Green Mosaic of Opportunity iconGreen Mosaic of Opportunity
Plymouth State’s Green Mosaic of Opportunity
Professor Amy Villamagna helping students
Plymouth State’s Green Mosaic of Opportunity
by Amy Villamagna
Shaped in spirit and place between the White Mountains and the Lakes Region of New Hampshire, Plymouth State University offers the perfect springboard for exploring the environment and promoting sustainability at all levels: local to global. Students come to PSU wanting to make a positive difference on our planet and are eager to engage in constructive, creative, and meaningful ways. They are greeted with opportunities to learn about our physical, biological, and chemical planet and society’s relationship with it, and to channel their energy into a variety of curricular, co-curricular, and extracurricular opportunities that will catapult them into successful professions and inform the rest of their lives as responsible global citizens.
Professor Rachelle Lyons talking to her student
Professor Rachelle Lyons. Photo by Samuel Taksar ’25
The mosaic of green (environmental and sustainability-focused) programs at PSU means a student can find the pathway that best aligns with their personal interests and goals by customizing their experiences. I like to think of college as a jigsaw puzzle. So much of it is about finding out where you fit, in your class, in your new home, in the community, and where you want to fit in the world.

These pathways comprise a variety of interchangeable pieces that come together to create a unique education and include our Habits of Mind Experience (HoME), majors, minors, internships, research, clubs, on-campus employment, and residential programming. Students can start their journey on day one or find their way later in their time at Plymouth State.

students gathered around a table with different types of moss on it
various types of moss labeled with different pieces of folded paper
Professor Rachelle Lyons talking to her student as he observes different types of moss
Photos by Samuel Taksar ’25
Take for example a student who may embark on their journey with a Tackling a Wicked Problem course focusing on climate change and then choose to major in environmental science & policy. Within a few semesters, through exposure to sustainability themes in several courses and campus events and exhibits at the Museum of the White Mountains, that student may choose to minor in sustainability. That same student could pursue a certificate in Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and conduct field-based research during the academic year focused on our changing earth and intern for a nonprofit environmental organization over the summer, returning to PSU to work for the Office of Environmental Sustainability and become the president of Common Ground (our environmental sustainability and social justice club).

One of the best parts of our green mosaic is that sitting next to that student may be a sustainability studies major with a minor in marketing who is a member of MAPS (Marketing Association of Plymouth State), who also decides to minor in global health, which, through our collective professional networks, snags a summer internship working for a green entrepreneur who helps inspire their engagement in our Panther Pitch competition.

Students conducting research at Quincy Bog Natural Area
Professor Villamagna’s students conducting field research at the Quincy Bog Natural Area. Photo by Denise Panyik-Dale.
No two student experiences are the same, which makes each one a unique piece of the greater green puzzle. Plymouth State graduates emerge with an enhanced awareness of themselves, and what it means to be a community member and global citizen in a world faced with “wicked problems.” They walk away with diploma in hand and the power, knowledge, and network to make the change they dreamed of.

From Panther Days orientation to Commencement, Plymouth Staters embarking on a green-focused journey explore the complicated and interdisciplinary realities of the environment and society’s influence. Climate change, biodiversity loss, environmental injustice, global health, and sustainability are considered at the global and local scales, and everything in between.

Whether in a Tackling a Wicked Problem course focusing on sustainability, climate change, or biodiversity loss or in one of many introductory level major/minor or directions courses—for example Introduction to Environmental Science and Policy or Issues of Sustainability—students are quickly engaged and challenged to be responsible and informed global citizens, critically examining the intricacies and processes by which science informs change and thinking creatively to develop alternatives to environmental problems. They engage in hands-on, minds-on experiential and service learning, supported by a community of multi- and interdisciplinary faculty, staff, and peers who share their passion and pursuit of a more resilient planet, where nature and society are harmonized, where the climate is stable, and equity prevails.

Plymouth State’s blend of place, community, purpose, and experience is truly unmatched. What I love about our university is that we get to live and learn in what we love, respect, and value. We are surrounded each day with opportunities to observe, learn from, and appreciate the natural world. The high-impact, life-changing experiences that we seek to share with our students are at our fingertips every day.

Professor Villamagna and Mason Bolduc ’27 reviewing their research together
Professor Villamagna and Mason Bolduc ’27 review discoveries.
Professor Simon Pendleton discussing research with students at the Baker River
Professor Simon Pendleton and his fall 2024 hydrology students conducting analysis on the nearby Baker River.
closeup of hands holding a small aquatic animal in their hands
Having classes outside is always an option. Whether on a local field trip to the Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest in White Mountain National Forest or walking from Boyd Science Center to Langdon or Keniston woods, the Baker or Pemigewasset rivers, the Fox Park pond, or exploring tree diversity on campus, Plymouth State’s environmental and sustainability studies students are engaged, and through this engagement, empowered to become environmental and sustainability leaders.

Through a shared love and respect for this incredible place of beauty and recreational riches we call home, Plymouth Staters also belong to a community of professionals with whom we collaborate on research, stewardship, and education. In the classroom and beyond, through service-learning opportunities and internships, our students expand their professional networks while expanding their knowledge and perspectives. In these same experiences, our collaborators model the value of life-long learning, commitment, and service toward the greater good.

Professor Amy Villamagna, PhD, is a former coordinator of the environmental science & policy program and now serves as co-leader of the Environment & Sustainable Societies Academic Unit.
$4.67 million to Spur Sustainability Projects
Plymouth State University has been awarded $4.67 million in federal grants to support key sustainability projects. These initiatives will not only enhance the University’s energy infrastructure, but also better prepare students for careers in these fields.

“We are immensely grateful to Senator Jeanne Shaheen and our other congressional delegates for their support in providing this federal funding,” said President Donald L. Birx. “These grants will be a gamechanger for the University as they enable us to advance our robust energy efficiency initiatives and a sustainability program that embodies our Cluster Learning Model. Ultimately, this funding will empower our students to address the critical challenges of our time.”

The sustainability projects will focus on several areas including:

  • New solar arrays on building rooftops, such as the Savage Welcome Center & Ice Arena and the Silver Center for the Arts. The new solar arrays are expected to generate approximately three times as much energy as the existing solar panels on the Physical Education Center.
  • Insulation, heat, and energy efficiency upgrades at the Physical Education Center.
  • Installation of a Renewable Energy Open Laboratory, which will provide students with hands-on learning opportunities with the latest in sustainable energy technology.

The grant was included in a congressionally directed spending (CDS) bill, which was signed into law by President Joe Biden.

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