According to Tony Polotto, senior director of construction and quality assurance in the Office of Facilities Design and Operations, the work was done by approximately 10 people from June through August. The goal? Support a healthier, more resilient, and more attractive campus landscape.

“Our director of landscaping brought the issue of invasive species overtaking the native plantings along the lake to our attention,” Polotto said. “This conversation led to a study and master plan to restore and provide ongoing upkeep to the shoreline.”

Removal of woody invasive species

Staff removed plants including white mulberry, as well as dead or dying willows, cottonwood, and white ash. Dead limbs in the canopy of the many black walnut trees along the southern shoreline were also removed. Invasive shrubs removed included Asian bush honeysuckle, autumn olive, privet, and Oriental bittersweet. During this process, workers carefully protected selected native shrubs—elderberry, redbud, willow, red-osier dogwood, and silky dogwood.

Next, five shallow aquatic shorelines were selected for enhancement following a detailed assessment of site conditions and long-term planting feasibility. Landscapers considered soil conditions, available planting shelves for saturated and shallow-water species, shoreline width and slope, aesthetic value, and existing tree and shrub canopy cover.

Plantings

Nearly 3,750 plants, consisting of 31 different species, were planted along the water’s edge. An additional 1,250 plants, comprising 15 species, were placed in select upland buffer areas. Establishing this emergent native vegetation—such as swamp milkweed, cup plant, swamp rose mallow, and joe-pye weed—along the shoreline of St. Mary’s Lake provides important ecological and shoreline stabilization benefits. These deep-rooted, moisture-tolerant species help bind shoreline soils, reduce erosion from wave action and runoff, slow and filter stormwater before it reaches the lake, and improve nearshore water quality.

“Their upright growth along the water’s edge also creates valuable habitat and cover for insects, birds, amphibians, and other wildlife, while their showy, nectar-rich flowers support monarch butterflies, native bees, hummingbirds, and other pollinators throughout the growing season,” Polotto explained. “Together, these plants create a resilient, biodiverse lakeshore buffer that enhances habitat value, improves aesthetics, and supports the long-term health of the aquatic ecosystem.”

For a comprehensive review of native plants, download the Stantec species report of Saint Mary's Lake [PDF, 2MB].

Protecting the plants

To help the newly planted vegetation become established, workers installed visible fencing and bright flagging, designed to discourage geese and other wildlife from consuming or uprooting the vulnerable plants during this early growth period. While these temporary protection measures may appear unsightly, they are purposeful and important to the success of the restoration. Look for the fences and flags to be removed in late summer or early fall, when the plants have had a chance to take hold along the shoreline.

“After the new plantings mature through the remainder of this year, the project will draw attention throughout the next growing season with colors that enhance the natural ecosystem of the lakes,” Polotto said.

Originally published by NDWorks at ndworks.nd.edu on September 01, 2026.

On Tuesday (Aug. 18), Pope Leo XIV appointed two University of Notre Dame faculty members, Emmanuel Katongole and Clemens Sedmak, as consultors to the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development. University Trustee Kathryn “Katie” Koch, president and CEO of TCW, a global investment management firm, was also named a consultor.

Katongole, a professor of theology and peace studies and director of the Ansari Institute for Global Engagement with Religion; Sedmak, a professor of social ethics and director of the Nanovic Institute for European Studies; and Koch are among 12 new consultors from around the globe—and the only three selected from within the United States. They have been appointed for a five-year term.

Consultors may be religious or laypeople and are chosen “from among the faithful who are distinguished by their expertise, proven ability, and prudence,” according to the Vatican’s announcement.

“These appointments are a tremendous honor not only for Emmanuel, Clemens, and Katie, but for the University as a whole,” said Notre Dame President Rev. Robert A. Dowd, C.S.C. “We congratulate them on their selection, and we are deeply grateful for the Holy Father’s recognition of their expertise and abiding commitment to the Church. We look forward to the ways their leadership and wisdom will guide the important work of the dicastery.”

Established by the late Pope Francis in 2016, the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development supports the Church’s worldwide efforts in the areas of human dignity and human rights, economic justice, care for creation, migration, and displacement, as well as peace, conflict, and humanitarian crises.

Katongole, who came to Notre Dame in 2013, holds a joint appointment in the University’s College of Arts and Letters and Keough School of Global Affairs. A native of Kampala, Uganda, and a priest of the Kampala Archdiocese, he is the founder and president of Bethany Land Institute, a residential agricultural institute that works with young people to realize the vision, spirituality, and practice of Laudato si’ in Uganda. Before joining the Notre Dame faculty, he served as an associate professor of theology and world Christianity at Duke University and was a founding co-director of the Duke Center for Reconciliation. He earned a Bachelor of Divinity at the Pontifical University Urbaniana in Rome, as well as a master’s in religious studies and a doctoral degree in philosophy from the Catholic University of Louvain in Belgium.

Sedmak, a concurrent professor of theology, holds a joint appointment in Notre Dame’s Institute for Social Concerns and the Keough School. His research focuses on issues of poverty, justice, and the Catholic social tradition, as well as a collaboration with Notre Dame colleagues on the Church’s role in acclimating refugees into Italian society. A native Austrian, Sedmak holds a doctoral degree in theology from the Catholic Private University of Linz and doctoral degrees in philosophy and social theory from the University of Innsbruck. Prior to joining Notre Dame, Sedmak served as the F.D. Maurice Professor for Moral Theology and Social Theology at King’s College London. He also held multiple positions at the University of Salzburg and was president of the Institute for Advanced Studies in Social Ethics in Salzburg.

Koch, a Notre Dame alumna, was named a University Trustee in 2023. Prior to moving to TCW, she spent 20 years at Goldman Sachs in a variety of leadership positions, including chief investment officer of public equity. She graduated from Notre Dame in 2002 with a Bachelor of Arts in economics and English.

Originally published by Carrie Gates at news.nd.edu on August 20, 2026.

Post-game cleanup is currently a massive undertaking, requiring approximately 150 people three days to complete. During each 2025 home game, the University recycled an average of 12.9 tons of game-day waste, or 25 percent of the total, according to Notre Dame Sustainability. However, more must be done to reduce the growing volume of waste, particularly plastic waste

Each year, Notre Dame’s Innovation Challenge will encourage students to develop creative solutions to real-world problems through interdisciplinary collaboration, faculty mentoring, guidance from industry and Notre Dame experts, and competitive funding. Together, these resources enable participants to transform promising ideas into practical solutions that may take the form of new technologies, manufacturing processes, behavior change, campus policies, or entrepreneurial ventures.

“Entrepreneurship is one way for students to take a promising idea beyond the classroom and put it into the hands of the people who can use it,” said Sam Miller, teaching professor in the Mendoza College of Business and one of the challenge leaders.

“While game-day trash is a clear example of plastic waste, we also want students to think about other areas where sports rely on unsustainable uses of plastics, such as in sports gear and equipment,” said Patricia J. Culligan, the Matthew H. McCloskey Dean of Engineering at the University of Notre Dame. “Enlisting the talents of our students is a powerful way to ensure that our solutions will be innovative and forward-looking.”

Rather than biodegrading, discarded plastics gradually break down into tiny particles called microplastics, which have been found in water, soil, wildlife, food and the human body, making plastic waste not only an environmental problem but a growing health concern.

“Plastic is used in countless products across our daily lives, and we know that there are negative ecological and health impacts when it breaks down in the environment,” said Kyle Doudrick, the Rooney Family Collegiate Professor of Environmental Engineering and challenge faculty mentor. “The 2026 Innovation Challenge is an opportunity to get people passionate about a problem that touches nearly every aspect of human life and brings together creative young minds to develop new solutions.”

Students interested in participating in this year’s challenge are encouraged to attend the Kickoff Event at 5 p.m., Monday, Aug. 31, in the Dahnke Ballroom on the seventh floor of the Duncan Student Center. At the event, students can register as individuals or in teams of four to seven members. Potential areas of innovation include, but are not limited to: plastics alternatives, recycling and re-invention of plastics, new processes to reduce or eliminate plastics, and policy and behavior change solutions. The 2026 Challenge offers $35,000 in prizes.

“The University of Notre Dame campus setting is in itself like a small town, offering a unique environment for students to investigate global sustainability challenges and solutions via examples here on campus,” said Geory Kurtzhals, executive director of Notre Dame Sustainability. “This innovation challenge is an opportunity for students to think of their campus as a living laboratory for learning.”

Recycling Expansion

With the exception of some specialty locations, toters have been established as the standard for collecting single-stream recyclables and landfill waste in centralized locations. In some spaces within buildings like Duncan Student Center and DeBartolo Hall, waste cabinets have been established to encapsulate toters. Standardized recycling with paired landfill bins continues to expand across campus. This fall, the following locations will be updating outdated infrastructure and expanding paired recycling and landfill locations:

• Carole Sandner Hall
• Select office suites in Duncan Student Center:
  • Career Center
  • Residence Life
  • Rec Sports
• Galvin/Freimann Hall
• Hayes-Healy Hall
• Hurley Hall
• McCourtney-West
• Nieuwland Science
• Remick Family Hall
• Stinson-Remick Hall of Engineering

Alongside expanding recycling to new locations, new, updated labels will be white and blue, a traditional standard for recycling, and landfill labels will be black and white. Across hockey and basketball athletic spaces, waste receptacles are also receiving new labels to make proper disposal quick and intuitive for fans and event attendees.

How the campus community can participate

Thanks to the collective action of the campus community, in the past year, Notre Dame has increased its recycling tonnage by 34 percent! While the University has progressed in its recycling efforts, there is still work to be done. Notre Dame Sustainability is currently partnering with departments across campus, like Building Services, Facilities Design & Operations, Hospitality, and Stadium Operations, for climate action planning strategies to make further reductions in the amount of waste sent to the landfill. While this collaborative work is happening, you too can support the recycling program on campus to influence an even greater impact:

• Familiarize yourself with how to properly sort your waste by referring to the A-Z Recycling Directory. The general rule of thumb is: yes to recycling aluminum, glass, paper, and rigid plastics.

• Familiarize yourself with recycling practices in your building. Where applicable, utilize your personal desk-side bin to collect recyclable materials and identify the centrally-located recycling toter near your office, classroom, lab, or dorm. Note that across campus, some toters are nestled within cabinets, like in the first floor of the Duncan Student Center. See example photo below.

• If you’re planning an event, request recycling bins by submitting an AiM work request using the “Recycling” tile to request temporary event bins. Note: To access AiM, you must be connected to Eduroam or the campus VPN.

• Cardboard, while it is accepted by our recycling servicer in the toters, takes up considerable space that disallows other high-value materials from being collected. Please break down cardboard boxes and place them in the separate cardboard carts available throughout campus. If you have a significant amount of cardboard that needs to be picked up, submit an AiM work request using the “Recycling” tile.

• If you do not have a toter in your building or office, or you would like to request a desk-side bin, submit an AiM work request to ask that recycling be added to your location. Note: Submitting a request does not guarantee receipt of a toter. Requests will be reviewed with the designated building contact for that location.

• For tailgating on football game days this fall, utilize the recycling and landfill barrels throughout the lots. The student Green Team will again be distributing plastic bags at key locations, including new blue bags for recycling and black bags for landfill.

Stay up-to-date with the newest recycling information and other news from Notre Dame Sustainability by subscribing to The Green Ambassador.

Why did you want to be the Sustainability Director for Undergraduate Student Government?

I grew up here in South Bend and spent my childhood around campus. I applied to be the director of sustainability in student gov because I feel a personal conviction and responsibility to protect the beauty and life found in this town and campus community, which I call home. Sustainability, particularly sustainable agriculture and resource management, has always been an interest of mine, and I felt that this position was the best place for my strengths and interests to have a positive impact on my peers.

What initiatives are you looking forward to addressing in the year ahead with Student Government?

I am interested in continuing to push many of the initiatives from my predecessors. Michael Parent, who held the position before me, left big shoes to fill, and I think that his efforts on the sustainability cup and in looking for sustainable technology partners are great places to pick up where he left off. I have also brought some ideas into the office with me, particularly regarding campus energy use and lighting in the dorms. I can't wait to start conversations with those who keep our buildings running. This is a great opportunity to learn from them and discuss how we can work together to save energy while improving students' quality of life!

When did you first become interested in Sustainability? What sustainability topics are you most passionate about?

I first became interested in sustainability in elementary school when my class would take weekly field trips to work and learn at a farm. This farm curriculum continued through my middle school years, and the hands-on engagement with nature and its resources helped to foster a love of renewable living and cooperating with the environments we inhabit. Natural preservation and renewable production practices are the areas of greatest personal interest for me as a result of my formative experiences on the farm, and I hope to do some outdoor programming this year that can encourage those same interests in my fellow students!

What is one sustainability action you would recommend people take in their daily lives?

One thing I would recommend people do in their day-to-day lives in order to live more sustainably is to be more intentional with their water use. I often find myself leaving the faucet running as I shave my face in the morning or scrub dishes after a meal, when taking the extra moment here and there to turn the tap on and off can save incredible amounts of water over time, and if practiced on a large scale. Whether it is emptying your water bottle on a plant in your room instead of down the drain, or waiting until you have a full load to start the washing machine, with a little effort, we can make one of our most valuable resources last.

Do you know an individual or team who should be highlighted for their sustainability work? Submit a nomination for them here! Their story may be shared on our monthly newsletter, The Green Ambassador 

“By making thermoelectric devices a competitive and commercially viable technology, it can transform the way we cool things,” said Yanliang Zhang, Advanced Materials and Manufacturing Collegiate Professor of aerospace and mechanical engineering at Notre Dame. “We can make the cooling process become very environmentally friendly.”

In the past, widespread adoption of thermoelectrics has been challenging due to the high costs associated with traditional manufacturing processes. However, the research team led by Zhang has developed an innovative ink-based printing strategy that enables a scalable manufacture of low-cost and high-performance thermoelectric materials and devices.

According to the new study, these materials “are very advantageous in energy-efficient and localized cooling of electronics, medical devices, automobiles, data centers and buildings.”

This research was primarily supported by the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) Environmentally Applied Refrigerant Technology Hub (EARTH), whose mission is to create the first sustainable refrigerant lifecycle-engineered system. These advances pave the way for producing high-efficiency, compact cooling systems without the need for environmentally harmful refrigerants.

“These devices are highly effective in cooling and very conducive to large-scale industry manufacturing,” Zhang said. “We can make the devices faster and with less cost. I think the biggest advantage of our process is its simplicity.”

He continued, “We use blade coating or screen printing to directly convert the initial inks into the final device pattern, the same process as screen printers use for artwork on t-shirts. But our ink contains silver and selenium, which become the thermoelectric material after printing and post-print processing. We invented an ink that is highly compatible with the printing process, which allows for easy scalability.”

The results of the process create components for non-refrigerant thermoelectric coolers.

During the development process when the research team initially combined the silver and selenium elemental powders to make the ink, they discovered that the silver and selenium reacted very quickly to form the silver selenide alloy. Zhang said, “This fast chemical reaction speeds the manufacturing process, which can be more cost-effective.” The alloy ink composition was then further optimized between the two elements to achieve the maximum thermoelectric performances.

Upon testing and comparing with current state-of-the-art bulk materials available today, the optimized printed materials achieved competitive room-temperature performances for both P-type and N-type components. The team’s earlier research focused on the printed P-type thermoelectric alloy, whereas the newer silver-selenium alloy material is for N-type thermoelectric materials. Both P-type and N-type components are needed to make a thermoelectric cooling device.

“We are continuing to investigate how to transform high-performance material into high-performance devices. We want to discover how we can combine the P-type and N-type semiconductors, the metal electrodes, and then connect all the components into a final, complete system,” Zhang said. “We want to improve the material to the point that the Heating, Ventilation, Air-Conditioning, and Refrigeration (HVACR) industry will feel very confident to adopt it. Our goal is to bring our technology to the market to benefit all of society.”

In addition to the support from NSF EARTH, this study was also funded by the US Department of Energy, and another NSF program. Md Omarsany Bappy, a recent Ph.D. graduate from Zhang’s lab and assistant professor at Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology, served as the first author on the paper, with contributions from other Notre Dame graduate students and postdoctoral scholars who led the machine learning and characterization aspects of the study. Tengfei Luo, the Dorini Family Professor for Energy Studies in the Department of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering at Notre Dame; Mercouri Kanatzidis, professor of chemistry at Northwestern University; as well as Berardo Matalucci and Allen Gray at MIMiC Systems also contributed to this research.

To learn more about NSF EARTH, please visit https://erc-earth.ku.edu

Contact: Brandi Wampler, associate director of media relations, 574-631-2632, brandiwampler@nd.edu.

EARTH Engineering Research Center
The Environmentally Applied Refrigerant Technology Hub (EARTH) is an NSF- and corporate-funded Engineering Research Center (ERC). EARTH is dedicated to revolutionizing how refrigerants are formulated, manufactured, applied, monitored, and recycled to dramatically reduce the environmental footprint of the global cooling sector. Led by the University of Kansas, this consortium of partner research universities includes the University of Notre Dame, University of Maryland, Lehigh University, University of South Dakota, and the University of Hawai′i.

Originally published by Damienne Jugovic at research.nd.edu on June 18, 2026.

A new University of Notre Dame study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences reveals that human-caused climate change is actively worsening this public health crisis, acting alongside structural socioeconomic disparities that already challenge the next generation’s ability to thrive.

“A single degree of warming alters the foundational conditions of child survival.”

Analyzing 16 years of data from 34 African countries, researchers from Notre Dame’s Keough School of Global Affairs have found that every 1°C increase in anthropogenic (human-caused) temperature anomalies is directly linked to a 3.45 percent rise in childhood stunting. The finding highlights opportunities to reduce childhood stunting through policy interventions that address socioeconomic inequality while strengthening maternal education, sanitation and household resilience in poorer communities.

The ‘invisible threads’ of climate-driven stunting

“A single degree of warming might sound negligible in a daily weather report, but on a global scale, it alters the foundational conditions of child survival,” said Arun Agrawal, Pulte Family Professor of Development Policy and co-author of the study.

“We are seeing a direct physical translation of global emissions into child undernutrition. When extreme heat limits food availability and drives up prices, young children are the very first to suffer the biological consequences. Their developing brains and bodies simply do not get the fuel they need, cementing a cycle of intergenerational poverty before they even reach their fifth birthday.”

To uncover these trends, the research team used a two-step approach. First, they used the observed daily near-surface temperatures from ERA5 weather reanalysis data to map real-world climate variability. Then, they paired these numbers with state-of-the-art climate simulations from the Detection and Attribution Model Intercomparison Project to strip away natural fluctuations and look directly at human-caused warming.

What they discovered was a striking divergence. While general weather variability showed no direct correlation to stunting, human-induced warming showed a clear and statistically significant relationship.

“This isn't an abstract problem for the future,” said Nabin Pradhan, a postdoctoral research fellow at the Keough School’s Pulte Institute for Global Development and the study's lead author. “These findings underscore the importance of reducing inequality and investing in education, sanitation and household resilience to protect child health in a warming world.”

For the general public, the mechanism connecting a global emission spike to a toddler's development can seem abstract. The study highlights that global warming acts through “invisible threads,” disrupting local agricultural cycles, altering food yields and leading to localized nutritional deficits that leave families unable to eat adequate meals.

The ‘double whammy’ of local inequality

While climate change directly increases stunting rates overall, the study reveals that structural socioeconomic inequality operates as an equally stubborn, parallel threat. The data revealed that community-level inequality is a consistent predictor of stunting. However, climate change does not strictly use inequality as a “bridge” to cause stunting; rather, the two issues stack on top of one another.

“Climate change is not a standalone threat that exists in a vacuum,” said Agrawal, who directs Notre Dame’s Just Transformations to Sustainability Initiative. “It acts as a threat multiplier on top of existing social fractures. If a community is already deeply unequal, a climate shock — whether it's a heatwave or a sudden drought — acts as an inescapable trap for the poorest children. The wealthy can buffer against a bad harvest by purchasing food elsewhere, but poorer households are pushed completely off the edge, losing income and losing access to basic services simultaneously.”

The study shows that the direct effects of global warming are most pronounced in rural areas and places with low service accessibility. Families living far from cities, with restricted access to clean water, reliable sanitation and healthcare networks, bear the brunt of the shifting climate.

“When you combine low-service access — like a lack of improved sanitation or maternal education — with a sharp temperature anomaly, you get a worst-case scenario,” Pradhan said. “The groups that contributed the least to global emissions are the exact groups whose children are being structurally disadvantaged by stunting.”

Designing a blueprint for the future

The researchers said that their findings provide a clear, integrated roadmap for international aid organizations and local governments. Because environmental stress and structural inequality are deeply interconnected, treating climate adaptation as a purely environmental issue — such as simply building a seawall or distributing heat-tolerant seeds — is bound to fail.

“If we want to protect the next generation, we have to look at the problem through a holistic lens,” Agrawal said. “Any successful climate initiative must simultaneously be a social inequality initiative. Investments in household resilience, maternal primary education, and water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) infrastructure are powerful public health interventions that double as climate adaptation tools.”

The researchers also said that empowering mothers through education yields immediate dividends on the ground. Educated mothers are better equipped with the knowledge of optimal nutritional practices and are more likely to seek out medical support during early childhood illnesses. Similarly, reliable access to clean drinking water and sanitation directly reduces repeated infections, a primary biological driver that prevents a child’s body from absorbing nutrients.

Moving forward, Pradhan said the researchers plan to take this macro-level data back into the field.

“While this observational, model-backed data gives us a robust global picture, the next step is establishing deeper causality through long-term, household-level experimental studies,” he said. “Future research should examine how climate change and structural inequalities interact to influence childhood stunting, helping identify interventions that improve child health and resilience in a warming world.”

Elizabeth Ludwig-Borycz, a post-doctoral fellow at the University of Michigan’s Center for Health Equity, was also a co-author of the study.

Media Contact: Tracy DeStazio, associate director of media relations, 574-631-9958 or tdestazi@nd.edu

Originally published by Renée LaReau at keough.nd.edu on June 09, 2026.

"I'm honored to have been selected to serve on the EPA Science Advisory Board,” Doudrick said. “The board plays an important role in providing independent, research-based guidance on complex environmental issues, helping ensure that decisions are informed by the best available evidence and remain practical for communities."

Doudrick, a faculty affiliate of Notre Dame Energy and Notre Dame’s Environmental Change Initiative, is the only academic researcher among the selected board members from the state of Indiana.

An environmental engineer, Doudrick specializes in emerging contaminants of concern in drinking water, including per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS)—also called “forever chemicals”—and micro- and nanoplastics. His work focuses on identifying viable, cost-effective solutions to treat emerging contaminants and improve conventional water treatment processes.

“We aim to target and eliminate these contaminants in ways that are both effective and fiscally responsible, which is increasingly important as utilities and regulators navigate these challenges,” Doudrick said. His lab is currently working on multiple PFAS-related projects, including a study of PFAS leaching from contaminated pavements into the surrounding environment.

"Kyle Doudrick’s appointment to the EPA's Science Advisory Board is outstanding news for public health and the environment," said Patricia J. Culligan, the Matthew H. McCloskey Dean of the College of Engineering. "His expertise on the critical environmental problems of microplastics and PFAS will be critical to protecting vital resources upon which we all depend."

Doudrick earned undergraduate and masters degrees in civil engineering at the University of Memphis. He completed his doctoral studies in environmental engineering at Arizona State University. He joined the faculty at Notre Dame in 2014.

To learn more about Notre Dame’s engagement in the nation’s capital, please visit the Washington Office website. To learn more about Doudrick’s research, read the story “The Forever Problem: A Real Mess,” produced by the Office of Public Affairs and Communications.

Contact

Erin Fennessy / Writing Program Manager

Notre Dame Research / University of Notre Dame

efenness@nd.edu / +1 574-631-8183

research.nd.edu / @UNDResearch / linkedin.com/company/undresearch

About Notre Dame Research

The University of Notre Dame is a private research and teaching university inspired by its Catholic mission. Located in South Bend, Indiana, its researchers are advancing human understanding through research, scholarship, education, and creative endeavor in order to be a repository for knowledge and a powerful means for doing good in the world. For more information, please visit NDR's website or NDR's LinkedIn.

Originally published by Erin Fennessy at research.nd.edu on April 30, 2026.

• 41% water savings via low-flow fixtures.
• LED lighting is 56% better than Indiana's energy code standard.
• A heat recovery system exists to capture waste heat to pre-cool and pre-heat air for the laboratories.
• 89% of the project waste was diverted from the landfill by separating waste streams where feasible, and engaging a local partner to separate co-mingled materials further.
• The geothermal campus heating water system was extended to the building to provide high-efficiency building heating and to move away from campus steam generation.
• 29% of the previously disturbed site area was restored with native or adapted vegetation.
• Biophilic design principles were incorporated with the exterior courtyard design, as well as bringing the site design into the building via layout, material selection, views of the exterior, and daylighting.
• Short- and long-term bicycle storage were provided alongside shower facilities to encourage building occupants to bike to campus.

Stay tuned for more news coming soon on the LEED-Platinum certification of McCourtney East.

On Earth Day, students, faculty, staff, and members of the Michiana community gathered for Notre Dame’s Third Annual Sustainability Celebration to honor the collective achievements of campus sustainability champions and recognize both external and internal partners who are part of Notre Dame’s ongoing journey to care for our common home. This year's gathering had a notable reason to celebrate: It's been ten years since Notre Dame's original Sustainability Strategy was published, and much has changed in the last decade.

During the celebration, University President Rev. Robert A. Dowd, C.S.C., offered reflections on the many sustainability achievements thus far, as well as the continuing work ahead for Notre Dame.

Reflections of progress

Before assuming his presidential role, Father Dowd was an original member of the Sustainability Strategy Standing Committee, which published the University’s first Sustainability Strategy a decade ago.

“Pope Francis’ encyclical Laudato si’ was a call to all of us, and we have done our best to answer that call,” he said.

Father Dowd reflected on his time as a member of the Committee and the process of envisioning possibilities for a more sustainable campus, saying, “We came up with all kinds of ideas, but of course, putting those ideas into action in the real world is the real heavy lifting.”

Father Dowd shared examples of the University’s commitment to sustainable endeavors, recounting the detailed work of special projects, including the hydroelectric facility and advancing decarbonization, achieving LEED building certifications, establishing sustainability-focused academic programs, and reducing food waste.

“We’re still at the very beginning of this work, and it’s going to be an ongoing effort to translate research and education into transformative action. I know, based on my conversation with Pope Leo, that [sustainability] matters to him,” said Father Dowd. “We must continue building on the legacy of Pope Francis and Laudato si’, ensuring that we are caring for our common home and caring for one another with special attention to those who are most vulnerable among us.”

Honoring external partners

Now in its seventh year, the External Partnership Sustainability Awards honored five campus partners. The award categories recognize the holistic nature of sustainability work, keeping in mind the three sustainability pillars: ecological, human, and economic health. Procurement Services and Notre Dame Sustainability presented repurposed slate roof tile plaques to five deserving organizations. The awardees were as follows:

Business Furnishings received the “Bridging to Business” Award. This recognition honors a local small business partner who not only provides the University with the highest level of customer service, but also serves as a model partner for other businesses in the region. Business Furnishings has consistently helped to repurpose and reuse furniture items from one project to another, saving money and supporting sustainability through circular use. Their work alongside the University has extended the lifespan of furniture across dozens of buildings and counting.

Leanpath received the “Innovative Food Solutions” Award. This company provides and supports the software and equipment that the University uses to track and categorize food waste in the Dining Halls. Using the Leanpath system, Notre Dame’s culinary teams receive real-time data to make informed decisions that help avoid food waste before it happens. Avoiding food waste through meal planning is considered one of the most effective ways to keep food out of the landfill.

Paramount Coffee was recognized for the “Human Rights and Social Responsibility” Award. Through this partnership, the University can serve coffee sourced directly from farms with traceable supply chains, supporting a respect for both the land and the people working on the coffee farms. Coffee is a crop that has considerable sustainability implications, and Paramount is a company dedicated to prioritizing both people and planet as a part of its business practices.

LiveRoof was honored with the “Resilience and Climate Impact Reduction” Award, which recognizes an outstanding partner whose work supports the areas of climate change mitigation and adaptation. Currently, Notre Dame has over 212,000 square feet of green roofs spanning across ten different buildings. Since 2009, LiveRoof has been instrumental in designing, installing, and maintaining these systems.

Finally, R&R Excavating was recognized with the “Operational Excellence” Award. R&R has been a major contributor to several sustainability projects executed by the University’s Utilities team, including South Campus Geothermal, ND Hydro, and West Campus Solar. Throughout these projects, R&R has acted as an extension of the University’s team, helping navigate complex challenges to deliver innovative and often collaborative solutions. This partner’s work aligns closely with the University’s long-term goals and operational mission. Their contributions have helped the University to reduce carbon emissions by 48% since 2005, as Notre Dame continues working to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050.

Recognizing internal sustainability champions

With the introduction of alcohol at the Stadium in fall 2025, it became critical to further refine the collection process of recyclable materials during game days and special events. Alcohol sales mean a higher number of recyclable materials are making their way into the Stadium—with the increased potential of not making it to a recycling bin. Collecting recyclables for large-scale events is no easy task; it is laborious work that requires dedication, consistency, and a desire for continuous improvement. Committed to reducing waste and increasing recycling collection, the Stadium Operations team stepped up to the challenge, increasing recycling by 80% from the 2024 to the 2025 football season. Through their efforts, the Stadium Operations team demonstrated the power of partnership to advance a common goal.

A wide variety of other internal partners were also recognized in verbal remarks, including student sustainability leaders such as the Sustainability Commissioners, Green Team members, and undergraduate and graduate student government leadership. Additionally, all current and past members of the Sustainability Strategy Standing Committee and Small Working Groups were recognized for their invaluable work to advance sustainability on campus.

As the University looks toward the future, the Third Annual Sustainability Celebration served as both a reflection on a decade of progress and a source of enthusiasm for the work yet to come. By honoring the synergy between innovative external partners and dedicated internal teams, coupled with the dedication of campus leadership, the University is well-positioned to meet the challenges of the next decade and beyond.

External Partner Sustainability Awardees are selected through an open nomination process for the Notre Dame Community. Students, faculty, and staff are eligible to nominate partners as a part of the annual process. Nominations are reviewed by a committee of students, faculty, and staff.

Year-round, Notre Dame Sustainability encourages the campus community to celebrate and elevate internal colleagues for consideration in our Sustainability Spotlight! You can nominate them to be featured in our monthly newsletter, The Green Ambassador. To stay up to speed with what is happening on campus, join the newsletter mailing list. Learn more about employee opportunities for sustainability involvement by visiting our staff and faculty resources page.

1. Tell us about yourself & your work on campus.

I am an electrical engineer with the Utilities department, where I’ve been since September of 2022. I support all things electrical in nature, like primary power to new construction, lighting controls installations and upgrades, power generation and distribution on campus, as well as a big focus on LED conversions across campus.

2. Share a bit about your work as it specifically relates to energy conservation work on campus.

I work a lot on LED conversions to existing buildings. To get the most payback, both financially and from an energy standpoint, we are working in phases of multiple buildings at once.

3. Can you share some examples of Notre Dame's energy conservation work?

We’ve successfully converted some of the larger buildings on campus, like Debartolo Hall and Stinson Remick, to LED by bypassing the existing ballast and putting in new LED lamps, which is way more cost-effective than a new LED fixture. We are targeting larger buildings that are primarily on/off lights to really maximize efficiency. We work closely with UND Maintenance and our campus partners to count and source the LED solutions, and run payback analysis. Once the payback analysis is complete, our campus partner, Navarre Services, gets to work. Another example is lighting controls – turning lights off when they aren’t in use. There’s some older versions that are now obsolete, leaving a lot of lights on 24/7. We are actively working to upgrade these to our current campus standard, and get back to using occupancy sensors to control lights, instead of relying on people to remember to turn them off, or having lights on 24/7, especially when not needed.

4. What is your favorite aspect of your job?

My favorite thing about my job is how many people on campus are impacted by what I do every day, but behind the scenes. There’s so much thought that goes into something seemingly simple, like lights turning on and off, to ensure they work when needed, but still making sure that it’s not wasteful. It’s great to work with so many people both in FDO and across campus that all have seemingly competing priorities, but coming together especially for these important sustainability projects.

5. What is one sustainability tip/action would you recommend people take on in their daily lives, whether at home or on campus, related to conserving energy and reducing emissions?

I myself have definitely focused on lights. At home, I always make sure we only have on the lights we need, and turn them off when leaving the room – even on campus in rooms where there’s a sensor or a timer – it may not seem like much, but 10 minutes of a handful of lights on in an empty room is a measurable amount of electricity used! It will add up.

6. What gives you hope for the future?

What gives me hope for the future is the little actions. It can feel really challenging at times, but seeing the work of others like those featured in the Sustainability Spotlight, some random advancement in medicine or technology, or even a small act of kindness. All of those little actions I can see every day are measurable, and every little action I can do is too, and I know I’m not alone in doing it. If we all keep going and keep doing the little measurable things, it may just add up to be enough to change the world.

Did you know? Notre Dame has achieved a 48% carbon reduction (2005), continuing on the path to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. Learn more about campus decarbonization by viewing our greenhouse gas emissions page.

Do you know an individual or team who should be highlighted for their sustainability work? Submit a nomination for them here! Their story may be shared on our monthly Green Ambassador newsletter.

In this episode of NDWorks Podcast, host Natalie Davis Miller sits down with Tony Polotto, the senior director of construction and quality assurance in the office of facilities design and operations. Polotto brings years of experience in a number of areas to our conversation about sustainability and green roofs on campus.

This episode of NDWorks Podcast was edited by Michael Wiens, with original music by Alex Mansour and additional music provided by Universal Production Music.

Originally published by Natalie Davis Miller, NDWorks at ndworks.nd.edu on April 27, 2026.

The Society for Freshwater Science has named Jennifer L. Tank, Ludmilla F., Stephen J., and Robert T. Galla Professor of Biological Sciences and Director of the Notre Dame Environmental Change Initiative, as the recipient of its 2026 Award of Excellence – the society's highest career honor.

The Society for Freshwater Science (SFS) is the leading international organization advancing the science of freshwater ecosystems – from organisms to landscapes – and connecting that science to resource managers, policymakers, and the public. The Award of Excellence is presented annually to a single recipient for exceptional and career-long contributions to freshwater science.

"Jennifer Tank’s career has had a profound impact on freshwater science, advancing our understanding of aquatic ecosystems while also shaping how that knowledge is applied in practice," said Steve Corcelli, William K. Warren Foundation Dean of the College of Science. "Her work stands out for its scientific depth and reach, bringing together researchers, policymakers, and communities to address urgent challenges in water quality and environmental stewardship. This honor is a fitting recognition of a career defined by excellence, collaboration, and lasting influence."

Tank has contributed significantly to the SFS via science leadership, service, and contributions to foundational and applied freshwater science. Notably, she served as the Society’s President in 2019, became an SFS Fellow in 2020, and received the SFS Environmental Stewardship Award in 2022.

"I am deeply honored to receive this recognition from a society that has shaped my scientific identity and where my students and postdocs have built theirs,” said Tank. “Innovative freshwater science has never been more urgently needed, and I am grateful to be recognized for work that bridges what we discover in the field with what land managers need to make better decisions. This award belongs to every student and collaborator who has ever waded into a stream with me."

Advancing Science at the Intersection of Agriculture and Freshwater

Tank's research contributions have advanced scientific understanding of the ecology and biogeochemistry of streams and rivers and have directly influenced stream management and policy. She has published more than 220 peer-reviewed journal articles and her research has been cited nearly 25,000 times.

Her research spans the fundamental processes that keep streams healthy – how nutrients cycle, how organic matter breaks down, how stream communities respire – as well as emerging challenges like the spread of antimicrobial resistance genes, the use of environmental DNA for species detection, and how Arctic systems are responding to a warming climate. Combining innovative field experiments, high-frequency monitoring, and modeling, her work addresses some of the most pressing questions in freshwater ecology.

A Career of Scientific Leadership and Mentorship: Translating Science into Action

A recognized leader in translational ecology, Tank has spent her career connecting science to real-world decisions and the people who make them – a commitment that was deepened by her experience as a Leopold Leadership Fellow.

Through the long-running Indiana Watershed Initiative, Tank has worked directly with farmers to demonstrate how conservation practices such as cover crops and two-stage ditches reduce nutrient loss from agricultural fields to streams. The results of her work have informed federal and state conservation policy and reflect her broader mission to find win-win solutions that reduce nutrient runoff while supporting the productive, profitable agriculture that feeds the world.

Tank earned her doctorate from Virginia Tech and served as a postdoctoral fellow on the first Lotic Intersite Nitrogen eXperiment (LINX) at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Throughout her career at Notre Dame, she has graduated 19 doctoral students, with four more doctoral students currently in progress, and has mentored 10 postdoctoral researchers.

Tank will be formally recognized at the SFS 2026 Annual Meeting in Spokane, Washington, in May 2026.

Originally published by Alex Hardy at environmentalchange.nd.edu on April 15, 2026.

Pope Francis’s 2015 encyclical, Laudato si’, subtitled “On care for our common home,” inspires Notre Dame’s approach to all this work, from food waste diversion, green roofs, and renewable energy to a new global alliance for sustainability research and education in partnership with the Vatican.

Whether biking to work, researching water quality, or managing campus recycling bins, every member of the Notre Dame community plays a part in our sustainability efforts. As University President Rev. Robert A. Dowd, C.S.C., recently said at Notre Dame’s sustainability summit in Rome, “Let us answer Pope Francis’s call to think boldly, to act courageously, and to work together to build a more just and sustainable world.”

Sustainability research, education, and action

In the academic core, this effort is led by the Just Transformations to Sustainability Initiative (JTS), one of several University-wide strategic initiatives that have been launched over the past two years as part of the framework. JTS brings together scholar-teachers from colleges, schools, centers, and institutes across campus with partners from around the world to advance transformative solutions for a more just and sustainable future.

Strong foundation

“Notre Dame has been engaged in sustainability research and education for many years across a wide range of disciplines, with important work already underway in many areas, from historians investigating the origins of climate change to freshwater ecology to sustainable built environments,” said John T. McGreevy, the Charles and Jill Fischer Provost. “The Just Transformations to Sustainability Initiative allows us to build on that foundation—bringing this work into closer conversation, strengthening partnerships, and extending the reach of our scholarship.”

Partnership with the Vatican

One significant development is Notre Dame’s selection as the lead university partner for the Vatican’s Laudato Si’ Center for Higher Education. In March, JTS and the center launched the Global Alliance for Laudato Si’, an international network of sustainability leaders in academia and beyond dedicated to supporting integral ecology and global sustainability.

They gathered for an inaugural meeting March 9–10 at the Laudato Si’ Village in Castel Gandolfo, the pontifical summer residence outside of Rome. Nearly 100 researchers and institutional leaders—representing more than 60 universities across Europe, Asia, the Americas, and Africa, as well as major international organizations—gathered to develop a shared research and action agenda and a long-term vision for the alliance.

“We feel that Notre Dame, a leading Catholic research university, is positioned to assist the Holy See in its objective to seek transformative change in a manner consistent with the best available science, as well as the foundational elements of integral ecology and integral human development,” said Arun Agrawal, JTS director and Pulte Family Professor of Development Policy in the Keough School of Global Affairs.

Regional and local efforts

In addition to global initiatives, JTS also strengthens regional collaboration through efforts such as the Midwest Sustainability Platform for Research and Curricular Innovation. This platform brings together leading universities across the Midwest to address region-specific challenges, including climate impacts, agricultural sustainability, and energy transitions. Through workshops and shared research agendas, participants identify opportunities for collaboration that enhance both local impact and broader systemic change.

Locally, JTS builds upon a strong foundation of existing partnerships across Notre Dame’s campus, including with several of Notre Dame’s colleges and schools and research centers and institutes such as ND Energy, the Environmental Change Initiative, and the Eck Institute for Global Health. Through its Nurturing Excellence in Sustainability program, JTS has invested in research collaborations co-produced and co-led by Notre Dame faculty and community leaders in South Bend.

Student engagement

In addition to spurring new collaborations that advance leading-edge research and knowledge creation, the initiative has created new programs aimed at cultivating and supporting a growing network of Notre Dame students dedicated to building a more just and sustainable world, both during their time at Notre Dame and through their future careers.

JTS launched a Sustainability in Action Fellowship and partnered with Notre Dame’s Institute for Educational Initiatives (IEI) and Office of Undergraduate Education to develop a week-long immersive learning course on the principles of integral ecology at Castel Gandolfo. Over spring break, faculty from the IEI traveled to Italy with a group of students to pilot the course, which explores the interconnected environmental, social, and economic dimensions of sustainability.

“The course was deeply meaningful to me, as it helped me see a clear path for integrating sustainability into both my future career and everyday life,” said Eleanor Smith, a civil engineering student who participated in the pilot. “Being in such a unique environment, reconnecting with nature and others, and engaging with the vision of Pope Francis was incredibly inspiring.”

Follow the latest developments at sustainabilityinitiative.nd.edu.

Striving toward a more sustainable campus

On the heels of Pope Francis’s encyclical Laudato si’, the University took a definitive step toward embracing integral ecology by publishing Notre Dame’s original 2016 Comprehensive Sustainability Strategy and further establishing small working groups to prioritize key focus areas of sustainability. Today, as Notre Dame celebrates a decade of impact since the strategy was first envisioned, the progress made across campus operations serves as a testament to the University’s collective commitment to care for our common home.

Operational sustainability at Notre Dame is not the work of a single office; rather, it is deeply integrated into the fabric of campus through units such as Facilities Design and Operations, Building Services, and Notre Dame Dining. By weaving sustainability into the daily functions of the University, Notre Dame has moved from high-level goals to tangible, measurable results. Reflecting on this decade of growth, four key areas stand out as pillars of operational success in our journey so far.

Decarbonization and energy transition

The University has made massive strides in campus decarbonization. Through an array of strategies—including the expansion of geothermal, the operation of the hydroelectric power plant at Seitz Park, solar arrays, and retrocommissioning buildings for efficiencies—Notre Dame has significantly reduced carbon emissions by 48 percent from the 2005 baseline.

Food waste recovery and diversion

Notre Dame recognizes the gift of food, and appreciates the intensive amount of human labor and natural resources needed to bring nourishment from the farm to the table. By implementing robust food waste diversion programs, including partnering with Cultivate Food Rescue and implementing the use of Grind2Energy systems and anaerobic digestion, the University has donated more than 453,000 meals to the surrounding community and diverted thousands of tons of organic waste from landfills.

LEED-certified buildings

Notre Dame’s physical landscape is evolving to meet the highest standards of efficiency and stewardship. While the campus footprint has grown by more than 22 percent, annual emissions have decreased by 25 percent over the past decade, thanks in part to the building standards that the Facilities Design and Operations team has established, which strive to achieve LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification. Today, the University has a portfolio of 26 LEED-certified buildings. Among many qualifying features, LEED-certified structures are designed to optimize water usage, minimize energy consumption through efficiency technologies, support human health, and reduce negative environmental impacts.

Expansion of green roofs

Across the campus skyline, a growing number of vegetative “green” roofs sit atop campus buildings. Over the past 10 years, green roofs have been established to cover 206,000 square feet of campus buildings. Green roofs—such as the expansive installation on the Joyce Center—do more than just provide aesthetic beauty from above. They have the capacity to manage stormwater runoff, reduce the urban heat island effect, support local pollinators, and provide natural insulation for the buildings.

The road ahead

Although campus sustainability efforts have come a long way, there is still much progress to be made. New climate action planning processes are underway, focusing on even more ambitious outcomes. Currently, Notre Dame Sustainability is partnering with key units across campus to continue work in campus food systems and landfill waste reduction. As the ND Sustainability team looks toward the next decade, it continues to be guided by its mission to ensure that Notre Dame remains a leader in operational sustainability.

Stay up-to-date with the latest operational sustainability news at green.nd.edu.

At Notre Dame, we are proud to serve farm-direct, single-origin Recreo Coffee in select on-campus retail locations, such as Decio Cafe and Charron Family Commons.

Farm-Direct means that this coffee is traceable to the exact farm it was grown in. Farm-Direct is an initiative begun in 2018 by Bob Fish, CEO of Biggby Coffee, and his wife Michelle. Together, they founded One BIGG Island in Space (OBIIS) as an entity that works on developing close relationships with responsible coffee farmers around the world, many of them with small family farms. They aim to ensure that producers can sell their coffee at fair prices that create financial stability for farmers, their families, and their communities while supporting a more resilient coffee supply chain. OBIIS has a rigorous process of vetting individual farm partners for their quality, sustainability, and labor standards, among other criteria.

El Recreo Estate is a family-owned farm in the mountains of Jinotega, Nicaragua. In 2019, it became one of OBIIS’s first Farm-Direct partners. It’s owned by Leana and Carlos Ferrey and managed by their daughter and her husband, Miriam and Hector Morales, who split their time between Nicaragua and Boston, where they own a cafe. The farm has produced premium coffee since 1972, with its roots in the civil war-torn community that it helped rebuild.

Recreo is a model of both social impact and environmental stewardship. They maintain their land’s health through soil and water management, reforestation and protection of their native ecosystem, and regenerative practices. They employ over 40 permanent families and about 200 seasonal workers, all of whom receive wages, free housing, and three shared meals a day. They ensure employees maintain a high standard of living, providing a school for children, a health center, and retirement housing. They constantly work to improve and expand available benefits.

Their Boston cafe, Recreo Coffee & Roasterie, is located in my own neighborhood of West Roxbury, only a short walk away from my house. The cafe has been referred to as the “living room of West Roxbury,” and for good reason. I remember spending afternoons here in high school and having the cafe be a popular meeting place for community organizations I was a part of. I was always so inspired by Recreo’s mission and the real ways they change people’s lives; my respect for them has only deepened as I’ve learned more.

The journey of Notre Dame’s Recreo Coffee looks a little different. Our beans are roasted just a few hours north of campus in Lansing, Michigan, at Paramount Coffee. This partnership helps shorten the supply chain by sending beans directly to the roaster, and ensures our coffee is always fresh.

The story of Recreo Coffee is one of hope, resilience, and community. We are honored to be a part of this story through our partnership with Paramount Coffee and are excited to see what the future holds for the Recreo family.

Call to Action

This week’s Call to Action is a simple one! Go and try Recreo Coffee.

Found at:

Charron Family Commons

Crossings

Decio Café

Originally published by Annika Singh at dining.nd.edu on April 15, 2026.

The good news? Sustainable eating doesn’t require a complete lifestyle overhaul. In fact, small, intentional, and consistent choices can have a meaningful impact. Here are a few easy ways to make your meals on campus more environmentally friendly:

Be Mindful at Self-Serve Stations

Dining halls offer flexibility and a variety of choices—but it’s easy to take more than you’ll eat. Start with smaller portions, even if you don’t fill up your whole plate, and always feel free to go back for seconds if you’re still hungry. This option is the magic of our buffet-style dining halls!

Build Your Plate with Purpose

Think of your plate as an opportunity to balance both nutrition and sustainability. To start, you can learn more about the powerhouse plant-based options at the dining hall salad bars. Adding edamame, chickpeas, or beans to your plate—just to name a few examples—can keep you feeling full for hours, give you the energy and nutrients you need, and cut down on your portions of animal proteins.

Go for “Low-Impact Swaps”

You don’t have to give up your favorite meals—just tweak them. Try choosing chicken instead of beef, or a veggie-packed pasta instead of a meat-heavy one. Even swapping dairy milk for oat or soy milk in your coffee can make a difference. This approach not only reduces your environmental footprint but also introduces more variety into your diet.

Think Seasonal and Rotational

Menus often shift with the seasons—take advantage of that! Seasonal foods typically require fewer resources to grow and transport. Trying what’s new or featured each week also helps diversify your diet and reduce reliance on the same high-demand ingredients.

Use Reusables When You Can

Whether you’re grabbing coffee or taking food to-go, opting for reusable containers, mugs, or utensils helps cut down on single-use waste. Look for the posters in retail locations, dining halls, and even academic buildings indicating that reusable coffee cups can be used here. When grabbing food to-go, having a reusable fork or straw in your bag means you don’t need to create extra waste with your meal. If eating a sit-down meal, bring your own container instead of relying on plastic to-go boxes for your leftovers. Keeping a reusable item in your backpack makes this an easy habit. Free giveaways on campus for travel mugs, reusable bags, and more make it an affordable one!

Combine Convenience with Conscious Choices

Short on time? Grab & Go doesn’t have to mean unsustainable. Look for items with minimal or recyclable packaging, or choose options that include more plant-based ingredients. Convenience and sustainability can go hand in hand.

Stay Curious

Sustainable eating is not about perfection—it’s about awareness and progress. Ask questions about where your food comes from, try new ingredients, and remain open to change. Moving towards a more sustainable future through our food is all about considering new options and trying to adopt new habits, even if it feels uncomfortable at first. The more informed your choices, the greater your impact.

Every meal is a chance to contribute to a more sustainable campus. By making thoughtful decisions, whether big or small, you’re helping shape a dining culture that supports both people and the planet.

Originally published by Annika Singh at dining.nd.edu on April 23, 2026.

April 15, 2026

For Ryan Juskus, assistant professor of the practice at the Institute for Social Concerns, the true cost of our global energy systems is best seen not in atmospheric charts but in the mines, extraction sites, and waste pits of marginalized areas like Appalachia or the Amazon.

As Juskus argues in a recent article, by focusing exclusively on the “hole in the sky,” we risk overlooking the immediate, existential crises occurring in “the holes in the ground.” He suggests these physical excavations are almost always accompanied by holes in our society: deep economic, social, and racial inequalities.

Juskus’s research explores the concept of “sacrifice zones”—geographic areas systematically degraded so that other parts of society can remain green and comfortable. Drawing on the insights of Black and Latin American theologians, he describes sacrifice zones as a form of “putting people on a cross.” In his framework, the goal of environmental justice is not merely to manage a global crisis but to “take people down from the cross” by restoring dignity and justice to the people in regions that have been sacrificed.

This approach reflects the etymological roots of the word sacrificium—to make sacred. Juskus argues that, by refusing to sacrifice a neighbor for a landfill or a power plant, the pursuit of environmental justice becomes a vital way to recognize and restore the sacredness of the human person.

“The vision of turning sacrifice zones into sacred zones reflects the narrative logic of Jesus’s love for creatures who are caught up in polluted ecologies of false sacrifice.” — Ryan Juskus

Juskus’s perspective aligns seamlessly with the approach to justice central to the Institute for Social Concerns and further contributes to its research. By prioritizing engagement with those most affected by injustice and examining questions of justice through the lens of Catholic social tradition (CST), the institute provides Juskus with interdisciplinary interlocutors who are bringing both their intellectual acumen and their faith commitments to bear on the most urgent signs of the times.

Since joining the institute in the fall of 2024, Juskus has developed courses that challenge students to interrogate their perspectives through the lens of CST. In his course Decarbonizing Catholicism, he bridges CST with the energy humanities—a field that examines how human culture and energy systems shape one another. The course asks a provocative question: To what degree was the development of CST influenced by the fossil fuel era of the Industrial Revolution? Conversely, Juskus pushes students to see how the Church’s ancient wisdom, which predates the steam engine, can serve as a guide for living well in a world after oil.

The connection between faith and justice solidified for Juskus during fieldwork in Birmingham, Alabama. There, he met an environmental justice activist named Sarah, whose commitment to Appalachia was rooted in a deep, personal spirituality. Sarah had participated in a series of projects across Appalachia organized by the Christian environmental organization Restoring Eden. When Juskus asked how she persisted against insurmountable opposition, she explained her belief that Jesus was to be found not in the halls of power but among vulnerable populations in North Birmingham and the mountains.

Juskus believes today’s students are hungry for this kind of good news—that the pursuit of environmental justice need not be opposed to faith commitments but can be an expression of them. “They see a world on fire,” he says. “They want to know what to say yes to.”

Juskus’s research suggests that environmental justice requires a fundamental shift in environmental politics, moving away from technocratic management toward a model grounded in human rights and human dignity. By synthesizing ethnographic fieldwork with theological analysis, his research at the Institute for Social Concerns is generating the critical insights needed to transform sacrifice zones into communities defined by their inherent sacredness.

Originally published April 15, 2026, at https://socialconcerns.nd.edu/happenings/institute-stories/.

Established by the late Pope Francis in 2016, the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development supports the Church’s worldwide efforts in the areas of human dignity and human rights, economic justice, care for creation, migration and displacement, as well as peace, conflict and humanitarian crises.

As a dicastery member, Father Groody will contribute to the body’s ongoing discernment process that will help orient the Church’s mission and priorities. He will continue in his roles at Notre Dame while serving the dicastery.

While numerous Notre Dame faculty members have served the Vatican as consultants to dicasteries and have been named to pontifical academies and commissions, Father Groody’s appointment is a distinct honor, noted University President Rev. Robert A. Dowd, C.S.C.

“To be called upon by the Holy See to serve in this capacity is a testament to Father Groody’s deep commitment to leadership in service of the most vulnerable among us. This appointment is also an affirmation of Notre Dame’s ongoing contributions to Catholic social thought, to integral ecology and to forming leaders dedicated to the common good,” Father Dowd said. “I am profoundly grateful for Father Groody’s dedication to the University and to the Church, and I am confident that his leadership will be a tremendous blessing as he helps to guide the Church in these areas.”

The most notable precedent in Notre Dame history is the appointment of then-President Rev. Theodore M. Hesburgh, C.S.C., as a member of the Pontifical Council for Culture by Pope St. John Paul II in 1983.

“I am truly honored and humbled by Pope Leo’s appointment,” Father Groody said. “My vocation is to serve, together with my colleagues at Notre Dame and around the world. The work of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development is vital to informing the Church’s response to the world’s most vulnerable people and the most pressing global challenges of our time.”

Father Groody’s academic and pastoral work has focused in part on migration, theology, refugees and human displacement — areas that are directly relevant to the mandate of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development. An internationally recognized expert on migration, Father Groody is also an award-winning author, teacher and documentary film producer. He has written four books and numerous articles and has edited or co-edited five books. His works have been translated into nine languages.

Father Groody’s most recent book, “A Theology of Migration: The Bodies of Refugees and the Body of Christ,” includes an introduction written by Pope Francis and received first-place recognition from the Catholic Press Association.

This announcement follows Father Groody’s appointment under Pope Francis in 2025 to the General Council of the Laudato Si’ Higher Education Center in Castel Gandolfo, which is now known as Borgo Laudato Si’.

In that role, Father Groody helps shape the vision, direction and formation of the center, as well as advising on initiatives and global partnerships. He also plays an essential role in Notre Dame’s recently announced partnership with the Vatican’s Laudato Si’ Center to establish a Global Alliance dedicated to integral ecology and global sustainability.

Contact: Carrie Gates, associate director of media relations, 574-993-9220, c.gates@nd.edu

Originally published by Carrie Gates at news.nd.edu on March 30, 2026.

Tell us about yourself & your work on campus.

I have been with the University since 2019, all with the Office of Residential Life. I started out as the Assistant Director for Summer Housing. In the fall of 2023, I had the opportunity to transition into my current role as Assistant Director for Residential Facilities. When I am not on campus, I am joyfully consumed with family life, cherishing moments with my wife and children…whether in the kitchen feeling inspired to try a new home recipe, or spending time outside enjoying what the natural world has to offer! In my current role, I serve as Residential Life’s key liaison to several campus partners in maintaining the buildings that house our storied hall communities, as well as coordinating transitions that occur with our living spaces. I do this work in support of the hall staff and students who reside in those hall communities.

Share a little bit about your work as it specifically relates to orchestrating move-out and the donations collection process.

When I transitioned into this role, the responsibility of student move-in and move-out also came into my area of responsibility. There was not just the responsibility of ensuring students had an efficient system of being able to park up at the hall, move out their belongings, and drive away to their next adventure; there also came a familiar partnership with Building Services in making possible a donations collection process.

When did move-out donations start, and how have you seen them improve over the past few years?

The move-out donations process started about one year prior to me taking on my current role. It began with our Goodwill Bin donation program in the halls, having large blue bins strategically placed in every residence hall community. Since then, we have explored, or streamlined, with key campus partners and organizations, additional donation opportunities universally in the halls. Those include, or have included: non-perishable food donations and leftover school supply donations. We have also utilized move-out donation processes beyond the large spring semester move-out, to include the December student move-out. I’m excited to see what more donation processes we can add to the halls in the future!

What are your favorite aspects of working on campus?

I feel I have too many aspects to list, especially working at Notre Dame. I really have enjoyed the opportunity in Residential Life to have the ability to change my scenery from day-to-day, visiting our residence halls as needed, related to my role. Some days are busier than others, but I enjoy the fast pace that comes with happenings in our department. I enjoy the vibrancy of our hall communities, especially the people I get to work with on a daily basis, to support our residential communities! I also appreciate the beauty and vibrance of our campus, no matter the season or weather.

How can campus constituents, whether it's students, faculty, or staff, support a more sustainable move-out process?

I think starting with our faculty and staff: give our students support and grace, especially as they live by the cadence of moving in and out of our halls each year. It can be stressful to manage finishing academic obligations and getting organized to move out of their space. The understanding and grace given to our students may allow them to take a moment to slow down, think, and consider the opportunities provided to them to make sustainability-related action a part of their move-out experience. Students feeling rushed may only see the dumpster as their fastest, easiest option to clear items from their room. A moment to consider donating a slightly used pair of shoes, the extra, unopened snacks that can’t fit in a bag, or any other items that might have a second life with someone else, is a moment we need. One small action by each of our almost 7,000 students moving out in May can add up to a larger impact on the greater community!

Is there a sustainability tip or action that you would recommend people take on in their daily lives, whether at home or on campus?

If you have sustainable resources offered to you, please use them. At home, I appreciate living in a municipality that offers curbside recycling and a large container to go with it. I feel our house recycles more than we throw away in the trash. I really enjoy having options on campus and at home to support recycling programs. If you don’t have the ability, or habit, at home to recycle, I recommend you give a chance at recycling when on campus.

Related to sustainability, what gives you hope for the future?

With increased initiative, creativity, and a willingness to give sustainable efforts a try, we can help folks, from all walks of life, find some sustainable action to commit to, whether that would be recycling, composting, gardening, walking… One person can’t do everything, but many people together can do one thing to continue the journey to a more sustainable world.

Did you know? During the 2025 spring move-out, students donated 38,960 pounds of items to Goodwill and nearly 700 pounds of non-perishable food to the local community! Learn more about campus move-out by viewing our move-out page. 

Do you know an individual or team who should be highlighted for their sustainability work? Submit a nomination for them here! Their story may be shared on our monthly Green Ambassador newsletter.

To signal the start and culmination of this celebration, the iconic Word of Life Mural at the Hesburgh Library will be illuminated in green on the evenings of April 1 and April 22.

Go Behind the Scenes with Earth Month Programming

This year, Notre Dame Sustainability has curated a unique lineup of programming designed for the campus community to connect with one another and learn about the vast projects that often go unseen to the everyday campus constituent. Students, faculty, and staff are invited to engage with the campus and explore its hidden systems. Featured events include: Joyce Center Green Roof Tours; Power Plant Tours; St. Mary’s Lake Litter Pick-Up; Campus Green Tours; and a specially-curated viewing at the Raclin Murphy Museum of Art, exploring the intersection of creativity and water—one of Earth’s precious resources.

A Landmark Year: Celebrating A Decade of Sustainability Impact

The year 2026 marks a significant milestone: a decade since the publication of Notre Dame’s original 2016 Sustainability Strategy. While we look toward the work that remains ahead of us, the past ten years have seen transformative growth. From significant strides in campus decarbonization and food waste mitigation to the expansion of LEED-certified buildings and green roof infrastructure, our collective progress is a testament to the University’s mission.

Join the Celebration

To honor these achievements and the partners who made them possible, Notre Dame Sustainability invites the campus community to the Third Annual Sustainability Celebration on April 22. At the celebration, attendees will have the opportunity to connect with fellow sustainability champions, celebrate both internal and external partnerships, and learn what’s on the horizon for sustainability at the University.

This year’s event carries special significance as we welcome University President Rev. Robert A. Dowd, C.S.C. Fr. Dowd’s connection to sustainability at Notre Dame is deep-rooted. As a founding member of the Sustainability Strategy Standing Committee and chair of one of the original working groups, he was instrumental in laying some of the groundwork for the progress we celebrate today. During the formal portion of the evening, Fr. Dowd will provide closing remarks and reflect on sustainability at Notre Dame.

We Want to Hear From You

As we prepare for the Third Annual Sustainability Celebration, we want to show appreciation to sustainability champions across campus working behind the scenes to carry out the critical work that makes Notre Dame more sustainable. We want to hear from the campus community: What does sustainability at Notre Dame mean to you? What progress are you most proud of? How do you feel most impacted by this work? Take a moment to express your sentiments or gratitude here for the opportunity to be featured.