Sustainability Innovation Showcase - March 11, 2025
The Boston campus has a full day of programming on March 11—attend the entire event to get the most out of the experience or select the sessions that fit your schedule. Whether you want to hear from experts in AI and sustainability, watch student innovators pitch bold ideas, or explore groundbreaking projects at the Expo, there’s something for everyone.
Check out the full schedule and join us in person or virtually to be part of the conversation.
Plan Your Day
11:00 AM - 12:30 PM
Welcome and Keynote Panel Discussion:
The Intersection of Sustainability and AI
Location: Curry Student Center Ballroom (Boston Campus) & Virtual
12:45 PM - 1:30 PM
Sustainable Campus Innovation Competition:
Student Finalist Presentations and Awards Ceremony
Location: Curry Student Center Ballroom (Boston Campus) & Virtual
1:30 PM - 3:00 PM
Sustainability Innovation Expo and Light Refreshments
Location: Curry Student Center 2nd Floor (Boston Campus)
Events Across the Global Network
Share your experience using #NUSIW2025 and tag @sustainablenu on Instagram!
Tackling Plastic Pollution – From Microplastics to Systemic Solutions
Virtual from Boston, MA
Date: March 10, 2025
Time: 11am ET
Location: Zoom
"Plastic pollution is one of the most urgent environmental challenges that has significant local and global implications. How is Northeastern being a part of the solution?
This panel brings together experts addressing plastic pollution at multiple scales. Dr. Aron Stubbins will explore the science behind microplastics—how they travel through air, water, and even into our bodies. Megan Curtis-Murphy will highlight Northeastern’s efforts to reduce single-use plastics on Northeastern’s campus, while Johnathan Berard of Beyond Plastics will share national advocacy and legislative efforts to combat plastic pollution. Dr. Maria Ivanova will round out the panel by examining global policy solutions needed to curb plastic production and waste.
Don’t miss this discussion that will connect scientific research, policy action, and institutional leadership. Attendees will gain valuable insights into how different sectors can work together to rethink plastic use and waste. Join us for an engaging conversation and discover how you can be part of the solution.
Strengthening Local Climate Action Through Research Partnerships
Virtual from Boston, MA
Date: March 10, 2025
Time: 1pm ET
Location: Zoom
Join us for a dynamic discussion with Boston-based environmental leaders on how local advocacy is advancing despite federal challenges and where research partnerships can play a role. Panelists include Dwaign Tyndal, Executive Director of Alternatives for Community & Environment, and Armani White, co-founder of Reclaim Roxbury, with Vatic Kuumba, co-director of One Square World, moderating. They will share community priorities, from climate resilience to environmental justice, and explore how institutions like Northeastern can support grassroots efforts through research, policy analysis, and collaboration.
Fossil-Fuel Free Buildings Coming to Northeastern University
Virtual from Boston, MA
Date: March 10, 2025
Time: 3pm to 4pm ET
Location: Zoom
Join us for an engaging panel discussion on Northeastern University’s next generation of sustainable buildings. Featuring project teams from two groundbreaking developments, this session will explore how these projects are pushing the boundaries of sustainability through geothermal energy, heat recovery, and low-carbon materials.
Katelyn Tripp (Hailey &Aldrich) and Tyler Hinckley (Perkins & Will) will present the 262 St. Botolph St. Multipurpose Athletic and Recreation Facility, a state-of-the-art facility designed to enhance the university’s athletic programs with a new arena and practice facilities while prioritizing sustainability on the Boston Campus.
Timothy Mansfield (CambridgeSeven), Hilary Williams (ARUP), and John Kastrinos (Hailey &Aldrich) will discuss the Roux Institute’s The Alfond Center, a 245,000-square-foot, all-electric building set for completion in Fall 2027 at Northeastern University’s campus in Portland, Maine. This landmark project will include cutting-edge research spaces, classrooms, and collaborative environments powered by geothermal wells and solar power.
Don’t miss this opportunity to learn how Northeastern University is leading the way in fossil-fuel-free campus innovations!
Student Sustainability Committee Meeting
In-Person from Boston, MA
Date: March 10, 2025
Time: 5:30pm ET
Location: EXP 203
The Student Sustainability Committee March meeting will focus on Earth Month planning, reflecting on the year's progress, and holding elections for new co-chairs. All students are welcome!
Cultural Sustainability & BIPOC Community Activism
Hybrid from Oakland, CA
Date: March 10, 2025
Time: 6pm to 8pm PT
Location: Check out Eventbrite below
Please join Mills College at Northeastern University for an inspiring community knowledge-share with Cielo Flores. As part of Sustainability Innovation Week, our guest speaker will share their journey with Black and Indigenous POC organizations in the Bay Area and Northern California, and their training in land stewardship through community engagement. As they pay tribute to community organizations that have helped them, Cielo will highlight the many ways we are uplifted by those who have gone before. This discussion will highlight the ways in which culturally grounded practices of land stewardship have shaped some of the most impactful community contributions to climate action, environmental justice, and social change.
Join us for a discussion on navigating the many opportunities for working in BIPOC community through both volunteer and paid roles. Cielo will share how their path has offered valuable training and hands-on experience for driving sustainable practices and social change in California. He will also share about the ways in which developing our relationship to land, water, and our living relatives including people, plants, and animals, are always deeply connected to sustaining ourselves, our spirit, and finding one’s heart-work in the world.
Reuse Box Truck Tiny House
In-Person from Boston, MA
Date: March 11, 2025
Time: 12pm to 4pm ET
Location: Centennial Commons
Take a tour of the reuse box truck tiny home! Made by two Northeastern alum entirely out of reused, repurposed, and dumpster-dived materials, the reuse truck showcases endless benefits of the reuse life. Eager to learn more? Check out the feature-length documentary The Box Truck Film: Building a Reuseful Home on various streaming services: https://www.escapethewaste.com/box-truck-film
Building Deconstruction at Northeastern
Virtual from Boston, MA
Date: March 12, 2025
Time: 2pm ET
Location: Zoom
Boston Campus members may have noticed the demolition this past summer of White Hall along Huntington Ave due to structural deficiencies. Learn how Northeastern incorporated the concept of deconstruction: preserving building materials and non-structural materials for reuse or recycling, from Juan Gil Figueroa, Associate Director in Planning, Real Estate and Facilities and Jacob Glickel, Director of Sustainability Operations. Nancy Varney, Associate Teaching Professor in Civil and Environmental Engineering, will provide an overview of the future of deconstruction and its importance to reducing carbon emissions from our built environment.
Sustainability Innovation Through the Non-Profit Sector Panel
Virtual from Boston, MA
Date: March 13, 2025
Time: 2pm ET
Location: Zoom
What opportunities exist in the non-profit space related to sustainability? Join us for an insightful discussion on the unique opportunities and challenges of driving sustainability through the non-profit sector. This panel will explore how non-profits are pioneering innovative solutions to environmental and social issues, from rerouting medical supplies to those in need to promoting sustainable building materials, outdoor education, and urban conservation. Featuring employees from Partners for World Health (Portland, ME), Boston Building Resources, the Boston Outdoor Preschool Network, and the Emerald Conservancy, this session will offer a behind-the-scenes look at what it’s like to work in a mission-driven organization and the impact of non-profit innovation on sustainability.
Climate Emotions Workshop
Virtual from Boston, MA
Date: March 13, 2025
Time: 6pm ET
Location: Zoom
How do we navigate the complex emotions that come with climate change? Join us for an empowering Climate Emotions and Mindfulness Workshop designed for students but applicable to all. This interactive session offers a space to explore, process, and harness emotions tied to climate change and systemic challenges. Through guided mindfulness, reflection, and community support, you’ll gain tools to transform climate anxiety, frustration, and hope into purposeful action.
Small Sensors, Big Impact: Democratizing Environmental Data
Virtual from Boston, MA
Date: March 14, 2025
Time: 12pm to 1pm ET
Location: Zoom
"How can data empower communities to shape their environments? This dynamic panel brings together Northeastern faculty and researchers using high-resolution sensor networks to create hyperlocal environmental insights that inform design, policy, and action.
Panelists will explore how sensor technology, community partnerships, and accessible data tools can help democratize environmental information—giving communities a voice in shaping their surroundings. From green infrastructure design to digital citizenship and public engagement, the discussion will highlight real-world applications and opportunities for students to get involved.
We’re thrilled to welcome Michelle Laboy, Yasser Aponte, Carlos Sandoval Olascoaga, Mark Martin, and community partners to share their expertise and insights in a conversation moderated by Torrey Spies, Join us to learn how technology, design, and collaboration intersect to lay the groundwork for meaningful change."
Spring Farm Festival
Oakland, CA
Date: March 14, 2025
Time: 4pm to 6pm PT
Location: Campus Farm
The Farm Festival will feature a live band, activity booths (kimchi making, face painting, lavender wands, sun prints and more), food trucks and farm tours. This event is open to Northeastern Oakland students, staff, faculty as well as the broader Oakland community. All are encouraged to attend!