Students team up to present environmental solutions at Sustainability Showcase

November 25, 2025 (Volume 49, Number 7)
Article by Sofia Ellis

students stand around poster with people at round tables and standing in back

Alison Armstrong shows research on a paper to a table of people seated

Students present research during the Sustainability Showcase on November 21 in the Kirkhof Center.

Photo Credit: Steve Jessmore

The Environmental and Sustainability Studies Program held its Sustainability Showcase November 21 in the Kirkhof Center, where students gave poster presentations, capping a week of online presentations from ENS courses that addressed a wide range of environmental issues.

Crystal Scott-Tunstall’s class worked closely with Robert Cloy II, the environmental and climate specialist for the City of Grand Rapids. Students researched three sections of the city’s Climate Action and Adaptation Plan: Nature-Based Solutions, Food System and Transportation. In their projects, students identified issues and proposed short- and long-term solutions to those issues, establishing a reasonable timeline in which the city could implement their ideas.

Janelle Malagon’s Climate Change in Popular Culture course highlighted sustainability in the media, using reels, posters and memes. One student from Malagon’s class, James Richardson, explained his group’s portfolio.

“Our project aimed to confront how climate change is represented in all sorts of different media, with a particular focus on how misinformation can be spread through the media," said Richardson. "We took a humorous approach to most of our portfolio, but we also tried to make it clear how serious these issues still are.”

The portfolio featured comedic short-form videos and memes to call attention to misconceptions about climate change. Their poster explained the high levels of trust people place in mass media and social media.

“My biggest takeaway from this project is how powerful it can be when multiple people come together to raise awareness about an issue they consider important,” said Richardson. “In my group, as well as the other groups in my class, it was rewarding to see each person's perspective be depicted in their portfolios. It's powerful seeing passionate people come together.”