UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Through their ongoing partnership, Penn State Sustainability and the Pennsylvania GreenGov Council will once again present a monthly webinar series to educate government officials, students and faculty about sustainability issues and progress across the commonwealth. This year’s series kicks off at noon on Friday, Oct. 17, with a discussion on the benefits of microgrids.
“The GreenGov Council is grateful for this ongoing partnership with Penn State Sustainability, and the platform for learning that it provides,” said Mark Hand, director of the GreenGov Council. “The opportunity to showcase the work sustainability professionals are accomplishing on Pennsylvanians’ behalf is invaluable, and we’re looking forward to another enriching series of webinars.”
This year's program features experts from across Pennsylvania and Penn State:
-
Friday, Oct. 17, noon: "Building Sustainability and Resiliency in Pennsylvania with Microgrids"— Chad Willis, vice president of the Allegheny County Airport Authority, and Brittany Prischak, director of the Allegheny County Department of Sustainability, will discuss the benefits of microgrids and how renewable energy can improve resiliency, efficiency and sustainability.
-
Friday, Nov. 21, noon: "Forestry in Penn’s Woods: Managing for Health and Resilience in a Changing Environment" — Seth Cassell, Pennsylvania state forester and director of the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources' Bureau of Forestry, will talk about forestry actions and best practices in making Pennsylvania’s forests more resilient.
-
Friday, Jan. 16, 2026, noon: "Sustainable Lab Consultants Program: Reducing Environmental Impacts and Energy Use in Laboratories" — Krista Bailey, associate director for sustainable campuses, and Jack Rumery, assistant director for staff education, both of Penn State Sustainability, will discuss how an innovative evolution of the national MyGreenLabs certification program at Penn State is reducing labs’ footprint and costs while training students to be the next generation of leaders in sustainable lab management.
-
Friday, Feb. 20, 2026, noon: "Health & Healthcare Access: Resources for Rural Pennsylvania" — Lisa Davis, director of the Pennsylvania Office of Rural Health at Penn State, will highlight actions being made and services created to enhance the health status of rural Pennsylvanians and ensure that rural residents have access to high-quality, affordable health care.
-
Friday, March 20, 2026, noon: "Emerging Water Issues in PA: Managing Pollutant Threats" — Sherri “Sam” Mason, director of Project NePTWNE at Gannon University, and Heather Preisendanz, professor of agricultural and biological engineering and director of the Institute for Sustainable Agricultural, Food and Environmental Science at Penn State, will talk about how awareness of novel pollutants like microplastics and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) or “forever chemicals” has raised new questions about safely managing this critical resource and reducing the threats to human health and ecological integrity.
-
Friday, April 24, 2026, noon: "Celebrating Environmental Sustainability Around the State: An Earth Week 'Popcorn' Session" — In honor of Earth Month, experts from across Pennsylvania will celebrate progress being made to build healthier, more resilient communities that work for all. They'll discuss exciting leadership and innovation from multiple communities and sectors that will inspire participants to join the effort to make Pennsylvania more sustainable.
Monthly webinars are free and open to all. Pre-registration is required at this link.
About the GreenGov Council
The GreenGov Council was reestablished by executive order in January 2019 to help the state reach its climate goal of an 80% reduction of net greenhouse gas emissions from 2005 levels by 2050. Housed within the Pennsylvania Department of General Services, the council helps to integrate sustainability into the commonwealth’s policy, planning, operations, procurement and regulatory functions.
The GreenGov Council approached Penn State Sustainability in 2019 to develop ways in which Penn State can support the state government’s sustainability efforts. Together they have offered this webinar series since 2020 to help state and local government employees, non-profits and university faculty and students explore opportunities to further Pennsylvania’s sustainability goals.
For any additional questions or comments regarding registration or webinar content, contact the GreenGov Council at RA-GSGreenGov@pa.gov or Peter Boger at pgb45@psu.edu.