Campus Partners

Central to the implementation of the Climate Action Plan is the involvement of our campus community. The following programs and activities engage thousands in the BU community each year. 

 
School of Public Health Leadership:

The SPH leadership has determined that sustainability will be part of the school’s strategic goals. The SPH Green Team, chaired by Ira Lazic, associate dean for administration and finance, focuses on data collection and community engagement in two key areas: energy consumption and Zero Waste. The team is developing a data dashboard. And a BUMC Sustainability Intern is working with SPH staff to raise awareness about the Zero Waste Plan and solicit help in putting the plan into action. 

Resident Sustainability Leaders:  

This environmental peer-educator program—launched in 2019 and expanded in 2020—employs teams of students to engage residents in Warren Towers and West Campus. While 2020 saw mostly virtual programming, there was a return to in-person programming for 2021. 

Sustainability Ambassadors:  

The Sustainability Ambassadors program is designed to welcome and inform incoming students during Orientation. The team, consisting of students from various disciplines and backgrounds, organized eight virtual events throughout the summer to engage incoming students. Varied event times enabled access across global time zones. 

Environmental Leadership Network: 

Through creative use of virtual meetings and online communication platforms, BU Sustainability staff members have built community and provided support to the leaders of 30 sustainability-related student organizations. 

Sustainability Liaisons:

Currently, 87 representatives from multiple departments across BU campuses are engaged in championing sustainability practices as sustainability liaisons. Virtual meetings and regular communications build group cohesion and a sense of purpose and spark new ideas. 

Green Department Certification 2.0:  

BU Sustainability redesigned the green certification process to support departments in contributing to the University’s climate action and sustainability goals. The Financial Affairs department is a pilot participant, with more departments expected to take part in 2022. 

Innovation:  

BU Sustainability and Innovate@BU partnered for the second consecutive year to offer the Sustainability Innovation Seed Grant program. In the fall, seven student teams representing four BU schools and colleges were selected for funding.  

Environmental Justice Series: 

In August 2020, BU Sustainability launched an online event series focused on exploring various aspects of environmental justice, with events throughout this academic year. 

For the well-being of our University and our world, sustainability must be integrated into everyday life. Here are just a few more examples of events and presentations BU Sustainability has been part of, for the benefit of our community:  

  • Charles River and Medical Campus Sustainability Festival 
  • FYSOP (First Year Student Outreach Program) Foundation Day with Gabriela Boscio Santos 
  • Medical student residence Waste Training with Kaity Robbins 
  • Zero Waste Plan Informational Meeting for Unit and Building Coordinators 
  • Trash Talk with Kaity Robbins and intern Maddy Scully 
  • Zero Waste to Management Town Meeting with Dennis Carlberg