UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The Penn State College of Arts and Architecture has named its fifth cohort of Sustainability Fellows, which comprises graduate students representing disciplines across the college.
Sustainability Fellows receive up to $500 for conference registration and associated travel to support the integration of sustainability competencies into their research and pedagogy, and participate in the Sustainability Teaching Roundtable Series, Sustainability Research Get-Together, and Sustainability Showcase organized by Mihyun Kang, director for sustainability in the College of Arts and Architecture.
In 2024, the college made a strategic shift to focus on graduate students, which Kang said reflects the commitment to advancing sustainability in education and tailoring the college’s efforts to address graduate students' unique needs and perspectives for interdisciplinary engagement.
The fifth cohort includes graduate students Aisa Shams, Architecture; Hanin Othman, architecture; Parinaz Mansourimajoumerd, architecture; Tiffanie Leung, architecture; Diana Albuja Carbonell, landscape architecture; Yuxiang Dong, landscape architecture; Simin Zargaran, art education; Tawsif-Al-Mehran, art education; Yi-Ning Zhao, art education; Venus Bayat, visual arts.
The cohort will serve as presenters for the Sustainability Research Get-Together, which provides an opportunity for faculty, staff and students to become acquainted with each other, learn about sustainability research from peers, and explore potential interdisciplinary collaboration.
Key sustainability event dates, times and locations for the 2025-26 academic year are as follows:
- Sustainability Fellows Orientation, Sept. 3, 2025, 10 a.m.-11a.m., Borland Project Space
- Sustainability Teaching Roundtable Series, Oct. 8, 2025, Noon-1:30 p.m., Borland Project Space and Feb. 18, 2026, Noon-1:30 p.m., Borland Project Space
- Sustainability Research Get-Together, Nov. 19, 2025, Noon-2 p.m., Borland Project Space and April 8, 2026, Noon-2 p.m., Borland Project Space
- Sustainability Showcase Exhibition, April 1-April 16, 2026, Reception: April 9, 2026, Time TBD, Borland Project Space
- Sustainability Fellows Reflection, April 22, 2026, 10-11 a.m., Borland Project Space.
For more on sustainability efforts in the College of Arts and Architecture, including links to prior presentations, visit the college's sustainability website.