At �þ���, she majored in environmental and ecological science and minored in statistics, laying the foundation for her career in public service.

“I found Elon while I was touring colleges in the South, and if I’m honest, what initially captivated me was the beautiful campus,” says Nighswander. “It was quaint, but not too small, and I immediately felt comfortable there. I also learned that they offered the environmental science program I was interested in, as well as plenty of extracurricular activities, so it was a pretty easy choice.”

Once on campus, Nighswander immersed herself in student life and began shaping her sense of self, playing on the women’s rugby club team and working as a referee for Elon’s �þ��� Recreation intramurals program all four years.

Beyond extracurricular involvement, Elon also nurtured her academic and professional growth.

“I received a scholarship through the Elon College Fellows program, which gave me financial aid as well as a program that really helped me succeed at Elon,” she said. “The program itself was fairly rigorous, and I credit the academic standards and research requirements for starting me on the path that got me into graduate school and ultimately, my career at the EPA.”

Through the Elon College Fellows program, she spent her junior and senior years conducting �þ��� research on wetland ecology, an experience that sparked her passion for environmental research.

She continued her education at the University of Florida, earning her master’s degree while discovering a new passion for CrossFit and the strong sense of community it fostered. After graduating in 2019, she moved back to Washington, D.C., to live with her parents and begin her job search. When COVID-19 upended those plans, she adapted, taking on side gigs and consulting work while also �þ��� CrossFit once gyms reopened.

“I met some members at CrossFit who worked at the EPA. I had told them that I really wanted to work there, and they sent me a few positions that were hiring,” she said. “The positions were in the Office of Pesticide Programs, which I wasn’t sure I was qualified for since I had very little knowledge about pesticides,” she explained. “When I interviewed, I leveraged my experience with statistics, entomology, and data analytics, and was lucky enough to get hired and start working there by the end of 2020.”

Today, her work at the EPA remains fast-paced, with priorities shifting quickly and requiring constant adaptability. “I work in pesticide regulation, and more specifically, I manage both public and proprietary pesticide usage data and analyze said data as part of assessing the benefits and risks of a given pesticide active ingredient,” Nighswander said.

Her time at Elon continues to influence her professional approach.

“My experience conducting research at Elon helped me a lot. It helped refine my skills in developing and testing hypotheses, technical writing and public speaking,” she said.

She is especially energized by projects that blend science and technology.

“My favorite project currently is using a mapping software called ArcGIS to develop Pesticide Use Limitation Areas (PULAs) to protect endangered species from pesticide exposure,” Nighswander said.

Her career as a public servant has been complex, but she explains that it also makes her work rewarding.

“What gets me to work every day is knowing that I am working to help protect human health and the environment. I have always wanted to have a successful career where I can still balance my love for the environment. At the same time, I also must make members of the industry, the general public, and environmental groups happy, which is very challenging,” she explained.

The past year has brought additional demands amid broad changes across the federal workforce. Even so, she feels grateful to remain in her role and grounded in the purpose behind her work to safeguard the environment.

Looking back, Nighswander offers simple but powerful advice to her younger self: “Know that you have all the tools you need to be successful. You don’t have to be the smartest kid in the class or the loudest voice. Just trust your instincts, love yourself, and you’ll find your way.”

She approaches the future with the same openness. “I have no idea where I will be in my future, and I kind of love that,” she said. “There was a period last year where every week, I was worried if I would still have a job. A year later, I am still here, serving the public, and I am grateful for that. I trust myself enough to know when it is time to move on and make a change, and I am sure that time will come, but for now, I am enjoying the work that I do. The uncertainty, while scary at times, can be the most beautiful part of life.”

Do you know an alum who has an interesting story to tell? Please feel free to share your feedback or those stories online.

Community-based learning (CBL) gives students opportunities to address real-world challenges by partnering with local community organizations. Through their experience leading a community-engaged unit in environmental studies, Merricks and Bitting recognized that little research directly examines how CBL affects students from historically underrepresented STEM backgrounds (e.g., women, students of color, and first-generation college students).

Working with Akman, an expert in systematic reviews, the team analyzed existing research on whether CBL experiences influence students’ pursuit of STEM majors or minors, their career intentions, and their sense of belonging in STEM fields. From more than 500 publications published between 1999 and 2024, the authors identified nine studies that met the criteria for inclusion.

Their analysis revealed a major gap in the literature. Few studies systematically examined the impact of CBL pedagogies in STEM. Most did not compare CBL with other �þ��� approaches, making it difficult to draw strong conclusions about its effectiveness. In addition, only a small number of studies analyzed outcomes across demographic groups such as race/ethnicity, first-generation status, or gender. The authors conclude that more rigorous research is needed, including studies that compare CBL with other pedagogies and systematically examine outcomes across different student populations.

As a participant, Bitting will have the opportunity to conduct multi-institutional research on pedagogies that leverage critical engagement with place and space to deepen �þ��� and learning in higher education. Place-based learning emphasizes hands-on learning experiences that connect students to a local community and environment, whether on-or off-campus. This research seminar will be conducted over three summers. Participants will utilize a mixed-methods approach to conduct qualitative and quantitative research culminating in the production of significant concrete outcomes such as edited volumes, journal articles, book chapters, white papers, conference presentations, as well as local initiatives on participants’ home campuses.

Participants will focus on one of the following topics for the duration of the research seminar:

• Student perspectives on, and experiences with, learning on location
• Multi-disciplinary, evidence-informed strategies for �þ��� with place-based pedagogies
• Partnership and stewardship in learning on location
• Institutional-level policies and practices to enable learning on location.

Bitting brings valuable perspective to this research seminar as she is interested in multi-disciplinary, evidence-informed strategies for �þ��� with place-based pedagogies, especially community-based or service-learning, �þ��� outdoors or with digital globe technologies and contemplative pedagogies that engage learners with the world around them.

Bitting has a strong background in publishing �þ��� activities, as well as research surrounding �þ��� methods such as virtual experiential learning and ways to improve teacher performance and student engagement, learning and overall wellbeing. She previously was selected as a Center for the Advancement of Teaching and Learning (CATL) Scholar and has received a CATL Diversity and Inclusion Grant for her work in investigating questions related to �þ���, learning, and equity, especially in STEM fields.

The 2025-2027 research seminar will culminate with the 2027 Conference on Engaged Learning, which will be hosted at �þ��� on July 12-13, 2027.

The ceremony marked the culmination of a dream that Trustee John Replogle P’18 and wife Kristin Replogle P’18 had to honor Gloria Kaso ’25, a student from Albania whose family years ago had generously hosted the Replogles’ daughter Tate Replogle ’18 during her Peace Corps service �þ��� English in the village of Bilisht.

The Replogles visited Tate during her experience and grew close with Kaso and her family, later encouraging Kaso to consider enrolling at Elon.

In 2023, the Replogles donated $100,000 to the EcoVillage project, which they called “truly inspirational” and “uniquely Elon.” Their gift funded the first home in the neighborhood, which was built by a team of students under the leadership of Associate Professor of Environmental Studies Robert Charest, co-founder of the Center for Environmental Studies at Loy Farm, along with input from Elon’s Planning, Design and Construction Management team.

The Replogles had always planned to name the house in honor of Kaso and to surprise her with the news upon her graduation. On May 22, one day prior to Elon’s 135th Commencement, that dream became reality. Kaso sat on the porch of the house that would bear her name and listened as the ceremony unfolded.

John Replogle recalled how much he enjoyed meeting Kaso’s parents, Drita and Ziqiri Kaso, who share his passion for sustainable living. The families grew so close that Replogle calls Kaso an “adopted daughter.” With her degree in engineering and computer science, Kaso plans to begin her career as an environmental engineer working on water reclamation projects for a firm in San Diego.

“She’s going to go out and help solve the world’s problems, and we could not be more proud of you, Gloria,” Replogle said. “You’ve done an exceptional job. The courage that you had to come so far from home to make (Elon) your home, we are really thrilled and delighted to dedicate this home in your name. We want you to always feel at home here at Elon.”

Kaso teared up after hearing the news as students, faculty and staff broke into applause. She later said she was overwhelmed by the honor.

“To have an EcoVillage house at Elon named after me is more than an honor. It’s one of the greatest gifts I’ve ever received,” Kaso said. “It’s a reminder of how far I’ve come, of the dreams I’ve held since childhood and of the future I’m committed to building. It’s not just a recognition. It’s a responsibility I carry with deep gratitude and pride.”

Kaso also shared her gratitude for the Replogle family.

“They saw something in me before I fully saw it in myself,” she said. “Their belief in my potential when it was still just a quiet dream gave me the courage to dream bigger, work harder and push forward with purpose. I will carry their belief in me into every project, every challenge and every step forward. One day, I hope to pass that same gift on, to recognize potential, to uplift others and to help build a more sustainable, hopeful world.”

The EcoVillage is a dynamic living-learning community, where students learn and practice sustainable living principles. The community opened in Fall 2024 with 12 students living in the first six homes. In partnership with donors, the final six homes will be added in the future, creating an opportunity for as many as two dozen students to apply their classroom learning to tending the farm while learning sustainable principles.

The community will serve as a model for sustainable architecture and hands-on, engaged learning opportunities unavailable at many colleges and universities.

At the dedication ceremony, Replogle shared how delighted the couple were to support the project.

“My career has been built on the idea of protecting the planet, and when Kristin and I first heard about this project, we were truly inspired,” Replogle said. “When I graduated, our college president charged us with a very clear directive. He said, ‘The world’s problems are your problems, and there are no problems that better human beings cannot fix.’ Kaso House is a source of inspiration to solve those problems. And hopefully a place like this will continue to inspire young leaders to step up and make the world’s problems their own.”

President Book called the EcoVillage “part of a greater mission” at Elon.

“We know we have engaged, experiential learning, but this mission was also about our students’ understanding that they’re the caretakers of the world ahead and that this sense of empowerment about how they choose to live can actually impact the world,” Book said. “The EcoVillage represents this effort with our students to not only learn by doing, but also to take ownership of the world. Each of these houses represents the use of creativity to respond to our impact on the world.”

Kaso House was a labor of love for 114 student “apprentices” who for two years worked alongside Charest to design and build the home. Charest also incorporated the project into his design courses.

“Every square inch of this house, its structure, innovative details, cabinets, furniture, were made with love and to be loved,” he said.

Charest, an architect committed to the principles of sustainable design, and students presented the project at a national design conference, which he called, “one of the proudest moments of my life.”

“I’m so grateful to Elon for being brave enough to support experiential learning in high stakes projects, such as (Kaso) House,” he said. “I spent the better part of my career designing and building good structures with apprentices. In the beginning, they do not know how to bring designs into being. After this experience, though, 114 wonderful humans became amazing designers, builders, problem solvers, leaders and so much more.”

Abi O’Toole ’26 was one of those student-apprentices and shared her experience at the ceremony.

“I think this building will always serve as a reminder that it was not just about the construction of the building, but also relationships, which I believe can teach us all that the process is just as important as the end result, especially when it comes to our role in sustainability for the planet,” she said. “We’ve worked hard to make eco-friendly choices throughout this build, but in the end, it’s about finding the right tools and the right materials that give us a strong foundation for the future.”

More about EcoVillage & Loy Farm

The EcoVillage living-learning community represents a major step forward in the evolution of Loy Farm, which the university acquired in 2000 from the late Bill Loy Jr., whose generous gifts to the university include Loy Center and the land upon which The Inn at Elon was built. The farm is a sustainable �þ��� and research farm that promotes experiential learning and community outreach and is located along Front Street east of the university’s South �þ��� and Comer Fields, where many of Elon’s intramural and club sports compete.

Each home is approximately 600 square feet and includes two bedrooms, a shared bathroom and areas for food preparation and gathering. The homes include distinctive features of sustainable design and construction, including rainwater collection systems and solar panels. An existing brick ranch house adjacent to the property was renovated to create a student commons building, with a group kitchen, laundry facilities and meeting room.

The farm has become a dynamic living-learning laboratory in keeping with Elon’s longstanding commitment to sustainability. Enhancing sustainability efforts is an important component of the Boldy Elon strategic plan, which will guide the university through 2030. Boldly Elon calls on the campus community to engage in sustainable practices to become carbon neutral by 2037, investing in renewable energy, reducing energy consumption and preparing students to lead lives that build a sustainable future.

About the Replogles

Former chairs of Elon’s Parents Council, Kristin and John Replogle have a long history of philanthropy in education, health, housing and the arts.

At Elon, their gifts have supported many key institutional priorities, including scholarship funding and construction of Founders Hall and Innovation Hall in the Innovation Quad and The Inn at Elon. In 2020, the couple established the Elizabeth “Tate” Replogle Endowment for Team Teaching in Religious Studies in honor of their daughter and her faculty mentors. The couple have also made a generous estate gift and are members of Order of the Oak, Elon’s planned giving society.

John is the founder and partner at Raleigh-based One Better Ventures, which advises, invests in and develops consumer brands with sustainable business models, including Burt’s Bees and Seventh Generation. He previously served as chair of Elon’s Engineering Advisory Board. Kristin Replogle serves as president of the Replogle Family Foundation.

Make an Impact

Many philanthropic opportunities are available to support the EcoVillage. To learn how you can make an impact, contact John Gardner ’01, senior director of development, at (336) 278-7432 or jgardner9@elon.edu.

Before teaming with fellow students last fall to build one of the first six homes in Elon’s new EcoVillage at Loy Farm, Abi O’Toole ’26 had never held a drill or used a power saw. She’d never built window frames, stained and finished countertops, or considered fitting a custom shower and bathroom.

Now, O’Toole has done all of that and more as one of over 60 Elon students involved in the home’s design and construction.

“It was an opportunity I couldn’t pass up, and something I’d never experienced before: building a house, and one that students will live in for decades, while caring for the environment,” said O’Toole, an environmental and sustainability studies major from Raleigh, North Carolina. “It’s given me so much confidence to see that I’m capable of this.”

The experience revealed career paths in sustainable architecture and construction waste management, and O’Toole is eager to put her hard-earned skills to use in helping humans live more harmoniously with the planet.

That’s the ultimate goal of the EcoVillage, a dynamic living-learning community at Loy Farm that welcomed its first residents this week. Along with the single student-built home, independent contractors designed and built five others in the project’s first phase. Each home is around 600 square feet, with two bedrooms and shared common areas for two students. While they all are energy efficient,  individual homes approach sustainability in different ways — from using solar energy for electricity or hot water, to capturing stormwater through cisterns for irrigation and a vegetative green roof.

In partnership with donors, an additional six sustainably designed homes will be built over the next 12 months, creating an opportunity for 24 students to apply their classroom learning to tending the farm while learning sustainable principles they will carry into the world. The innovative project inspired Elon parents John and Kristin Replogle P’18 of Raleigh to give a $100,000 naming gift toward one of the houses this spring.

The LLC will be a model for sustainable architecture and hands-on, engaged learning opportunities that are unavailable at many colleges and universities. Elon President Connie Ledoux Book emphasized those opportunities this week, calling it a “living laboratory” for students to explore responsible use of resources and “carry these practices into the world as informed global citizens.”

“The EcoVillage represents an important step forward for Elon and our community, who will visit this hub for education about sustainable practices in architecture and the positive impact each of us can have on the environment when we choose how we live,” Book said this week. “One of my favorite parts of this project is listening to the students and designers describe the powerful learning experiences they are having as they have designed and built the EcoVillage.”

The student-designed and -built home is a prime example of engaged learning at Elon, with students tackling real-world problems under the mentorship of faculty and staff. Associate Professor of Environmental Studies Robert Charest, an architect committed to the principles of sustainable design, led the project over two years in his design courses and managing students participating in the construction since July 2023.

“This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to build a real house in college,” said Kade Iervolino ’24, who remained at Elon after graduation to complete the project and was a peer mentor to others on the build. “We wanted this house to be beautiful and well-made. We accomplished that, and now I have a stronger sense of how to manage projects and work in a team while maximizing efficiency and making quality work.”

All in the Details

It’s easy to admire the student-built home’s design, craftsmanship and details. Some of its features include:

• 500 square feet of interior living space, and an additional 500 square feet of exterior spaces including a wrap-around porch;
• Birchwood paneling and built-in furniture with walnut accents and regionally sourced cypress decking add a natural aesthetic;
• Timber frame constructed from fir beams and raised on piers instead of a traditional foundation to minimize site impact;
• A standing seam canopy shades the home to block excess heat, and cross-ventilation reduces the need for air conditioning;
• Large, north-facing windows provide natural light while conserving energy; and
• A modern, full kitchen and versatile communal living space.

There’s more to admire beyond the specs. Elon students and Charest carefully considered every aspect of the home. When the project began in summer 2023, Charest described it as a laboratory with students building the lab. Throughout, he empowered them to ideate and collaborate on the finished design, and his �þ��� philosophy encourages a less formal teacher-student relationship where students call him by his first name.

“At most construction sites, you come in with a prepared design and execute it. This project didn’t happen that way,” Charest said. “We had a blueprint and models, but about 60% of this finished home was designed and created by students on-site.”

That process allowed students to test their ideas, experiment with concepts and innovate.

This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to build a real house in college. We wanted it to be beautiful and well-made. We accomplished that, and now I have a stronger sense of how to manage projects and work in a team while maximizing efficiency and making quality work.

One of their ideas led to a key feature: floor tiles made from fir-beam remnants. They cut, sanded and finished more than 2,000 wooden tiles and hand-fit them together into a unique design that resembles parquet flooring and highlights the natural woodgrain.

“Robert let us take on a lot of responsibility for this project. When he wasn’t on site, we used what we learned from him to problem-solve on the spot. Being able to accomplish this work on our own gave us confidence in ourselves and helped us learn,” Iervolino said.

Among the aspects Charest and students are proudest of: They never used or needed a Dumpster. Construction typically creates an abundance of waste. �þ��� repurposed, upcycled and donated leftover materials to organizations like Habitat for Humanity.

Another point of pride: On Friday, Aug. 23, theirs was the first in the EcoVillage to receive a certificate of occupancy from inspectors. A core team of about 10 students this summer worked in shifts to put in six- and seven-day work weeks to have it move-in ready for this school year.

Learning as a Team

“Every day, I was learning something new and making decisions with high stakes. I had to learn quickly how to adapt to new situations and problem solving, and I think that was a team effort. We all supported each other in learning new things.”

– Genevieve Nichols ’25, environmental studies major from Williamsburg, Va.

“We were able to take chances, make mistakes and learn from them. Before, I might have beaten myself up. Now, I can accept them and continue working. That was huge for me.”

– Colin Breuer ’24, environmental and sustainability studies, Naples, Florida

“Coming into this as a project manager, I wasn’t expecting to love it as much as I did. I’ve become a lot more confident handling tools and trusting myself with measurements. You think, ‘I can’t fit the whole shower. I can’t tile an entire floor.’ Then you do it. You realize how capable you are.”

– Macey Rodrigues-Cowl ’25, a project management and marketing double major from Merrimac, Massachusetts

“There’s a passion that comes from being a part of something like this. What has been eye-opening for me is how unexpectedly fluid this process has been to result in this level of quality of construction and design. We’ve had a core group of students working on-site, and also students joining from different classes and a whole range of majors. The continuous refining of the design and decision-making on site happened organically and led to beautiful consensus.”

– Robert Charest, associate professor of environmental studies

About Loy Farm

The EcoVillage project represents a major step forward in the evolution of Loy Farm, which the university acquired in 2000 from the late Bill Loy Jr., whose generous gifts to the university include Loy Center and the land upon which The Inn at Elon was built.

The farm has become a living-learning laboratory in keeping with Elon’s longstanding commitment to sustainability. It houses the Environmental Center at Loy Farm, where students and faculty research agricultural practices, and an active farm overseen by fulltime staff that produces harvests for Harvest Table Culinary Group (�þ��� Dining), Elon’s �þ��� Kitchen, Allied Churches of Alamance County’s Food kitchen and the Burlington Housing Authority.

Enhancing sustainability efforts is an important component of the Boldly Elon strategic plan, which will guide the university through 2030. Boldly Elon calls on the campus community to engage in sustainable practices to become carbon neutral by 2037, investing in renewable energy, reducing energy consumption and preparing students to lead lives that build a sustainable future.

Many philanthropic opportunities are available to support the EcoVillage. To learn how you can make an impact, contact John Gardner ’01, senior director of development, at (336) 278-7432 or jgardner9@elon.edu.

New Sights

Several new construction projects will be ready this fall – offering new opportunities for students, faculty and staff to live, learn and collaborate.

Loy Farm Living Learning Community

The first phase of the Loy Farm Living-Learning Community EcoVillage will open, including six sustainable houses.

The LLC will offer an opportunity for hands-on learning through horticulture, agriculture and research with the . It will eventually include 12 sustainable homes along with a renovated ranch house that will serve as a common area. �þ��� designed the first home alongside Robert Charest, associate professor and chair of the Department of Environmental Studies, with input from University Planning Design and Construction Management. The remaining 11 homes are being designed and built by outside firms.

East Neighborhood Commons

�þ��� will move into East Neighborhood Commons for the first time this year. The three-story, 45,000-square-foot building will have 90 residential rooms (primarily for first-year students), faculty/staff apartments and office space. The commons will also include a “forum,” a large multipurpose room for class, meetings and social events. This university hopes this space will become an “eastern gateway” to main campus, denoting to travelers that they have arrived at Elon.

Francis Center Upgrades

The fourth and final renovation of the Gerald L. Francis Center will be complete for fall 2024 with the addition of an office suite for nursing faculty and an update to the commons space. The building houses Outdoor pickleball courts are also being built near the Francis Center.

Added Academics

Elon Law Flex Program

The first students in �þ��� School of Law’s new part-time Juris Doctor program begin taking classes this fall. The Elon Law Flex Program is offered exclusively at the �þ��� Charlotte regional center and is the only in-person law program offered in the Queen City.

The Elon Law Flex Program is designed for the working professional and students can complete their law degree in four years. A full range of law electives will provide experiential opportunities in law clinics, publication in law journals and moot court programs and competitions.

Graduate certificate in health care analytics

Elon now offers a graduate certificate in health care analytics, a program in the Martha and Spencer Love School of Business designed to meet the needs of working professionals. This certificate is ideal for those in the health care industry looking to advance their careers or for professionals eager to transition into this growing field.

Health care analytics has a, with a $110,680 anticipated median salary. The certificate could prepare professionals with the necessary experience to assume positions such as Chief Medical Information Officer, Vice President of Advanced Analytics, Senior Data Analyst, Vice President of Quality Improvement, Healthcare Analytics Advisor, Director of Analytics, Research Manager, Data Consultant and Product Developer.

Cybersecurity Minor

The Love School of Business now offers a minor in cybersecurity management, helping to prepare students to navigate and protect the digital landscape of business. This minor is designed not just for those looking to specialize in cybersecurity but also for students across various disciplines who aim to enhance their understanding of digital security from a managerial perspective.

Election 2024 at Elon

Ahead of the 2024 election, Elon President Connie Book brought together an ad hoc committee to develop a comprehensive strategy to enhance Elon’s election engagement and support. The working group’s goals had three prongs:

1. Address what Elon offered during previous election years to determine what gaps needed to be filled.
2. Look at the civic engagement opportunities the university regularly offers to determine how Elon could use resources to build greater capacity.
3. Ask how Elon could best prepare the university community for active citizenship not just for the 2024 election, but for a lifetime of civic engagement.

The committee came up with several recommendations including increased communication about the election on campus, opportunities for election-related conversations and election programming, among others. A full list of events can be found here.

Some of the Fall 2024 election event highlights include:

Student Issues Forum (co-sponsored by SGA and ENN)
Thursday, Sept. 5, 6 p.m., East Neighborhood Commons, Forum (102)

Active Citizen Series: Presidential Debate Watch
Tuesday, Sept. 10, 9 p.m., Moseley Center First Floor

ABSS Board of Education Candidate Forum
Monday, Sept. 30, 7 p.m., Paramount Theater, 128 E. Front St., Burlington
Bus transportation from �þ��� to the Paramount Theater will be provided.

Alamance County Commissioner Candidate Forum
Tuesday, Oct. 1, 7 p.m., Paramount Theater, 128 E. Front St., Burlington
Bus transportation from �þ��� to the Paramount Theater will be provided.

Active Citizen Series: Tracking Money in U.S. Politics and its Effect on Elections and Public Policy Featuring Hilary Braseth, Executive Director of Open Secrets
Thursday, October 17, 4:30 p.m., East Neighborhood Commons, Forum (102)

General Election
Tuesday, Nov. 5
Shuttle will run from the Center for the Arts to local polling places from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Active Citizen Series: Election Night Watch Event
Tuesday, Nov. 5, 8 p.m., Global Neighborhood Commons Great Hall

More information can be found on the Elon Votes! website.

New leadership

Hilton Kelly, dean of Elon College, the College of Arts and Sciences

The 2024-25 academic year will be the first at Elon for Hilton Kelly, who was chosen in January to lead Elon’s largest academic division. Kelly comes to Elon from the University of Wisconsin-Plattville where he served as the dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Education.

Kelly is no stranger to North Carolina though – he earned his bachelor’s degree in history at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and was a full professor at Davidson College, where he held several leadership roles. He earned a doctorate from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. Kelly is an interdisciplinary scholar with specialization in the sociology of education.

“I am enormously grateful for the opportunity to lead Elon College, the College of Arts and Sciences,” Kelly said. “I have enjoyed getting to know Elon’s students, faculty, staff and administration through the search process. From the very first moment I read the Boldly Elon strategic plan — a strategic vision for inclusive excellence, experiential learning, global learning and student success — I yearned to be a part of this great university. My whole career in higher education has prepared me for this moment and I look forward to the journey ahead.”

Anu Räisänen – director of HealthEU initiatives

Anu Räisänen is the university’s inaugural Director of HealthEU Initiatives who will work to develop and implement university-wide well-being infinitives with the goal of Boldly Elon, the university’s 10-year strategic plan.

Räisänen joined Elon on August 1 and was previously an assistant professor of physical therapy education and director of the Research and Innovation in Sport and Exercise (RISE) lab at Western University of Health Sciences in Lebanon, Ore. She earned a master of health sciences in exercise medicine from the University of Eastern Finland in Kuopio, Finland, in 2011 and a doctor of health sciences in public health from the University Tampere in Tampere, Finland, in 2018.

“I am very excited for the opportunity to join �þ��� as the Director of HealthEU Initiatives,” Räisänen said. “I would like to commend the university leadership for their commitment to campus health and well-being. Creating a national model is a challenge that I am thrilled to take on and I am looking forward to working alongside everyone in the Elon community.”

Mustafa Akben – director of artificial intelligence integration

While not new to Elon, Assistant Professor Mustafa Akben is stepping into a new role this academic year: inaugural director of artificial intelligence integration. Akben, currently an assistant professor of management in the Love School of Business, began his new position on July 1.

Akben will lead the integration of artificial intelligence across Elon’s academic and administrative departments, building on six core principles the university helped establish last year to guide higher education institutions with a rapidly evolving and groundbreaking technology.

Akben earned a doctorate in business administration from Temple University and has developed a range of AI-enhanced �þ��� tools and methodologies.

“I envision Elon as a thriving community where AI helps administrative functions and academic excellence, all while preserving human relationships across and beyond our campus, a trait that defines Elon’s identity,” Akben said. “I am excited to work across departments to find solutions that facilitate processes and create fresh, innovative and welcoming experiences by partnering with faculty, staff, and students.

Loy Farm Living-Learning Community EcoVillage

The first phase of the Loy Farm Living-Learning Community (LLC) EcoVillage will be completed this summer, including six sustainable houses set to open in Fall 2024.

The LLC will offer an opportunity for hands-on learning through horticulture, agriculture and research with the . It will eventually include 12 sustainable homes along with a renovated ranch house that will serve as a common area. �þ��� designed the first home alongside Robert Charest, associate professor and chair of the Department of Environmental Studies, with input from University Planning Design and Construction Management. The remaining 11 homes are being designed and built by outside firms.

“Each of the houses were designed by a different designer that gave us their solution for what sustainable living looks like, so each house has a different focus,” said Brad Moore, associate vice president for facilities and chief facilities officer. “This is an educational project because the students have been intimately involved in the design and construction processes and now, they will continue to learn firsthand about the benefits of sustainable design as they live in the houses.”

Each house is about 600 square feet and includes two bedrooms, a shared bathroom and common areas. The 12 students living in the houses during the 2024-25 academic year will have the opportunity to try them out before the university starts the second phase of the project. After the 2024-25 academic year, the university will search for six new designers for the remaining homes.

Hook, Brannock and Barney Halls

The final renovations of the Historic Neighborhood residence halls will be completed this summer with the finishing touches being put on Hook, Brannock and Barney Halls. Over the last seven years, work has been completed on Sloan, West, Virginia, Smith and Carolina. This summer, crews are updating the furniture and finishes in the residential rooms of Hook, Brannock and Barney in time for Move-In Day.

“Last year we did the bathroom upgrades, the year before we did window replacements,” said Moore. “To keep that building occupied during the school year, we’ve had to do the renovations in multiple phases.”

Gerald L. Francis Center

The fourth and final renovation of the Gerald L. Francis Center will be completed this summer with the addition of an office suite for nursing faculty and an update to the commons space. The building houses

The university has been updating the Francis Center over the last several years by adding skills labs, classrooms, student study spaces and a interprofessional lab equipped with augmented, virtual and mixed reality technology. Previous renovations added a new entry garden dedicated to those who have donated their bodies to science.

East Neighborhood Commons

The new East Neighborhood Commons will be finished just in time for Fall 2024 Move-In Day. The three-story, 45,000-square-foot building will have 90 residential rooms (primarily for first-year students), faculty/staff apartments and office space. The commons will also include a “forum,” a large multipurpose room for class, meetings and social events.

East Neighborhood Commons under construction. The area serves as a residential hub for Civic Engagement and Social Innovation where students gain a greater awareness of social, cultural and political issues through engagement with faculty and staff. The East Neighborhood currently has more than 300 beds, but this new building will bring the neighborhood closer to the 500 to 600 beds that other neighborhoods have.

“The East Neighborhood provides a dynamic place for first-year students to begin their journey at Elon,” said Moore. “The building will provide a range of new amenities and features that will help the residents of East Neighborhood grow to be active global citizens.”

This university hopes this space will become an “eastern gateway” to main campus, denoting to travelers that they have arrived at Elon.

McMichael Science Center

For the past three summers, renovations have been ongoing in the McMichael Science Center to enhance the classrooms, labs and classrooms for the biology, chemistry and environmental science departments. The work this summer updates a major �þ��� lab. Another renovation phase, scheduled for Summer 2025, will focus on the common areas of the building.

Ropes Course Relocation

The Elon Challenge Course, currently at The Lodge property, is being relocated closer to the Phoenix Activities and Recreation Center (PARC). The Elon Challenge Course features both high and low elements and requires �þ��� Recreation & Wellness facilitators. The course is scheduled to open by Fall 2024.

With a first phase of six houses opening in fall 2024, the site at the farm’s eastern edge eventually will include housing for 24 students, a commons building and outdoor gathering spaces. The completed residential neighborhood will offer students an immersive educational experience in sustainable living, building and agricultural practices learned in environmental studies courses.

The project furthers the university’s mission for Loy Farm, home to the Center for Environmental Studies, as a hub of hands-on learning through horticulture, agriculture and research. �þ��� in the living-learning community will be involved with planting and harvesting crops and maintaining the farm as well as the residential area. The LLC will enhance area resources for sustainable practices and broaden outreach opportunities for campus and broader communities.

“We’re already No. 1 in the nation for �þ��� �þ��� and having this living-learning community at the farm adds new dimensions to that. Our students will graduate with even more skills by living in this community and in this idyllic landscape,” said Robert Charest, associate professor and chair of the Department of Environmental Studies.

�þ��� designed the first home with Charest and input from University Planning, Design and Construction Management. Charest is leading �þ���s in its construction this summer and throughout the 2023-24 academic year. The first 550-square-foot home will be constructed from steel and timber that students will fashion into beams. The home will be raised on piers and include two bedrooms, a full kitchen and common area, and a bathroom. A porch will provide outdoor living space.

“I must commend our administration for pursuing this vision. When we looked at precedents for this kind of community, we couldn’t find anything like it. This is a laboratory, and students are participating in building the laboratory. It is truly groundbreaking,” Charest said

The community’s 11 other homes will be designed and built by outside firms around different principles of sustainable design and construction. Each will be roughly 600 square feet and include two bedrooms, a shared bathroom and common areas for food preparation, living and gathering.

An existing brick ranch house next to the farm will be refurbished and converted into a commons building for student services, laundry and communal events.

“The addition of the living-learning community and common spaces will make Loy Farm even more of a research and educational farm where the campus community and outside community can come to learn about sustainable growing methods, sustainable architecture and view 12 different solutions to the same problem,” said Brad Moore, associate vice president for facilities and chief facilities officer. “It will be illuminating to see those architectural solutions juxtaposed next to each other with the richness of the architectural variety.”

�þ��� will apply to live in this unique LLC having demonstrated their commitment to environmental sustainability through coursework and service at Loy Farm. Residents will be expected to contribute to the well-being and care of the community. Faculty and student advisors will guide activities and outreach.

Environmental studies faculty have long envisioned a residential community at the farm where students would apply classroom lessons to tending the farm and living out sustainable principles.

Michael Strickland, lecturer in environmental studies and English and director of the Center for Environmental Studies, said the LLC is “a culmination of the vision we’ve had and what we’ve worked for steadily all these years.” He believes it will add vibrance to campus life through a highly competitive residential community and create new opportunities for experiential learning unavailable at most institutions.

“This LLC expands the Center’s mission of keeping in the forefront of students’ and faculty’s minds that sustainable living is achievable, but that it takes vigilance and constant evolution,” Strickland said. “Not only is this a model of sustainability, but it will be a hands-on, immersive experience for our students in learning practical life skills — like using tools to maintain a home and landscape and mastering the complexities of farm and gardening work — fostering self-reliance, grit, resilience and care for the community.”

�þ��� acquired Loy Farm from the Loy family in 2000, eventually becoming a hub for agroecology courses on a half-acre farm. It has since grown to include two high tunnels and propagation spaces, expanded perennial and annual crops and a barn that functions as an indoor/outdoor classroom. Full-time staff oversee planting and harvests — which supply Harvest Table campus dining, Elon’s �þ��� Kitchen, and Allied Churches of Alamance

County’s food kitchen with produce — serving as an example of sustainable, equitable food systems in the South.

Design and construction of the LLC is already enriching Elon students’ experiential learning.

Karalyne Dube ’23 was an assistant architectural designer with Charest during her senior year. This fall, Dube will enroll at the Platt Institute in Brooklyn to pursue a master’s in architecture, and the work she submitted from Elon’s sustainable design courses put her ahead in the application process.

“The most exciting thing to me about this process was seeing students so inspired to continue this work in the future,” Dube said. So many architects design sketches but rarely see them come to life. I can’t describe that feeling, and I want to repeat this process and see my work benefit my community and the environment.”

Kyra Wells ’24 is a member of the summer team that broke ground and is completing the first phase of construction.

“We’re not shadowing anyone. We’re the ones who are building it, and we’re learning firsthand from Prof. Charest, who’s so experienced,” Wells said. “It’s exciting and empowering.”

The focus of Hassol’s presentation was to explain the possible solutions that individuals and society could implement in response to climate change. “I hope I can give you some reasons for hope tonight, as what we do in the next few years is absolutely critical, and each of us has a role in that,” Hassol said.

Hassol spoke at McKinnon Hall on Tuesday, April 19, at 7:30 p.m. Her talk was open to the public and was one of many Earth Week events hosted by Elon’s Office of Sustainability. Other events this week include Party for the Planet, a Wellness Walk, and a Pop-Up Swag Shop. These events all serve as an opportunity for Elon students, faculty, and staff to examine their own habits as they relate to sustainability.

Hassol was introduced by Hannah Miller ‘23, the communications intern for Elon’s Office of Sustainability. Miller talked of Hassol’s , which include authoring the most recent report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). Hassol has testified to the United States Senate and has written and edited numerous high-level reports including the first three U.S. National Climate Assessments. She has written an HBO documentary and penned popular articles and editorials for Boston Globe, The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, and Scientific American in recent months.

Throughout the hour-long speech, Hassol shared her vision for the future, and the myriad benefits that could come from acting against climate change. She shared graphs and charts that illustrated the long-term effects of climate change along with global attitudes towards climate change.

“The future is in our hands. We get to decide what kind of future we get to have,” Hassol said. “We must understand the seriousness of the threat and pair that with solutions.”

Citing examples of youth who have acted against climate change, Hassol listed simple changes that students could make to reverse climate change. These changes included riding a bike or walking instead of driving, talking to representatives, and having discussions about the climate crisis.

Hassol concluded her speech by providing reasons for hope. She explained that since climate change is a man-made problem, it also has man-made solutions. Hassol shared recent examples of clean energy changes that have been implemented across the globe, including the increasing use of alternative energy sources such as wind and solar energy.

“No one can do everything, but everyone can do something,” Hassol said, as she encouraged members of the audience to act in any way they could.

After Hassol concluded her presentation, Assistant Director of Sustainability for Education and Outreach Kelly Harer invited students and other audience members to ask Hassol questions.

The talk was sponsored by the Office of Sustainability, the Center for Environmental Studies, the Doherty Center for Creativity, Innovation and Entrepreneurship, the Kernodle Center for Civic Life, and the Strategic Communications Department.

More information about the Office of Sustainability’s Earth Week Events can be found here.

Hassol is an award-winning climate change communicator and author known for her ability to make complex scientific topics more accessible. She is the author of the most recent report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and has written and edited numerous high-level reports including the first three U.S. National Climate Assessments. She has testified to the United States Senate, written an HBO documentary and penned popular articles and editorials for The New York Times, Boston Globe, Los Angeles Times and Scientific American in recent months.

In her keynote, Hassol will share a vision of the future we can create and discuss pathways for reaching it. A main point of her talk will be that our actions matter and the future is in our hands. Climate change is a manmade problem and it has manmade solutions. Because the world has so far failed to act with the necessary urgency, we now face a climate emergency. But crises can also present opportunities, and many of the solutions to the climate crisis solve other problems too, resulting in a safer, healthier, more equitable world.

This keynote presentation is free and open to the public. It will be recorded and available to anyone with Elon login credentials.

The talk is sponsored by the Office of Sustainability, the Center for Environmental Studies, the Doherty Center for Creativity, Innovation and Entrepreneurship, the Kernodle Center for Civic Life and the Strategic Communications Department.