University of Wisconsin–Madison
The Office of Sustainability hired nine undergraduate interns with diverse backgrounds to work toward improving campus sustainability. This summer, the interns will work on two different teams to integrate sustainable practices on campus. The Waste & Recycling Team will help campus groups improve their recycling and composting by analyzing the items thrown away and the …
On June 1, Ian Aley began work at the UW–Madison Office of Sustainability as the new Green Fund Program Manager. Aley brings a wealth of environmental experience to the position, which focuses on managing student-initiated sustainability projects. “He’s a perfect fit for the position,” says Cathy Middlecamp, Interim Co-Director. “He wants students to experience success. …
This spring, 160 volunteers provided over 750 hours of staffing at sites set up on the UW–Madison campus. They diverted 129,493 pounds of material from the landfill by helping residents donate and recycle items. The campus and Madison community received 124 microwaves, 601 area rugs, 169 futons and over 60,000 pounds of clothing, food and …
On June 16, UW–Madison senior Hannah DePorter will plug in the first refrigerator for her UW Campus Food Shed project on the third floor of the Student Activity Center (SAC). The project allows all students, faculty and staff to have access to fresh produce donated from the plant sciences research labs, the Greenhouse Learning Community …
When summer temperatures rise and people turn to their air conditioners to stay cool, something else also increases: air pollution. A new study shows that the electricity production associated with air conditioning increases emissions of sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides and carbon dioxide by hundreds to thousands of metric tons, or 3 to 4 percent per …
Alum Steven Olikara ’12, who helped found the UW–Madison Office of Sustainability and served as its first student leader, is a recipient of a Forward Under 40 Award from the Wisconsin Alumni Association. Olikara is a founder and chief executive of the Millennial Action Project, which organizes bipartisan caucuses of elected officials under the age …
The Memorial Union Renovation (MUR) team has minimized the project’s environmental footprint through each phase of the process by staying true to a promise of sustainability. The team had hoped to avoid removing any Terrace trees, but found some were showing signs of deterioration. They sent the trees removed from the Terrace to The Wood …
As part of her master of fine arts thesis, design studies student Liz Anna Kozik has installed an exhibit telling the story of the first restored prairie in the world, Curtis Prairie at the UW–Madison Arboretum. Through full-length comics, hand-woven tapestries, and wooden signs over the prairie, “Stories in the Land” explores the history of …
As the end of the semester quickly approaches, the UW–Madison Division of University Housing is asking for volunteers to help residents and their families properly recycle and donate unwanted items. With more than 7,400 students preparing to move out of the university residence halls, it adds up to a lot of items! Each year, University …
Coming soon to campus: a more efficient rooftop greenhouse. This project is one of the first to be supported by a new UW–Madison Green Fund administered by the Office of Sustainability. The Green Fund supports student-initiated projects that reduce the environmental footprint and operating costs of campus facilities. Energy-Efficient Greenhouse Cooling System Residents of Leopold …