Molly Embree is Director of STEM Mentored Research at our Science Center for Women. With four undergraduate students, Molly began a pilot project in 2021 to evaluate campus soil health, investigate historical land use, and gather data to inform the college’s strategy to achieve carbon neutrality by 2037. She and (now alumna) Kennedy Harris ’23 initiated the Soil Regeneration Project in 2022 to restore a rapidly eroding campus field and to demonstrate the speed of ecosystem recovery when land is managed using regenerative principles. Molly advocates for all re:wilding efforts on campus, as regenerating the biodiversity and health of urban soils is an essential strategy to achieve climate resilience. Molly advises on soil sampling, regenerative practices, and supports interdisciplinary research to inspire learning and ethical action.

Casey Long is Head of Research and Instruction Services for McCain Library and the primary library liaison for the Department of Creative Arts. Since 2009, Casey has worked with units in the Department of Creative Arts to purchase and maintain a collection of print and electronic materials used by students to research works in the college’s permanent art collection and exhibitions in  the Dalton Gallery. Casey has advised on the development and maintenance of the Dana Art Library & Reading Room.

Tina Pippin, Wallace M. Alston Professor of Bible and Religion, has a deep and sustained commitment to religious studies and social justice. A recent recipient of a Teaching Social Justice and Community Engagement grant (2024-26) from the Wabash Center for Teaching and Learning in Theology and Religion, she is teaching Religion and Ecology (fall 2024) and developing her project “Ecopedagogy, Religion, and Place-Based Civic Engagement” about engaging students in an intersectional, ecopedagogical approach with hands-on experiences that connect local campus sustainability initiatives and broader urban environmental justice issues, with the community partner, Trellis Horticultural Therapy Alliance in practicums at an organic garden for women felons at a transitional center, and also at an on-campus wellness and meditation garden. Tina and Rachel Cochran from Trellis offered a workshop in September 2024 in support of the Dana Gardens.

Yves-Rose Porcena is Vice President of Equity and Inclusion, currently overseeing the College’s Mellon Foundation grant (“Transformed Future: Every Person by Name”), now in its third year; it supports “historical research, documentation, and the creation of a curriculum that integrates the racial history of the college and of Decatur, Georgia.”

Kimberly Reeves ’12 is Executive Director, Center for Sustainability. Kimberly is working with us to secure additional funding streams and implement future changes to the garden.She leads a collaborative and engaging Center to develop leaders who strengthen community, protect our natural environment and address social challenges of our time. Her Graduate Assistantship at UGA was in the Center for Community Design & Preservation where she supported the Georgia FindIt! project and coordinated community charrettes for the Athens-Clarke Co. Center for Hard to Recycle Materials.

Hanna Sloth ’24 is the sustainability fellow in the Center for Sustainability. Hanna is working with the project as a reference on transitioning the garden spaces to contain native and pollinator friendly plants

Lauran Whitworth is Assistant Professor and Chair of Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies and Co-Director of the Environmental and Sustainability Studies minor. Lauran is an interdisciplinary scholar who combines her training in Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies with her extensive background in Art History and Film and Media Studies. Her research interests include feminist and queer theory, LGBTQ+ media studies, ecocriticism, and disability studies. Her current book project, Environmental Eros: Picturing Feminist, Queer, and Trans Ecologies, examines the environmental ethics and aesthetics of 1970s ecological feminisms, the Radical Faerie movement, and several contemporary environmental groups. Her scholarship has appeared in Feminist Theory, Intersections, and CAA Reviews. She will be curricular integration and interdisciplinary programming lead. 

Corey Wilson, Facilities Manager, is working with us to support our removal of invasive plants and our introduction of organic and regenerative practices to our care for the outdoor areas within Dana.

People for Pollinators works to inform and educate Agnes Scott students about pollinators and sustainability.