Solar panels, student ambassador program herald Alvernia’s amplified focus on sustainability

PHOTO: Genevieve Weikel ’27 recently launched the Wear Share project, which collects donated clothing, distributing the pieces for free.
 

By Jon Fassnacht

Since the launch of the CollegeTowne Initiative in 2019, Alvernia has steadily increased its footprint in the region. A new push aims to reduce a different variety of footprint.
 

Drawing upon the Franciscan attributes of caring for the environment and reverence for all creation, the university has stepped up its focus on sustainability.

“It’s all about cultivating a community that is caring and resilient to help make a positive difference with each other and the environment,” said Alicia Sprow, Ph.D., director of the Office of Institutional Sustainability (OIS).

Some notable initiatives:
 

• In July, solar panels on the roof of Pottsville CollegeTowne went live. Within the next 12 months, panels will also be installed on the roof of the PLEX.

• Launched in early 2025, the Sustainability Ambassador Program allows students to implement sustainability projects on campus and in the community.

• Bog Turtle Creek Farm, a student-led project that sells affordable produce at multiple markets in the city of Reading farmers market program and through a Community Supported Agriculture Program, was spotlighted in segments on Fox 29 Philadelphia and 6 ABC Action News Philadelphia.

• The EcoHouse — a site near the Hill Campus that acts as headquarters for OIS and Bog Turtle and that features a hemp-based regenerative building material structure called the Traveler — offers a variety of sustainability-focused experiential learning opportunities for students.

• Bringing together faculty, staff, students, alumni, senior leaders and community partners, the Sustainability Advisory Committee discusses ways to promote sustainability on campus and in the community.

Sprow, who was an environmental education director before she joined higher education, says environmental issues are only part of the equation when it comes to sustainability.

“There are environmental aspects to it,” she said, “but also cultural, social and economic aspects.”

To that end, Alvernia’s sustainability plan supports the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, five of which particularly align with the university’s mission: good health and well-being, quality education, decent work and economic growth, reduced inequalities, and sustainable cities and communities.

Soaking up the sun

One community that has become more sustainable is Pottsville, thanks to the new solar panels on the roof of Pottsville CollegeTowne. The former Giant grocery store has a large, flat roof, perfect for installing panels, said Alvernia Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer John McCloskey Jr., DBA.

“It’s big enough that it can produce enough energy to be able to take care of that building, and we’ll probably end up selling some back to the grid,” he said. “And it’s visible to the whole city of Pottsville. So for us, this was an opportunity to plant the flag that the university’s here and [that] we’re thinking about sustainability.”

Always looking to keep things local, McCloskey chose Redtail Solar for the job, based down the road from Pottsville in Orwigsburg, Schuylkill County.

With that project completed, McCloskey has started to focus on the PLEX, which was determined to be the only building on the Hill Campus that would be compatible with the panels. Berks County-based RER Energy Group was tapped for this project, which will begin early in 2026 and be functional by the summer.

Solar panels aren’t the only green changes coming to campus, McCloskey said. An electric vehicle charging station was installed at the request of Alvernia’s new campus dining partner, Aramark Collegiate Hospitality, which utilizes an electric van. There have also been discussions about potentially converting the art studio located next to Penn Medicine – Alvernia Medical and Counseling Center back into a functional greenhouse to dovetail with Bog Turtle.
 

Sustainability Ambassadors

The Bernardine Franciscan Sisters, who have been on the Sustainability Advisory Committee since its founding and have been supportive members of the Senior Leadership Team have greatly aided efforts, Sprow said.

“Sustainability has been key for me since I started at Alvernia,” said President Glynis A. Fitzgerald, Ph.D. “As the university continues to grow, we will always keep our core value of environmental stewardship an integral part of our decisionmaking.”

Students have also played a significant role as Sustainability Ambassadors.

Genevieve Weikel ’27 recently launched the Wear Share project. Inspired by the Brandywine Heights Clothing Circle, a program started by a high school friend, Wear Share collects donated clothing, distributing the pieces for free from its space in the Penn Medicine – Alvernia Medical and Counseling Center.

Weikel, who is majoring in environmental science and minoring in sustainability, expanded on the goals of that project by offering an environmental education component.

“I seek to educate those [who] benefit from Wear Share in any way and teach about the dangers of the fashion industry, its environmental impact and what we as individuals can do to mitigate those effects,” said Weikel, who is also the new president of Alvernia’s Sustainability Club and who serves as an OIS work study.

Her plans include setting up store hours for people to stop by during the day. Until hours are established, interested parties can reach out to her at Genevieve.Weikel@alvernia.edu to coordinate a shopping time. She also wants to set up donation bins around campus. Older items will be donated to the Opportunity House in Reading to help support people outside of Alvernia. Along with Weikel’s project, Sustainability Ambassadors are planning a rewilding effort on campus, the introduction of campus dining services composting, Adopt-a-Trail cleanups, and an Angelica Creek trout and stream monitoring project.

“I believe that we are all making real, positive change toward a more sustainable campus,” Weikel said.

In August, the Sustainability Ambassador Program received a boost from The Allstate Foundation in partnership with the Center for Expanding Leadership & Opportunity, which awarded the program a $10,000 College Service Grant for the 2025-26 academic year. The Allstate Foundation empowers youth to make a difference by providing them with the opportunities and resources they need to serve and prepares adults to support their service.

In the program’s next phase, three existing project leads will continue to build capacity for projects begun in 2024-25, and three new project leads will develop and implement projects in 2025-26. Over 500 student and community volunteers and participants will engage in the six student-led service projects during the academic year.