Our History
Changing the View: The Chancellor's Sustainability Task Force
With the lofty goals of changing the standards on which UAF was built, the Chancellor's Sustainability Task Force gave UAF a comprehensive starting point for becoming a national leader by changing from a traditional non-sustainable institution into an example-setting, environmentally friendly university. .
The Chancellor's Sustainability Task Force was the first building block towards truly changing how UAF looks to the future regarding environmental, social and procurement policy. In 2008 when the first UAF Sustaibability Plan was drafted the task force looked into nine major categories in which nearly all new sustainable policies and projects would fit: Energy, Transportation, Purchasing, Waste Management, Built Environment, Food, Education and Curriculum, Social Sustainability, and Institutions.
Task Force Members
- Robert Holden, Chair, Associate Director, Business and Auxiliary Services
- Michelle Bartlett, Summer Sessions
- Tom Delong, GVEA
- Gary Newman, SFOS
- Channon Price, Physics and Honors
- Eli Sonafrank, SCTF
- Mahla Strohmaier
- Susan Todd, Natural Resources
- Adrian Treibel, VP, ASUAF
- Richard Wies, Electrical Engineering
- Linda Zanazzo, Director, Facilities Services
Moving Forward: Creating the Office of Sustainability
Today the Office of Sustainability, still funded by the SIREN fee and its funds still managed by the RISE board, operates programs campus wide in the areas of energy, recycling, biking, education and gardening and employees a full student staff.
For more information about programs and projects managed by the Office of Sustainability see Greening at the Blue and Gold.