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Earth Forum

Earth Forum 2026: A celebration of Sustainability

The 2026 Earth Forum, held on April 22, 2026 in the Student Union Building  (SUB) / Ballroom,  was É«»¨ÌÃapp’s first campus wide sustainability forum and the signature event of ISU’s inaugural Earth Week, organized by the Office of Sustainability. The main goal of this Earth Week was to increase student engagement, awareness, and action around environmental stewardship. In addition, the Earth Week included student centered activities such as  designed Sustainability Sunday and Campus Clean up, outreach events, and the start of Benny’s Closet, ISU’s first Pop - up thrift Store designed to reduce landfill waste through reuse.The Earth Forum alone  gathered nearly 300 people, including student, faculty, staff, community partners, and sustainability leaders. The event supported ISU’s Bold Path Forward by emphasizing on financial resilience, environmental responsibility, and community partnership.

The Forum began with keynotes remarks from the campus leaders, including ISU’s Sustainability Manager Pallavi Pokharel, Vice President Brian, and research leader Marty Blair, who highlighted ISU’s progression operation research and planning. They also recognized achievements like the University’s Bronze STARS rating, LEED certified buildings, majors, energy efficiency upgrades, and ISU’s growing national leadership in sustainability research. 

After the keynotes, the event moved to a series of panel sessions that covered topics like : sustainability and mental  health, academic and research, campus operation, student engagement and native landscapes. Each session included Faculty, staff, community experts who shared insights, answered questions and discussed opportunities for student  involvement in sustainability initiatives.

The Earth Forum also featured student poster presentations on environmental issues, water resilience, waste reduction, and sustainable materials, emphasizing on ISU’s student contributions to real world solutions. Together, The Earth Week and the Earth Forum created a new tradition at ISU; an annual and collaborative celebration of sustainability that matches the spirit of the 1970 Earth Day while supporting the university mission and future goals. 

Opening Session: Sustainability at ISU - Collective Efforts & Future Goals

Speaker: Pallavi Pokharel, ISU’s Sustainability Manager

Pallavi Pokharel opened the Forum by inviting everyone to celebrate ISU’s sustainability wins together. She stood before the audience, holding up a reusable bottle, and described the impact of ISU’s efforts in sustainability areas such as saving 2.25 million plastic bottles, adding more than 200 recycling bins across the campus, and achieving prestigious sustainability ratings. Pallavi Pokharel invited everyone to develop a sustainable habit and culture by saying this : “let’s build a culture where sustainability is part of who we are.”

 

Keynote Address : ISU’s sustainability Roadmap

Speaker: Brian Sagendorf (Vice President of Operations)

In his speech, Brian drew the audience's attention to ISU’s 125 year journey with stories about lighting upgrades, smart building systems, and the challenge of replacing steam boilers back in the 1940s. He also emphasized on the Leonard Hall building renovation that cost $ 14 million and previewed the upcoming Life Science Building, encouraging listeners to imagine a campus preparing for the next century of learning and discovery. Brian insisted on the importance of accountability through the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in High Education (AASHE), and the Sustainability Tracking Assessment & Rating System (STARS) work indicating  that “clear reporting is essential for long-term progress.” He also praised Pallavi’s leadership and AASHE recognition and finally acknowledged the great teamwork behind the event.

É«»¨ÌÃapp Keynote :  Sustainability, Stewardship, and Innovation

Speaker: Marty Blair (Vice President of É«»¨ÌÃapp and Economic Development) 

Dr. Marty talked about ISU’s national leadership in sustainability research , with $ 47 million annually for environmental issues. He described current work in water modeling, soil structure, sustainable  concrete, and water reuse. The speaker mentioned  the university’s partnership with the Shoshone Bannock Tribe for sustainable water reuse. In addition, Dr. Blair outlined how ISU’s researchers are working side by side with the Shoshone Bannock Tribe and INL experts is shaping the future of  energy and water in the city. He described new achievements or progress by calling ISU’s approach as : "Imaginative, innovative, and impactful,” and encouraged the audience to  think about new research ideas  that can happen through teamwork across campus.

Session 1: sustainability & Mental health

Speaker: Rick Pongtratz

Moderator: Pallavi Pokharel

In this session, Rick Pongtratz PhD  LPC; Licensed Psychologist, Director in counseling psychology of ISU’s counseling service  explained the link between well- being and sustainability. Rick said , “the more we foster a relationship with nature, the more mutually beneficial it becomes.” he noted that time in nature reduces stress, lowers blood pressure, and improves children’s behavior. Rick also urged participants to spend at least  20 minutes outdoors.

Again, the session addressed how technology affects mental health, emphasizing that doomscrolling and excess screen time harm well-being  and environmental awareness. In addition, some plans include adding nature sounds to counseling spaces and holding a baby plant raffle to encourage students to incorporate nature into their routines.

 

Session 2: Sustainability in academics and research

Speakers: Doug McGee, Dr. Evan Rodriguez. Assistant Professor of Philosophy. Jared Cantrell. Associate Director for Strategic Partnerships & Innovation. 

Moderator: Dr. Donna Lybecker

This panel examined how academic fields can collaborate to promote sustainability. Faculty also discussed ISU’s responsiveness to students, civic engagement, and partnerships with INL, state, and federal agencies. Dr. Blair asked about the effect of political polarization on sustainability, leading to a discussion of values, ethics, and economics. Panelists also emphasized the financial value of sustainable projects and the importance of focussing on real impacts.

 

Session 3: Sustainability and Operation

Panelists: Facilities, PRT, Recycling, Dining Services

Moderator: Chuck Rizzo

This session shared some ongoing campus sustainability efforts. It recommended energy saving facilities upgrades, reduced water and chemical use, and improved recycling  through projects such as tunnel renovation, transformers replacement, and better metering. The PRT suggested on  the other hand to reduce car use with free campus bus routes, a real tracking app, and increase student outreach. The Dining services recommended improving food sustainability by  tracking waste, clearly separating “green waste: organic waste that is unavoidable” from “Red waste: spoils in the kitchen or is otherwise ruined”, and using this data to compare progress across years. Panelists encouraged also purchasing sustainable products, offering more plant based options , and partnering with Benny’s Pantry to reduce food waste. The panel also discussed addressing high food costs, recycling contamination, and recruiting more regular composting volunteers as key challenges.

 

Session 4 : Sustainability and Student Engagement

Panelists: Matt Daily (VP of Student Affairs), Sky Halter (ASISU President), Veronica Miller (President, Chemistry Club)

Moderator: Rhea Kalivas (President, Sustainability Club)

The student engagement session talked about how students are helping to build ISU’s sustainability culture and where more progress is needed. ASISU president started the discussion by saying that “while some students, like Chemistry Club, the Sustainability Club, and the Sustainability Department are “very dedicated”, others groups show “an apathetic attitude toward sustainability.”  Student Affairs on the other hand pointed out the need for more focused conversation stating that there is  “a lot of support from students,” but that  the university needs to “nudge for an every day effort from all sides of ISU.”

The panel discussed ways to sustain progress, indicating that Lorie has played a major role in advancing sustainability efforts. However, they said that lasting progress will need an appointed team”and steady involvement  from staff and faculty. ASISU is considering a sustainability pledge to make student commitment official and to “emphasize the importance of sustainability to ISU students.”

Student leaders emphasized the importance of incorporating sustainability into regular campus life. The ASISU president observed  that while some student groups demonstrate strong involvement, others show less interest. This indicates the need for additional outreach efforts and clear communication on the subject. Some of the suggestions made by the president are: campus wide sustainability pledge, monthly power down hours, increased outdoor events, and enhanced collaboration between campus clubs and the office of sustainability.

 

Session 5 : Rethinking sustainability - Native Landscapes

Panelists: Sunshine Deney (Manager, Green House), Indah (Manager, Herbarium)

Moderator: Charlie Medema (President, Ecology Club)

In this final session, the panelists described the greenhouse as a lively community space where students and staff learn, volunteer, and support one another, sharing stories of harvesting produce for Benny’s Pantry and discovering rare herbarium specimens.The suggested restoring Idaho’s sagebrush steppes and noted challenges with staffing, space, and the sustainability of student engagement. The suggested key next steps include increasing events visibility, strengthening student partnership, building long term projects leadership, expanding waste reduction programs, and establishing  the Earth Forum as an annual event.

Conclusion

ISU’s first Earth Forum 2026 brought together more  than 200 participants for a day of learning, conversation, and hands- on  activities that showed ISU’s strong commitment to sustainability. Attendees discovered new recycling bins, shared ideas at Benny’s Closet, and felt their voices mattered. Even after the event ended, many people stayed to talk, network, and plan future projects. The Forum showed real progress and established a new tradition where the ISU community works together to shape the next chapter of sustainability.

Pop-Up Thrift Store

When: April 22nd, 2026. 10:00 am-2:00 pm

Where: Pond Student Union Building, Quad Lounge

This event aims to create an engaging, educational, and fun experience for students while promoting sustainable fashion and reducing waste. 

Waste Education & Recycling Video Competition

When: April 22nd, 2026. 2:30 am- 3:00 pm

Where: Pond Student Union Building, Ballroom

During earth forum, we will be hosting a waste education and video competition. Students will create short videos that promote proper waste sorting and recycling practices.