Susanna Hamilton is the University of Pittsburgh’s Student Sustainability Engagement Manager in Student Affairs. She guides student leaders in the Student Office of Sustainability as they advance sustainability on- and off-campus, helping develop internal and external connections furthering sustainability and environmental and social justice. Susanna currently serves as the advisor to the Plant2Plate student organization, where she provides guidance, mentorship, and support to students involved in promoting sustainable agriculture and food justice initiatives on campus and in the greater community. Her professional pursuits lie at the intersection of student affairs, sustainability, and civic engagement. She is deeply committed to engaging students in ways that are responsive to their individual contexts, and to fostering an understanding that sustainability is inherently embedded in their everyday experiences.
Prior to joining Pitt, Susanna worked for Western Washington University, where she wrote their first 20-year sustainability strategic plan, advised students in the Campus Sustainability Planning Studio, and managed sustainability communications. She holds a Master of Arts in Education with Environmental specialty, and a Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology.
Susanna is dedicated to fostering community, enhancing individual and collective resilience, and promoting ecological sustainability. Through meaningful connections and resource-sharing, she works to improve lives and cultivate a more joyful, equitable, and sustainable world. Passionate about social and economic justice and their deep ties to ecological protection, she believes that the Earth will be safe when people have what they need and feel secure. Susanna’s motto, ‘I have never met a stranger,’ reflects her deep respect for all people. She welcomes everyone to the table—whether for dialogue or a shared meal—and understands when to lead, when to collaborate, and that building a better world is a lifelong journey.
In her free time, Susanna is exploring deep listening, compassionate speaking, and how language shapes action. She can be found dancing, hiking, or reading a good book.
