Category: Staff

Forward? Field Notes from the Lakeshore Nature Preserve

The growing season is an exercise in controlled chaos. There is too much to do and so much to learn, and decisions must be made about where to put effort when it’s all happening everywhere at once. There is an exuberance in growth, both in plant and animal life and in the mind. Overwhelmed by …

Post-Landfill Action Network membership offers benefits for UW–Madison community

UW–Madison is a PLAN Member until December 31st, 2024. All UW–Madison students, staff, and faculty are eligible to take advantage of the campus membership offerings. Below, you can learn more about benefits and registration details. The Post-Landfill Action Network (PLAN) “aids college students, as well as campus faculty and staff, in tackling unsustainable infrastructure on …

In Case You Missed It: Universities of Wisconsin Annual Sustainability Meeting 

In our In Case You Missed It series (also known as ICYMI), student interns from the Office of Sustainability offer reflective reports on sustainability-related events and lectures at UW–Madison. The following entry is by a special guest, Anna Silverman, who is the Sustainability Co-Coordinator for the ASM Sustainability Committee.  On October 12th and 13th, students, …

Sustainable Purchasing Leadership Council (SPLC) membership offers benefits for UW–Madison community.

UW–Madison is a Sustainable Purchasing Leadership Council (SPLC) member until September 30th, 2023. All UW–Madison students, staff, and faculty are eligible to take advantage of the campus membership offerings. Anyone with a valid “@wisc.edu” email address can join!  Below, you can learn more about benefits and registration details. SPLC Member Benefits To access these benefits, …

Students complete campus zero waste assessment

During the Spring 2021 semester, five UW–Madison students joined the Zero Waste Atlas Fellowship program. Students performed interviews and gathered information from a variety of campus stakeholders to complete its first zero waste assessment. Scoring UW–Madison’s zero waste efforts According to the Post Landfill Action Network (PLAN), the “Atlas Zero Waste Certification creates a high-level …

UW–Madison designated as a Fair Trade University

On October 7, 2021, UW–Madison was designated as a Fair Trade University, making it just the second school in the Big Ten to attain this status, as well as the third within the UW System. The Fair Trade designation is administered by Fair Trade Campaigns (FTC), a grassroots organization that began in the U.K. by …

UW–Madison engineering alum helps to light the way for renewable energy

Josh Cook, UW–Madison Geological Engineering class of 2015, became interested in renewable energy while participating in a summer intensive Mandarin language program in China. He lived in Tianjin, a city of over 15 million people, and also had the chance to visit Beijing and Shanghai, each of which has over 20 million residents. “These cities …

Resilience Spotlight: La Follette Faculty and Students Conduct Living Lab Cost-Benefit Analysis of 100% Renewable Energy Options

This hands-on, real-world research will inform the Office of Sustainability about available options for improving campus sustainability and resilience.

Office of Sustainability welcomes expertise in energy and resource management

The UW–Madison Office of Sustainability strengthened its capacity to advance sustainability across campus with the hire of two staff members in early 2020. Josh Arnold now serves as Campus Energy Advisor, while Travis Blomberg serves as Campus Resource Coordinator. “The expertise that Josh and Travis each bring is a significant benefit for the institution,” said …

Office of Sustainability interns launch new podcast

  In the face of COVID-19 and the shift to remote work during the summer session, Office of Sustainability (OS) interns had to get creative about engaging the campus community. With Smart Restart approaching in September, interns considered how to create a safe, virtual space where they could hold regular conversations about sustainability in spite …