Teach-In on Sustainability

The Emerson College Teach-In on Sustainability is an annual College-wide exploration of how we contribute to a sustainable tomorrow through communication, the arts, and the liberal arts. A modern Emerson tradition now in its fifth year, the Teach-In showcases the work, experiences, and ideas of our faculty, students, alumni, and guests.

At its heart is a deliberately expansive idea: sustainability is the work of helping good things last — meeting present needs without compromising those of future generations. As reflected in the globally shared UN 17 Sustainable Development Goals, our context includes the natural environment and so much more. It encompasses all aspects of well-being — health, justice, education, food security, and decent work — connecting nearly every discipline to a shared global agenda.

The 2026 Teach-In will be held the week of October 12, 2026. All events taking place on the Boston campus of Emerson College. The keynote by Suzie Hicks ‘18, 4pm Thursday, will stream at emerson.edu/live as a co-production of the Emerson College Master Class series.

Thursday, Oct 15

10:00 a.m. | Sustainability Communication in the Wild 

Jackie Liebergott Black Box, Paramount Center

This panel will explore what it means to work in the field of sustainability communication. What does the work look like on a daily basis and how has it changed? The conversation will explore career paths, audiences, and how communication is integrated into organizations. Together, the panelists will address Emerson’s institutional strengths and share how training for the future of sustainability communication will provide the workforce necessary for the continued evolution of the field.

Panelists
  • Dr. Erin Coughlan de Perez, Associate Professor and CBF Professor, Tufts University and Technical Advisor, Red Cross Red Crescent Climate Centre
  • Austin Crumpton, Associate Director of Climate & Health Resilience, Blue Cross Blue Shield
  • Matt Heid, Senior Director, Communications Strategy, Union of Concerned Scientists
  • Moderator: Nejem Raheem, Professor, School of Communication, Emerson College 

12:00 p.m. | College To Climate: A Practical Approach to Finding and Pursuing Your Niche In Sustainability

Jackie Liebergott Black Box, Paramount Center

This session will provide actionable insight on what a sustainability career looks like and how to begin preparing now to work in the field. A panel discussion with three practitioners in marketing and communications within the energy and climate technology spaces will set the stage. A College to Climate workshop will follow, giving participants an opportunity to put lessons from the panel into practice. Finally, staff representing Emerson’s newly reimagined Career Design Center will present an overview of resources available here on campus for students to integrate career development into their academic journeys. Career Design Center representatives will be available following the session to answer questions and provide on-site resume reviews.

Panelists
  • Jessica Harrington, Digital Marketing Manager, Heatmap News and Co-Founder, College to Climate
  • Melissa Mahoney, Executive Vice President, Climate & Energy Practice Lead, V2 Communications
  • Kristen Hawkins, Director, Sales Enablement & Marketing Operations at Sense
  • Moderator: Nejem Raheem, Professor, School of Communication, Emerson College

2:00 p.m. | From Farm to Fork: Sustainable Dining with Bon Appétit

Randall Lobby, Paramount Center

Join us int he Paramount’s Randall Lobby for an afternoon of coffee, snacks, and celebration. Emerson’s dining program was recently ranked second globally in the AASHE Sustainable Campus Index (SCI), reflecting our commitment to sustainable food procurement and food waste recovery. Our local coffee vendor Fogbuster will be on site serving custom lattes, Bon Appétit will provide a local apple tasting, and sustainability staff will share details about the SCI ranking.

FEATURING

4:00 p.m. | Keynote and Master Class: The Future Proof Professional: Soft Skills for a Sustainable Career

Jackie Liebergott Black Box, Paramount Center
Also streaming at emerson.edu/live
Presented in partnership with Emerson College Master Classes.

Suzie Hicks ’18 has spent the better part of a decade creating something that didn’t have a category, and they credit Emerson for learning how to pull the pieces together. They created Suzie Hicks the Climate Chick a children’s series that uses comedy, music and puppetry to teach climate literacy, and it has taken the Seeds of Hope award at the Climate Film Festival and the Visionary Film Award at the Portland EcoFilm Festival. Hicks was named to NAAEE’s 30 Under 30 in 2025, wrote the children’s book Zaynab the Great and the Giant Plastic Monster, spent seven years at a PBS Kids station in Los Angeles, and holds a master’s in Climate and Society from the inaugural class at Columbia Climate School. The starting point for all of it was an Emerson thesis they thought was just for fun.

That thesis became animation experience, and the animation experience opened doors in Hollywood. The years in between are a story Hicks tells better in person.

In this Emerson College Master Class and keynote to the 2026 Emerson College Teach-In on Sustainability, Hicks traces how the soft skills students worry they’re wasting time on became the ones still working ten years later, and where the climate work and the career advice meet. As they put it: “We need to recognize that we have to come together to change the world. If we focus too much on individual actions, we risk losing sight of the larger systemic changes needed to solve the climate crisis.” Expect a working session with audience participation, and plenty of time for questions.

Friday, Oct 16

Planting Season: The Future Proof Professional, Continued

12 p.m. | Keynote Workshop | Walker Building 639

Suzie Hicks thinks about a career the way they think about a garden. You plant more than you can tend, you water things that never come up, and something you don’t remember putting in the ground turns out to be the best thing in the plot. As a follow-up to their Master Class, Hicks takes a small group deeper into that idea through this introspective and interactive workshop. Participating students will name what their planting right now at Emerson, sketch what the garden looks like if all of it blooms, and work backward to what that means for the next three years.

Seats are limited for this special opportunity. RESERVE YOURS HERE.