Rose-Walters Residency Sparks Mutual Inspiration in Environmental Leadership
![EDF representatives hold a lecture with students](/images/EDF_screengrab.png")
Classroom discussions were on the agenda when representatives of the Environmental Defense Fund came to campus as part of their Rose-Walters Prize residency. Photo by Stephen Munchel.
video by Stephen Munchel
Environmental Defense Fund's Campus Residency: Where National Expertise Meets Student-Led Innovation
As part of Dickinson's Sam Rose ’58 and Julie Walters Prize for Global Environmental Activism, representatives from the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) visited campus for a transformative three-day residency from October 28 to 30, 2025. The visit, which capped off the $100,000 award bestowed upon EDF earlier that year, fostered deep dialogues between the nonprofit's experts and Dickinson's sustainability-driven community, highlighting shared commitments to planetary stewardship.
“I'm so impressed by the work that they're doing here,” says Jon Goldstein, associate vice president of energy transmission at the EDF. “Obviously the object here is for us at EDF to be able to share with them some of our experiences. But I have to say I feel like I'm getting as much from the students and from their enthusiasm and optimism as maybe as I'm giving them.”
During the residency, EDF leaders engaged directly with students and faculty through workshops, panels and campus tours. The exchange proved reciprocal, as EDF shared hard-won strategies from national advocacy efforts while absorbing insights from Dickinson's hands-on sustainability initiatives. Students showcased the college's robust environmental programs, from the anaerobic digester at the College Farm that converts organic waste into renewable energy, to post-meal composting operations in dining halls and volunteer-led monitoring of water quality in nearby rivers like the Conodoguinet. These efforts exemplified Dickinson's ethos of "walking the talk" on sustainability, integrating real-world action into academic life.
As part of the residency, EDF representatives visited classes for small-group discussions with students on sustainability. Photo by Dan Loh.
“They're asking thoughtful, profound questions, questions that I hope are being asked all across the country,” says Natasha Vidangos, associate VP of innovation & tech policy at EDF. “They're really ready to lean in on a hard topic.”
Goldstein further highlighted the alignment between EDF's advocacy and Dickinson's on-the-ground innovations. “[Dickinson is] putting in place some of the solutions that we're advocating for in other places,” Goldstein says. “So it's exciting, I think for me and my colleagues, to be here and be able to see firsthand the efforts being undertaken right here in central PA.”
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Published October 31, 2025