Adam Charboneau, a lecturer in sustainability studies at Stony Brook University’s School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences (SoMAS), has been named an inaugural State University of New York (SUNY) Sustainability Faculty Fellow. The program aims to broaden climate education across SUNY’s 64 campuses.
The announcement was made by SUNY Chancellor John B. King Jr. during New York Climate Week. Eleven faculty members from different SUNY campuses were selected as fellows to help integrate sustainability topics into existing courses and create new applied learning opportunities.
“With climate change affecting all elements of our society, from extreme weather emergencies to the emerging clean energy field, our students will need to be knowledgeable about sustainability to thrive as citizens and in their careers,” King said. “Today’s students are eager to participate in climate action, and SUNY is taking steps so that New Yorkers are prepared.”
Charboneau teaches courses on sustainability and environmental history and serves as faculty director for the sustainability studies major and minor at Stony Brook. He noted that the fellowship provides an opportunity to expand efforts at integrating sustainability across disciplines.
“For me, it means an opportunity to further grow my ability to communicate sustainability and help grow this program here and elsewhere throughout the SUNY system,” Charboneau said. “You can find ways to teach sustainability in any kind of course curriculum. It is not siloed.”
The fellowship is part of SUNY’s Climate and Sustainability Action Plan, which supports state requirements for decarbonization and waste reduction under New York’s Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act and Executive Order 22. As owner of a significant portion of state buildings, SUNY plays a key role in achieving these goals.
Charboneau stated he intends to make classroom learning more practical through hands-on projects such as campus composting or community engagement initiatives. “I am most excited to take what is usually relegated to a classroom and make it hands on,” he said. “Whether it is a composting project on campus or connecting with local communities, the more students engage directly, the more they see they can make change happen.”
Paul Shepson, dean of SoMAS, commented on Charboneau’s selection: “I am proud that SUNY has chosen Adam Charboneau as a Sustainability Faculty Fellow, and know that he is exceptionally well-prepared to inspire our students and contribute to building a more resilient and sustainable New York,” Shepson said. “SUNY’s and New York State’s continuing leadership in responding to the climate crisis, and associated efforts in educating the leaders of the future, makes me proud to be a New Yorker.”
Fellows will work together on shared resources such as model curricula, training workshops, conferences, and best practices spanning sciences, engineering, arts, humanities, among other fields.
Charboneau expressed hope that faculty systemwide will see how sustainability relates broadly: “Whatever your discipline is, you are in it because you enjoy it and you see ways you can apply it to your everyday life,” he said. “Sustainability connects to everyday life too. If we make it the default, the easiest path forward, more people will embrace it.”
He also highlighted workforce needs tied with clean energy growth: “What I hear from students more than anything else is they want hands-on experiences but also the nuts-and-bolts to enter a profession upon graduation,” Charboneau said. “By being part of this program I can better understand job market trajectories and help prepare students for careers in a growing field.”
Hope Knight—Empire State Development President—said equipping students with climate skills supports both education goals and economic development: “Equipping students with climate and sustainability skills is critical to building New York’s clean energy economy,” she said. “SUNY’s Sustainability Faculty Fellowship will expand opportunities in classrooms statewide supporting a diverse workforce that can generate growth and climate resilience in every region.”
Charboneau already guides student projects involving local partners like Stony Brook’s Office of Sustainability as well as international collaborations such as case studies with the European Bank for Reconstruction & Development via partnership with the New York Climate Exchange.
He added that working alongside other fellows would strengthen these efforts: “The payoff is to learn from people in different disciplines—and how they approach it,” Charboneau said. “Sustainability requires systems thinking; you need inventory from multiple angles.”
In its statement about launching this initiative during what it called “a pivotal time,” The SUNY Board of Trustees wrote: “The challenges facing New York State—and our entire global civilization—due to climate change require our passionate dedication…and we applaud…the inaugural Sustainability Faculty Fellows for being true leaders…”
“We inherited this house—and it may be broken in places—but it is ours to mend,” Charboneau concluded.” By working together we can make it stronger…and prepare our students…to build a sustainable future.”
