With mocha-brown furniture, stacks of paperwork and mementos from a career stretching a quarter-century, Steven Monfort’s office is not unlike any other home away from home for a senior government worker who has reached the occupational heights he has. But just outside his office, Monfort, PhD Environmental Science and Public Policy ’93, has something that sets his workspace apart — herds of some of the most endangered animals in the world.

German Perilla, a master's student in Mason's interdisciplinary studies program with a focus in environmental science and community engagement, brings bees and beekeeping skills to the isolated Maijuna community in the Peruvian Amazon.

Mason’s Office of Sustainability has announced the creation of a Sustainability Institute (MSI), an entity that will provide members of the campus and surrounding communities with sustainability-oriented education and skills development opportunities.