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Q&A: New manager of Office of Sustainability to pursue long-term goals

sarah kelly

As the new program manager for the Office of Sustainability, UH alumna Sarah Kelly will coordinate all UH sustainability efforts. | Courtesy of UH Office of Sustainability

The UH Office of Sustainability recently welcomed new program manager Sarah Kelly, a 2012 UH alumna who serves as the lead for all UH sustainability efforts and manages, plans and coordinates University-wide efforts.


The Cougar: How has the sustainability program at UH changed since your arrival?

Sarah Kelly: In the infancy of the program, we’re focused on educating the campus community about sustainability, assessing where UH sustainability currently stands and how we compare to other campuses, as well as building relationships with faculty, staff, students, on-campus departments and community groups to collaborate on projects that address sustainability problems. Since my arrival in March, we’ve focused on outreach and communications as well as increasing staff in the office. We currently have six student leaders who work in the office on sustainability projects that make a real impact on campus. Students work on events, communications, outreach, sustainability reporting, organic gardening and I’ll soon hire a bike program coordinator.

TC: What were some long-term and short-term goals of yours when you arrived here as program manager for the UH Office of Sustainability? 

SK: A few short-term goals in progress are:

  • Submitting data for the Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System™ (STARS), a transparent, self-reporting framework for colleges and universities to measure their sustainability performance.
  • Restructuring the sustainability task force into a committee and updating the campus sustainability policy
  • Launching a monthly e-newsletter and launching a monthly garden update for volunteers
  • Creating a sustainability guide focused on campus initiatives and green living

A few long-term goals include:

  • Hiring a sustainability program coordinator (in progress)
  • Developing a strategic plan for campus sustainability
  • Developing an Eco-Rep program (volunteer-based)
  • Developing sustainability policies for the University as a whole and internal departmental policies

TC: What is coming for UH sustainability and what are some future events that will promote the sustainability program? 

SK:We are currently in the process of hiring a new sustainability program coordinator who will focus more on outreach and campus engagement, including developing a group of dedicated volunteers to work on sustainability issues. Adding more staff to the office will allow me to focus on those big-picture projects and long-term goals like increasing waste diversion, developing programs for people who bike to campus, creating sustainability policies and seeking funding for such projects. Campus Sustainability Day will be our next event, which is planned for the week of November 17. In the spring semester, we’ll host Recycle Mania between the months of January and April and Earth Week April 20 through 24.

TC: What recognition and awards has the UH Office of Sustainability received so far for its efforts and achievements? 

SK: For our efforts in the garden, we will be receiving a certificate of recognition from the Mayor’s Proud Partners Awards and will also receive an honorable mention for our efforts at the UH Earth Day Festival. The University’s sustainability efforts will soon be published in Sustainable Business Magazine, and we’ve received some local news coverage for our efforts as well.

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