Campus News

Juniata Recognized by Princeton Review for Commitment to Sustainability

(Posted November 21, 2025)

Share this article:

HUNTINGDON, Pa. – Juniata College has added another item to its list of achievements as a nationally recognized institution. The Princeton Review® recently included Juniata in its online resource, The Princeton Review Guide to Green Colleges: 2026 Edition. 

“Juniata has a long-standing commitment to sustainability and there is a lot of momentum on campus right now,” said Celina Seftas ’07, Juniata College’s first director of sustainability. Seftas has overseen several infrastructure projects at Juniata including upgrading the lighting in the Kennedy Sports Complex, yielding significant energy savings and annual savings of $13,000. A similar project has been undertaken at Brumbaugh Academic Center, including lighting upgrades in some classrooms and hallways.  

To be eligible for this recognition, colleges must demonstrate their commitment to the environment, economy, and equity with the presence of a formal committee dedicated to the advancement of sustainability and a full-time sustainability director. At Juniata, alumni, administrators, and faculty members serve on this committee and students provide input and directly participate in sustainability projects on campus.  

The Princeton Review chose the colleges based on a survey the company conducted in 2024–2025 about institutions' sustainability-related policies, practices, and programs. The company also surveyed students about their relevant campus experiences. The school selections were based on more than 25 data points from the surveys. 

“Among the hundreds of schools we surveyed for this project, Juniata College, which offers excellent academics, is also a stand-out for its record of environmentally responsible practices. We are delighted to recommend it to college applicants who want their ‘best-fit’ college to also be a 'green' one," said Rob Franek, The Princeton Review's Editor-in-Chief. 

The College received high marks for sustainability within the curriculum. Juniata offers a wide variety of courses and programs related to sustainability, including in fields such as Environmental Science, Environmental Studies, International Studies, and Peace and Conflict Studies, among others. At the Raystown Field Station, students can focus on sustainable forestry, aquatic ecology, and wildlife conservation. In 2024, Juniata introduced its first sustainability-centered master’s program, Applied Ecology and Natural Resource Management.

Juniata is one of 19 schools in Pennsylvania to be included on the list of “green” colleges, appearing alongside other small liberal arts colleges like Dickinson, Gettysburg, Haverford, Lafayette, and Swarthmore as well as large research universities such as Carnegie Mellon, Penn State University Park, and the University of Pennsylvania.  

Franek noted that The Princeton Review is seeing strong interest among college applicants in attending green colleges. Of the more than 7,000 students the company polled for its 2025 College Hopes & Worries Survey, 59% said having information about a college's commitment to the environment would affect their decision to apply to or attend the school. A report on the survey findings is at www.princetonreview.com/college-hopes-worries. 

Contact April Feagley at feaglea@juniata.edu or (814) 641-3131 for more information.