College of Sustainability Dalhousie University

We are so proud of all our new sustainability grads this spring -- congratulations to every single one of you, and best of luck in the next steps of your journey!

Our final grad spotlight of the season is Ruby Swartz, who is graduating with a BA Combined Honours in Environment, Sustainability & Society (ESS) and Political Science.

Ruby is also the 2026 recipient of the Deborah Buszard Prize, awarded to an ESS grad judged to have contributed significantly to academic life at the College of Sustainability. Congrats Ruby!! 🎉🎉🎉

What was your highlight of ESS?

“My highlight of ESS was definitely organizing the Green Gala. I loved getting the opportunity to create space to dance away the challenges of the year while celebrating the incredible SUSTie community!”

Favourite course?

“I have two! I loved SUST 2001: Global Environmental Governance. I particularly enjoyed the simulations (which included impeaching my TA). I also really enjoyed Pathways to Green Energy taught by Wayne Groszco. Green energy infrastructure is my passion, and I loved the chance to learn about some of the technical aspects of energy systems.”

What's one sustainability topic you think everyone should be talking about?

“Climate resilience! I think that studying climate change can be really heavy, and thinking about how to adapt our communities so we can best protect ourselves and our neighbours can provide a lot of hope!”

Naomi Black is graduating with a BA Combined Honours in Environment, Sustainability, & Society (ESS) and Environmental Science, with a Minor in Security Studies. Congrats Naomi!! 🎉🎉🎉

What was your highlight of ESS?

“My highlight of ESS was the Community Meals program. There is something so important about taking the time to share a meal with the people around you, and these meals were an incredible opportunity to connect with the faculty, students, and staff of the college. I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to host these meals and to have spent the day cooking with the wonderful friends I met in this program, creating so many memories I will cherish.”

Favourite course?

“My favourite courses within ESS were Global Environmental Governance and Conflict Negotiation and Sustainability. These courses really expanded the scope of the sustainability field in my eyes and fostered a passion for understanding the important relationship between mitigating conflict alongside the ongoing climate crisis.”

What's one sustainability topic you think everyone should be talking about?

“I hope that people continue to work towards more resilient food systems. Sustainability is more than just ensuring resilient ecosystems and working towards environmental justice; it requires us to consider how communities can become more adaptive to an ever-changing world. Ensuring that there are pathways to stable and consistent food access is a crucial step towards safeguarding communities’ ability to flourish.”

Darby Haysom is graduating with a BA Combined Honours (Co-op) in Environment, Sustainability & Society (ESS) and International Development Studies.

She is also the recipient of the 2026 ESS Thesis/Major Project Prize, given to the ESS grad judged to have submitted and defended the best thesis or major project. Darby’s thesis is titled “Seeds of Power: Exploring Neocolonial Dynamics in West African GMO Policies” and is available to view in the online DalSpace Institutional Repository. Congrats Darby!! 🎉🎉🎉

What was your highlight of ESS? Favourite course?

“I enjoyed all of my ESS courses, but Green Finance and ESG Investing (SUST 3108) was my favourite, because it challenged my belief that meaningful environmentally and socially impactful work only happens in the non-profit sector. This course revealed to me that making a positive environmental impact and making a profit do not have to be at odds. As ESS students we offer a really unique ability to be able to embed environmental and social responsibility into financial systems and private sector decision making -- a space where the environment normally comes as an afterthought rather than a guiding pillar. This course made me realize that bringing the values of my degree into the finance world can drive large-scale consumer change, while also offering a career path that is financially and morally rewarding.”

What’s one sustainability topic you think everyone should be talking about?

“AI is a rapidly growing industry and is being integrated into every part of daily life, specifically academic. While many students have benefited deeply from its productivity, I believe more people should be made aware of its environmental consequences, specifically the water demands of data centres that are leading to the contamination of already limited freshwater sources across the world.”

Sophie Bano is graduating with a Bachelor of Management, majoring in Environment, Sustainability & Society (ESS). Congrats Sophie!! 🎉🎉🎉

What was your highlight of ESS? Favourite courses?

“ESS Capstone and the Global Environmental Governance course. My Capstone project was creating a Summer Food Box Subscription program for the Beet Street Market in collaboration with Cultiv8. I enjoyed taking on many roles and finding creative solutions to incoming challenges, and reaching our client’s goal and seeing the program come to life was very rewarding.”

What’s one sustainability topic you think everyone should be talking about?

"Overconsumption and the planned obsolescence of products.”

Danielle Barbe is graduating with a BA and a Minor in Environment, Sustainability & Society (ESS). Congrats Danielle!! 🎉🎉🎉

What was your highlight of ESS? Favourite course?

“One highlight of ESS is the connections I've met along the way and how they've opened my mind to new ways of thinking about sustainability, from global movements to local green initiatives. My favorite course would have to have been SUST 3102: Coastal Change and Adaptation with Prof. Georgia Klein in the Fall of my 2nd year!”

What’s one sustainability topic you think everyone should be talking about?

“Protecting coastal communities and Indigenous-led environmental stewardship in Nova Scotia and across Canada, especially as climate change continues to impact coastlines, ecosystems, and local livelihoods.”

Lister de Vitré is graduating with a BSc Combined Honours (Co-op) in Environment, Sustainability & Society (ESS) and Chemistry, with a Minor in Indigenous Studies.

Lister is also the 2026 recipient of the University Medal in ESS (for the highest-standing ESS grad with First Class Honours) and the Steven Mannell SUST-Star Prize (given to the student graduating with Honours or a primary major in ESS who achieved the highest GPA in SUST classes). Congrats Lister!! 🎉🎉🎉

What was your highlight of ESS?

“The College of Sustainability is a lovely community, and it was so fun to be part of the community meals program! It taught me that I really enjoy cooking for people and hosting. And also that it's a lot of work to scrub crock-pots.”

Favourite course?

“I really enjoyed the classes with shenanigans and fun. So naturally my favourites were Conflict Negotiation (SUST 4125) and Effective Argument (SUST 3103).”

What’s one sustainability topic you think everyone should be talking about?

“I think we should continue to push against the systems that have led to climate change as well as countless injustices. My fear is that greenhouse gas reductions will happen, but capitalism, colonialism, imperialism, patriarchy, etc., will remain intact. Surely this isn't a foregone conclusion, but it's gonna take a lot of work to make the change.”

Grace Elander is graduating with a BA Combined Honours in History of Science & Technology and Environment, Sustainability & Society (ESS). Congrats Grace!!

What was your highlight of ESS? Favourite course?

“My absolute favourite ESS course was SUST 2001: Global Environmental Governance. I loved doing the mock COP30 Summit, as it helped me get to know my classmates better and learn about real-world sustainability issues from the perspective of a country other than Canada. Furthermore, this class really helped me develop my research skills and opened my eyes to all the pathways a sustainability degree can provide. Plus, it was super fun!”

What’s one sustainability topic you think everyone should be talking about?

“I think it's really important for those interested in sustainability to consider how humans are inseparable from nature. A quote from my favourite conservationist, Rachel Carson, always comes to mind when I consider this issue: ‘But man is a part of nature, and his war against nature is inevitably a war against himself.’ As I see it, we cannot continue to view ourselves as a wholly separate entity capable of only great harm or great good towards other species and the planet as a whole. Instead, we must consider how our species fits into the greater mosaic of the Earth, and how we can work not just to save ourselves or others, but how we can work as a part of nature towards an end goal of universal flourishing.”

Hadi Saifi is graduating with a BA in International Development Studies and Law, Justice & Society, with a Minor in Environment, Sustainability & Society (ESS). He is headed to McGill University this fall for Master of Public Policy studies. Congrats Hadi!! 🎉🎉🎉

What was your highlight of ESS? Favourite course?

“My highlight of ESS was realizing how relevant sustainability is to many areas of academic and professional life, including public policy, environmental governance, conflict management, social justice, and community-based work. I was nervous at first and unsure whether I should take ESS courses at all, but a friend encouraged me to try, and I am very glad I did. It was definitely worth it.

“My favourite courses were Global Environmental Governance (SUST 2001) with Professor Bergel and Introduction to Conflict Management (SUST 2105) with Professor Schut. Both courses were engaging, practical, and intellectually valuable. Both courses helped me think more critically about how environmental issues, governance systems, conflict, and cooperation are connected. I would highly recommend both courses to incoming students, especially those interested in sustainability, policy, development, or justice-related work.”

What’s one sustainability topic you think everyone should be talking about?

“Climate change and climate justice.”

This convocation season, we’re excited to celebrate some of our newest grads from the Environment, Sustainability & Society (ESS) program.

Ella Hickey is graduating with a BA Combined Honours in Environment, Sustainability, and Society and Contemporary Studies (CTMP). She is also the recipient of the 2026 ESS Academic Improvement Award, given to the ESS grad who was judged to have shown the greatest academic improvement in class work over the full duration of their degree. Congrats Ella!! 🎉🎉🎉

What was your highlight of ESS? Favourite course?

“I particularly enjoyed SUST 2001: Global Environmental Governance (from the ESS program) and CTMP 4002: The Deconstruction of the Tradition II: Precarities (from the CTMP program). I also particularly enjoyed the smaller class sizes in each degree program, as they facilitated fascinating class discussion that expanded my perspective on the topics we discussed.”

What’s one sustainability topic you think everyone should be talking about?

“I think everyone, especially Canadians, should be talking more about the industrial agricultural systems and its roots in racist immigration policy! More specifically, we should be talking about the disproportionate impacts of industrial agriculture faced by migrant workers in Canada, how their lack of citizenship suspends them in a state of precarity, and how Canadian citizens can support our migrant worker counterparts.”

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