New degree program offers Lily Pavliscsak the chance to pursue her passion

Lily Pavliscsak did not wait to have a diploma in hand to start putting her interest in sustainability science into action. The Honors student took her work outside of the classroom by hosting Statesboro Campus cleanups and creating free little libraries. Pavliscsak said she could not wait to get involved the moment she arrived at Georgia Southern University.

“I really wanted to get hands-on,” said Pavliscsak. “Before I even attended Georgia Southern, I followed the Sustain Southern Instagram page and had been interested in working with them. I found them at a tabling event and asked how I could get involved. “They told me about Eagles for Sustainability, and I jumped right in by going to meetings and working on Sustainability Week.” 

Pavliscsak hails from a Georgia Southern family. Her parents and brother are all alumni, but her decision to follow their footsteps was not guaranteed. 

Spending a lot of time outdoors as a child and working in a plant nursery in high school solidified her desire to pursue a career in environmental science. As she searched for a place to turn her passion into a degree, she thought she might have to break the Eagle tradition to find a place that fit. That’s when a new offering from Georgia Southern’s College of Science and Mathematics became available at the perfect time.

“About a month before I made my college decision, I saw that Georgia Southern opened up the sustainability science degree, and it was the first time it was being offered anywhere in Georgia,” said Pavliscsak. “I thought ‘this feels like it was meant for me’ because it was so perfect.”

While earning a sustainable leadership certificate to enhance her bachelor’s degree, Pavliscsak created her own projects to improve student life. She improved the community garden by adding a “little library” where students could pick up pots, seeds and gardening tools to grow their own food. Unable to build a structure to house the items, she got creative.

“I was driving behind the Statesboro Herald office and saw they had old newspaper stands piled up,” recalled Pavliscsak. “I talked to someone I knew at the paper and explained my plan. They let me get two of their newspaper boxes and I upcycled them into a seed library and a book library where students can drop off and pick up what they need.”

While Pavliscsak once wondered if she would be able to attend Georgia Southern at all, she now has a new goal: Double Eagle. She has been accepted into the environmental science master’s program and will continue her journey in Statesboro after graduating in Spring 2026. 

“I loved the experience so much that I couldn’t help myself. I had to come back and play student just a little bit longer,” said Pavliscsak. “My special interest for my master’s is going to be water quality. I got to do some research on that as an undergrad with Dr. Rocio Pérez, and I’m really excited about the next level where I hope to get into a fieldwork research lab.”

Pavliscsak has a head start on her master’s coursework. Through her Honors College requirements, she has completed upper-division classes that can count toward her graduate degree. 

“I could take up to nine credit hours and apply them to a graduate degree, which was a huge benefit,” said Pavliscsak. “I thought, ‘this 100% makes me want to stay at Georgia Southern.’ It gives me a jumpstart, so it will only take about a year instead of two years for me to complete the program.”

When she thinks back on her time as an undergraduate, she appreciates how much she was able to do outside of the classroom.

“I really think the experiences are where you learn and grow the most,” she said. “Getting that diverse range, meeting new people and finding ways to get involved are really important to me. I think I will always carry that outlook wherever I go.”