This month, “green” took center stage as Farmingdale State College (FSC) welcomed the 2026 State University of New York (SUNY) Sustainability Conference to campus. The robust three-day event brought together higher education sustainability professionals and SUNY students from across New York State to discuss emerging issues and share creative solutions. 

Supported by FSC's Office of Sustainability, this year’s annual gathering also featured tabling from community partners and several state agencies; student poster presentations; a variety of educational sessions on sustainable fashion, green construction, community engagement, and campus energy reduction; SUNY success stories; bicycle rides through FSC’s campus; a morning yoga session; off-campus tours of Sunken Meadow State Park, Jones Beach State Park, and the Planting Fields Arboretum State Historic Park; networking and partnership opportunities; and an inspiring keynote address from David Wallace-Wells, New York Times columnist and author of “The Uninhabitable Earth.” 

“It is a great pleasure to welcome so many of you who are so dedicated to advocating sustainability across our nation, across our communities, across our institutions,” said FSC President Robert S. Prezant, PhD, who offered insights from his international research on how environmental changes affect marine biology. “At Farmingdale State, sustainability is more than an institutional priority; it is an ongoing commitment that is woven into the fabric of our operations, our planning, and our educational mission. And we continue to expand initiatives focused on reducing plastic waste, advancing sustainable energy practices, improving food cycle management, enhancing natural landscaping, promoting water conservation, and beyond.”

Drawing from his extensive climate writing, Wallace-Wells shared a hopeful vision for Earth’s environmental future in his keynote remarks.

“If you spent the last few years in a period of despair about climate action, I understand. I’ve been there too,” said Wallace-Wells. “But in your work, on the ground, at the state level, at the community level, at the campus level…this is an absolutely beautiful time to be doing this. Public opinion is with you, not against you. The green transition is growing in the same direction as you are trying to grow too. And doing the work that you do, people will look to you as heroes. People are looking around for climate leadership. They are looking around for climate superstars. And you can be those people—in fact, you are already those people.”

In his educational session, Teaching Sustainability Through Practice: Life of the Practitioner, FSC Associate Professor Eugene Kwak shared his personal experience working with nonprofit agencies supporting farming, agriculture, and education. As a member of the American Farmland Trust New York Advisory Council and a licensed architect, Kwak has been running a variety of research-based projects, including “Togather” which has been featured in the New York Times and TEDx. The project, a regenerative two-family farm in upstate New York, focuses on the regional food systems, land access, and empowering local farmers.

“For me, I know the North Star is to really deepen my aspiration to serve the common good,” said Kwak. “I know it sounds really cliché…but as an architect, I can use my skill set to create a new model and help advocate for sustainability while protecting New York State’s farming culture and our environment.”

As part of the conference, Jhoanna Ortiz, ’27, an architectural engineering technology major, was proud to present her IGNITE Symposium award-winning research project, The Impact of Recycled Plastic in Recycled Concrete Aggregate (RCA), which examined incorporating recycled plastic into concrete to support resource conservation and waste reduction. 

“My hope is that people are able to see that climate change is about to become irreversible,” Ortiz said. “Our planet is essential. We live here. We have to treat it like we live here. And I think it's very important that a lot of people are here today who have the same ideals as me. It's a great honor for me to be able to present today,” she added. “It's very valuable to me that Farmingdale offers these types of resources and learning experiences to its students.” 

“This kind of collaboration is so important,” said President Prezant. “These interdisciplinary exchanges will help build communities that are environmentally resilient, economically vibrant, socially equitable, and capable of adapting to disruptions. Seeing so many dedicated individuals assembled here today gives me tremendous optimism. Their expertise, passion, commitment, and willingness to engage across disciplines is exactly what is needed right now to shape a more resilient future for New York, for our nation, and for generations that follow.

For more information please visit Farmingdale State College's Office of Sustainability webpage.

To view more photos from the 2026 SUNY Sustainability Conference, please view our Flickr Gallery.

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