Top 10 Campus Sustainability Moments of 2024

Many people and projects from across campus advanced sustainability at NC State in 2024. Here are a few of our favorite moments from the past year.

Climate and Sustainability Academy Established

The Climate and Sustainability Academy was officially launched in December 2024. The academy represents a universitywide, interdisciplinary effort to address global challenges through teaching, research and engagement.

Sustainable Futures Fellows Program Launched

The Sustainable Futures Fellows began accepting applications in the fall 2024. Supported by the redesigned United Parcel Service Foundation Endowment, the program engages interdisciplinary student teams and faculty mentors to address sustainability challenges in key sectors such as energy, agriculture and transportation.

Largest Cohort Joins Sustainability Internship Program

The University Sustainability Office welcomed 31 students from six colleges into its Campus As A Classroom internship program for 2024-2025. These students were selected from a record 419 applicants to work on 19 diverse projects.

Athletics Sustainability Wins

NC State Athletics won the 2024 Most Sustainability Award, sponsored by Front Office Sports and Sports Innovation Lab, for its commitment to climate action and sustainable initiatives.

Songs of Sustainability

In April 2024, NC State LIVE hosted Small Island, Big Song, a weeklong event featuring artists, scientists and filmmakers that showcased the resilience of Indigenous communities facing climate change.

$175,437 Awarded by Sustainability Fund

The NC State Sustainability Fund, celebrating 10 years of impact, granted $5,605 to eight student-led projects in spring 2024 and an additional $169,832 to 12 projects for the 2024-2025 academic year, supporting campus sustainability efforts.

Sustainability Awards Mark 20 Years

Launched as the Green Brick Awards in 2004, the Sustainability Awards have honored 80 individuals and projects for their exceptional contributions to sustainability on campus and beyond.

Make-A-Thon Breaks Records

NC State’s annual sustainability innovation challenge, Make-A-Thon, welcomed a record 62 teams of nearly 250 students from all 12 colleges in January 2024. Winning teams split $9,000 in cash prizes.

Sustainable Labs Program Expanded

A new Sustainable Labs certification program was launched in four campus labs in the Spring 2024 semester, with an additional four labs being certified last fall to reduce the environmental impacts of lab research.

New Business Sustainability Certificate

Poole College of Management, in collaboration with the College of Natural Resources, established a new 12-credit Business Sustainability Certificate to help professionals address global challenges through sustainable business practices. 

To explore more of NC State’s sustainability achievements and progress from this past year, visit go.ncsu.edu/SustainabilityReport.