In our “Where Are They Now?” series, current student interns interview former students about their experience at the Office of Sustainability (OS), particularly how that experience has helped them since graduation. In the following entry, Tia Gaffney relates her conversation with Olivia Grose, a student who was involved in the Zero Waste Team within the OS.
Olivia Grose, a 2024 graduate from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, utilizes her passion for sustainability a
nd knowledge of stakeholder engagement to lead sustainability efforts at an international biotechnology company, Promega Corporation.
Many of Olivia’s favorite childhood memories involve the outdoors. Whether that was “catching crayfish, picking up trash on Kohler Andrae, or going on long bike rides,” the environment has always played a significant role in Olivia’s life. Her older sister, a long-time inspiration for Olivia, pursued a career in environmentalism and is now finishing her PhD in Environmental Sciences. But it wasn’t until the COVID-19 pandemic that Olivia realized her care for the environment wasn’t merely a pastime, but something to focus on in her studies and career.
Olivia graduated from UW-Madison with degrees in Community and Environmental Sociology and Environmental Studies, along with certificates in Food Systems and Global Health. While an undergraduate student, Olivia was involved in Slow Food UW and an intern for the Zero Waste Team, a group within the Office of Sustainability that supports the university’s zero-waste goal. As an intern, Olivia worked on the Zero Waste Action Plan, supported a waste sensor pilot in Ingraham Hall, helped implement Free Food Alert, and participated in waste audits.
Olivia says her favorite memory from her time on the Zero Waste Team was doing a ride-along with the campus waste truck operators. She points out that it gave her a “deeper appreciation for this work” because it showed her “the importance ofcreating support across the university to maintain clean waste streams and streamlined dumpster pickups.” Plus, the “chocolate frosty at the end of the day was an added bonus!”
As a member of the Zero Waste Team for two years, Olivia’s position helped her understand the “dynamic nature of sustainability and the importance of collaboration.” Olivia noticed that no matter the scale of the project, “success requires buy-in from different departments and different stakeholders.” By working with various stakeholders throughout her time on the Zero Waste Team, Olivia learned the value of “engaging people where they are at” by tailoring the conversation to fit their view.
Now, Olivia utilizes her knowledge of stakeholder engagement in her position as Sustainability Specialist at Promega Corporation. In her position, Olivia manages and leads “both corporate and grassroots sustainability initiatives.” This involves data reporting and analysis, coordination with Promega’s international branches, management of specialty recycling streams, research on upcoming Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) regulations, and leadership of Promega’s Sustainability committee. 
Olivia urges students working in sustainability not be intimidated to speak to stakeholders as they “likely want to see your proposal or project succeed just as much as you do.” She emphasizes that sustainability is heavily reliant on collective effort and adjusting to the constant changes in regulations. Working with a diverse range of people can be tough, so Olivia urges students to not “feel discouraged when the change you’re seeking doesn’t happen overnight.”