Susanna Hamilton

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.

Prior to joining Pitt, Susanna worked for Western Washington University, where she wrote the first 20-year sustainability strategic plan, advised students in the Campus Sustainability Planning Studio, and managed sustainability communications. Susanna also worked as an environmental educator and volunteer manager in the West Eugene Wetlands in Oregon, the remaining 0.5% of the Willamette Valley Wet Prairie; she was also a Community Emergency Response Team volunteer.

She holds a Master of Arts in Education with Environmental specialty, and a Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology.

Susanna’s purpose has always been to work for the public good, create community, connect people with one another, and identify resources that make lives better and more enjoyable through individual and collective resiliency and ecological sustainability. Passionate about social and economic justice and their deep ties to ecological protection, Susanna believes that the Earth will be safe when people have what they need and feel secure. Her motto, “I have never met a stranger,” embodies respect for all people, including welcoming all to the table for dialogue or a meal, knowing when to lead directly or to collaborate with others, and knowing that creating a better world is a life-long journey.

In her free time, Susanna is exploring deep listening, compassionate speaking, and how language shapes action. She can be found on a hiking trail or settled in with a good book.