Alert icon Call for Abstracts Now Open: The priority deadline for abstract submissions is Sunday, February 1st at 11:59 PM. Submissions will be evaluated and accepted on a rolling basis.
2026 Sustainability & Environmental Justice Symposium
The Center for Sustainability, Department of Environmental Studies and Sciences, and the Environmental Justice and the Common Good Initiative invite faculty, staff, and students to present at the 2026 Sustainability & Environmental Justice Research Symposium, Santa Clara University’s annual showcase of research projects that advance the common good and protect our common home.
The Symposium will be held March 10-11, 2026, in the California Mission Room of Benson Student Center. This event is free and open to the public.
The Symposium aims to advance SCU’s Impact 2030 and Leading Through Laudato Si’ goals through:
- Showcasing campus research and thought leadership centered on sustainability and environmental justice that emphasizes solutions for the public and policymakers
- Fostering cross-institutional and interdisciplinary collaboration
- Connecting student attendees to research opportunities across campus
Abstracts will be accepted from faculty, staff, and students who have conducted research or engaged in significant projects about:
- Sustainability–the interdependence and interconnectedness of ecological, social, and economic systems; and/or
- Environmental Justice–a movement affirming the right of people of color and of low-income, Indigenous peoples, women, other marginalized communities, future generations, and all species to thrive.
Projects can be collaborative or single-author scholarly or non-scholarly works created in courses, academic research labs, and/or fellowships. Abstracts will be accepted for the following formats:
- Lightning Talk (brief presentation)
- Creative Work (photography, painting, poem, video, etc.)
- Poster (ESS Capstone students only)
All formats will be limited to 5 minutes and followed by a Q&A session. All presenters are encouraged to share a core area of their research related to the above themes, highlight the methodology used, and present key research findings.
All presentations will be recorded and posted on the SCU website. If selected to present, you consent to photography or other recording(s); you agree to release SCU from any liability connected with the recording, publication, reproduction or other use of photographs and/or recordings; and you hereby grant SCU an irrevocable, unlimited license to use your likeness, mannerism(s), or voice that may be present in such photograph or other recording, without credit, compensation, inspection, or approval.
All presenters will submit the following information through a Qualtrics form (see below):
- Title of work
- Abstract
- Abstracts should be no longer than 250 words. Tips: See the University of California, San Diego resource on writing an abstract for a conference presentation.
- Note: this description will appear on the symposium's website (see last year's program agenda for an example), so please proofread before submitting.
- Availability to present
- Please check all the times that you (and any co-presenters) are available to present during March 10-11.
- Presenter(s) information
- Presenters can opt in to social media promotion by sharing their headshot and LinkedIn profile.
The priority deadline for abstract submissions is Sunday, February 1st at 11:59 PM. Submissions will be evaluated and accepted on a rolling basis. Submissions will be accepted up to Sunday, February 8th at 11:59 PM.
Please email sustainability@scu.edu with any questions. In compliance with the ADA/504, please direct accommodation requests to vjohnson2@scu.edu.