Top 10 Campus Sustainability Moments of 2023

Many people and projects from across campus advanced sustainability at NC State in 2023. Here are a few of our favorite moments from the past year.

NC State’s Physical Master Plan Released

The university’s Physical Master Plan, Framing the Future, was completed in Fall 2023. This far-reaching plan will guide and align the growth and development of campus buildings, grounds and infrastructure with the university’s Strategic Plan. Stewarding campus resources is one of the guiding principles of the new Physical Master Plan.

Sustainability Stewards Celebrate 10th Anniversary

The Sustainability Stewards leadership program celebrated 10 years of impactful action. Established in spring 2013 and coordinated by the University Sustainability Office, more than 130 students have helped cultivate a culture of sustainability at NC State as a Steward.

New Just Communities Lab Formed

Kofi Boone, a professor in the Department of Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning, has formed a new lab at NC State that uses design and planning as a tool to address environmental justice concerns. 

Plant Sciences Building Achieves LEED Gold

The NC State Plant Sciences Building became the eighteenth university construction or renovation project to earn Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification.

Sustainability Fund Awards $176,703 to Campus Projects

Thirteen sustainability projects were selected from a record-setting number of submissions to receive $176,703 in grants from the student-let advisory board of NC State’s Sustainability Fund.

Pack Essentials Hub Finds a Home

NC State’s Pack Essentials program has been setting students up for success since 2018 by helping them meet their basic needs, including food, housing and more. For the first time since its inception, the program has a physical home in North Residence Hall.

Sustainability Welcomes Largest Cohort to Internship Program

The University Sustainability Office welcomed 28 students to its Campus As A Classroom internship program for the 2023-2024 academic year.

Student-Designed Garden Spaces

Three new campus gardens designed by the Sustainability Stewards were unveiled to enhance mental and physical wellness by encouraging the Wolfpack to go outside and relax by pollinator-friendly plants and herbs. There’s also a new garden near D.S. Weaver Laboratories and a transformed landscape near Wood Residence Hall that were both designed and built by students.

Waste Solutions Win Big at 2023 Make-A-Thon

Five teams focusing on waste management split $6,500 in prize money at the 2023 Make-A-Thon, NC State’s annual sustainability innovation competition.

The Corner Opens On Centennial Campus

Built with sustainability as its foundation, a new open-air community space opened at the intersection of Main Campus Drive and Research Drive to support engagement and outdoor relaxation.

Have ideas for new projects and initiatives in 2024? Let us know, apply for a sustainability project grant or get involved with an existing sustainability program.

This post was originally published in Sustainability News.