The Teacher Pipeline program does more than address today’s national teacher shortage crisis. As a “grow your own� initiative, it creates a direct pathway from local high schools to Adelphi’s Scholar Teacher Education Program (STEP), an accelerated program that grants students undergraduate and graduate teaching degrees in just five years, saving them time and tuition.

“It’s connecting two ends of a pipeline,� said Emily Kang, PhD, associate dean for academic affairs at the Ruth S. Ammon College of Education and Health Sciences, the program’s creator. “Though Adelphi has strong numbers in our undergraduate teaching programs, we’re always looking to recruit more young people who are enthusiastic about the field. Now, high school students who want to start their careers early can do so while earning college credit.�

A Pipeline That Benefits Everyone

Dr. Kang calls the program a “win-win� for both high schoolers and Adelphi’s education department. In addition to training the next generation of qualified educators, it’s also enhancing engagement, academic interest and retention within high schools by putting career opportunities front and center. Research has shown that high school seniors tend to experience a drop in motivation, leading to lower retention rates by graduation. But for the students enrolled in the Teacher Pipeline program, “everything they do counts,� Dr. Kang said. “They’re seeing the fruits of their labor immediately.� With the program’s headstart, they’ll also be able to earn a college degree in three years, reducing the time and cost barriers that keep many interested students from pursuing teaching careers.

Built to Serve Each District’s Needs

There’s no “one size fits all� model for the Teacher Pipeline. Adelphi worked with partner school districts—including Freeport, Mineola and East Meadow—to develop different models that meet each district’s needs. Students in Mineola schools are bused to Adelphi four days a week to take Adelphi courses, for instance, while Freeport students are bused twice a week. Meanwhile, students in East Meadow take equivalent courses at their home schools, taught by qualified district personnel. Courses cover the fundamentals a high schooler would need to proceed through STEP, such as community, schools and society; adolescent/child development; sociolinguistics and children with special needs.

Field experience is also a core component of the program. One day a week, students observe K–12 classrooms in their home districts, gaining hands-on experience while strengthening connections to their communities and potential future employers.

Sparking “Remarkable Growth� in High School Students

Pipeline students receive plenty of support on their journey. As soon as they join the program, they’re able to access all of Adelphi’s regular support services, from writing and subject-specific tutoring to assistance from the Student Access Office. Within the program, they benefit from mentor relationships with Adelphi faculty, as well as their own peer networks. According to Dr. Kang, ties between participating students are incredibly strong. “They’re gathering together to help each other out with assignments,� she said. “We’ve seen remarkable growth in terms of maturity and community.�

LaShonda Gardenhire, an adviser at Freeport High School, says her students are so excited about the program—and their own growth—that they’re spreading the word themselves. “We’re seeing an increase in hard skills like academic ability. Students are engaging with educational pedagogy at a level beyond what we’d ever expect from teenagers.� Participants’ soft skills are evolving, too. Gardenhire reports an increase in confidence, public speaking aptitude and eagerness to take on leadership roles within the district and the local community.

For Communities, by Communities

Once Pipeline participants complete their undergraduate degrees, they can go on to a one-year graduate program that prepares them to acquire New York state licensure and a master’s degree—and return to teach in their home districts, resulting in a cycle of community-based educator development that can be repeated year after year.

“If you know the community you’re teaching in, you know how to work within it,� Dr. Kang noted. “This program is diversifying the workforce while minimizing that transitional shock for new teachers.�

The value of recruiting teachers to lead classrooms where they once learned is “not even quantifiable,� Gardenhire said. “They’re bringing an emotional investment in their community, a place where they grew up and probably still have family. And by coming full circle, they’re making a huge impact on their students. They are their own success stories. They can say to their students, ‘I sat in that seat. I went through this system. And look at me now.’�

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Improving Access to Healthy Foods

The Tower Garden project was born out of a real community need. In 2022, Clinical Assistant Professor Rachel Taniey, PhD, director of the MS in Nutrition and Dietetics program in the Ruth S. Ammon College of Education and Health Sciences, surveyed users of Adelphi’s on-campus food pantry, Panther Pantry, to better understand what students needed. “We learned that students want to see fresh produce and an extended variety of items,� she said.

Armed with that insight, Dr. Taniey saw an opportunity to create a hands-on learning experience for graduate students. Through a , she received a to supply the fresh produce.

“The grant focuses on changing systems, policies and environment to improve access to affordable nourishing food, healthy food access and physical activity,” said Karyn Kirschbaum, PhD, Adelphi adjunct professor of nutrition, who has coordinated the CHSC grant through Western Suffolk BOCES for nearly 20 years.

At the center of the project is a novel piece of food technology: an aeroponic growing system that allows you to cultivate fruits, leafy vegetables and herbs in a single vertical column. Seedlings are placed into pods along the outside of the tower, with their roots exposed at the center. A reservoir at the base holds water and a mineral blend, which a submersible pump continuously pushes to the top of the structure. From there, the nutrient-rich water cascades downward, misting the exposed roots before returning to the reservoir below. The result is a full harvest in as little as five to six weeks—and because the system grows indoors, it produces continuously throughout the year.

A Hands-On Learning Experience

Growing fresh produce for the Panther Pantry is only one component of the project—education is the other. Every semester, graduate students can fulfill the required 130 hours of supervised community nutrition fieldwork through the Tower Garden.

That’s exactly the opportunity graduate students Alexis Provenz and Ellie Cohen were looking for. In addition to maintaining the garden, they assemble salad kits for Panther Pantry and organize educational events for the community.

The salad kits are a more recent innovation, born out of a simple realization. “We realized that maybe just bringing over bags of produce isn’t the most appetizing way to encourage college students to eat vegetables,â€� Dr. Taniey said. “So we put it all together in little to-go containers with a package of olive oil and a label that says ‘Just add protein from the pantry.’â€�

The food demonstrations take that mission a step farther. On March 10, Provenz and Cohen led a station at Adelphi’s Nutrition Fair, where they prepared dishes made entirely from Tower Garden and pantry ingredients. “We came up with two balanced and healthy recipes so students can replicate the recipes free of charge,� Cohen said.

The experience has already proven to be a valuable complement to classroom learning. “We learn what truly goes into planning and organizing events behind the scenes, how to troubleshoot problems creatively, and how to collaborate with professionals and peers in a real-world setting,� Provenz said. “It has given me a much deeper understanding of the work that goes into community nutrition programs and the impact they can have.�

What’s Next for “Keanu Leaves�

The Tower Garden project achieves two major goals of the MS in Nutrition and Dietetics program: increasing access to healthy food for Adelphi community members and preparing students for a career in nutrition.

“Our program is definitely rooted in community nutrition,â€� Dr. Taniey said. “We are increasing access for our community members, and we are also increasing knowledge of community nutrition for our dietetics students and really preparing them for a career in community nutrition.”

For Provenz, the project has shifted how she thinks about her field entirely. “This project has shown me that nutrition and dietetics is so much broader than simply ‘eating healthy,’â€� she said. “Dietetics is deeply connected to community health, food access, education and sustainability.â€�

And the project is still just getting started. Dr. Taniey recently submitted a research proposal for a case study of pantry users as they interact with the Tower Garden, food demonstrations and nutrition education materials. If approved, the study would bring a formal academic lens to an organic, hands-on initiative.

She also hopes to expand what the garden grows, adding more herbs and eventually vine plants like tomatoes. “We’re excited to explore what we do next,� Dr. Taniey says. “We’ll be thinking of new recipes and ways to get students involved.�

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More than just a collection of buildings, it is a vibrant living landscape home to more than 100 species of trees and shrubs—all maintained with a 100 percent pesticide-free commitment.

That commitment has just earned Adelphi a Level I Arboretum Accreditation through , part of the esteemed Morton Arboretum registry.

Adelphi’s Beautiful Campus Is Now Globally Recognized

This prestigious accreditation, awarded in October 2025 and valid until October 2030, places Adelphi on the global registry of accredited arboreta and public gardens.

Jay Cartabuke, the facilities project manager who oversees the ±«²Ô¾±±¹±ð°ù²õ¾±³Ù²â’s arboretum status, noted that this recognition enhances Adelphi’s visibility worldwide and underscores its commitment to sustainability.

“Our campus is now featured on an international platform,� Cartabuke said. “Anyone around the globe can access this registry, which aligns with our broader strategy of seeking global recognition.�

Campus as a Living Classroom

An arboretum represents more than just greenery in a garden formation; it is a carefully curated collection of trees and woody plants maintained for education, research and even public enjoyment. For more than 20 years, Adelphi has maintained a pesticide-free campus, fostering biodiversity and supporting local wildlife—most notably our beloved cottontail rabbits, who famously dart across students’ paths on their way to class.

The campus also features distinctive historical plantings, including azaleas planted by the Class of 1935 on the flagpole lawn, which have thrived for more than 85 wonderful years. Seasonal highlights, such as rows of brilliant pink cherry trees and a fragrant rose garden, remain iconic visual landmarks, especially in spring.

Cartabuke noted that while more than 100 species are believed to be present on campus, 68 have been formally identified and documented in an expanding collections database. Maintaining accreditation involves meticulous cataloging, mapping and labeling of plant species, a project that will continue through the spring and summer.

Plans are also underway to develop a dedicated arboretum campus map that showcases key points of interest and enables students and visitors to explore notable specimens across the grounds.

Sustainability: Part of Our Strategic Plan

Adelphi’s arboretum accreditation supports Goal 3 of the ±«²Ô¾±±¹±ð°ù²õ¾±³Ù²â’s Momentum 2 strategic plan, which focuses on sustainability and environmental responsibility.

91³Ô¹ÏÍø has recently achieved two significant milestones: It renewed its ArbNet accreditation and its institutional membership with the . These accomplishments enhance the ±«²Ô¾±±¹±ð°ù²õ¾±³Ù²â’s professional network and provide vital access to conferences, research resources and sustainability initiatives.

Benefits of Accreditation

The ArbNet accreditation offers numerous advantages for Adelphi, including:

• Validation of best practices in landscape management, which reinforces the ±«²Ô¾±±¹±ð°ù²õ¾±³Ù²â’s commitment to sustainability
• Acknowledgement of the campus as a living classroom, enhancing its role as an educational resource
• Benchmark opportunities to compare practices with peer institutions, increasing the ±«²Ô¾±±¹±ð°ù²õ¾±³Ù²â’s global visibility as a sustainable campus

Best of all, participation in this valuable program costs the institution nothing.

A Green Campus for Today’s Students

In an age when climate change and environmental awareness are paramount, maintaining a sustainable, biodiverse campus is essential. Cartabuke emphasizes that green spaces not only reflect environmental responsibility but also enhance student well-being. Areas such as the rose garden and shaded benches beneath mature trees provide students with much-needed moments of calm amid their busy academic lives.

The University plans to boost engagement by fostering faculty partnerships, encouraging student participation and possibly offering arboretum tours. A newly announced sustainability task force will further weave the arboretum into academic programs and campus initiatives.

Looking Ahead to a Greener Future

With accreditation secured through 2030, Adelphi is shifting its focus to growth and engagement. Upcoming projects include labeling plant species, expanding the collections database, improving visibility on the Facilities Management website, and developing programming that showcases the campus as a public garden.

“Our goal is to maintain and build upon what we have,� Cartabuke stated. “There’s always room to go above and beyond.�

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Dr. Caro, who studied human evolutionary biology at Harvard University before pivoting to zoology and animal biology at the University of Oxford for her doctorate, has spent most of her career researching the dynamics between bird parents and their offspring, integrating concepts from behavioral neuroscience, evolutionary biology and urban biology. “I’m interested in how birds’ social behavior evolves when there’s a tension between two evolutionary incentives: cooperation and competition,� she said.

Bird families are the perfect petri dish for this tension. Parents want their offspring to cooperate and survive, but they may also, as Dr. Caro puts it, “be a little selfish and want their partner to do more of the work.�

Publishing Research That Expands Understanding of Bird Behavior

Recently, Dr. Caro was the first author on an article, “� (Behavioral Ecology, May 2025), that adds a new dimension to our understanding of bird parent behavior. Among evolutionary biologists, conventional wisdom holds that bird parents respond to their offspring begging for food with fixed behaviors, or behaviors that have evolved over time into something specific and unchanging. But Dr. Caro suspected that parents are actually plastic, or flexible, when responding to their offspring’s signals, particularly in different environmental conditions.

Dr. Caro took to the woods to conduct an experiment. She gave half of the resident bird population extra food to simulate ideal environmental conditions. The other half experienced no change to their environments. Additionally, she cross-fostered broods to ensure that chicks in both populations would behave similarly, leaving environmental conditions the only remaining variable.

Over the subsequent week, parents did not concentrate their feeding on the chicks that were the largest or loudest. Instead, Dr. Caro’s theory proved correct. The parents who received extra food became “nice, equitable parents,� she explained, while parents in harsher conditions surrendered to survival of the fittest. “These parents selectively ignored the runts, which means they were making decisions about which of their offspring were most likely to survive when food was low.� Ultimately, parents displayed plasticity in responding to multiple sources of information, including local environmental conditions and their assessments of each chick’s size and behavior.

Exploring Parenting Differences Between Males and Females

Dr. Caro’s “� (Behaviour, July 2025) illuminates another bird family dynamic—this time couples. “In my work, I was noticing that male and female parents made decisions differently. Mothers took longer to make a decision and were more likely to change their minds,� often clashing with fathers over feeding. But, she wondered, were these conflicts purely the product of biological differences in birds?

To find out, she conducted a meta-analysis on 31 bird species, comparing how mothers and fathers responded to offspring begging alongside social and physiological traits that could influence conflict. The results were unexpected. “I went in expecting birds to show similar patterns to mammals, where females are almost always more responsive and provide the vast majority of parental care,� she said. “But across every bird species, sex difference was minimal. Only when I looked within species did I start to see other patterns.�

In bird species with strong bonds between males and females, fathers were more responsive to offspring begging for food. In species with less stable bonds, however, fathers were less responsive to begging, leading females to compensate by taking on a greater share of parental care. Rather than an innate difference among sexes, then, Dr. Caro’s findings demonstrate that varying levels of responsiveness among males and females are likely shaped by the types of bonds they form.

Whether she’s depositing mealworms in bird nests or running statistical analyses, Dr. Caro believes a mixture of research methods will always yield the best result. “Comparative meta-analyses allow me to see the big picture across species. Then I can zoom into the details with experimental work,� she said. “My findings from an experiment might lead me to do a meta-analysis or vice versa. This is just such a rich field with so many different axes to explore.�

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This one species of bird is probably the single most well-studied bird in terms of how it sounds, but we don’t know how or why its song changes through time and space.

Language changes all the time: splitting into new dialects, morphing into slang and spreading ways of speaking from one place to another. This phenomenon holds true for animals as well as humans, as Kaiya Provost, PhD, assistant professor of biology at Adelphi, knows well from her research into the evolutionary biology of birds.

Birdsong is an incredibly complex mode of communication. In scientific terms, the song of the White-crowned Sparrow includes whistles, trills, buzzes and a category for “other� sounds known as “special notes.� Individual songs help birds find mates and signal their location to other birds.

Two closely related subspecies of the White-crowned Sparrow—a bird that Dr. Provost calls “incredibly cool�—have retained distinct dialects of their own despite living side by side in the Pacific Northwest. “This one species of bird is probably the single most well-studied bird in terms of how it sounds,� she said. “But we don’t know how or why its song changes through time and space.�

Dr. Provost’s enthusiasm for the White-crowned Sparrow rubbed off on Jiaying Yang, an undergraduate from The Ohio State University, now a PhD student at Vanderbilt University, with an interest in bioacoustics. Together, the two developed a project that applied machine learning technologies to vast datasets of White-crowned Sparrow recordings, hoping to prove a theory: that changes in birdsong are the products of a changing environment.

Their findings, which used recordings held by The Ohio State ±«²Ô¾±±¹±ð°ù²õ¾±³Ù²â’s Borror Laboratory of Bioacoustics Database, were published as a paper in the April 2024 issue of Ornithology: “.â€�¹

White-crowned Sparrow

White-crowned Sparrows can be found all over North America, with some variants breeding in the Arctic and wintering in Mexico. Other variants, like some of the Pacific Northwest subspecies explored in Dr. Provost’s paper, stay roughly where they are year- round. While most subspecies keep to their own territory, two subspecies in this particular part of the Pacific Northwest frequently overlap. This overlap, which occurs in what is called a “hybrid zone,� allowed Dr. Provost to pinpoint the causes behind changing birdsong.

Though previous methods of collecting and cataloguing birdsong worked well, they were laborious, requiring researchers to manually check and label data. This meant that immense amounts of data stored in databases like the Borror Lab too often went underutilized. But with machine learning tools that can be given detailed instructions about what to find and learn, smaller teams can be far more efficient. “Now we can process these things much faster and in much bigger batches than we used to,� Dr. Provost said.

Out of a dataset of 20,000 syllables of whistles, trills, buzzes and special notes of White-crowned Sparrow, Dr. Provost and Yang manually annotated 2,000, then had the machine learning model run the rest. Once the songs were tagged, separating out the syllables, the two could cross-reference that data with information about climate, geography and time. Their conclusion, as the paper notes, indicates a correlation between changes in song and “[cultural drift], geographic distance, and climatic differences, but the response is subspecies- and season-specific.�

One subspecies of White-crowned Sparrow, Z. l. nuttalli, which lives in Southern California and does not migrate, showed a limited influence from climate-related factors on its birdsong. However, the other subspecies, Z. l. pugetensis, which is migratory, showed a much larger influence. “And when you group the two together, the impact of climate goes through the roof,� Dr. Provost added. Varying climate up the West Coast likely plays a major role in the relationship between the two subspecies—which, Dr. Provost says, might explain why they have held on to their identities as separate groups over time, even though they interbreed in the hybrid zone between their habitats.

Dr. Provost is looking forward to using the same machine learning tools on a much larger scale. Her current project deals with 137 species of sparrows, instead of just one. “Machine learning gives us a powerful way to get a lot of data very accurately and very quickly,� she said. “Doing it by hand would probably be more accurate in the end, but it would take us 20 years.�

Read more in the 2025 issue of Academic & Creative Research Magazine, where we highlight the innovation and imagination shaping Adelphi’s academic community.

¹ Yang, J., Carstens, B. C., & Provost, K. L. (2023). Machine learning reveals that climate, geography, and cultural drift all predict bird song variation in coastal Zonotrichia leucophrys. Ornithology, 141(2).

About Kaiya Provost, PhD

Kaiya Provost, PhD, is an assistant professor of biology in the College of Arts and Sciences. Her primary specialties are evolutionary biology of birds, with a particular focus on phylogenomics, singing behavior and bioinformatics.

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The birds arrived earlier this spring and quickly drew attention, not just for their size but for the unique sounds echoing from the nest. Many assumed they were crows, but faculty in Adelphi’s biology department quickly clarified: These are ravens, and their presence offers more than just a passing curiosity.

“They’re not just larger birds,� said Shana Caro, DPhil, assistant professor of biology in the College of Arts and Sciences. “Their intelligence is pretty astounding. A lot of recent studies show that they approximate about a 7-year-old child in how well they can solve puzzles and deal with complex new situations.�

Their vocalizations—sometimes abrupt—aren’t random noise but part of an active exchange. According to Dr. Caro, ravens are capable of vocal and gestural communication. They’ve even been observed using their beaks to point—an ability that mirrors certain behaviors in primates and young children.

A Nest That Speaks to Sustainability

The decision to leave the nest undisturbed highlights Adelphi’s broader commitment to sustainability, particularly Goal 3 of the ±«²Ô¾±±¹±ð°ù²õ¾±³Ù²â’s Momentum 2 strategic plan, which emphasizes a greener, more ecologically integrated campus. In this case, the ravens found an unoccupied architectural nook and made it home, without disrupting human activity.

According to the , millions of acres of bird habitat are lost or degraded every year because of development practices. In this context, allowing the birds to remain on campus is not only harmless but meaningful, offering a moment of connection to the natural world in an otherwise structured space.

In addition, Dr. Caro said that Adelphi has a thriving bird ecosystem, with more than 100 bird species confirmed on campus—evidence that the ±«²Ô¾±±¹±ð°ù²õ¾±³Ù²â’s efforts to foster wildlife-friendly environments are having a tangible impact.

Campus as a Living Classroom

The ravens nesting above Levermore’s entrance have become a point of interest and conversation among students.

Jocelyn Herrera, a senior psychology major, first noticed the birds during her early morning lectures and was struck by the activity just above her head. “They’re hard to miss, and it’s been interesting to learn how much is going on right on campus,� she said. “You talk about sustainability in theory, but this feels like a real example of how our space and nature can overlap in such a cool way.�

Dr. Caro encourages this kind of attention. She often tells students that if they spend even half an hour walking around campus slowly, they’ll begin to notice patterns in the landscape, including the wildlife that blend into the background.

A Small Moment With a Larger Meaning

Though the ravens will eventually move on, their presence has offered something lasting: a quiet demonstration of how even unexpected wildlife can coexist with human activity. It’s a reminder that sustainability is not always about large-scale infrastructure—it can also come from allowing space for nature to persist.

Adelphi’s decision to allow the nest to remain in place speaks to the ±«²Ô¾±±¹±ð°ù²õ¾±³Ù²â’s values: supporting biodiversity, respecting natural behaviors, and embracing the organic character of its green campus.

So next time you walk by Levermore Hall, take a moment to look up and admire Adelphi’s ravens. Research proves they are intelligent enough to recognize human faces—and they just might remember yours.

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But now the pond is empty. So where are the koi?

Bob Conaghan, associate director of Facilities Management and grounds manager, has been caring for the 75 acres on the Garden City campus for more than 45 years. He’s assisted by a team that includes mechanics and plumbers like Bruce Brine. Initially, Conaghan and his team purchased 24 koi and goldfish from a nursery nearby in the Town of Hempstead as part of their ongoing mission to beautify the campus. Today, there are more than 500 koi.

Conaghan and Brine explained that the pools are drained for winter and the majority of the koi are relocated.

Most of them are now swimming about in one of two holding tanks in the Nexus Building. They’ve been joined by two turtles who were formerly owned by an Adelphi employee but needed a new home.

Others are in a 50-gallon tank in the basement of Swirbul Library. They’re cared for by Brine and his colleagues, who brought in additional fish, such as carp and goldfish, to join their more exotic counterparts.

Some of the larger koi have remained outside and can still be seen circling in the Swirbul south patio pool. Conaghan said the pool’s close proximity to the library warms the water, thus preventing it from freezing.

Life Under Water

According to Conaghan, winter is the hibernation period for the fish: During this period they conserve their energy and barely swim.

When spring comes, it’s time to return to their usual home at the Swirbul entrance. Conaghan said moving the koi takes “them out of their hibernation state.� “That’s when they start laying eggs almost immediately. The water temperature has to be a certain number when they’re going to mate, usually around June,� Brine added. “They lay the eggs sometimes twice a year.�

The koi have 40- to 50-year life spans. Smaller koi are preyed upon by species like raccoons and egrets, but Conaghan said most of the koi have grown too large for these predators.

The Once and Future Pools

The pools outside Swirbul were originally simple reflecting pools, but “no matter how many hours we put into cleaning and vacuuming, they never looked crystal clear,” Conaghan said. He decided to let water lilies and water irises and the koi act as natural filters. “We receive many more compliments now than before.”

And as of this past May, a waterfall has been added, thanks to a donation from Nancy Rogner ’75, which “turned out to be a really big hit,â€� Conaghan said.

Facilities Management is currently looking into the possibility of adding UV lights and a filtration system to the pool.

Keeping Adelphi Green

Of course, Conaghan and his team are responsible for far more than the koi. The winter break may be a time for students to relax, but Conaghan, Brine and the team are still at Adelphi every day to ensure facilities are in top shape.

Conaghan said he enjoys being the grounds manager the most of his many responsibilities. In this role, he maintains the campus organically, without the use of pesticides. He also gives students and alumni tours, which can include the behind-the-scenes areas where he and the facilities team operate. He’ll talk about anything from the “probably a couple thousandâ€� Italian wall lizards that might be spotted running around on campus to the names of different trees students might see when walking to their next class.

“The students like hearing about these kinds of things,� Conaghan said. “And we talk about many of the other things on campus that are out of sight, out of mind. So when the students leave our tour, they have a much better understanding of the nature around them.�

To get some glimpses of the fish and hear more from the facilities team, produced by Adelphi’s social media team.

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“Since we created our Green Guide in 2010, we have also seen dramatic growth in the number of colleges committing to sustainability practices—from sourcing food locally and constructing LEED-certified buildings, to making commitments to becoming fossil fuel-free,� said  , editor-in-chief of . “We are proud to shine our light on these exceptional schools and to recommend them to students who want their ‘best-fit’ college to also be a green one.�

For the past two decades, Adelphi has prided itself on being a pesticide-free organic campus. A registered arboretum, the University is home to nearly 70 different types of trees and shrubs, as well as to the ±«²Ô¾±±¹±ð°ù²õ¾±³Ù²â’s unofficial mascot, the Adelphi bunnies.

As part of Adelphi’s Momentum 2 strategic plan, the University has committed to sustainability goals by dedicating one of its 16 priorities to efforts that support an environmentally friendly and fuel-efficient environment.

Recent initiatives include:

• The installation of solar panels on the roof of Swirbul Library and the Center for Recreation and Sports, respectively.
• Adelphi has 18 EV charging stations currently on campus—12 in the Motamed Field garage and six in the Nexus Building garage.
• by sourcing regional suppliers, ensuring that water bottle filling stations are located throughout campus and reducing food waste by using “imperfectâ€� produce from root to stem.
• During the renovation of the Ruth S. Harley University Center, which reopened in 2021, environmentally friendly methods were used whenever possible, including the use of reclaimed or biomass materials and energy-efficient lighting.

Learn more about Adelphi’s sustainability and conservation efforts.

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That’s what Heather Gittelson, a rising senior majoring in cognitive neuroscience and a member of Adelphi’s Honors College, is asking participants this summer in her research project, “Can Taking the Perspective of a Relative in the Future Influence Climate Change Risk Perception.â€�

Earlier research has indicated that people can be reluctant to be proactive about climate change because they feel disconnected from the future. “I want to understand what can motivate people to care more about others,� Gittelson explained. “We can’t expect to make positive changes in the environment moving forward without using neuroscience and psychology to understand what drives people’s decisions.�

This past academic year, she assisted Karolina Lempert, PhD, assistant professor of psychology, in her National Institutes of Health-funded research project exploring memory’s role in decision-making.

This summer, Gittelson is again working with Dr. Lempert to “conduct an experiment in which we test a psychological manipulation to see if it will change climate-related decisions,� she said. “In this case, people must make decisions that are both future- and other-oriented.�

Dr. Lempert notes that while Gittelson’s summer experiment relates to her own work about future decision-making, her student wants to find ways to encourage pro-climate behavior. “This project combines both of our interests. I’ve been interested in basic decision-making, but Heather is making this more concrete.�

Making Better Decisions for the Future

The 300 participants will be divided into three online groups of 100.

• The first group will read a vignette about a storm caused by climate inaction and use future thinking, Gittelson said, to “develop a vivid mental image of a future event, and perspective taking, where they will name a young friend or relative to represent future generations impacted by climate change.â€�
• The second group will read a short story about a storm and refer to an unnamed person in the future. According to Gittelson, they’ll learn if vivid details about a storm are enough to enhance participants’ perception of risk—or if considering the perspective of a chosen individual leads to a greater effect.
• The third group will only read some facts about a future when no climate actions are taken.

Each participant will then be asked to decide how to split $10 between themselves and a climate charity.

The Big Picture

Gittelson expects that the first group that engages in both future thinking and perspective taking will donate a greater share of the $10.

Participants’ answers to questions about their political orientations and general attitudes about climate change will also be factored in. She also expects younger participants to better understand the risks of climate change, since they will most likely be adversely impacted over time.

Gittelson, who hopes to pursue a doctoral degree after graduating from Adelphi, is passionate about her summer project—and limiting the impact of climate change. “Big picture, we’re hoping to contribute information on effective ways to make people care more about climate change and encourage small-scale climate action. We may not be able to stop climate change, but any action is better than none, so we hope to motivate people to take pro-climate action.�

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