51³Ô¹ÏÍø

From dozens of new startup companies to a new curriculum empowering our students to installing solar arrays and more, 51³Ô¹ÏÍø is walking the talk when it comes to sustainability. Through collaborative efforts, we aim to integrate sustainability into every aspect of university life, creating a model for others to follow.

For these reasons, I was honored to take on the role of vice chancellor for sustainability this spring. During my time as U.S. government chief sustainability officer for the Biden administration, I worked closely with public, private and nonprofit sector leaders to facilitate the purchase of 88,000 zero-emission vehicles, electrification of over 1,000 federal buildings, procurement of $4 billion in clean construction materials, and establishment of a 60-country greening government coalition. These experiences helped prepare me to lead 51³Ô¹ÏÍø's sustainability efforts and drive meaningful change through strong collaboration across research, education and operations.

With the university positioned to play an even more significant role in the community, state, nation and world, we must act quickly to address our pressing environmental challenges. My vision encompasses amplifying our current capabilities, catalyzing more collaboration across the campus and propelling the university forward with innovative new projects.

Here's a glimpse of what we're currently doing to achieve that:

Driving innovation through partnerships

Last week, 51³Ô¹ÏÍø and Deloitte announced $1 million in awards to fund four novel research projects as part of the Climate Innovation Collaboratory. This collaboration enables valuable research, technology and market development, such as addressing energy storage optimization for AI data centers.

Catalyzing sustainability-focused companies

51³Ô¹ÏÍø research has inspired at least 44 sustainability-focused spin-outs, with products ranging from more sustainable building materials to longer-lasting batteries and new devices to detect methane from oil and gas operations.

Empowering students through new curricula

In January 2025, the 51³Ô¹ÏÍø Engineering Management Program launched a Circular Economy Graduate Certificate. This 9-credit, fully online program is a collaboration between 51³Ô¹ÏÍø's Engineering Management Program and Siemens Digital Industries Software. It focuses on sustainable product design and circular economy principles, preparing students for emerging roles in sustainability.

Exploring new campus clean energy solutions

Studies are underway to explore geothermal resources—heat drawn from deep within the earth—as a potential way to regulate building temperature and provide power at Williams Village and elsewhere around campus. If successful, geothermal would decrease 51³Ô¹ÏÍø’s dependence on fossil fuels for heating and cooling, offering a more sustainable alternative that aligns with the university Climate Action Plan's goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2050.

Generating onsite clean energy

Last week, we broke ground on a new 1.1 megawatt (MW) ground-mounted solar array on our East Campus. This project will offset 1.3% of 51³Ô¹ÏÍø’s total annual electricity usage, saving $122,000 per year in energy costs.

By creating an even more cohesive, robust sustainability ecosystem, we can achieve a sustainable future that benefits everyone and sets a standard for others to follow. If you are on campus, join me this week at our 32nd annual Campus Sustainability Summit, where I’ll be on a Wednesday panel with Chancellor Justin Schwartz and executive director of the Sustainability Research Initiative, Jane Zelikova, to discuss our shared visions and map out the path forward for campus climate action.