Covid-19 is no longer a global pandemic, campus operations are back to as normal as it gets now with approximately 25% of classes and employees still taking place and working remotely for some period of time each week
Sustainability Student Organization Awards:
Outstanding New Organization of the Year – Pirate Swap
Most Outstanding Officer of the Year – Erica Henry, SustainabiliBEES
Best Marketing Piece of the Year – Bob Ross Painting Social by ReLeaf
ECU Sustainability Manager, Chad Carwein, receives the Student Organization Advisor of the Year Award and Treasured Pirate Award
ECU Sustainability Program hires new Sustainability Outreach Specialist, Kim Fox, in June
ECU Sustainability Program restarts the ECU Energy Challenge in the spring semester
Worked with the University Environment Committee to establish a Sustainability Course Designation
Passed a joint resolution by the Faculty Senate, Staff Senate, and Student Government Association in support of Fossil Fuel Divestment and Renewable Energy Investments
Completed the first-everCampus Tree Inventory, mapping and identifying thousands of trees on ECU properties
ECU Sustainability Program received our second Volkswagen Settlement Fund Rebate Grant to purchase and install an additional 3 EV charging stations on campus
2024
ECU completes 9th comprehensive GHG Emissions Inventory – Scope 1 and 2 Reductions are 33%
ECU retains Tree Campus USA designation for 9th year in a row
ECU retains Bee Campus USA designation for 6th year in a row
ECU Sustainability Program nominated Terra Bella Compost, Inc. owner and Class of 2013 graduate, Caitlin Cummins, for an Outstanding Young Alumni Award and she won!
ECU Sustainability Manager, Chad Carwein, receives the Staff Senate Outstanding Staff Award for the Administration and Finance Division and the SGA Cupola Award for “Enhancing the Total Student Experience”
ECU Sustainability Program begins hosting the ECU Energy Challenge in Residence Halls in the fall semester – Legacy Hall Wins
ECU Sustainability Program participated in Pirate Nation Gives for the first time and raised $1,000 for campus sustainability
Student Government Association voted to establish a permanent Sustainability Director cabinet position and a Sustainable Development Committee on the SGA Ballot and the student body voted in favor of this measure by 95% approval
Passed a joint resolution by the Faculty Senate, Staff Senate, and Student Government Association in support of Fossil Fuel Divestment and Renewable Energy Investments
Represented ECU in the establishment of a Piedmont and Coastal Carolina Clean Communities Coalition
Renewed Otter Creek Natural Area as an NC Heritage Program Site
Hosted the 1st Annual “Faculty Workshop on Integrating Sustainability into the Curriculum” in May 2024 with 11 faculty participants who submitted revised syllabi prior to the start of the Fall 2024 semester and each received $250 stipends
2025
ECU completes 9th comprehensive GHG Emissions Inventory – Scope 1 and 2 Reductions are 33%
ECU retains Tree Campus USA designation for 10th year in a row
ECU retains Bee Campus USA designation for 7th year in a row
Outstanding Program of the Year – Pirate Swap Popup Thrift Store
Unsung Hero Award – Giuliana Roccisano (Planet ECU)
Outstanding New Organization of the Year – Food Recovery Network
Collaboration of the Year – Food Recovery Network
ECU Sustainability Manager, Chad Carwein, receives the Staff Senate Outstanding Staff Award for the Administration and Finance Division
ECU Sustainability Program begins hosting the ECU Energy Challenge in Residence Halls in the fall semester – Clement Hall Wins
ECU promotes Charles Suggs to become the new Recycling and Waste Reduction Coordinator
ECU Sustainability Program partners with ECU Recycling Services to participate in the Campus Race to Zero Waste Competition
Interns promote recycling at Football and Baseball Tailgates, hosted Gameday Recycling Challenge activities at a home Basketball Game, and coordinated the first Landfill on the Lawn event at ECU
Hosted a Drive Electric Earth Month (DEEM) Electric Vehicle Demo Event during the ECU Football Pigskin Pigout Tailgate Party in April
ECU Sustainability Program participated in Pirate Nation Gives for the second time and raised $3,800 for campus sustainability
Hosted the 2nd Annual “Faculty Workshop on Integrating Sustainability into the Curriculum” in May 2025 with 9 faculty participants who submitted revised syllabi prior to the start of the Fall 2025 semester and each received $400 stipends
Relabeled all recycling bins in every room across all Residence Halls on Campus – approximately 3,000 bins
Hosted the 2025 Southeast Sustainability Network Summer Summit for 26 Campus Sustainability Directors at ECU with excursions to the Queen Anne’s Revenge (QAR) Conservation Lab at West Research Campus and to the Sylvan Heights Bird Park in Scotland Neck, NC as well as a post-conference trip to the Coastal Studies Institute at the ECU Outer Banks Campus.
2026
ECU maintains STARS Silver Rating with its 4th report submission to this AASHE Program
ECU Sustainability Manager, Chad Carwein, leaves ECU for a job at UNC Charlotte
ECU Sustainability Outreach Specialist, Kim Fox, takes over as the Interim Sustainability Specialist for ECU
ECU Sustainability Program works with the University Environment Committee to establish an ECU Sustainability Award
ECU Sustainability Program celebrates the 10th Anniversary and comm