Joint letter from ENVI Chair Prof. Sarah Jacobson and ZCE Exec. Dir. Tanja Srebotnjak

Dear Williams Community,

As shared in a recent message by Professor José Constantine, we are excited to announce the launch of the new Zilkha Center for the Environment and the recomposition of the Environmental Studies Program as a stand-alone interdisciplinary academic program that is the home of the environmental studies curriculum, effective July 1, 2024.  

The new Zilkha Center for the Environment (ZCE) will oversee campus sustainability efforts, manage Hopkins Memorial Forest in partnership with a committee of researchers and other stakeholders, continue time-honored co-curricular initiatives such as the student summer grant program, Log Lunch, and Maple Fest, and be the administrative home of the Environmental Justice Clinic. By bringing together relevant resources that until now were part of two separate centers (the Center for Environmental Studies and the Zilkha Center for Environmental Initiatives), the new Zilkha Center for the Environment will also be able to better support and collaborate with faculty, staff, and students  across campus, strengthen our outreach initiatives, and forge deeper connections with local communities. 

The Environmental Studies Program (ENVI), with chair Professor Sarah Jacobson, will continue as the academic home of environmental studies at Williams. It will serve students through its interdisciplinary major and concentration, the array of courses originating from and cross-listed in ENVI, and the advising provided by the program’s faculty.

The Environmental Studies Program and the Zilkha Center for the Environment are committed to working together and with other college partners so that students and faculty have improved access to co-curricular resources and can actively participate in campus sustainability initiatives. This includes the collaborative stewardship of Hopkins Memorial Forest—a critically important resource for research and teaching—as well as improved coordination of community events and streamlined processes for students to access summer funding opportunities.

Together, the newly structured Zilkha Center for the Environment and the Environmental Studies Program reflect the college’s long-standing commitment to environmental education, research, campus sustainability, and community engagement. We will build on the history and impactful work done by their predecessors and create new opportunities to expand and deepen this work.

Thank you for your continued support. We look forward to embarking on this transformative journey with you.

Sincerely,

Sarah Jacobson, Chair of Environmental Studies & Professor of Economics

Tanja Srebotnjak, Executive Director of the Zilkha Center for the Environment