Green glass globe nestled in bright green grass, sunlight shining from behind.

Study Abroad Sustainability Research Fellows

The Study Abroad Sustainability Research Fellows program was founded in Spring 2025, when the Nanovic Institute began offering students studying at Notre Dame hubs in Dublin, Galway, London, and Rome the funding to pursue independent, sustainability-focused research projects. After conducting their field research abroad, students brought their findings back to Notre Dame and presented their work at a public event, sharing their "cross-cultural sustainability insights" with the Notre Dame community. The funding and mentorship provided allowed these emerging undergraduate researchers to flourish as they pursued their projects from proposal to presentation. In addition to applying knowledge learned in one nation to another, the cohort-based model gave students the chance to connect with like-minded students in pursuing a more sustainable future.

The program has since evolved and is now available to students studying abroad in any location offered by ND Global, thanks to the generous support of additional sponsor institutes: the Keough-Naughton Institute for Irish Studies, the Kellogg Institute, the Liu Institute for Asia and Asian Studies, and the Keough School of Global Affairs.

Applications are currently open through November 10, 2026, for the next cohort (Spring 2027) of the Sustainability Research Fellows program.

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On this site, the resulting research outcomes from each of these projects are collected to help communities find new ways to think about sustainability—in categories as diverse as water quality, sustainable agriculture, and the intersections of healthcare and housing with sustainability.

2025 Sustainability Research Fellows

Ten smiling young adults, eight women and two men, dressed in business casual attire including blazers, sweaters, and collared shirts, pose for a group photo in an indoor setting with wooden walls.
Students from the 2025 Study Abroad Sustainability Research Fellows program at their presentation night on October 30, 2025.

The first group of Sustainability Fellows completed their projects over the course of the spring 2025 semester and presented their findings on October 30, 2025, at a public event. Eamon Ryan, former Irish Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications and Minister for Transport, Green Party leader, and current co-chair of the European Housing Advisory Board, served as a guest judge for the presentations, alongside Morgan Munsen, senior research and partnerships program manager at the Nanovic Institute; Brigitta Richmond, director of summer/short-term study abroad programs at ND Global; and John Kalemkerian, sustainability program manager: operations & analysis at the Notre Dame Office of Sustainability.

Isabelle Wilson ’26 received the Green Globe Award for her presentation and Gracie Speicher ’26 received an honorable mention.

Stone ruins of an ancient Roman aqueduct with five arches dominate a vast, dry golden field. Scattered hay bales and distant green trees fill the landscape under a hazy sky. A person walks a dark dog on the field's right.

From Ancient Horti to Climate Action: Urban Agriculture and Carbon Neutrality in Rome

Isabelle Wilson ’26

A swift, amber river with white rapids flows past lush green, moss-covered banks and dark foliage. A rocky cliff face in the background reflects orange light. A textured rock sits partially submerged in the foreground water.

Monitoring Water Quality in Dublin, Castle Lake, and the Upper Annalee

Christine Hruby ’26

Weathered stone building with a tall clock tower topped by a green spire under a blue sky. An ornate, double-sided, reddish-pink stone staircase with balustrades and urns leads to the building's facade. A large green tree stands to the right.

Sustainable Healthcare in Ireland: The Environmental Impacts of the Shift towards Community Based Care

Elise Wollemborg ’26

A diverse group in business attire walks on a paved outdoor path. European Union flags fly to the left, and modern glass buildings reflect the sky. A man in a blue suit with a bag leads on the right.

Investing in Our Future: ESG Investing in the EU

India Byrne ’26

Two offshore wind turbines stand in choppy blue water, silhouetted against a twilight sky with pink clouds and distant blue mountains.

Powering Prosperity: Ireland's Offshore Wind Journey and Insights for the United States

Rika Felten ’26

A wide view of dark blue water with ripples under a light blue sky with white clouds. Rolling green hills line the distant shore, and a small red buoy floats on the left. Bare tree branches frame the right foreground.

Agriculture & Water: An Irish Problem

Jack MapelLentz ’26

Dilapidated single-story house with peeling yellow and white paint, crumbling walls, multiple broken windows, and a dark, weathered roof with a brick chimney. Green grass foreground under a bright blue sky.

Dereliction and Decline: The Economic and Social Costs of Ireland’s Dereliction Crisis

Sara Wheeler ’26

Historic Ponte Sant'Angelo, a stone bridge with arches and white angel statues, spans the Tiber River in Rome. Castel Sant'Angelo fortress stands on the left under a blue sky.

Reclaiming the River: Public Spaces and the Tiber in Rome, Italy

Gracie Speicher ’26

A close-up view of clear, empty plastic bottles aligned in a row on what appears to be a manufacturing or bottling line. Bright yellow lights glow in the background.

Barriers to Sustainability in the Plastics Industry: The Case for Regulatory Intervention

Josh Williams ’26