The Pentland Centre for Sustainability in Business is holding a seminar which brings together four short talks that look at sustainability in research from different angles across the sector. Dr Sam Finnerty opens with insights from interviews with senior university leaders, focusing on how they understand their responsibilities and manage the competing pressures that shape institutional sustainability work. Dr Yingnian Tao then turns to sustainability reports from 66 UK universities, examining how institutions present their efforts and how they describe the roles of staff and students. Dr Seth Robinson follows with a discussion of the cultural factors that influence whether sustainability goals actually take root in day-to-day research practice, drawing on findings from workshops, interviews, and comparisons with other institutions. Dr Valerie Seymour concludes by introducing a new reflective tool designed to help researchers assess their own practices and plan concrete next steps. Together, these talks offer a clear view of how sustainability is interpreted, communicated, and enacted within universities, and point to practical areas where change is possible.

NB: The seminar runs from 15:00-16:00 in FUR- Furness LT3 and on Teams. Please note that this session will be recorded. 

Open to LU staff - registration required. 

Please register below - registrations close Mon 2 Feb 2026. Please contact pentlandcentre@lancaster.ac.uk for queries re booking after that date.

Dr Samuel Finnerty is a social psychologist and interdisciplinary researcher at Lancaster University. His research examines how individuals and institutions respond to the climate crisis, focusing on scientist activism, moral identity, and sustainable research cultures. Samuel’s current work, supported by the Wellcome Trust, explores the ethical and cultural dimensions of sustainability in UK higher education, including how universities conceptualise their responsibilities in addressing the climate crisis. His broader research integrates social and moral psychology with quantitative and qualitative (including ethnography, interviews, and focus groups) approaches to understand identity, legitimacy, and public trust in science.

Dr Seth Robinson is an Environmental Sustainability Senior Research Associate at Lancaster University, working on a Wellcome Trust–funded project to embed sustainability, ethics, and inclusion into research culture. His work involves analysing current research practices around sustainability across the university, developing practical tools and guidance to support sustainable research lifecycles, and coordinating with departments and services to align everyday practice with Lancaster’s net-zero commitments. His focus is on practical, evidence-based approaches that help researchers integrate sustainability into their research activities. 

Dr Valerie Seymour is an Education Fellow for the “Reimagining research practices: towards a sustainable, ethical and inclusive future” project at Lancaster University. She previously held both teaching and research focused roles in the Chemistry Department at Lancaster University. She combines experience and insight from these roles in her current role supporting the development of research students and staff.

Dr Yingnian Tao is a Senior Research Associate at Lancaster University, working on a Wellcome Trust–funded project on research culture. Her research explores how corpus linguistics can be used to examine discourse on issues with significant societal impact. Her current work focuses on sustainability communication in business, media, and higher education. She has published on greenwashing in the fashion industry, media framings of greenlash, and representations of the clean energy transition in the UK news media. 

Health & Safety and access information:

• In order to safeguard everyone's health, if you test positive for Covid-19 before the event, or are feeling unwell in any way, please don't attend (and please let us know).
• The room is on the first floor, lift accessible, wheelchair accessible and has an induction loop. There is a wheelchair accessible toilet nearby.
• Accessible parking - there is accessible parking on Library Avenue (with LEC building).

Find out more about the Pentland Centre on our website