Celebrating a New Chapter

Ribbon-Cutting Event Commemorates New Space and Inspires a Path Forward

Last Wednesday, March 27, the Andrew Sabin Family Center for Environment and Sustainability was delighted to host Andrew Sabin and his family for a ribbon-cutting ceremony in our new space on campus at Wake Forest University. The ceremony marks the official celebration of the generous $5 million gift bestowed to the Center by the Andrew Sabin Family Foundation in September 2023. 

It takes incredible vision to inspire and ignite the imagination for solving the complex problems of our day.

Wake Forest President Susan R. Wente

The gift heralds a new chapter for our Center, providing us with the literal and figurative space to further the work of confronting our world’s most pressing and complex environmental challenges, including issues like biodiversity loss, environmental contamination, drought and water scarcity, human-wildlife systems, and more. As noted by University President, Dr. Susan R. Wente, Wednesday’s occasion was an opportunity to celebrate the vision and commitment to tackling these complex problems, as well as the collaboration that made it all possible, and that “will continue to be the fuel that powers the Center and its work forward for decades.”

But the event was far more than a celebration – it was a call to action. In bestowing this gift, Mr. Sabin called upon the Center to serve as “a beacon of hope, a platform for collaboration, and a catalyst for positive change” and invited all who were present to become “champions for environmental stewardship.”

Together, let us ensure that the legacy of the Andrew Sabin Family Center for Environment and Sustainability continues to inspire and empower us to create a brighter future for our planet.

Andy Sabin

These lofty ambitions reflect the breadth of individuals and efforts that make up the real work of the Sabin Center. As so vividly captured by WFU Provost Michele Gillespie, from “the jungles of Peru to the Galápagos National Park to Winston-Salem and beyond, Wake Forest faculty, researchers, students, and other Sabin Center affiliates are creating a more sustainable and equitable world.” 

We at the Sabin Center look forward to extending and expanding upon those efforts, ensuring that immersive educational opportunities are available to future generations, facilitating and catalyzing cutting-edge, multidisciplinary research initiatives, and transcending silos to drive meaningful engagement across academic institutions, public leaders, NGOs, corporations, and communities.  We are incredibly grateful for the confidence that the Mr. Sabin has demonstrated in supporting and advancing our shared purpose toward a brighter future for all.