Rooted in Community, Shared With the World: Villanova Faculty Bring Local Sustainability Initiatives to an International Stage

Next week, Villanova faculty are traveling to Rome, Italy to participate in the 2026 International Sustainability Conference. The event brings together scholars, practitioners and community leaders from around the world to exchange ideas and explore solutions to some of today's most pressing environmental and social challenges.

Many of the projects Villanova faculty will share in Rome have already taken root on campus and throughout the Greater Philadelphia area. Though these projects address local challenges, they also speak to broader questions about how people care for their communities, steward natural resources and build a more sustainable future.

Kabindra M. Shakya, PhD

Associate Professor of Environmental Science

For Dr. Shakya, sustainability begins with understanding the environmental conditions that shape daily life in local communities. His research examines air quality and soil contamination across the Philadelphia region in partnership with local organizations to address environmental challenges that disproportionately affect vulnerable populations.

"Many environmental risks are not immediately visible, yet they can have significant impacts on community health and quality of life. My research monitors air pollution and soil contamination at the neighborhood level so we can better understand the conditions people experience every day and identify areas where additional attention may be needed.

"A central focus of this work is collaboration. Partnerships with organizations in West Philadelphia, Norristown and Camden help ensure that our research addresses issues that matter most to residents while creating opportunities for shared learning around environmental health concerns. The goal is to generate information that helps communities better understand their surroundings and advocate for a healthier future."

Liang Du, PhD

Associate Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering

Through the AVATAR (Advancing Villanova to Energy Autonomy and Resiliency) Capstone Project, Dr. Du is working with four Electrical Engineering undergraduate students to explore new approaches to campus energy management that could strengthen sustainability, transparency and long-term resilience at Villanova. Their work examines how engineering solutions and emerging energy technologies can help Villanova better understand its energy use while evaluating pathways toward greater energy independence.

"The AVATAR Project aims at advancing our campus sustainability, autonomy and transparency in energy usage. The main question we're trying to answer is this: Can we deliver a different engineering solution that can lead to a 100% self-sustained Villanova University campus?

"Through our observations and interviews, we found that students and faculty often do not understand how much energy is being used in the spaces they occupy daily. To address this issue, the AVATAR Project is focused on building an interactive energy monitoring website that displays building-level energy data in a way that is understandable to both technical and basic users.

"AVATAR will provide a holistic solution to campus energy through the following methods: granular load modeling and management at the building level; campus solar, energy storage and gas turbine sizing and deployment; design of a virtual campus energy manager that can achieve a net-zero campus energy profile. Through AVATAR, we are considering the future of university energy systems starting in our own backyard."

Todd Aagaard, JD

Professor of Law

Sustainability is closely connected to the quality of life in local communities. Professor Aagaard's research focuses on illegal trash dumping, the practice of disposing of large amounts of waste in unauthorized locations to avoid the costs and requirements of proper disposal. Illegal dumping has been a longstanding concern in Philadelphia and can have significant impacts on neighborhoods, public spaces and local ecosystems.

"Illegal dumping is often viewed as a waste management issue, but its impacts reach much further. It can harm public spaces, contribute to environmental degradation and create challenges for residents who rely on those areas as part of their daily lives. In many cases, the effects are felt most strongly by communities that already face significant environmental burdens.

"Addressing the problem requires a combination of approaches, from improving access to legal disposal options and cleaning up affected areas to strengthening community involvement. No single solution is sufficient on its own, which makes collaboration especially important.

"Philadelphia provides an important local lens for this work. By engaging community leaders and other stakeholders, we can better understand which strategies are most effective from residents' perspectives. Lasting environmental solutions depend on listening to the communities most directly affected and incorporating their experiences into the process."

Ruth McDermott-Levy, PhD

Professor Emerita and Co-Director, Mid-Atlantic Center for Children's Health and the Environment (MACCHE)

Through a partnership between Villanova's Mid-Atlantic Center for Children's Health and the Environment (MACCHE) and EcoPhilly, an Archdiocese of Philadelphia initiative that engages schools, parishes and community organizations in environmental stewardship efforts, Dr. McDermott-Levy helps schools and faith communities address local environmental challenges while fostering a deeper commitment to caring for creation.

"Environmental issues are often discussed in terms of their impact on the planet, but they also have direct consequences for human health and well-being. Issues such as air quality, waste management and reduction and access to healthy environments affect people where they live, learn and worship, making them important concerns for local communities.

"The Mid-Atlantic Center for Children's Health and the Environment, part of the Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Unit national network, partners with EcoPhilly to create opportunities for schools and faith organizations to engage with these issues in meaningful ways. By working with community leaders to identify their greatest concerns, the program helps participants connect environmental health with everyday actions and encourages practical approaches to caring for their surroundings.

"What distinguishes this effort is its emphasis on education and collaboration. Bringing together schools, churches and community partners allows participants to learn from one another while developing solutions that reflect local needs. In doing so, the program demonstrates how environmental stewardship can strengthen both communities and the health of future generations. Additionally, this work has reinforced our community partnerships, and we will continue collaborating with schools and churches regarding issues that influence environmental health."

Peleg Kremer, PhD

Associate Professor of Geography and the Environment

Through her work with the Philadelphia Garden Data Collaborative (PGDC), Dr. Kremer studies how partnerships, data and local knowledge can help preserve Philadelphia's community gardens and strengthen environmental resilience.

"Community gardens do far more than provide green space. They support local food systems, strengthen neighborhood connections and create opportunities for residents to care for their environment together. Through the PGDC, organizations across Philadelphia are working to understand the pressures these gardens face and to identify strategies for their long-term preservation.

"In 2024 the collaborative surveyed roughly 790 gardens across the city, and we now run six automated monitors that check city land records every day for signs that a garden parcel is at risk of sale or development. The goal is simple: no garden should be lost because nobody saw it coming. By combining research, mapping and community engagement, the project aims to strengthen both neighborhood stability and environmental stewardship, and to do so as a matter of environmental justice.

"The PGDC brings together community organizations, legal advocates and academic researchers, because lasting solutions have to be shaped by the people who know these spaces best."

Rev. Christiane Lang Hearlson, PhD, and Timothy M. Brunk, PhD

Associate Professors of Theology and Religious Studies

For Dr. Lang Hearlson and Dr. Brunk, sustainability is not only about caring for the environment, but also about shaping how future generations understand their relationship with the natural world. Through Villanova's Children, Liturgy, Ecology, and Renewal (CLEAR) Project, they explore how faith communities can connect ecological stewardship with worship while engaging children as active participants in both.

"Conversations about sustainability often focus on programs and practices, but they also require communities to cultivate a deeper sense of responsibility and care for creation. Children have an important role to play in that process, bringing perspectives that can help communities think differently about their relationship with the natural world.

"The CLEAR Project brings together scholars, educators, church leaders and musicians to explore the connections between worship, ecology and faith formation. Through collaboration and shared learning, the project helps congregations consider how ecological stewardship can become a more visible part of community life.

"Participating congregations are putting these ideas into practice in a variety of ways. Some have created prayer gardens or introduced new music centered on creation, while others have developed learning experiences that connect ecological science with faith. Together, these efforts demonstrate how care for creation can be woven into the everyday life of a congregation and shared across generations."