SustainableUMD News
Contact sustainability@umd.edu with story suggestions, partnership opportunities, or other feedback. There are three types of SustainableUMD News, explore each option to learn more. Contents:
Feature Stories
Feature stories highlight multi-year collaborative projects and visually explore the resulting improvements and opportunities for a more resilient and sustainable campus. Written by Office of Sustainability staff in partnership with the SustainableUMD Network, these stories celebrate the success of interdisciplinary efforts around campus.
Growing Gardens from Grants
C. Gallagher / Dec. 15, 2023
A $30,000 grant from the Sustainability Fund helps the Community Learning Garden grow to support learning, community, and food security at the university.
10-Years of Sustainable Food
C. Lundquist & E. Hightower / Nov 02, 2022
UMD’s award-winning Dining Services program has served as a leader for sustainability initiatives on campus for over a decade. Green Dining programs aim to educate the community while progressing UMD's carbon neutrality goal.
Measuring Campus Forest Carbon
E. Hightower / Oct 12, 2022
Forests and other green spaces provide important benefits to mental and physical health, education, and campus operations. Students and researchers at UMD partner to better understand forest carbon sequestration and flux.
A Year in Review: 2020-2021
E. Hightower / Mar 25, 2022
The University continues to strive for excellence in climate action, aiming to achieve the visions embodied in campus, community, and global sustainability goals. The 2020 calendar year highlights the University’s unwavering commitment to sustainability and climate action even as financial and social challenges mounted with the impacts of the global pandemic.
Building a Sustainable Future
S. DeLeon / Nov 18, 2020
Since sustainability is—in essence—about the future, thoughtful planning is an essential piece of creating a story that achieves the kind of visions embodied in campus, community, and global sustainability goals. At the local scale, UMD and partners in government and business are guiding that planning with a deep commitment to “smart growth.”
Articles
Articles highlight specific departments and people who lead, collaborate and complete the necessary, ongoing work that drives UMD’s progress in sustainability.
Six Sustainability Stories from Terps who Changed UMD
T. Brinks & N. Pilsbury / Apr 17, 2025
Six inspiring Terps and the sustainability programs they've made- how students, staff, and faculty continue to shape our campus sustainability culture.
Engineering a Reduced-Waste Future: Terrapin Works and ENES100 Sustainable Strides
N. Pilsbury / Feb 5, 2025
Students and faculty in the A. James Clark School of Engineering are learning to couple engineering and sustainability through two creative Sustainability Fund projects.
More Than Just a Golf Course: Restoring UMD's Golf Course to an Educational Biodiversity Garden
N. Pilsbury / Nov 6, 2024
The UMD Golf Course converts part of the golf course into an inviting outdoor classroom featuring native and pollinator friendly plants.
Since 2018, Student Concern for the Environment has Increased
D. Frye / Sept 27, 2024
A new report measuring sustainability values, attitudes and behaviors of first-year students reveals an increased concern for environmental issues and the importance of reducing environmental impact.
Tiny Bugs, Big Impact
C. Gallagher / Feb 28, 2024
Supported by the Sustainability Fund, entomology graduate student leads collaborative education and outreach about the importance of protecting insect biodiversity to support ecosystem services that are essential to every field of study at UMD.
Growing Gardens from Grants
C. Gallagher / Dec 15, 2023
A $30,000 grant from the Sustainability Fund helps the Community Learning Garden grow to support learning, community, and food security at the university.
Funding for the Future: Internships, Biodiversity, and more!
R. Rodriguez / May 01, 2023
More than $230K awarded in 2022-2023 grant cycle towards sustainable operations, academics, and research. Learn how and when to submit a sustainability fund proposal.
Pedaling for the SDGs: SustainableUMD’s New Outreach Bike
S. Holt / Apr 21, 2023
A new tool for engagement in the Office of Sustainability, the Outreach Bike adds mobility and addresses one of the grand challenges on our campus: sustainability and climate action.
Getting Greener: Sustainability Fund Updates in Fall 2022
E. Hightower / Aug 29, 2022
In 2021-2022, seven projects were awarded $200K to address sustainable food, student outreach, forest carbon, and more. New developments to the Sustainability Fund will increase grant opportunities.
Terp to Terp Campus ReUse Store
E. Hightower / Sep 01, 2022
Terp to Terp encourages social responsibility by offering opportunities to reallocate useful items to individuals in need, preventing landfill waste and saving the University and students money.
In Case You Missed It
“In Case You Missed It” articles (or ICYMI) highlight recent SustainableUMD events, share campus resources, and provide information on upcoming opportunities to engage with UMD's sustainability work.
Maryland Day Highlights: Sustainable Activities Hosted by the Office of Sustainability
M. Wang / April 26, 2025
Celebrating Culture and Sustainability at the Heritage Community Fashion Show
M. Wang / April 3, 2025
The Office of Sustainability Tables at the Terp-to-Terp Open Shop
S. Page / Mar. 8, 2023
