CSULB Honors Student Projects and Leadership in Sustainability at 2026 Green Generation Showcase
Student innovation and leadership were celebrated by the CSULB community at the annual Green Generation Showcase, held on campus on Thursday, April 23rd. The annual event brings together students, faculty, staff, and community partners to spotlight student projects and grassroots efforts to address environmental challenges while advancing social equity, creativity, and community engagement.
Project Showcase Winners
Since 2011, the Green Generation Showcase has served as a platform for students from across disciplines to share sustainability-focused projects that respond to real-world issues—from climate action and waste reduction to food systems, health, and justice. Through posters, prototypes and artworks, participants demonstrated how sustainability can take many forms, including creative practice, research, policy advocacy, and community-based action.
This year’s showcase featured a diverse range of student submissions, reflecting CSULB’s commitment to interdisciplinary solutions and community impact. Projects were honored with awards in six categories, and one student was selected by event sponsor Southern California Edison as the recipient of Edison’s Excellence in Sustainability Award. See the complete list of winners here.
Student Sustainability Leadership Award
The Green Generation Showcase also served as the venue for announcing the recipients of the Student Sustainability Leadership Award. Launched in 2025 by the President’s Commission on Sustainability, this award recognizes students who are going above and beyond to make a positive impact in their communities and the environment. This year, two outstanding student leaders, Morgan Marie Bowen and Vanessa Polk, were selected for the honor.
Morgan Marie Bowen: Advancing Sustainability in Film and Media
Morgan Marie Bowen, a Cinematic Arts student, was honored with the Changemaker Award for her leadership in integrating sustainability into film production and education. As president and co‑founder of CSULB’s chapter of the Green Film School Alliance (GFSA), Bowen has helped reimagine how sustainability is practiced within the cinematic arts.
Under her leadership, GFSA secured grant funding to create green filmmaking kits, providing students with practical tools to reduce waste and environmental impact on set. These kits—now used in classes and capstone film projects—support paperless production, reusable materials, composting, and other best practices for sustainable filmmaking. Bowen’s efforts have contributed to several student films earning industry‑recognized sustainability certifications.
“I looked to films that I really admired and was surprised how much waste came out of that,” Bowen commented. This is when she asked herself, “How can we make something that you love... more ethical?”
Bowen’s impact extends beyond campus through collaboration with film schools across the Green Film School Alliance global network, participation in climate‑focused industry events, and community outreach activities that introduce sustainable filmmaking practices to younger creators.
Morgan and her work were recently featured on Spectrum 1 News.
Vanessa Polk: Centering Justice, Access, and Community Care
Vanessa Polk, a senior majoring in Environmental Science and Policy with a minor in Health Humanities, was
recognized with the Honorary Award for her interdisciplinary approach to sustainability leadership grounded in environmental justice, disability justice, and food access.
Through a directed studies research project, Polk is developing a public‑facing toolkit and zine that explore food insecurity as a disability justice issue, challenging sustainability conversations to center disabled communities and those most impacted by environmental harm. Her work translates justice‑oriented theory into accessible, action‑driven resources for students, advocates, and community members.
"As a queer, Black, and Filipino-American woman, my existence has always been intersectional. I have made it my personal commitment to make sure intersectionality, community, and diversity center everything I do,” Polk shared. “As a creative at heart, I used to wonder if I had anything to contribute to the sustainability space. Our work, however, is the pinnacle of intersectionality, bringing art and advocacy to the conversation.”
Polk has brought this leadership philosophy to her role as a CalFresh Outreach and Marketing Assistor with the CSULB Basic Needs Program. She has supported hundreds of students in accessing food assistance, led accessible communications efforts, and facilitated trainings on ADA‑compliant content creation.
Beyond CSULB, Polk has advanced sustainable food systems through local internships and volunteer work and has served as a creative advocate for climate and waste reduction through statewide education and outreach initiatives.
“Regardless of how it looks, I am determined to be a steward and advocate for anyone whose right to thrive is threatened by how they look or who they love,” Polk said.
Celebrating the Next Generation of Sustainability Leaders
Together, the many winners and contributors to the Green Generation Showcase, alongside Bowen and Polk, exemplify the wide range of ways CSULB students are leading sustainability efforts—through creative industries, justice‑centered research, and hands‑on community engagement. Their recognition at the 2026 Green Generation Showcase highlights the university’s commitment to supporting students as leaders, innovators, and change‑makers.
