Michelle Gullickson has always been curious about the role of sustainability in education, first as an educator, then as a graduate assistant at the UW–Stevens Point Office of Sustainability, and now as Green Fund coordinator at the UW–Madison Office of Sustainability.  

The UW–Madison Green Fund offers financial support for student-led environmental initiatives and, just as importantly, hands-on guidance as students translate their ideas into reality, helping them navigate the approvals process, calculate impacts, and tell the story. This “campus as living lab” model provides an applied learning experience for students while helping UW–Madison advance its institutional sustainability goals.  

This new role arose out of a desire to take the Green Fund to the next level. When UW–Madison alumnus Jim Weinert (’67, MBA ’69) donated to the Green Fund, the goal was to allow it to support larger projects and be more ambitious. This gift allowed the Green Fund to hire Gullickson as a second staff member alongside Program Manager Ian Aley, expanding support for student learning and project management.

Gullickson is a current doctoral candidate in Educational Sustainability through UW–Stevens Point, bringing a professional background in university teaching, research, and climate action and resilience planning to the Office of Sustainability. Before joining UW–Madison, she wrote a climate action plan for UW–Stevens Point. For this action plan, Gullickson attended Universities of Wisconsin meetings and learned how campuses across the state pursue sustainability. This experience, along with her academic journey, made Gullickson realize she wanted to keep working in sustainability. As Green Fund coordinator, Gullickson and Aley will work together to answer the “what’s next?” question for the Green Fund. 

Thanks to Weinert’s generous gift, the Green Fund will now have more capacity to work with innovative early-stage businesses and alumni networks, expand collaborations across campus, and provide more support to students, which is what excites Gullickson most about this opportunity.  

“The first thing that piqued my interest was actually the fact that [the job] had a lot to do with working with students,” Gullickson explained.  

Gullickson noted that Weinert’s gift supports student projects that help the UW advance its net-zero emissions and zero waste goals.  She also has a “soft spot for ecological and social projects,” such as those that aim to protect multiple species. Ultimately, “the Green Fund is cool because there’s space for all kinds of projects and multiple priorities.” 

Gullickson understands that sustainability can mean different things for different people. For her, it’s a personal ethic. “Not everybody has the same feelings about different environmental, social, and economic structures. There’s room for different opinions.” She tries to bring sustainability into her daily life wherever she can, knowing there’s no perfect solution or perfect lifestyle.  

“I love thrifting. I don’t buy anything new. And I do love riding my bicycle… [and] commuting by bike a lot.” At the same time, Gullickson acknowledges the limits of her personal ethics. “I commute to Madison and don’t have a hybrid vehicle.” 

She believes in a flexible approach and hopes the Green Fund can help students do the same. “I want people to know that you can talk to me or Ian to brainstorm an idea. You don’t have to have everything perfectly figured out. We can help you figure all that out.” 

By: Laleh Ahmad