The national AASHE award recognizes mid-career individuals making significant contributions to sustainability advancement in higher education. The award also serves as a source of support for the professional development of sustainability leaders and to deepen their impact. 

“The award is very validating. To be recognized nationally as one of the inaugural sustainability fellows from the main professional sustainability organization in higher education is amazing,” said Jarchow. “Plus, it puts USD sustainability on the map, which I’m delighted about. I’m so glad we can showcase our program nationally.” 

Jarchow is looking forward to networking, learning from others and inspiring national conversations surrounding sustainability and how to teach sustainability, due to it being a newer field. 

“I think AASHE is continuing to develop its voice for what sustainability education is. A lot of its efforts have been toward campus sustainability. I’m excited that sustainability education is getting foregrounded more by them and that they’re focusing on the academic part in addition to the campus. It’s a great alignment to my work,” said Jarchow. 

She also hopes the fellowship will boost sustainability efforts at USD. 

“I’m keen to continue to develop and expand my network and help further USD’s academic program. I would like to see our program become accredited or recognized as a leader in sustainability.” 

Jarchow takes a photo with the Department of Sustainability & Environment group.

Jarchow started the sustainability program at USD in the fall of 2012 as its first coordinator. Since then, she led in the establishment of the Department of Sustainability & Environment in 2018 and has helped to expand the program, which now includes undergraduate, master’s and doctoral degrees. 

In addition to teaching, Jarchow conducts research that targets how rural landscapes can become more environmentally and socially sustainable. She explores how academia can educate students about sustainability and hopes to use the fellowship as a springboard to advance national conversations on how to implement and teach sustainability in a more empowering, hopeful and solutions-oriented way. 

Through USD’s undergraduate senior capstone course, she has assisted her students in coordinating the first Move-Out Donation Days and the Yote Bike Share program, implementing USD’s first institutional recycling program, creating a campus sustainability tour, adding native landscaping to the USD campus, and completing USD’s first Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System (STARS®) assessment. 

As one of only two USD faculty members with a degree in sustainability, Jarchow has provided USD faculty members with trainings on sustainability education through the ongoing Teaching Sustainability training. 

Jarchow is also a leader of sustainability within the Vermillion area and region. She is co-founder and president of Greening Vermillion whose vision is “to make Vermillion the greenest town in South Dakota.” She is also president of Spirit Mound Trust and is a member of the Board of Directors for EcoSun Prairie Farms and the Upper Midwest Association for Campus Sustainability.  

For more information on sustainability at USD, visit the USD Department of Sustainability & Environment. 

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