SUSTAINABLE TRADITIONS
ABOVE: “Poetry for the Planet,” sponsored by the English Department in
collaboration with the Center for Environmental Sustainability and School
of Design, brought students from multiple majors together to create poetry
that reflects their vision of the challenges and opportunities facing our
environment. RIGHT: The Stevenson Reef Ball Project brought students
and faculty together to make concrete reef balls that were placed in the
Chesapeake Bay to create new habitat for oysters and other aquatic life.
able to learn about incorporating technology and research into and stewardship at SU. She observes, “the power of the humanities
interpretation and education, as well as shadow many elements of is our ability to explore scientific narrative … we can tell the story
park management and maintenance,” he said. and parse the narratives of the data.”
Program alumna Bethany Liberto ’17 interned with the National In 2013, under the leadership of the previous Dean of the
Aquarium’s Animal Care Center, where she learned about the School of the Sciences and current University Provost, Susan
importance of zoos and aquariums in conservation work. Liberto Gorman, Ph.D., Stevenson formally established a central place
is now building on her experience and pursuing graduate study at for like-minded faculty, students, and staff to come together: the
Frostburg State University. Center for Environmental Stewardship (CES). Directed by Kim
Interest in sustainability and stewardship at SU is not limited Pause Tucker, Ph.D., Professor of Biological Sciences, the CES aims
to the sciences, however. Faculty and students across campus are “to cultivate an environmentally literate citizenry and support
working on projects that demonstrate how these topics can be educational opportunities and programs in environmental science
addressed from a range of disciplinary perspectives. For instance, and sustainability.” Tucker explains that the CES takes service
Assistant Professor of Graphic Design, Inna Alessina, M.F.A., and education as its focus and encourages all members of the SU
was recently recognized with a 2019 Design Education Initiative community to adopt personal responsibility for environmental
Award from Core77 for her gallery installation Overlooked, which stewardship. Community service and service-learning are central to
was hosted in Stevenson’s Greenspring Art Gallery. Overlooked the mission of the CES, which provides leadership for a number of
incorporated biological materials to create interactive art pieces, campus initiatives including:
educate viewers about these living materials, and deliver a message
As students move out of the residence
halls at the end of the year, they have the opportunity to donate
Alessina recognizes the need “to think about impact of your designs clothing, household items, and food to local community partners
in the world.” Students in her classes also have the opportunity via the CES. Last year, residents donated more than 6,000 pounds
to explore the intersections between sustainability and design; one of clothing/household items and 1,000 pounds of unused non-
class project involves SU students collaborating with Irvine Nature perishable food.
Center’s children’s programs to design a nature-based educational
toy.
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Leave Steve Green:
about the importance of symbiotic relationships. As a designer,
Reduce Your Hoofprint Challenge: In collaboration with
students in the Graphic Design program, the CES created a year-
In the English Department, Senior Lecturer Ashley Kniss, Ph.D., long challenge, encouraging members of the SU community to take
is bringing together environmental studies and literature. Working small steps to make a difference and reduce the carbon footprint
in the emerging field of “eco horror,” Kniss studies how writers (or, Mustang hoofprint) of the campus.
imagine the interactions between the human body and the natural Faculty and students working with the CES have received
world before, during, and after death. Her research examines the several grants to support campus-wide projects. This support from
synergies between the living and the dead and the experience of organizations including BGE, the National Science Foundation
the natural world. Like her counterparts in the sciences and design, MADE CLEAR Grant program, and Chesapeake Bay Trust has
Kniss has noted growing student interest in these areas and is excited provided educational opportunities, supported student workers,
to help the humanities contribute to the culture of sustainability and allowed for the purchase of equipment and supplies. One
VENTURES/WINTER 2019-20