‘Part of the Solution’ – Georgetown’s Interdisciplinary Graduate Programs’ Connection to the Environment & Sustainability

For several decades, Georgetown University has been working toward a more sustainable campus community, from solar panels installed on the roof of the Intercultural Center in 1984, to new climate-focused courses and majors.

In 2022, the Georgetown community marked a major milestone with the launch of the Earth Commons—Georgetown University’s Institute for Environment & Sustainability. The Graduate School of Arts & Sciences partnered with the McDonough School of Business and Earth Commons (ECo) to launch a joint Master of Science in Environment and Sustainability Management. And this year, the school is joining forces again to launch a new interdisciplinary master’s degree focused on the environment and international affairs.

The Graduate School works closely with the Earth Commons, which seeks to shape the future of the planet through sustainability research, education and actions across campus, and to cultivate future leaders in the fields of environment and sustainability.

“I have been impressed by the innovative work of the Earth Commons over the past several years, and by the number of exciting cross-university initiatives they have spearheaded,” said Alexander Sens, dean of the Graduate School of Arts & Sciences. “From new undergraduate and master’s degrees to other exciting initiatives at Georgetown and across the globe, their energy and creativity are inspiring.”

Explore the Graduate School’s interdisciplinary environmental graduate programs that faculty are developing, new research projects by ECo postdoctoral fellows, and efforts by an alumna and current graduate student leader to care for our common home.

An Environmental Hub

Over the past few years, the Graduate School has developed new interdisciplinary programs to form future leaders on the world’s most pressing climate issues.

Pete Marra, dean of the Earth Commons, looks forward to expanding educational programs with the launch of the Master of Science in Environment & International Affairs this fall, an interdisciplinary degree developed in collaboration with the School of Foreign Service. This one year program is designed with practical implications in mind: to develop future leaders who can help solve pressing environmental issues grounded in an understanding of the scientific and political factors at play.

The Earth Commons (ECo) is also developing partnerships for internships and career advising in the Capitol area, enhancing students’ professional opportunities and networks, as they expand their presence on the Capitol Campus in downtown Washington, DC.

“Our focus on the environment and sustainability throughout our academics and operations honors the university’s commitment to Jesuit values,” says Marra, an ornithologist and conservation biologist. “It empowers students, faculty and staff to contribute meaningfully to environmental sustainability and stewardship, fostering positive impacts on campus and beyond.”

Last year, the Graduate School, along with ECo and the McDonough School of Business, welcomed a second, larger cohort of Environment and Sustainability Management (ESM) students and launched the bachelor’s in Environment & Sustainability program.

Kerrie Carfagno, the program director for the master’s in ESM and associate teaching professor in the McDonough School of Business, said the program recognizes the importance of understanding both the business and scientific aspects of the world to address climate change.

She uses renewable energy as an example:

“It is a business with traditional aspects — profit, sunk costs, ROI, supply chain — but it’s also something that needs to be understood at a scientific level to optimize wind patterns and power transmission, as well as the social justice issues of affordable energy and where neighborhood coal plants were allowed to be built beside,” she says. “We also have to look at both regional and federal policies that slow or enable growth.”

Carfagno also notes that an interdisciplinary understanding of relevant topics motivates both her graduate and undergraduate students to want to make a positive impact in the world.

Students in Action

Every graduate program at Georgetown seeks to create opportunities for students to pursue solutions that make an impact on the real world. Meet an alumna doing policy analysis in DC and a current student serving in a leadership role in GradGov, Georgetown’s graduate student government, who are both active in their advocacy for sustainability and environmental protection.

Passion for Policy

As a kid, Emily Prest (G’23) visited Mount St. Helens Volcano in Washington state. She knew then that she wanted to learn more about environmental science. Prest went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in environment and sustainability from Cornell University and wanted to pursue a career in environmental policy.

By her senior year, Prest knew that she wanted to continue in her studies, which led her to the Master of Science in Environmental Metrology & Policy program at the Graduate School. It would provide the knowledge and hands-on training she needed, including a 10-week summer internship at the National Institute of Standards and Technology or the Environmental Protection Agency. The proximity to policymakers in the nation’s capital was also a major factor. After graduate school, Prest was hired to work as a research and policy analyst at Forbes Tate Partners in DC; she is now a Legislative Analyst at the Association of American Medical Colleges .

During Earth Month, Prest likes to spend time connecting with nature and engaging in outdoor activities. She also takes time to assess her own environmental impact in the past year and identify ways to be more eco-friendly. Prest urges people to learn different ways to protect the environment and call on lawmakers to support environmentally friendly policies.

“I am reminded that it is up to the generations of today to protect the environment for those of tomorrow,” says Prest.

Focused on Planetary Management

Sebastian Grajales (G’26) is a part-time master’s student in the Emergency & Disaster Management program at the School of Continuing Studies. They grew up in Colombia and completed their bachelor’s in government and international relations at Universidad Externado de Colombia.

Grajales was drawn to Georgetown because of their interest in becoming a global leader to manage the Planetary Emergency, a strategic approach to better understand and manage the Earth’s biological, chemical and physical processes. They were already a vocal advocate for protection of the planet, working in a variety of positions to support their local communities’ climate efforts. The urgency of managing climate change inspired them to pursue finding solutions to the crisis.

During Earth Month, Grajales has helped Georgetown launch the first-ever Earth Month agenda with educational events throughout March and April. Additionally, they constantly seek out information on Planetary crises, use sustainable products and vote on climate and environmental proposals.

Grajales currently serves as the Americas regional organizer for The Climate Reality Project, founded by former U.S. Vice President Al Gore, and volunteers on campus as the co-director of the Energy, Environment & Sustainability Committee for GradGov.

They recommend that we each take a moment to stop and think about our answer to the following question: What am I doing to save the planet?

Researchers on the Forefront

Integral to enacting change for the environment are the people dedicated to research and scholarship. Meet two of the Earth Commons’ postdoctoral fellows: one who is working at the intersection of peace studies and urban planning, and another who advocates for practitioners not only to be viewed as scientists but individuals invested in the betterment of their community.

Inaugural ECo Fellow, MIT Grad

One of the two inaugural fellows at the Earth Commons, Silvia Danielak is originally from Dusseldorf, Germany. She completed her Ph.D. at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology after earning her master’s in design studies from Harvard and an M.A. in international affairs from SciencesPo in Paris, France.

Her doctoral studies focused on urban and regional planning, infrastructure building, environmental management and their roles in peacebuilding strategies. Danielak has a variety of experiences working in the field of international development.

She is currently working on a research project with Professor Meredith McKittrik in the Department of History, who teaches courses on environmental history and environmental justice, among other topics. Together, they are looking at social imaginaries and contestation around the decarbonization infrastructure in Morocco and Namibia, for which they received the 2023 ECo Impact Award.

This summer, Danielak will be joining the faculty at George Mason University as an Assistant Professor at the Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution.

Interdisciplinary Scientist and Scholar

A marine visual ecologist, Tom Iwanicki completed his Ph.D. in zoology at the University of Hawaii at Manoa. Originally from Calgary in Alberta, Canada, Iwanicki completed his undergraduate studies at the University of Victoria. He is completing his first year of the ECo postdoctoral fellowship.

His research focuses on the survival strategies of neuston, surface-dwelling animals, an often overlooked community, he says. Drawing on multiple disciplines, such as physics, oceanography, biology, ecology and engineering, Iwanicki’s research explores the benefits and drawbacks of neuston camouflage techniques to avoid predators both above and below water. They are largely affected, he says, by human impacts, including marine debris that most often manifests in gyres, more infamously known as garbage patches. 

“I advocate for a holistic approach to science, where practitioners are viewed not merely as ‘scientists,’ but as individuals with ties to their communities,” Iwanicki says. “Whether through outreach, education, advocacy or influencing policy, I firmly believe that scientists have a significant role to play beyond data analysis and reporting.”

While he has another year left in the fellowship, Iwanicki hopes to launch his research in visual ecology and teaching at the university level.

Looking Ahead

Interdisciplinary expertise is one of the biggest focuses at the Earth Commons. As climate change, biodiversity loss and other compound environmental issues continue to persist, it will require more than just a one-dimensional solution to issues that affect every species on the planet.

Awareness is the first step, and Georgetown has launched numerous eco-friendly initiatives for students to engage with across campus, like the Hoya Harvest Garden and NatureRx, and hosted joint event series, like Voices on the Environment and the Earth Month Series.

In the next few years, Dean Marra hopes to continue the meaningful work that the Earth Commons has been doing.

“Our students want to be part of the solution,” Marra says. “It’s just the right thing to do: people look at Georgetown to lead. We can, and we will.”

– By Jessica Marr (G’19) and Maya Nguyen