New Penn State geography course examines what sustainability means

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — A new Penn State geography course is giving students the chance to question what sustainability means and how it can be practiced in everyday life.

"GEOG 340: Thinking Sustainably" is being offered for the first time this fall by faculty members Jared Whear, assistant research professor of geography, and Melissa Wright, professor of geography and of women's, gender and sexuality studies. The class combines readings, field trips and writing projects to explore how sustainability connects to issues such as inequity, environmental justice and the systems that shape daily life, from energy and water to land use

Whear said geography’s disciplinary breadth makes it a natural fit for this kind of work.

“Geography is uniquely positioned to tackle sustainability,” Whear said. “We straddle the physical sciences and the social sciences and even some of the humanities. We’re a bridge between the sciences and the arts, which makes us especially equipped to ask difficult questions about the environment.”

For Wright, the starting point is to push students beyond using sustainability as a catch-all term. She said the class encourages them to question its origins and implications.

“It’s about getting to the undergirding of what sustainability is — why do we think about it the way we do?” Wright said. “Sustainability for whom? That’s a critical question we’re trying to get at, and it’s not an easy one to answer.”

Classroom discussion is paired with site visits that show sustainability in action. Students most recently toured the Centre County Recycling and Refuse Authority, and they will spend time in community gardens and pollinator meadows. Guest speakers will add perspectives on local initiatives related to food systems and waste management.

Assignments are designed with the same intent. Each student is developing a proposal for a project tied to their own interests, such as food access or waste reduction. Wright said the goal is to make the work matter on a personal level.

“We are encouraging the students to focus on something they care about,” she said. “That way the work isn’t abstract. It connects directly to their lives.”

Fourth-year Earth Science major Sofia Sarracino said that approach has already been valuable.

“This class goes deeper into the ideas behind sustainability,” she said. “It’s helped me see how different perspectives connect with one another and how they shape the way we think about sustainability today.”

She added that the variety of perspectives has been one of the most useful parts of the class so far.

“It ties together modern issues, current events and foundational scholarship in geography,” she said. “It encourages us to bring in our own perspectives and experiences to advocate for change.”

The small class size this fall allows for close mentoring. Whear said the co-taught format lets both instructors spend time with individual projects as students define questions, gather examples and test approaches.

“We’ll work with each student as they develop their projects,” he said. “They’re not just learning about sustainability, they’re shaping their projects in ways that matter to them.”

Another emphasis is on communication. Students are practicing writing in multiple formats such as policy briefs and op-eds that prepare them to share ideas with audiences beyond academia. Wright said that teaching them to focus on process is just as important as producing a final product.

“We’re emphasizing writing as a process — sometimes a challenging process — but critical for getting your message across,” she said.

The instructors said they also address the climate concerns many students carry. Whear said the course meets that reality by emphasizing action.

“There’s so much to be pessimistic about,” he said. “But that’s not conducive to teaching our students. We want them to see the fragments of hope that exist for a more sustainable future.”

Wright called the tone “practical optimism” and tied it to the semester’s work.

“By the end, the students will have a vocabulary to discuss sustainability and the skills to put it into practice,” she said.

Whear summed up the aim for students as they finish the course.

“We want them to have confidence and practical optimism that they can work on projects or build more sustainable communities,” he said. “By the end, they’ll also have a toolkit to think critically about sustainability in a practical way.”