About

Office of Sustainability logo

The University of Maryland Office of Sustainability supports and advances environmental performance, economic prosperity, and social equality through a variety of initiatives. The staff facilitates the development and implementation of sustainable policies, practices, and curricula for the campus community by:

  • Educating the campus community about sustainability
  • Developing sustainability programming that affects student education and campus operations
  • Fostering collaboration between units of the university and external resources
  • Consulting with campus departments (administrative and academic) to find ways of reducing environmental impacts and promoting sustainability
  • Coordinating efforts to meet the goals of the Carbon Commitment and Climate Action Plan
  • Measuring and reporting on-campus sustainability efforts
  • Providing outreach to individuals and organizations both internal and external to the university
  • Supporting the University Sustainability Council

The office was formed in the summer of 2007 following the signing of the American College and University President’s Climate Commitment. The university has had a long-standing commitment to environmental stewardship. However, the focus on sustainability began in 2002 with the completion of the Facilities Master Plan and the first national sustainability conference: Beyond Compliance – Campus Greening Through Stewardship. Sustainability efforts expanded over the next four years through a variety of efforts by individuals and campus departments. In 2005 and 2007, UMD joined the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and several national higher education organizations to sponsor and host the Smart & Sustainable Campuses Conferences. In the spring of 2007, the University issued its first Campus Sustainability Report. The Office of Sustainability is administered by the Department of Environmental Safety, Sustainability and Risk and reports to the Vice President of Administration.

 

Staff

UMD Sustainability Director

Scott Lupin

Director

Scott is the Director of the Office of Sustainability and Associate Director for the Department of Environmental Safety, Sustainability & Risk. He has been with the university since 1997 where his primary focus involves the development of the campus sustainability program and environmental management. Prior to joining the university, Scott served as an Associate with Dames and Moore, an international environmental and engineering consulting firm. He has also served as an EHS Manager for Honeywell, Inc. and as a RCRA inspector and Superfund investigator for the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency. Scott holds a Master`s degree in Environmental Health from the University of Minnesota and is a Certified Hazardous Materials Manager. He is also a LEED Accredited Professional.

UMD Sustainability Manager

Mark Stewart

Sustainability Manager

Mark helped launch the Office of Sustainability in 2007 and developed various programs in his time at the University of Maryland. He leads efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, administers the University Sustainability Fund, and runs programs that prepare students to be change-agents for sustainability. He also serves on the State of Maryland's Commission on Climate Change - Mitigation Work Group. Mark was nominated by the Obama Administration for the White House Champions of Change Award and honored to have his name engraved on the ODK Fountain on McKeldin Mall, which recognizes leaders at UMD. He earned a Sustainability Certificate from Harvard University, a Master’s degree in Higher Education Policy & Leadership from UMD, and Bachelor’s degrees in Environmental Science and Organizational Psychology from UMBC. He lives with his wife and two kids in a super energy efficient house that he and his dad built together.

UMD Sustainability Senior Project Manager

Sally DeLeon

Senior Project Manager

Sally facilitates progress toward campus sustainability goals through public reporting and policy analysis. She tracks and publishes sustainability metrics, supports implementation of the climate action plan, and advises campus stakeholders on carbon reduction strategies and sustainability rating systems. She has consulted for a diverse array of organizations on sustainable development topics, including universities, environmental NGOs, for-profit companies, and international development agencies. Sally earned an interdisciplinary master’s degree in Natural Resource Planning with a concentration in Environment, Society & Public Affairs from the Rubenstein School of Environment & Natural Resources at the University of Vermont. She completed Bachelor’s degrees in both Biology and Environmental Studies at Dartmouth College. Prior to her career as a sustainability professional, she taught chemistry, biology and environmental science for high school, and led service-learning experiences for middle school, high school and college students. She enjoys outdoor adventures, art, Pilates, and gourmet chocolate.

UMD Sustainability Outreach Coordinator

Tanvi Gadhia

Outreach Coordinator

Tanvi hopes to serve as a resource to empower and inspire faculty, staff, and students with resources, tools, information, and connections to integrate sustainability into campus culture. She develops, implements and maintains programs designed to encourage sustainable behaviors, further UMD’s leadership in sustainability, and expand sustainability literacy on and off campus. She earned an M.S. in Environmental Science and Policy from Johns Hopkins University. Prior to working at UMD, Tanvi launched and ran the sustainability office at UMBC for 7 years. She has also served as a clean energy community organizer in Baltimore with the Maryland League of Conservation Voters and advocated for sustainable agriculture with positions at the Union of Concerned Scientists, Center for Food Safety and with Dr. Vandana Shiva. Tanvi also taught environmental education at Pickering Creek Audubon Center, Oregon Ridge Nature Center, the Maryland Science Center, and Fairview Lake Environmental Education Center. She enjoys painting, drawing, hiking, gardening, volunteering, traveling and dancing.

UMD Sustainability Associate

Emily Hightower

Sustainability Associate

Emily supports sustainability on campus by working with the Office of Sustainability staff on progress reporting and other initiatives. She is a recent graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a degree in Biology and Economics. Emily previously interned with an independent publishing company, UNC Research, and UNC's Office of Sustainability, where she worked on student outreach, Green Labs, and data reporting programs.

Intern

Courtney Fumagalli

Courtney Fumagalli

Outreach Intern

Courtney Fumagalli is a sophomore Behavioral and Community Health major with a minor in Sustainability. Courtney is a team intern leader for the LEAF Outreach program. Combining her interests of the public's health and the planet’s health, Courtney is interested in Environmental Health Science. She hopes to spread awareness and knowledge on eco-friendly actions and sustainable choices throughout her studies and her internship.