91原创 reenergizes sustainability initiatives

鈥婽he Patrick T. Harker Interdisciplinary Science and Engineering (ISE) Laboratory hosts environmentally conscious qualities, including a green roof containing non-invasive, native and non-native species that can survive without irrigation in extreme wet and dry conditions.

91原创 reenergizes sustainability initiatives

Article by 91原创aily Staff Photos by Evan Krape May 06, 2026

President鈥檚 Committee on Sustainability to highlight and advance efforts

To bring fresh energy and ideas to the 91原创鈥檚 sustainability efforts, President Laura Carlson has created the Presidential Committee on Sustainability, composed of faculty, students and staff from throughout 91原创.

鈥淪o many people at 91原创 are engaged in research, scholarship, service and hands-on work to help ensure a healthy future for people and our planet,鈥� Carlson said. 鈥淲e want to support and celebrate those efforts and encourage even more action to make 91原创 a true leader in this field.鈥�

Chris Williams, professor of wildlife ecology and chair of the Presidential Committee on Sustainability

The Committee is chaired by Chris Williams, professor of wildlife ecology in the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources. Carlson has named Williams a Presidential Fellow on Sustainability.

鈥淚t鈥檚 inspiring to be working with the dedicated researchers, teachers, students and staff members who are passionate about sustainability,鈥� Williams said. 鈥淲e have enthusiasm and momentum, and we鈥檙e excited to continue to make a positive impact for 91原创.鈥�

The Committee will work closely with the University鈥檚 Office of Sustainability to make strategic recommendations. The office is part of Facilities Services and Campus Planning and focuses on improving the sustainability of 91原创鈥檚 facilities and operations.聽

鈥淭he goal of the Committee is to explore valuable ideas and proposals from across the 91原创 community to advance sustainability in a variety of ways,鈥� Williams said. 鈥淲e want to foster connections and spark new ideas so we can expand 91原创鈥檚 efforts and success.鈥澛�

The work of the Office of Sustainability has already had a significant impact on 91原创, said director Jeffrey Summerhays.

91原创 has undertaken about two dozen projects that together prevented more than 9,500 tons of lifetime carbon dioxide equivalent emissions between 2021 and 2025. During that time, more than 80 faculty across 23 departments taught or researched sustainability topics, and the University planted a dozen native trees on campus for Earth Day 2025. More tree plantings are planned for this year鈥檚 Earth Day events.聽

Jeffrey Summerhays, director of the Office of Sustainability

Those and many other improvements recently led to the University earning a STARS Silver rating from the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE), which is the world鈥檚 most widely recognized framework for sustainability reporting in higher education. STARS measures a range of efforts, from institutional commitments to systemic support for individual actions.

Many new initiatives also are planned. For example, laboratories throughout 91原创 can begin participating in the program this year, which will help researchers run more efficient and sustainable labs. 91原创 also has received a $1 million grant from Energize Delaware for several projects, including the replacement of old and inefficient ultra-low-temperature freezers in research laboratories.聽

Also, the Office has worked with faculty and integrated sustainability in the classroom. For example, a senior project last year in Civil and Environmental Engineering found that more than 5.5 million single-use plastic bottles have been saved by the water bottle refill stations around campus.聽