The University of Wisconsin–Madison is proud to announce Devin Guthrie as its 2025 Campus Compact Newman Civic Fellow.
The Newman Civic Fellowship is a year-long program that supports and recognizes students who want to solve a public problem at designated Campus Compact institutions. The fellows are nominated by the chancellor based on their project idea, leadership skills and community work.
Fellows get the opportunity to learn and network both in person and online, with each opportunity designed to help bolster collaboration skills. It also allows them to directly apply their areas of expertise by creating change in their communities.
This ranges from one-on-one leadership training with a mentor, career development and scholarship opportunities and the chance to publish their work with Campus Compact.
Guthrie, a senior studying environmental science, brings a passion for environmental justice and community connection to his fellowship. Born and raised in Milwaukee, WI, he saw firsthand how limited resources and pollution impacts create immense consequences for urban areas, shaping his lifelong commitment to equitable sustainability.
On campus, Guthrie is president of We Outside, a BIPOC environmental justice group which aims to expand outdoor access and education to underrepresented students. The club hosts everything from horseback riding to plant identification initiatives, providing a safe space for students of color to build community and experience the outdoors.
“It is important to me to uplift underrepresented community voices through my campus involvement,” Guthrie says. “I expose people to what environmentalism entails, educating on the issues, then providing the tools to create solutions.”
Guthrie is committed to building the relationship between campus and communities, spearheading projects related to community gardening and urban ecology. He is an active science communicator, as well, leading shows at the planetarium in partnership with the astrophysics department, and hosting stargazing nights that aim to make a complicated topic approachable.
Guthrie emphasizes how his work is motivated by equitable sustainability rooted in community connection.
“Expanding environmental justice to new heights with the experience I gain from this fellowship can help foster equitable and mutualistic relationships that benefit our state and the nation as a whole,” Guthrie says.
By Sammie Garrity
Check out our GridgeFridge episode featuring Guthrie as he talks about his leadership roles and building stronger connections between UW and surrounding communities, uplifting underrepresented voices, and shaping what a more equitable environmental future could look like.