This page shares reflections from students who learned and applied the 12 principles of green chemistry in a laboratory course taught by Dr. Cui in Fall 2025 and Spring 2026. Their voices inspire and drive this initiative forward.

Based on our initial research in 2025, approximately 94% of surveyed students had never heard of the principles of green chemistry. After the establishment of the Green Chemistry Awareness Club in January 2026, a follow-up survey conducted in Spring 2026 showed this number decreased to 90%. While the change may seem modest, it represents a meaningful step forward in raising awareness and highlights the importance of continued outreach and education.

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Student Voices

“This is my first time hearing about Green Chemistry Principles! I really enjoyed the lecture and learning what Green Chemistry is in the first place. I care a lot about the environment and protecting our planet. Conservation efforts are a cause that should be high on everyone’s priority list. At the end of the day, Earth is our only home and it is the one we share with every living organism on the planet. I love hearing about any way in which I can make my everyday life a more sustainable way to live especially with the rise of generative AI and the amount of power being consumed on a constant basis. Learning I can still find a way to do this even in classroom and lab settings is very enlightening.” –Student, 2025

“This is the first time I heard about Green Chemistry. I felt inspired after this lecture, because it reminded me that I can have an impact as a student on the environment and world. It also helped me recognize that even something seemingly ordinary like watching how much liquid I pour in the sink could have a lasting impact on the earth and society.” –Student, 2025

“This was my first time hearing about green chemistry. It made me feel hopeful that it is something that is being discussed to make our environment more safe but also made me confused since it is such an important concept yet I haven’t heard anything about it before this class.” –Student, 2025

“This was my first time hearing a talk about the principles of green chemistry. The lecture made me feel a lot more hopeful for the future, knowing that there is a field of chemistry that is dedicated to reducing waste, being resource efficient, making the environment and the world a better place for future generations. This especially makes me hopeful since nowadays you don’t hear people talk about what’s tangibly being done to combat the potentially environmentally harmful sectors of sciences like production of chemical waste.” –Student, 2025

“I had never heard about green chemistry before. After the lecture it made me understand how crucial sustainability is to all experiments. I now view chemistry as a field that can actively safeguard the environment, rather than just reactions and numbers. Knowing that even seemingly insignificant lab choices, like solvent selection or waste minimization, might have a significant impact inspired me and made me feel more accountable.” –Student, 2025

“This makes me feel much more hopeful that there are chemists that take environmental health seriously and care about the earth. It inspires me to incorporate these principles from now on in lab, as well as in my daily life.” –Student, 2025

“This is my first time hearing about Green Chemistry. The lecture made me feel proud as a GSU student, knowing that my university is making efforts to help lower environmental waste.” –Student, 2025

“This was one of the first times I learned about Green Chemistry principles in a clear and practical way in class. Before this, I mostly focused on getting the correct product and yield, but green chemistry helped me think more about how the reaction is carried out and what impact the procedure has on safety and waste. I do think learning about Green Chemistry could encourage me to make more sustainable choices in the lab. It made me realize that small decisions, such as reducing solvent use, avoiding unnecessary purification steps, and measuring chemicals carefully, can make a big difference. These choices can make experiments safer, more efficient, and less harmful to the environment. I think this mindset is valuable not only in class labs but also in future scientific or professional work.” –Student, 2026

“Overall, this course changed my perspective on green chemistry. Before this class, I had not truly prioritized the environmental impact of synthesis, often viewing it as secondary to obtaining the final product. However, consciously choosing safer solvents like ethanol and water, and focusing on atom economy, showed me that good science does not have to negatively affect the environment. I have gained a new appreciation for intentional, sustainable lab practices that I know I will carry forward into my future scientific endeavors.” –Student, 2026

“This was one of my first times learning about the principles of Green Chemistry in class in such depth. I think it helps me realize that it is not just about the right product, but also the right way to make it. I believe that learning these principles could definitely influence me to be more green in my lab habits, such as reducing waste and avoiding the use of solvents when they are not necessary. I think this way of thinking is important because it relates to responsible lab habits and the environment.” –Student, 2026

“This was my first time learning about Green Chemistry principles in class. Green chemistry encouraged me to make more sustainable choices in my laboratory practices because I’m now aware about the negative effects of not practicing Green chemistry. For example, avoidable historical tragedies caused by neglect such as the Bhopal Incident that killed 10,000+ people. Even after the reaction occurred, the gas leak could have been avoided but they had failed safety system, inadequate maintenance, and with large quantities of the toxic chemical. Other incidents include oil spills in the rivers causing million of dollars in removal, damaging marine life, and contaminating water nearby residents use daily. By going green, our generation can maximize resources and create a habitable environment for the present and the future generations without the sacrifice of another.” –Student, 2026

“This was my first time learning about green chemistry in class. It has encouraged me to think about biowaste more diligently, I am now more aware of sustainability, waste reduction and safety in the lab. Green chemistry helps me better think of the change I can make as an individual to reduce waste and help our ecosystem.” –Student, 2026

“This was the first time I heard in more detail about the Green Chemistry principles, and not just a whisper about how it’s good for the environment. It’s definitely made me think more about the choices I make in the lab. Compared to when I first started lab a few weeks ago, I’ve developed more awareness of what I’m actually doing. I made so many mistakes in the first lab, and I wholeheartedly believe in the saying of “you learn from your mistakes” because I consciously work to create less waste than what I’ve deemed as normal in labs.” –Student, 2026

“I had never heard of green chemistry before. I find the idea of “green chemistry” to be both interesting and significant. I became aware of how minor adjustments made in the lab might greatly lessen the negative effects on the environment after learning more about this novel concept. I became more conscious of what I was doing in the lab and began adopting more environmentally friendly practices, such using less solvents and sharing any excess solvents with lab mates rather than giving them more. In general, knowing green chemistry has made me consider the environment and marine life, which has helped me make more responsible decisions.” –Student, 2026

“This was my first time learning about Green Chemistry. I think it will continue to encourage me to make more sustainable choices in my laboratory practices, because it has given me more to think about, and I am actively trying to be more sustainable.” –Student, 2026

“This was the first time I’ve heard of green chemistry. I never thought of all the waste that can generated in 1 lab period, and I can’t imagine how much waste is generated by all the labs combines. Learning about green chemistry has encouraged me to think more about what I use and do in lab and how to make more sustainable choices.” –Student, 2026

“This was my first time hearing about Green Chemistry. The concept of Green Chemistry is very interesting and important to me. After learning more about this new idea, I realized and understood how small changes in the laboratory can significantly reduce harsh environmental impact. I became more aware with my actions in the lab and started practicing more sustainable habits, such as minimizing solvent use and sharing any extra solvents with lab partners instead of letting them get more. Overall, understanding Green Chemistry has led me to keep the environment and marine life in mind, leading me to make more responsible choices.” –Student, 2026

“This was not my first time hearing about Green Chemistry, but it was my first time hearing about the background and the specific principles regarding Green Chemistry. It would encourage me to make more sustainable choices because it require less materials to gather, less steps to follow which saves time, and is better for the environment and the person conducting the experiment as procedures that follow Green Chemistry will have less toxic chemicals used and less toxic vapor spread. These benefits help the environment which is the major benefit, but also, help with time and cost issues, which is important in research and lab settings as well.” –Student, 2026

“This was my first time hearing about Green Chemistry. Learning about it made me more aware of how chemical reactions and lab procedures can be designed to be safer and more environmentally friendly. I think understanding Green Chemistry can encourage me to make more sustainable choices in my laboratory practices, such as reducing waste, using fewer solvents, and being more mindful of energy use during experiments.” –Student, 2026