By Kevin Kirsche
Facilities management groundskeeper Justin Neagle operates an electric grandstand lawnmower at the Miller Learning Center. (Photo by Andrew Davis Tucker/UGA)
A new HGTV Sustainability Series spotlights work happening at the University of Georgia, marking the first time a higher education institution has appeared in the national program, which highlights innovative approaches to conservation, energy efficiency, and environmental stewardship.
When producers were searching for examples of sustainable solutions in action, they turned to UGA, where students aren’t just learning about sustainability; they’re living it. The episode, which aired in December and is available online, documents how these efforts take shape across campus, from student-led initiatives to large-scale operational improvements, demonstrating how environmental stewardship can be advanced through research, service, and facilities management.
Highlights include food recovery efforts, applied environmental research, and operational enhancements that support conservation efforts as well as the overall experience for students, faculty, staff, and visitors. Together, these initiatives illustrate how academic study connects with real-world application.
At UGArden, the university’s student-run community farm, students grow fresh produce, combine it with donations from area grocery stores, and prepare nutritious meals for community members facing food insecurity. To date, UGArden and UGA’s Campus Kitchen have provided more than 130,000 meals to local residents.
“It’s a very student-led organization,” said Arissa Shepherd, a Sociology and Sustainability Certificate student. “We go in, we make the food, we package it up, and we distribute it to community members in Athens who need it,”
On North Campus, students are collecting data to support a healthier campus ecosystem. From rehabilitated historic structures and beloved cultural green spaces to more than 14,000 trees in the campus arboretum, students research and implement sustainable solutions that inform operations.
“Whether it’s assessing pollinator habitat or measuring water quality in community or campus, we are contributing valuable data that’s then used to make decisions on how we can make campus more sustainable and more healthy,” said Dana Theoc, a recent graduate of the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences.
While the university is well-known for what happens on the field, sustainable stadium operations also enhance the fan experience. An LED upgrade at Sanford Stadium has helped reduce glare, optimized field visibility, and achieved an 80% reduction in overall energy consumption on site.
Students conducting a pollinator census on UGA’s historic north campus (HGTV Sustainability Series)
In addition to energy and financial conservation efforts, UGA continues exploring onsite renewable energy solutions.
“While 93,000 fans are lighting up Sanford Stadium, we are, in part, contributing to our own use, and that’s the very definition of sustainability,” said Dr. Marshall Shepherd, Georgia Athletic Association Distinguished Professor of Geography and Atmospheric Sciences.
As the birthplace of public higher education in America, the University of Georgia has a longstanding history of teaching, research, and service that supports communities across the state and beyond. Its inclusion in the HGTV Sustainability Series recognizes the breadth of related work taking place across campus and the students, faculty, and staff contributing to those efforts.
