Making Headlines

The following articles reflect our commitment to share sustainability-related accomplishments across the university — representing its colleges, departments, institutes, centers and other units — in the areas of research, student engagement, campus stewardship and collaborations with the public and private sectors.

  • The Lantern, April 9, 2025

    University sustainability leaders and experts gathered in the Ohio Union’s Archie M. Griffin Grand Ballroom to discuss sustainability at Ohio State and beyond, with over 50 students in attendance. Known as State of Sustainability Night, the event was a collaboration between the Undergraduate Student Government and Time for Change Week, an annual seven-day series of environmental education and awareness events at Ohio State. ...

  • Columbus Dispatch, September 5, 2024

    It's hotter in Columbus than in many neighboring communities. That's because the city is impacted by something known as the urban heat island effect. The heat island impacts anyone in downtown Columbus, but it does not impact all areas equally. A recent study from Ohio State University doctoral candidate Peng Chen found that socioeconomically disadvantaged areas tend to be hotter than other more affluent downtown areas. ...

  • Science news, May 20, 2024

    The analysis represents “a significant step forward” in reconstructing the population size of ancient villages, says ecological anthropologist Sean Downey of Ohio State University. But actual sizes of ancient populations are difficult to pin down, he cautions. ...

  • NPR Weekend Edition Sunday, May 26, 2024

    The world is awash in plastic waste. But plastic wasn't always ubiquitous. This National Public Radio (NPR) story examines a decades-long effort by the plastics industry to get people hooked on disposable products and packaging. ...

  • Columbus Underground, May 2, 2024

    In years past, many political and industrial leaders — and even some environmentalists — believed that there could be no economic growth without causing environmental damage. But panelists at a Columbus Metropolitan Club forum told a packed crowd that economic growth doesn’t have to be destructive. ...

  • Wisconsin State Journal, February 21, 2024

    Scientists advocate for alternative crops. ...

  • Plainview Herald, February 20, 2024

    Researchers at Ohio State University are finding ways to use dandelions and other shrubs to make alternative rubbers, and professor Katrina Cornish notes the plant could be the wave of an eventual future. ...

  • The Lantern, February 6, 2024

    Katrina Cornish, professor of horticulture and crop science, is researching ways to develop more sustainable, domestic production of rubber. ...

  • The Atlantic, January 2, 2024

    When a natural disaster strikes, renters are in trouble. In addition to damaged infrastructure, flooding, and trauma following a severe storm, tenants can face the looming threat of unaffordable rent—and even eviction. New research suggests that renters, who make up roughly one-third of the population in the United States, are hit hard by and struggle to recover from hurricanes. ...

  • All Sides with Anna Staver, December 19, 2023

    The 2023 U.N. climate summit, known as COP28, ended last week in Dubai. Attending the summit was a delegation from Ohio State University. All Sides host Anna Staver interviews Bart Elmore, professor of environmental history and core faculty member of the Sustainability Institute, who helped lead the student delegation at the summit. ...