When the Provost’s office asked for the development of a new initiative around climate and sustainability, Joe Francisco and Kathy Morrison, the Environmental Innovations Initiative’s inaugural faculty co-leads, quickly agreed that the initial goals of EII would be to build intellectual community by identifying, connecting, and supporting the work of Penn-affiliated scholars scattered across numerous schools, centers, and programs. Launching in 2020, we devoted energy to mapping climate and environment work at Penn, generating a robust faculty database and course inventory. Over the years that followed, we also produced a research report, peer landscape analysis, and an institute proposal. EII partnered with each of Penn’s 12 schools to develop school-specific Academic Climate Commitments and met annually with school leaders to track progress on climate academics and operations, helping support reporting on the Climate and Sustainability Action Plan (CSAP) and providing updates to the Board of Trustees and University leaders.

Our Research Communities program has built lasting interdisciplinary teams of faculty and students working to develop coordinated, innovative, impactful, and inclusive solutions to complex environmental problems. EII offered 25 seed grants over five years, totaling more than $560,000, giving rise to collaborations on topics such as regenerative agriculture, global climate justice education, One Health, extreme heat in Philadelphia, and more. These communities have developed collaborations with external partners and established new educational programs, such as the One Health graduate certificate. A separate research funding effort, the Power Purchase Agreement Renewable Energy Research Program, has supported nine projects—both faculty- and student-led—including efforts that use the Great Cove solar facility as a living lab for investigating best practices in solar energy generation. The transdisciplinary scholarship that EII has fostered was extended by two working groups established in 2024, on extreme heat and biodiversity.

EII likewise made a meaningful difference in augmenting educational offerings. With support from Penn Sustainability, we have administered the Integrating Sustainability Across the Curriculum program, which over the last decade-plus has enhanced climate and environmental content in more than 90 courses. EII staff have played meaningful roles in advancing the work of the Climate and Health Education Working Group and Penn Climate Insights, also working with numerous student groups on independent projects and capstones.

EII has partnered closely with the Penn Sustainability Office to lend an academic perspective to the University’s operational sustainability efforts, leading the ESAC Academics Subcommittee, collaborating on events and outreach, and launching a Campus as a Living Lab program.

Much of what EII has achieved is felt in connection. Our Faculty Fellows program has enriched the scholarly lives of early-, mid-, and senior-career faculty, building interdisciplinary networks and giving rise to the Climate 101 seminar series. Through administrative leadership of Climate Week at Penn, EII has engaged thousands of members of the Penn community in meaningful formal and informal learning and action around climate change.

EII has unlocked latent value and forged powerful connections that enrich our scholarly community. This collaborative spirit enabled faculty and students to break out of their disciplinary silos to seek solutions to the complex challenges posed by climate change and other environmental issues. In our first Internal Advisory Committee meeting four years ago, we brainstormed with more than 30 passionate faculty, staff, and university leaders for ways to jumpstart Penn’s ability to contribute to climate and environmental work. In addition to more robust funding, the suggestion to appoint a new Vice Provost emerged, and we are thrilled this vision has come to fruition.

The EII team and programming will now officially join Vice Provost Sanya Carley’s office, marking a significant milestone in our journey. We are confident that our foundational efforts will continue to serve the university and drive impactful change. Although EII has existed for less than six years, the growth we have witnessed is truly remarkable: new colleagues, new support, and new ideas to confront ever-pressing challenges. We are eager to begin this next chapter and look forward to what lies ahead for Penn Climate.

-Kathy Morrison, PhD, Sally and Alvin V. Shoemaker Professor of Anthropology, EII Faculty Director

-Julie Ellis, PhD, Adjunct Associate Professor of Pathobiology, Penn Vet, EII Interim Faculty Director