Episode 47: From classroom to stadium: the Michigan sustainability model

L-R: The University of Michigan’s Paul Dunlop and Andy Berki. Photos courtesy of the University of Michigan and Second Wave Media.

What does it take to embed sustainability across an entire university—from academic buildings to athletic arenas? In this episode, we sit down with Andy Berki, Director of the Office of Campus Sustainability, and Paul Dunlop, Associate Director of Facility Operations for Michigan Athletics, to explore how the University of Michigan is turning ambitious climate goals into everyday action. From high-impact energy and waste reduction strategies to zero-waste game days at the Big House, Andy and Paul share how Michigan is leading the way in higher education sustainability. Whether you're focused on campus operations, athletics, or institutional strategy, this episode offers real-world insights for creating a culture of sustainability that sticks.

Guests:
Andy Berki
Executive Director of Campus Sustainability
LinkedIn

Paul Dunlop
Associate Athletic Director, Facility Operations
LinkedIn

Host:
Dave Karlsgodt
Director of Energy and Sustainability
Brailsford & Dunlavey

Resources:
Michigan Sports Sustainability
University of Michigan Office of Campus Sustainability

Production Team:
Executive producer and host: Dave Karlsgodt
Producer, sound editor: Kristan Crawford
Producers: Karmela Lejarde, David Almany
Production assistants: Claudia Ahawo, Allison Bruns

Episode Transcript:

The following is an AI-generated transcript of this episode and may contain errors or omissions: Transcript

Episode 46: Powering sustainability across California community colleges

In this episode, guest host Jillian Buckholz sits down with Carla Grandy, David Liebman, and Holly Bailey-Hofmann to explore the California Community Colleges Chancellor's Climate Fellows program. They dive into how this innovative program taps into internal talent to drive sustainability initiatives that go far beyond emissions reduction. Each fellow shares their unique roles and goals, spotlighting projects in curriculum development, community engagement, workforce initiatives, and campus facilities. Together, they emphasize the crucial role of leadership support and offer valuable tips for launching similar programs at other institutions. Don’t miss out on this insightful conversation about how the largest higher education system in the U.S. is paving the way for climate action!

Guests:
Carla Grandy
Senior Climate Fellow
California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office
LinkedIn

David Liebman
Climate Fellow (Facilities)
California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office
LinkedIn

Holly Bailey-Hofmann
Climate Fellow (Curriculum)
California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office
LinkedIn

Host: Jillian Buckholz
Senior Associate & Sustainability Advisor
Brailsford & Dunlavey

Episode Transcript:

The following is an AI-generated transcript of this episode and may contain errors or omissions: Transcript

Episode 40: Carbon neutrality should not be the end goal with Alex Barron and Aaron Strong

Alexander Barron (left) and Aaron Strong (right)

Guests:
Alexander Barron, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Environmental Science & Policy
Smith College
LinkedIn | Bio

Aaron Strong, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Environmental Studies
Hamilton College
LinkedIn | Bio

Host: Dave Karlsgodt
Director of Energy and Sustainability at Brailsford & Dunlavey, Inc.

In this episode we interview two professors and researchers discussing a recently published paper in the peer-reviewed journal One Earth entitled: “Carbon neutrality should not be the end goal: Lessons for institutional climate action from U.S. Higher education.” You’ll hear lead author Alex Barron of Smith College and co-author Aaron Strong from Hamilton College discuss their study of U.S. schools that have announced that they have achieved carbon neutrality. This work was co-authored with Maya Domeshek and Lucy Metz (recent Smith College graduates who worked on the paper) and Laura Drauker (formerly of Amherst College, now at the Boston-based non-profit Ceres), and reflects feedback and input from many other sustainability practitioners.

Resources:

• Link to the paper: https://www.cell.com/one-earth/fulltext/S2590-3322(21)00472-3

  Alexander R. Barron, et al. "Carbon Neutrality Should Not Be the End Goal: Lessons for Institutional Climate Action From U.S. Higher Education." One earth, v. 4 ,.9 pp. 1248-1258. doi: 10.1016/j.oneear.2021.08.014

• Drs. Barron and Strong along with Smith student Lucy Metz also summarized their findings for an op-ed "Five ways colleges should respond to the climate crisis" in Inside Higher Ed.

• A different paper by Dr. Barron and others on internal carbon pricing in higher education that may be of interest to some listeners:

  Barron, A.R., Parker, B.J., Sayre, S.S, Weisbord, D.J. and S.S. Weber. 2020. Carbon pricing approaches for climate decisions in U.S. higher education: Proxy carbon prices for deep decarbonization. Elementa.

• Information about the Second Nature Climate Leadership Commitments.

Production Team:

• Julia Haupt

• Dave Karlsgodt

• Music courtesy of the Gio Washington-Wright Big Band

Episode Transcript:

The following is an automated transcription of this episode which will include errors and omissions. You can listen and follow along with the text here: Otter Transcript

You can find a text-only version of the transcript here: Episode 40 Transcript