President Wendy Wintersteen has established a new university committee to improve sustainability at Iowa State. The University Sustainability Committee is charged with developing a set of actionable recommendations that will increase energy efficiency, energy conservation and use of renewable energy with the goal of moving Iowa State toward carbon neutrality.
The Faculty Senate first recommended the creation of a sustainability committee as part of a 2018 resolution on climate change. Student Government approved a similar resolution in 2019. Both resolutions acknowledge the university's past and current efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and outline a number of additional actions necessary for the university to achieve carbon neutrality.
The University Sustainability Committee, chaired by Bill Gutowski, professor of geological and atmospheric sciences, will work with, and build off, the efforts of existing campus groups involved in sustainability efforts, including facilities planning and management and the office of sustainability's Live Green initiative.
Joining chairman Gutowski on the committee are:
- Robert Brown, Anson Marston Distinguished Professor, Gary and Donna Hoover Chair, department of mechanical engineering, and director of the Bioeconomy Institute
- Brianna Burke, associate professor, department of English and Native American studies program
- Bob Currie, director, facilities services
- Kelsie Ferin, graduate student in agricultural meteorology, department of agronomy
- Kristine Heflin, associate director, Memorial Union
- Mark Kruse, director, utilities services
- Paul Lasley, professor, department of sociology
- Dan Loy, professor, department of animal science, and director of the Iowa Beef Center
- Ruth MacDonald, professor and chair, department of food science and human nutrition and assistant dean, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
- Peter Orazem, University Professor, department of economics
- Merry Rankin, director, office of sustainability
- Mark Rasmussen, director, Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture
- Karen Rodekamp, assistant director, ISU Dining
- Ian Searles, undergraduate student in geology
- Toni Sleugh, undergraduate student in biology; chapter chair of Climate Reality
- Gene Takle, emeritus professor, department of geological and atmospheric sciences and department of agronomy
- James Tener, associate teaching professor, department of music and theatre
- Izzy Wilde, undergraduate student in community and regional planning
- Jeff Witt, director, utilities services
