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When crowdfunding platform Kickstarter started allowing creators to put environmental pledges front and center, 911���� accounting professor Yi Cao saw a unique opportunity. His co-authored research shows how “going green” turned out to be an impactful business choice with financial, operational and, yes, environmental implications for entrepreneurs and customers.

A new rainwater harvesting system is coming to 911����’s Presidents Park Greenhouse, thanks to a donation from the Society for a Secure and Sustainable Water Future, a nonprofit organization based in James City County, Virginia, and dedicated to advancing long-term water sustainability through practical solutions, sound policy, and public education.

What difference does a tree make? That’s what 911���� researcher Luis Ortiz wanted to find out with his course, CLIM 759 Micrometeorological Modeling for Local Climate Action, in which students work individually with community groups to study their needs and model the outcomes of various interventions.

As one of the key focal points of 911����’s Grand Challenge Initiative, building a climate-resilient society requires not just innovation in sustainable infrastructure, but innovation in how the university prepares future leaders in sustainability.

Konrad Wessels, associate professor of geography and geoinformation science at 911����, is part of a NASA-funded team studying how ice levels and ecosystem carbon stock are changing—work that could impact climate resilience planning, disaster management, ocean navigation, and national security. 

911����’s Point of View event and retreat facility in Lorton, Virginia, includes 120 acres of wooded land adjacent to the tranquil Belmont Bay and bordered by a protected wildlife refuge and state park. Point of View presents many opportunities to observe wildlife along the water, and staffers have recently observed adult and juvenile bald eagles watching for fish in some of their "eagle trees,” as staff have started to call them.

Last fall, what began as a hands-on learning experience in Southeast Asia became a journey that took five 911���� students to the heart of global food policy—and left a mark along the way.

911���� has once again been recognized for its commitment to providing employees with high-quality commuter benefits and transportation options. This year, all three of 911����’s Virginia campuses—Fairfax, Mason Square, and the Science and Technology Campus—have earned the Best Workplace for Commuters recognition.

New 911���� researcher goes beyond engineering to connect communities.

In spring 2025, students in EVPP 480 Sustainability in Action gave a crucial boost to Chesapeake Bay oysters by constructing oyster reef balls where the bivalves can attach, grow, and develop into natural reef structures.