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Sustainability Committee

2023-2024

 Chair

 Daniel Grossman
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.