UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The Penn State Sustainable Labs Program has concluded its fourth year, continuing to expand its reach across campuses while advancing efforts to reduce the environmental impact of research spaces.
The 2025-26 cohort included 20 labs spanning multiple colleges, with seven labs recertifying after participating in the program’s inaugural 2022-23 cohort. The program supports research teams in adopting sustainable practices without compromising scientific discovery, with participation remaining free to all labs.
“We know that research labs are some of the most resource-intensive spaces on campus, so the opportunity to reduce impact without compromising discovery is both urgent and practical,” said Jack Rumery, Penn State Sustainability’s assistant director for a sustainable workplace and Sustainable Labs Program director.
This year also marked the introduction of My Green Lab’s updated 2.0 platform, which provided a more responsive interface and expanded tools for tracking sustainability progress. Through the platform’s impact estimator, participating labs reported saving more than $100,000 and reducing approximately 500 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions through behavior-based changes.
“The new My Green Lab 2.0 platform provided a more responsive central hub for labs to refer to throughout the year and helped us quantify the changes that we knew were being implemented,” Rumery said.
The program continues to emphasize student engagement through its Sustainable Lab Consultant (SLC) model, where students work directly with labs to implement sustainable practices.
“The Sustainable Lab Consultant model is where the program really comes alive,” Rumery said. “Our students aren’t just learning about sustainability — they’re playing a critical role in transforming the culture of research.”
Krista Bailey, Penn State Sustainability’s associate director for campus sustainability and Sustainable Lab Consultant trainer, said the program focuses on a significant opportunity within higher education.
“This program addresses the lowest-hanging fruit: energy-intensive research operations,” Bailey said. “At Penn State, we are addressing it through education and supporting informed, responsive actions.”
They added that the program not only impacts lab operations but also equips students with practical skills.
“Their impacts can be seen and measured, and the personal impacts include confidence, increased knowledge about sustainability, project planning, data collection and analysis, and communication skills,” Bailey said.
Industry partnerships expand program reach
In fall 2025, the program hosted its inaugural Industry Advisory Board event, “Industry Day,” bringing together industry leaders, graduate researchers, campus partners and undergraduate consultants.
The event helped strengthen connections between student learning and industry expertise while shaping a long-term vision for sustainable research spaces. Advisory board members also contributed through webinars, case studies and direct consultation in areas such as green chemistry.
Labs earning certification
The following labs and principal investigators earned certification or recertification this year.
- College of Agricultural Sciences
- Carolee Bull
- Stephen Chmely
- Gary Felton
- College of Earth and Mineral Sciences
- Enrique Gomez
- Zuleima Karpyn
- Stephanie Law
- Joshua Robinson
- Hilal Ezgi Toraman
- Eberly College of Science
- Charlie Anderson
- Cui-Zu Chang
- Paul Cremer
- Danielle Hickey
- Chris Keating
- Zhiqiang Mao
- Randall McEntaffer
- Penn State Schuylkill
- Mary Ann Smith (Schuylkill Biology Lab Suite)
- College of Health and Human Development
- Helen Kamens
- College of Engineering
- Zhiwen Liu
- Penn State Behrend
- Michelle Phelps (Biology Prep Lab)
- Institutes of Energy and the Environment
- Odette Mina (The Environmental Contaminants Analytical Laboratory and Center for Quantitative Imaging)
Building a culture of sustainability in research
Participants emphasized that sustaining these efforts requires ongoing commitment as lab personnel and research priorities progress.
“Research labs constantly evolve as students graduate and researchers move on, so sustainable practices need to be intentionally renewed and passed forward,” said Tara Mather, research technologist in the Anderson Lab in the Department of Biology. “Programs like this help ensure those habits remain part of lab culture.”
Mather added that many of the most impactful changes were accessible and inexpensive.
“Many of the most meaningful improvements came from simple behavior changes that cost little or nothing,” she said. “Once people understand the impact, they are eager to participate.”
Students involved in the program also highlighted the importance of communication and collaboration in implementing change.
“Being an SLC taught me that communication can go a long way when it comes to taking action,” said Elisabeth Ervin, a third-year student studying environmental systems engineering and a senior Sustainable Lab Consultant. “Being able to align the goals of the program with the workflow and needs of the lab made it easier to implement sustainable changes.”
Looking ahead
Since its launch in 2022, the Sustainable Labs Program has grown every year in both impact and involvement.
“What began as a pilot has evolved into a multi-campus network of labs and students, showing that sustainability can effectively be embedded into research culture rather than treated as an add-on,” Rumery said.
Applications for the 2026-27 cohort are open on a rolling basis through the summer until capacity is reached. More information and the application link are available on the Penn State Sustainable Labs website. Questions can be directed to Jack Rumery at jackery7@psu.edu.