Roe Awards

John Roe Sustainability Impact and Curriculum Development Awards

Faculty and Staff Sustainability Impact Awards

Nominations are open through April 3, 2026

Student Sustainability Impact Awards

Nominations are open through April 3, 2026

Beginning in 2026, multiple faculty and staff awards are being offered under the Dr. John Roe Fund for a Just and Sustainable Future:

Service and Leadership Award
The Roe Service Award is presented to a full-time member of the staff or administration who has contributed to the broader university culture of justice and sustainability for students. The contribution of the nominee should be for duties or services that are above and beyond his or her regularly assigned duties. Staff nominees can come from any unit (i.e. Office of Physical Plant, Auxiliary and Business Services, Outreach, etc.) but their specific contribution, whether in their regular duties or outside them, must assist student sustainability leadership.
Innovation in Teaching Award
The Roe Teaching Award is presented to a full-time faculty member at the rank of Assistant or Associate Teaching Professor or Assistant Professors on the tenure track who has proven a commitment to teaching justice and sustainability. All faculty must have been in their position at Penn State for at least three years. Nominations should come from peers and students.
Excellence in Engaged Scholarship
The Roe Award for Excellence in Engaged Scholarship is presented to a full-time faculty member on the tenure track or in the teaching professor role who excels in experiential learning or transdisciplinary research. The awardee should have a demonstrated track record of sustained partnership with government, non-governmental organization, corporate, or campus operational partners that have provided capacity, advanced human rights, and the security of life on Earth.

All awardees will receive a $1500 award and a framed certificate.

Prior to 2026, the Fund’s only faculty award was the John Roe Sustainability Curriculum Development Award, offered in collaboration with various Penn State partners and calls for the creation of new or revised courses with a focus on sustainability. Recent collaborations have included the College of Liberal Arts Contemplative Colloquium and the Rock Ethics Institute, calling for five new courses to be developed or revised to emphasize a focus on mindfulness and sustainability. The Dr. John Roe Fund for a Just and Sustainable Future seeks to advance a curriculum that promotes sustainability in practice, including contemplative practices, awareness of the living world, and compassionate, kind, and peaceful action.

The Dr. John Roe Fund for a Just and Sustainable Future honors the late Penn State mathematics professor Dr. John Roe, who was passionate about sustainability and the outdoors and worked tirelessly to incorporate these values into his teaching.

For students, the John Roe Student Sustainability Impact Award recognizes students who cultivate opportunities to advance the United Nation’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals while demonstrating personal integrity and an unwavering commitment to fostering justice and strengthening partnerships.

Students are also eligible for the Student Sustainability Advisory Council Tree Award. The Student Sustainability Advisory Council (SSAC) Tree Award honors a Penn State University Park student for overallleadership in sustainability initiatives and for making a difference in the campus community. This award has been presented for several years now, and trees honoring the award recipients have been planted near the Palmer Museum of Art, on the HUB lawn, and at the Sustainability Experience Center. The tree is generously donated by the Office of the Physical Plant and supported by Student Affairs and SustainPSU.

All awardees will receive a $1000 award and a certificate.