Moving forward on sustainability commitments

Miami's commitment to sustainability can be seen across campus. In the spring Miami announced its sustainability commitments and goals.

"Now we're working to implement them," said David Prytherch, Miami's sustainability coordinator. A number of planning efforts are now under way, but the 2011-12 academic year already counts significant achievements.

• Miami welcomes its first full-time sustainability professional. Yvette Kline was recently hired as the new director of sustainability and energy conservation, within Miami’s physical facilities department. She will contribute a focus on sustainability in university operations.
  
  “We have some challenges and opportunities in sustainability, each of which we will address as a community and be open to the possibility of entrepreneurial solutions to common problems,” said Kline, who joined Miami in September.
  
  
• Miami now offers a co-major in sustainability. It replaces the former environmental principles and practice co-major, within the newly restructured Institute for the Environment and Sustainability (IES). New IES director Thomas Crist notes students will be provided “with the interdisciplinary training needed to confront the challenges of building a more sustainable society.”
  
  
• Residence life has begun an “Eco Reps” program in the residence halls, recruiting students from community councils to promote sustainability. They will lead their peers in the Recyclemania (upcoming in February) and Unplugged, Untapped, Game On! competitions. The Eco Reps program was created by Rob Abowitz, associate director of residence life.
  
  
• Miami's two oldest buildings have been updated as our greenest residence halls. Elliott and Stoddard halls reopened after renovations that included major upgrades in energy efficiency, and what President David Hodge noted are Miami's "first physical steps towards moving away from coal." The buildings now have geothermal heating and cooling, as well as additional insulation and energy-efficient windows, among other utility upgrades.
  
  
• More local food is served in our dining halls. The recent Cultivating Community Dinner — hosted by housing, dining, recreation and business services (HSBRS) — highlighted the role of locally grown, raised and produced ingredients at Miami.
  
  “Last year we spent more than $300,000 on locally grown food from nine different farmers and $3 million with local processors,” said Jon Brubacher, manager of HDRBS purchasing and operations analysis. It is just one of the many sustainability efforts within HDRBS.