In December the Morris Campus Student Association (MCSA), with support from the Office of Sustainability and Sodexo, hosted a Sustainability Forum to celebrate the diversity of sustainability activity happening across campus and the community of Morris. Faculty, students, staff, alumni, and community members were invited to attend the event and share information about their projects.
“The energy was fantastic,” said Noelle Muzzy ’23, one of the MCSA leaders who coordinated the event. “I was floored by how many people showed up to celebrate and learn about our community work! We filled Turtle Mountain Cafe with participants. Sustainability is an important part of our campus culture, and this was just more evidence of that reality.”
The night started with table presentations featuring twelve presenters. Each table had a small sign indicating the topic of conversation at the table, so attendees could choose a spot. Discussions included topics like students-led projects on campus, sustainability-related careers of alumni, and research conducted by UMN Morris faculty.
The presentations went beyond just what is happening on the Morris campus. There was also representation from the UMN West Central Research and Outreach Center (WCROC), the City of Morris, and Stevens County. Attendees included leaders in the Morris community who had never come to campus before.
“It was incredible to have so many diverse presenters representing sustainability progress in agriculture, green chemistry, environmental justice and equity, and more,” commented Muzzy.
After the table presentations and discussion, a panel of experts with different viewpoints in sustainability was held. Panelists included Michael Reese (WCROC), Clement Loo (UMN Morris), Sydney Bauer ’19 (Stevens County and City of Morris), and Griffin Peck ’22 (UMN Morris). Together they answered questions from the audience about different aspects of their work and the idea of sustainability. Highlights of the conversation included exploring the challenges of carbon capture, how hydrogen and ammonia can be used to store energy, and a dramatic storytelling of what happens to our garbage in Stevens County.