Bard College Faculty Member and Student Receive Open Space Institute Grant

ANNANDALE-ON-HUDSON, N.Y.—Lily Rubino, visiting faculty member in Bard College’s science, mathematics, and computing division, and undergraduate student Stael Toussaint ’27 have received a 2026 Barnabas McHenry Hudson River Valley Award from the conservation organization Open Space Institute (OSI). The award has allowed Toussaint to continue supporting Rubino’s ongoing research into drinking water contamination in the city of Newburgh.

Rubino, who joined Bard’s faculty in 2025, was recently a Gates Cambridge Scholar at the University of Cambridge, where her PhD thesis explored the social, political, and economic dimensions of water contamination in Newburgh. For his McHenry Award project, Toussaint has been working toward creating a publicly accessible digital archive that documents Newburgh’s ongoing drinking water contamination crisis from per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), or “forever chemicals.” The archive is informed by his extensive research in local collections on the history of Newburgh’s watershed, and his close study of activist actions since the public became aware of the crisis.

In addition to the digital archive Toussaint is compiling, his project activities include workshops and community events; his research is already featured in a forthcoming self-guided, environmental justice-focused walking tour of the watershed produced by the local organization Outdoor Promise.

PFAS contamination of Newburgh’s watershed was disclosed to the public in 2016. “Although 2026 marks 10 years since the public disclosure of PFAS contamination, the contamination of the watershed and the ongoing impact of toxic exposure remain,” said Rubino. “Stael's research focuses on how public archives can be used as a tool to support and sustain a community’s intergenerational fight for environmental justice.”

Beyond Toussaint’s work in Newburgh, Rubino said, “Stael is using the skills he has learned in his research and throughout this experience to contribute to his senior project, which explores the intersection of displacement, memory, and human rights in his hometown in Haiti.”

Founded in 1974, OSI is a national conservation leader partnering in the protection of more than 2.5 million acres across the eastern United States. In honor of former trustee Barney McHenry’s contributions and accomplishments, OSI has established and administers an award to celebrate his leadership and foster future leaders in the Hudson River Valley. The annual award provides financial support to promising young leaders and exemplary projects that make significant contributions to environmental conservation, environmental justice, historic preservation, tourism, and the arts in the Hudson River Valley.

About Bard College
Founded in 1860, Bard College is a four-year residential college of the liberal arts and sciences located 90 miles north of New York City. With the addition of the Montgomery Place and Massena properties, Bard’s campus consists of more than 1,200 parklike acres in the Hudson River Valley. It offers bachelor of arts, bachelor of science, and bachelor of music degrees, with majors in nearly 40 academic programs; advanced degrees through 14 graduate programs; 10 early colleges; and numerous dual-degree programs nationally and internationally. Building on its 166-year history as a competitive and innovative undergraduate institution, Bard College has expanded its mission as a private institution acting in the public interest across the country and around the world to meet broader student needs and increase access to liberal arts education. The undergraduate program at the main campus in upstate New York has a reputation for scholarly excellence, a focus on the arts, and civic engagement. Bard is committed to enriching culture, public life, and democratic discourse by training tomorrow’s thought leaders. For more information about Bard College, visit bard.edu.

This event was last updated on 10-06-2026

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