On April 17th, 2024 the George Washington University’s Alliance for a Sustainable Future hosted a celebration for their launch which took place during November of 2023. The event featured opening remarks by University President Ellen Granberg, a discussion panel featuring faculty affiliated with the Alliance including David Rain, Saniya LeBlanc, Susan Anenberg, and moderator Christopher Allen Bracey, a performance by the GW University Singers, and a conversation between the Alliance’s Frank Sesno and United States Senator Chris Coons. This short video recap highlights key moments from that event.
Opening Remarks
President Granberg welcomed the audience to the celebration and spoke of how “the GW Alliance for a Sustainable Future is a hub for thought, activity, and action. … Together we’re creating a platform for the entire GW community to work with partners across the globe, to develop compelling storytelling that shares real insights into the challenges of climate change, to be leaders in law and policy to course correct our future, and to design and implement innovations and technologies critical for building a more sustainable world”.
Sacred Place -- GW University Singers
Following the opening remarks the GW University Singers took the stage to sing a piece entitled Sacred Place. Sacred Place is “an ecological service that connects the old with the new, the sacred with the secular, and the individual with their community” according to composer Alex Berko’s program notes. To learn more about how this piece was selected and its background check out: A Beautiful Launch: East Coast premiere of Sacred Place celebrates GW Alliance by Anneliese Palmer on the Alliance Spotlight.
Discussion Panel
The next portion of the celebration featured a faculty roundtable discussion among David Rain, Saniya LeBlanc, and Susan Anenberg. This discussion was moderated by GW Provost Christopher Alan Bracey. Provost Bracey questioned the three professors about the big problems they are trying to solve through their research and the passion driving their work. The range of diversity in their work – scientific analysis, technological innovation, and human well-being – helped illustrate the multi-dimensional nature of sustainability and the important role the Alliance has in promoting transdisciplinary problem-solving.
Frank Sesno with Senator Chris Coons
The final video from the Alliance Celebration featured here is a conversation between the Alliance’s Executive Director, Frank Sesno, and Senator Chris Coons (D-DE). Senator Coons plays a very important role in sustainability as the co-founder and co-chair of the senate climate solutions caucus. He spoke inspirationally about bipartisanship, and how young people, faculty, and institutions can create leaders who will find solutions to our current climate crisis.