Stanford University Earth Systems lecturer Suki Hoagland has a new focus at the intersection of sports and sustainability. A former award-winning pairs figure skater and 12-season varsity collegiate athlete in sports including field hockey, diving, and lacrosse, she has long understood the powerful role athletics can play in shaping culture, uniting communities, and now – fighting climate change. As the latest appointee to the Green Sports Alliance (GSA) Board of Directors, Dr. Hoagland is poised to bring her unique perspective to a global movement striving to make sports more sustainable.
Dr. Hoagland is currently the only person with a PhD on the board, and her experience in both academia and sports makes her an important bridge between sustainability, athletics, and the collegiate space. At Stanford, Dr. Hoagland has played a vital role in advising the Earth Systems 26, Sustainability in Athletics, course, launched by scholar athletes from the Student Athletes for Sustainability club in 2021. “Sports can be the foundation for transforming lives,” Dr. Hoagland shares, and she hopes that she can increase collegiate involvement with the GSA by creating a network of universities and involving more student athletes with the organization. “It’s only in the last few years that I’ve been able to merge my love of sports and sustainability together,” says Dr. Hoagland. As she steps into this new leadership role, Dr. Hoagland will expand pathways for students eager to make an impact at this crucial intersection of sustainability and athletics.
The GSA is a global organization that focuses on integrating more sustainable practices in the sports industry, recognizing that the effects of climate change will irrevocably impact cricket, soccer, snow sports, and many more. The GSA seeks to leverage the immense influence of sports to promote operational sustainability, with one key focus on addressing emissions from travel – a major contributor to climate change as teams and fans fly across the world. This issue is also rooted in environmental justice as some of the most vulnerable sports, like soccer and cricket, are particularly at risk due to rising global temperatures, disproportionately affecting fans and players in regions such as Asia, Africa, and South America.
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