2023 in Review: Sustainability Leadership Council

Chaired by Ben Zaitchik  

• Developed academic recommendations for JHU Climate Action & Sustainability Plan   
• Coordinated K-12 sustainability curriculum development efforts   
• Coordinated grants for new Hopkins Bloomberg Center in D.C. 
• Coordinated community engagement across student service-learning programs

Chaired by Julian Goresko & Kellogg Schwab    

• Secured  funding for launch of Campus as Living Laboratory program  
• Conducted peer interviews and assessments of peer university  programs   
• Drafted extensive program materials including request for proposals, program marketing, and application process and grant selection criteria
• Collaborated with the JHU Office of Research to integrate program materials into InfoReady software  

Chaired by Peter Winch

• Organized 4th Annual SLC Symposium expanded to be a hybrid event  
• Brought together 60+ speakers across 13 panels to discuss topics, spanning sustainability research and practice   
• 330+ attendees registered to participate virtually or in-person   
• 15 research posters, 10 information tables, plenary and lunchtime talks 

Chaired by Leana Houser & Sarah Morley  

• Brought together representatives from Facilities, Procurement, Faculty, Students, Dining, & Housing representing all JHU divisions   
• Developed a university-wide waste bin signage standard   
• Organized a ‘Weigh Your Waste’ activity to raise awareness of food waste    
• Conducted outreach through a custodial training pilot program 

Chaired by Greg Smith

• Collaborated on the first commuter survey, with over 4,000 respondents from across JHU   
• Launched new Shuttle Services: Hampden Circulator & Keswick-Penn Shuttle   
• Researched and selected electric buses to purchase  
• Evaluated EV Chargers for San Martin & Homewood South Garage   
• Proposed a Public Transit Subsidy program, which was announced as a new JHU benefit  

Chaired by Ryan Weeks, Bena Zeng & James Leatherman   

• Expanded Green Lab Certification program beyond pilot study, doubling number of participating labs from previous years to 32, engaging over 400 researchers  
• Conducted presentations to 8 total departments and programs across 5 divisions to increase engagement with faculty, staff, and students with over 225 attendees  
• Increased participation in the International Freezer Challenge to 56 labs totaling an estimated savings of 767 kWh/day and earning institutional honorable mention as one of the top-performing academic institutions internationally  

Chaired by Graham Browning    

• Researched sustainable and local beverages, including a student survey to inform JHU contract negotiations   
• Researched farms within 50 miles of campus that can produce necessary volume of ingredients for Hopkins Dining 
• Identified partners & worked with a local distributor to create a seasonal purchasing guide   
• Partnered with researchers to assess how student behavior changes if food is labeled based on climate emissions  

Chaired by Haley Kallenberg  

• Developed environmental justice (EJ) and equity prompts and action guidelines to inform JHU’s decision making and SLC efforts 
• Continued work on proposed Environmental Justice Initiative, to build on existing JHU community-engaged partnerships in Baltimore  
• Provided EJ and equity recommendations for JHU’s Climate Action & Sustainability Plan 
• Supported integration of EJ into session content into the Sustainability Symposium 
• Laid groundwork for supporting other SLC working groups with integrating EJ  

Chaired by Nat Adams    

• Began compiling information on Community Advisory Boards across JHU to identify opportunities to improve and deepen community participation  
• Began to identify key community forums that could help the SLC maintain awareness of EJ concerns in Baltimore and to center community perspectives 

Chaired by Leana Houser   

• Piloted use of EJ and inclusivity prompts and action guidelines  
• Collaborated with SLC Zero Waste Planning Working Group to integrate EJ principles into projects and meetings 

 Chaired by Teressa Healy   

• Developed detailed summary of EJ initiatives across JHU to incorporate into the EJ webpage  
• Expanded the Sustainability Research Directory with an “Environmental Humanities” section and worked towards adding an EJ category

Chaired by Teressa Healy 

• Supported the development of a coalition of sustainability-related student organizations across JHU
• Organized/participated in Earth Fest celebration on April 21st highlighting over a dozen JHU groups and partners’ sustainability efforts through tabling and activities