Sustainability Chancellor

Day to day, you're navigating sustainability at the institutional level — working with facilities, academic leadership, and student government to advance emissions commitments, campus operations changes, and research alignment. You're often the public face of sustainability for the institution, speaking at events, engaging donors, and representing the university in regional sustainability coalitions.

The rhythm tends to mix project-based work (a solar installation, a dining-hall waste program, an AASHE STARS re-certification) with ongoing policy and governance work (faculty senate committee participation, executive leadership team updates, budget advocacy). Progress is measured in years, not quarters — multi-year emissions targets require patience and political consistency.

The hard part is working within a decentralized academic governance structure where you can recommend and advocate but rarely mandate. Facilities directors, deans, and department chairs all have their own priorities. Building the coalition support to move sustainability from aspiration to operations — and sustaining it through leadership changes — is the defining challenge.