20th century and early 21st century. With a mix of environmental and urban history techniques, the students learn how to address the economic factors leading to deindustrialization and the many attempts to repair environmental damage and reverse urban decline through the development of sustainable and resilient cities.

CAPSTONE PROJECTS Annually, our most senior students embark on formulating, researching, and completing groupbased projects. Through engaging with partner organizations and community members, students tackle a sustainability challenge together. Below, we share the titles of the range of interdisciplinary projects our students led this year to make a difference!

2025-2026 PROJECTS Fine Particulate Matter (PM2.5) Pollution in Middletown, OH - Sarah Austgen, Dylan Brown, Jackson Cahall, Amanda Cooper, Michael Cortes, Maura Eckerle, Deakota Hall, Benjamin Longardner, John Mitchell, LeLe Sardari, Abby Slosek.

When Nature Isn’t Safe: Understanding E. coli Risks in the Soil of Burnet Woods - AJ Kaylor, Andy Strader, Annie Schmidt, Brady Thomas, Evelina Strauss, Hannah Gottenbusch, Joel Adams, Kennedi Roberts, Marc Galinger, Olivia Archambault, Summer Victor.

Evaluating Various Factors on the Health of Trees in Urban Parks and Nature Preserves of Cincinnati Parks - Abigail Abbott, Carly Balzarini, Madeline Brinker, Chloe Callahan, Maddie Fisher, Lauren Kohls, Grace Pastrick, Melanie Shepherd . Project Partner: Andrew Bernier, Cincinnati Parks Waste Diversion Roadmap for Fairfield, Ohio: A Data-Driven Path to 35% by 2030 - Madison Archer, Lauren Ann Barnes, Nate Conklin, Amanda Cooper, Evan Droder, Jackson Jacobs, Kaitlin Petersen, and Madelyn Sherwood. Project Partner: Gillian Hart, City of Fairfield Sustainability Sustainability Central Climate Museum Proposed Exhibits - Josh Strife, Kaitlyn Colegate, Gabriella Stoecker, Alyssa Conley. Project Partner: Colleen McSwiggin, Sustainability Central Homeowner Energy Perception and Communication in Clermont and Brown County - Phillisity Neal, Nathan Malsbary, Logan Peters, Brendon Reiners, Sarah Austgen. Project Partner: Tara Means, Honey Hive Reality Impact of Biochar and Compost on Soil Microbial Activity - By Jayla Dixon, Tarynn Schultz, and Mike Creamer. Project Partner: Teri Jacobs, MAGIC Garden.

Cincinnati Parks Archives and StoryMaps - Brandyn Longhauser, Mary Boehm, Pierson Scott, AJ Cook. Project Partner: Andrew Bernier (Cincinnati Parks) Water Quality in Burnet Woods Lake: A Pilot Study - Brock Bostick and Cade Weber. Project Partner: BPAC Ethnoagriculture: Sharing Plant Knowledge Through Community Gardens - Lily Webb, Oliver Mack, Noah Duplechan, and Isabella Naylor. Project Partner: Teri Jacobs, MAGIC Garden

ARNOLD I. MILLER AWARD SEaS honors outstanding students in the Environmental Studies program to acknowledge their exemplary work. The Arnold I. Miller Award recognizes students for high achievement in the classroom and extraordinary engagement in the community. The award also comes with a monetary prize.

Miller is an emeritus professor of geology, former senior associate dean, and a former director of the EVST program. We are excited that student Kirsten Arill was the Arnold I. Miller Awardee in 2026.

Marissa Shannon and Elise Bergeron had the honor of being selected as runners-up for the award for their notable service and academic excellence.

Kirsten Arill was recognized for her work with the UC Bearcat Student Council for Sustainability, her Sustainability Fellow Leader position with SEaS, her Environmental Education internship at the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden, her involvement in Science Olympiad, and her participation in the Bates-Parker Leadership Program. In addition, Kirsten has engaged in short-term study abroad and research opportunities in Germany and has maintained work as a research assistant at UC throughout her career as an undergraduate student. Congratulations on all your accomplishments, Kirsten!

Image: Runner-Up Elise Bergeron (left) and Awardee Kirsten Arill (right) at Trailside Nature Center during the SEaS Spring Award Ceremony at Burnet Woods

EXTRACURRICULAR STUDENT GROUPS Our students lead and participate in a wide variety of UC student organizations. We are thrilled to partner with student organizations collaborate on events, organize programming, and take action.

Leaders for Environmental Awareness and Protection LEAP is a student organization that aims to create alliances and unite student leaders with faculty and local environmental organizations in the Greater Cincinnati area. Starting in 2025, LEAP launched the University of Cincinnati chapter of Environmentors, a chapter-based program offered by the Global Council for Science and the Environment. The first UC team will present at the GCSE conference, held in Panama, in summer 2026.

UC Students for Burnet Woods UC4BW is a group of students who are passionate about our sacred green space that neighbors UC's main campus. We work for and support initiatives that promote equitable access to the park, as well as the park's preservation and well-being.

Net Impact is a student organization whose mission is to shift the narrative around sustainability and organizational practices to create transformative awareness in student mindsets of all disciplines at UC. Check out all of the sustainability student groups, curated by Net Impact.

Image: A UC Net Impact group photo during an event.

RESEARCH & SCHOLARSHIP

Images: A photo of Ella Caudill, recent graduate, at an undergraduate research symposium presenting her poster

RESEARCH Research is built into the Environmental Studies curriculum. Students can select from a wide range of experiences to conduct research during their capstone projects, co-ops, internships, in advanced courses, or in partnership with research faculty.

Last year, SEaS partnered with Green Umbrella and the UC Office of Sustainability to launch a firstof-its-kind Sustainability Hackathon event in the fall semester. The challenge matched student teams with local partners to address a pressing sustainability challenge. At the end of the weekend, final projects presented included an explainer video, community-driven communication plans, waste diversion proposals, and a sustainability tracker workflow.

Annually, students celebrate and present their work at the Environmental Justice and Advocacy Symposium, SEaS Springfest in Burnet Woods, Discovery in Action Scholarly Showcase, Sustainability@UC week, the UC Undergraduate Scholarly Showcase, or at the Midwest Regional Climate Summit. For a full list of research opportunities, please check out our Undergraduate Research Page.

MEET OUR Community Laura Zanotti

Teri Jacobs

Julia S. Carlson

Muhammad Faruque

Professor + Director Env Culture, Film, Rights Community Engagement

Asst Prof Educator Undergrad Director Geography, Soil Science, Conservation

Associate Professor Romanticism, Env Film, Ecopoetics

Associate Professor Philosophy, Environment, Ethics, Religion

Bob Hyland

Stephen Matter

Daniel Murphy

Kenneth Petren

Associate Professor Educator Env Writing, Env Justice, Community Engagement

Professor Ecology, Insect Plant Interactions

Associate Professor Culture, Economics, Risk, Pastoralism

Professor Conservation, Comparative landscape genetics

Robert Skipper

David Stradling

Sarah Sturmer

Amy Townsend-Small

Professor History and Philosophy of Biology

Zane L. Miller Professor of Urban History

Instructor - Adjunct Ann Environmental Studies

Environmental History, Pollution, Urbanization, Dredging

Professor Impacts of the Oil & Gas industry, Community Engagement

Four new faculty and postdoctoral scholars joined us in 2025-2026.

Welcome Ben, Helen, Nick, and Todd!

Ben Farrer

Assistant Professor Democratic institutions, energy policy, technological innovation

Helen Kenion Postdoctoral Scholar Meteorology and Atmospheric Science

Nick Koenig

Postdoctoral Scholar Climate Justice, Environmental Science, Critical Physical Geography, Tree Ring Science, and more!

Todd Lu Assistant Professor Social movements, environmental politics, mixed methods, green jobs, heat stress

SUSTAINABILITY AWARDS

Muhammad Faruque Associate Professor

At UC’s Annual Sustainability Week in January of 2026, Associate Professor Muhammad Faruque (RALL, School of Environment and Sustainability) was recognized by the UC Office of Sustainability as the recipient of the UC Sustainability Research Award for the year.

Bob Hyland

Associate Professor-Educator Associate Professor Educator Bob Hyland (School of Environment and Sustainability, English) for the second year in a row received the Faculty Award from the UC Office of Sustainability. Hyland’s award also was given during an award ceremony held by the UC Office of Sustainability during UC’s Annual Sustainability Week.

SUSTAINABILITY AWARDS

Teri Jacobs

Assistant Professor-Educator Greater Cincinnati Earth Coalition selected Teri Jacobs as the recipient of an Environmental Award for the 2026 Earth Day Festival as the Educational Honoree. Dr. Jacobs was recognized during the award presentation, which took place at the Earth Day Festival on Sunday, April 19th.

Amy Townsend-Small Professor

Amy Townsend-Small was selected by the Green Umbrella to receive a Sustainability Leadership Award at this year's Midwest Regional Sustainability Summit. Her incredible passion and efforts as a sustainability leader were recognized at the Summit, as was her inspiring and impactful work. Congrats, Dr. Townsend-Small!

OHIO RIVER VALLEY CLIMATE CHANGE & HEALTH CONFERENCE AUGUST 7, 2026

Dr. Amy Townsend-Small is hosting the second Ohio Valley Climate Change and Health Conference on UC’s campus in the summer of 2026 to build well-being and resilience in the Ohio River Valley. The conference will include sessions on the largest geo-health issues in our region such as increased levels of environmental contaminants, extreme heat, flooding and combined sewer overflows. This is a results-oriented, interactive conference for scientists and students in the Earth and health sciences.

ENGAGEMENT

EVENTS & ACTIVITIES From our annual participation in Sustainability@UC week, to enjoyable fall days at the UC Field Center, festive celebrations like Spring Fest in Burnet Woods, along with partnerships with the Taft to explore infrastructures, papermaking, and erasure poetry, there's something for everyone!! We began the academic year with an official ribbon-cutting ceremony to inaugurate our first office suite, located on the ground floor in Arts and Sciences Hall. We also launched several new events to activate our space; regular coffee and donut hours with students quickly became a success! A sample of some of the many events we hosted last year are below! A heartfelt thank you to all our co-sponsors and our events committee for their dedicated efforts this year!

EVENTS & ACTIVITIES

ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE AND ADVOCACY SYMPOSIUM We were excited to sponsor once again the annual Environmental Justice and Advocacy Symposium (EJAS), organized by Bob Hyland. In December 2025, the symposium brought together A&S alumni, faculty, staff, and students across disciplines and from around the world to discuss what's next in Climate and Sustainability.

We had a crowded audience in Clifton Court Hall who enjoyed a keynote from community researcher José Ramón Becerra Vera followed by breakout sessions.

Jennifer Sterling from the Aldo Leopold Foundation led a powerful session on “Breathing Life into the Land Ethic” that immediately followed the keynote. The student poster session and networking reception in the common space was a success! This event was sponsored by the School of Environment and Sustainability and the A&S Alumni Foundation.

MIDWEST REGIONAL SUSTAINABILITY SUMMIT SEaS and PEWS represented the UC College of Arts & Sciences at the 2026 Midwest Regional Sustainability Summit. Held on June 12, 2026 in the Sharonville Convention Center, the summit featured more than 100 speakers from across the region passionate about building a sustainable and resilient future. We were excited that some of our students presented posters with their community partners at the event, and enjoyed different sessions with faculty, staff, and alumni. The Summit is an annual event, hosted by the Green Umbrella.

Image: SEaS Flyers featured at the Summit.

Image: Black Swallowtail pupa in the early fall.

Alumni Advisory Board The SEaS Alumni Advisory Board provide critical advice on and insights to our program, regularly visit Environmental Studies classes, mentor current students, and supervise internships.

The Board has set up a LinkedIn group for current students, alumni, and faculty. Join us to connect, post job opportunities, and share events!!

Scan the QR code to join!

Thank you!

Thank you to everyone who makes this work possible. A special thanks to our Alumni Advisory Council and our donors for your ongoing support and generosity.