Sustainability Committee
2023-2024
Chair
Kirsten Stephan
Davis College of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Design
Members
Name | Primary Constituency | Faculty Rank | Role |
Kirsten Stephan | Davis College of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Design | Teaching Assistant Professor | Chair |
Ela Celikbas | Eberly College of Arts and Sciences | Assistant Professor | Member |
Paul Dietz | School of Medicine | Assistant Professor | Member |
Mark Fullen | WVU Extension | Professor | Member |
Oishi Sanyal | Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources | Assistant Professor | Member |
Sven Verlinden | Davis College of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Design | Associate Professor | Member |
Muzibur Rahman |
WVU Institute of Technology |
Assistant Professor |
Member |
Garrett Oursler | Student |
Student Representative | |
Traci Knabenshue | Office of Sustainability | Director |
Ex officio |
Semoa Desousa-Brown | Eberly College of Arts and Sciences | Sr. Academic Advisor | Ex officio |
Annie Barclay | Staff Council |
Ex officio |
Committee Charge
The Faculty Senate Sustainability Committee is charged with undertaking the following set of actions:
- Provide support and assistance to the WVU Office of Sustainability, especially with regard to WVU’s sustainability plans and goals.
- Survey faculty with regard to both teaching and research being done at WVU that has relevance to sustainability issues; consider building a database of faculty teaching and research that would allow faculty and staff to communicate with each other on sustainability issues.
- Per a request from WVU’s Office of Sustainability, survey the faculty to find out what courses utilize the campus environment in their teaching, as this would give different academic programs a step forward in showing students the full portfolio of sustainability curriculum WVU offers.
- Consider the resources necessary to do a carbon-audit of WVU, with respect to our sustainability practices.
- Evaluate periodically national trends and report on best practices related to sustainability in teaching and research, and make recommendations to appropriate University bodies including the Office of the Provost, the Teaching and Learning Commons, and other Centers, Colleges, Schools and programs affiliated with the University.
- Report on systems and mechanism that provide support to faculty who engage in research and scholarship on issues related to sustainability.
- Address in a timely fashion other issues pertinent to the charge of the committee.