Welcome to the Climate and Environmental Studies Program’s inaugural newsletter! We plan to make this an annual issue so all of you—students, faculty, alumni, donors, and friends—can stay up to date with our many exciting activities and the program’s impact. 

First, let me introduce myself as the new Director of Climate and Environmental Studies (CES). I am a Professor of English whose teaching and research focuses on contemporary climate fiction. I have been involved with the program since its inception—working alongside David Hess, our founding Director, Joe Bandy, and Molly Miller to establish the minor in Environmental and Sustainability Studies in 2012 and, more recently, with the larger faculty, under the guidance of Jonathan Magnolia Gilligan and Betsey Robinson, to establish the first Climate Studies major in the nation in 2022. What I appreciate most about our program is how collaboratively we have worked together over many years to grow our minor into a thriving major and program.

The 2025-2026 academic year found us in another building period. We moved into a suite of offices in the newly renovated Garland Hall, having, for the first time, a dedicated physical space for our program. We passed a new curriculum to enhance the interdisciplinary and experiential learning focus of our major and minor. Launching in the Fall of 2026 and anchored by a new sequence of interdisciplinary core courses, the new major will help us grow students who are holistic thinkers, change agents, and visionary creators—engaged citizens who not only dream better worlds but also build them into existence. To support this new curriculum, we had the exciting task of searching for new colleagues who could expand our strengths in climate and environmental policy and climate/environmental humanities. We are looking forward to having them join us in the fall. Through the generosity of donors, we were able to run an exciting Fall Break trip (see the cover story) as well as fund students for summer research and internships. As for the less glamourous but very necessary tasks, we also revised our website (debuting soon), restructured undergraduate advising, and designed CES swag. We ended the year with an Earth Day Picnic, celebrating our planet as well as the CES community.

I hope you enjoy reading about the program’s many activities as well as the incredible work our students and alumni are doing. We are inspired and energized by their creativity and commitment to forging a more just and sustainable world. If you have any ideas or suggestions for the program, please reach out to me at teresa.a.goddu@vanderbilt.edu. If you have a story or update for next year’s newsletter, please send it to abby.crawford@vanderbilt.edu. We love hearing from you!

My best,

Teresa Goddu

Director of Climate and Environmental Studies

Professor of English

Larisa DeSantis. (Vanderbilt University)

How can studying the distant past help protect our future? Meet Dr. Larisa DeSantis, whose research connects prehistoric ecosystems to today’s climate challenges.

Read more about her story and research here.

EES 2110: Introduction to Climate Science is a systems-focused, quantitative course that invites students across campus to learn how the climate system works by using physical reasoning, real data, and hands-on analysis. The course shows how climate science is built from core principles, observations, and models. Read more.

Get to know some of our current and graduating students through spotlights highlighting their academic journeys and hands-on experiences in Climate and Environmental Studies. Read their stories here.

Discover how our alumni are turning climate and environmental science into impact. Read their stories and see how program pathways lead to meaningful change.

Professor Dan Morgan with the Chancellor's Cup. (Vanderbilt University)

Celebrate the accomplishments of our CES community in this feature highlighting student and faculty achievements. Read more of the CES department's standout moments, including Chancellor’s Cup winner Dan Morgan and CES Outstanding Senior Holland Perryman!

CES students took their learning to Washington, D.C., participating in the 2026 Rachel Carson Council Advocacy Days. Read about the policies they advocated for here.

CES student organizations bring learning beyond the classroom—building community, leading initiatives, and driving climate action on campus and beyond. Learn more about the organizations here!