Honors Projects

Abstract

Human activity is already triggering damaging environmental tipping points (Lenton, 2020), emphasizing the need for sustainability in all aspects of development. Institutes of Higher Education (IHEs) have the power and responsibility to contribute to a more sustainable world (Parr et al., 2022). Bowling Green State University (BGSU) in Ohio, United States, and the Paris Lodron University of Salzburg (PLUS) in Salzburg, Austria are two IHEs with multifaceted sustainability programs. While living and studying at BGSU and PLUS, I used autoethnography, a personal narrative approach, combined with public sustainability information to compare the sustainability initiatives at each university, and determine what the programs can learn from each other. Through this research, I found that Bowling Green State University has an older and more structured sustainability program with higher levels of student involvement than the University of Salzburg. However the University of Salzburg has a developing sustainability program, and sustainability initiatives and waste management are deeply intertwined with the local culture. Recommendations are provided for improving student involvement at PLUS, and for implementing specific initiatives at BGSU. Further research comparing the sustainability programs is recommended using both quantitative and qualitative methodologies.

Department

Honors Program

Major

Environmental Science

First Advisor

Dr. Nathan Hensley

First Advisor Department

Environment and Sustainability

Second Advisor

Dr. Timothy Murnen

Second Advisor Department

Education

Publication Date

Spring 4-20-2026

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