From the lush plant wall in McKeldin Library to the blue and black VEO scooters scattered around campus, expressions of our shared sustainability culture can be found throughout the University of Maryland.
Over the last century, student, staff, and faculty Terps have woven sustainability into our campus fabric through advocacy, collaboration, and action. In 1972, the Black Student Union started the first Shuttle-UM program, which has since grown to transport hundreds of thousands of riders each year (over 1.1M in 2023). In 2007, the Student Government Association advocated for a mandatory student sustainability fee, which prompted the Office of Sustainability to propose the University Sustainability Fund. These fees have since supported over $4.2 million in awarded funding for sustainable projects, including the Terp Farm, Terp to Terp Campus ReUse Store, and the ENES 100 School Store. Many units, departments, offices, and student groups continue to create new initiatives and maintain existing programming that drive forward innovation and meet the evolving needs and interests of the campus community.
This Earth Month, we’re proud to celebrate six inspiring Terps who have made a lasting impact on our history. We hope their insights spark new ideas and inspire students, staff, and faculty to think creatively about their roles as sustainable Terps.
Colleen Wright-Riva
Colleen Wright-Riva arrived at UMD in 2007 as the Director of Dining Services and found that there was “virtually no composting.” Inspired by campus-wide composting at Cornell University — where she was previously dining director — Wright-Riva thought, “If we could do it at Cornell, why couldn’t we do it here?” Composting on campus began when Wright-Riva trained the dish room and kitchen staff to compost. The program was strengthened with the help of a graduate assistant and Dining Services. Education about composting directed toward students, faculty, and staff streamlined the process, making connections with not only students, but also the Residence Hall Association and the Student Government Association. “I think in some ways, that happened through people’s own awareness about the environment,” she said. “A lot of messaging around about Mother Earth, and Earth Day activities, and our farmers markets…” Wright-Riva credits the “symbiotic” collaboration of the Office of Sustainability, Facilities Management, and Dining Services for the success of the composting program.
More than 8,000 short tons of waste have been composted since composting began in 2009, with most being utilized at Terp Farm. Aside from her composting program, Wright-Riva has advanced sustainability on campus in a number of ways, including the creation of the Farmers Markets, the Campus Pantry, and the first sustainability position in Dining Services. Wright-Riva is proud of the sustainable developments the university has made, such as campus-wide composting, teaching students about food and health, and getting rid of styrofoam. “All of it happened because people got jazzed about doing the right thing,” she said.
Scott Lupin
Scott Lupin established the Office of Sustainability in 2007, kickstarting UMD students’ connection to sustainability on campus and furthering environmental initiatives. He currently serves as the Director of the Office of Sustainability and the Associate Director for the Department of Environmental Safety, Sustainability & Risk. Starting in 2002, Lupin focused on environmental compliance and regulation, while building momentum for sustainability programs through early sustainability-focused higher education conferences. In 2006, the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) challenged universities to commit to carbon neutrality and develop a Climate Action Plan. UMD was among the first 100 signatories to commit to the pledge, and the Vice President of Administration, Doug Duncan, asked Lupin to start the Office of Sustainability shortly after. Lupin and his work group developed methods for measuring the university’s greenhouse gas footprint and created a Climate Action Plan — two things that the university had never done before. Over the years, the Office of Sustainability received more staff and funds, allowing Lupin to expand the office’s outreach and continue to further the university’s commitment to sustainability.
Lupin believes the Office of Sustainability presents the university not only with support towards achieving the goal of carbon neutrality, but also provides students with educational experience in the field of sustainability. The office has facilitated internships and programs through the Sustainability Fund to give students “real world experience in the field,” he said. Lupin believes that sustainability has expanded at the university over the years, ranging from opportunities for students to dedicated sustainability positions within departments. “I think we’ve had a much broader, deeper impact than anyone ever anticipated when the office was established,” he said.
Karen Petroff
Karen Petroff, the Director of Landscape and Special Services, worked to found and accredit the UMD Arboretum and Botanical Garden, which refers to the 1,250 acres of UMD College Park’s campus. Petroff and administrators changed the management structure and goals of the university landscape before the Arboretum was officially founded in 2008, which meant focusing on education and using the plants as teaching tools. The Arboretum was accredited in 2019, furthering the validity of the importance of the Arboretum and its work. Petroff credits a passionate student for gathering information and handling paperwork to obtain accreditation, while she worked to foster outside partnerships, such as with the United States Department of Agriculture. Petroff also helped to identify and document the plants present across the campus-wide arboretum. Additionally, Petroff and a team obtained the accreditation of Tree Campus Higher Education, which awards universities who engage the campus community in arbor-related activities. UMD was one of twenty-five founding members of the program in 2008.
Petroff believes that students have been happy to engage with the arboretum, highlighting the many Fraternity and Sorority Life and professional organizations that collaborate with the arboretum. “Students are able to relate to things that are accredited,” she said. Accreditation provides the arboretum and the campus with both a sustainability benchmark and a third party endorsement. This is beneficial for applying to grants and maintaining an overall sense of validity, she said.
Lisa Alexander
Lisa Alexander, the Department of Resident Life’s Program Manager for Sustainability Programs and Initiatives, established both the Green Terp program and the Terp to Terp Campus ReUse Store — two influential programs for engaging students with sustainability. Alexander launched the Green Terp program in collaboration with the Office of Sustainability in 2016 to promote activities, events and behaviors that align with being a “green,” or environmentally conscious, Terp. The program evolved from prior initiatives, beginning as a checklist of sustainable actions, such as turning off the lights and taking short showers. This transitioned into encouraging students to connect with Green Terp behaviors throughout the entirety of their college career, as opposed to individual actions. The Terp to Terp Campus ReUse store also focuses on students — both involving them in sustainability and providing free essential needs. Alexander modeled the store after a “trash to treasure” program from Penn State, her Alma Mater. Terp to Terp, established in 2021, collects donations of gently used clothing, dorm essentials, and small appliances, and allows students to schedule appointments to take what they need. The program also uses their social media presence to promote waste prevention.
Alexander believes the two programs show students how their actions interact with the environment. “I’m hoping it’s creating a culture of social responsibility, where people can think about how their involvement with the world works, what they purchase and buy, and what that then looks like in the process of waste,” she said. Alexander says the goal of the programs is to provide out-of-class experience that can “mirror” what they are learning in the classroom.
Bruce James
Bruce James started the Sustainability Studies Minor in 2012 as a way for students of any major to integrate sustainability into their curriculum. “We really mean any major, not just a STEM program like engineering or some science major, but someone in English, somebody in art, psychology — you could do it,” he said. When James was the Director of the Environmental Science and Policy program, two students in the department approached him with the idea, saying, “We want this minor, and you can’t give us no for an answer.” After the students brought the idea to the Provost, James began working on developing the minor within a matter of months — even putting together the required introductory sustainability course in about a month. The program gained traction fast, with about 150 students signing up in a week. James’ intention with the course was to show students that sustainability was “not just recycling.” He brought together environmental science, economics, culture and social issues to give students the groundwork of what sustainability really is.
James wanted the minor to be applicable to all majors and allow students to tailor their courses to complement their major. He received support from different departments on campus, as well as positive student feedback. He hopes that the minor can help students differentiate themselves when applying to jobs and use the minor as an “academic badge that could carry [them] along.”
Joanna Goger
Joanna Goger, a Principal Lecturer in the Environmental Science and Policy program and the Co-Director of the Sustainability Studies minor, has helped evolve the minor and keep it relevant to changes in our climate. “We continue to have new areas of challenge in sustainability,” she said, alluding to energy transitions, water scarcity, and food security as examples. “I think the goal of the minor is to be able to keep up with that.” Goger and her Co-Director, Thomas Hilde, seek out and approve new courses for the minor, such as study abroad programs and traditional classes that are relevant to sustainability. The program recently received a grant from the University Sustainability Fund to hire an undergraduate researcher to delve into ways the curriculum can be updated to facilitate growth, Goger said. They plan to research other universities’ sustainability programs and what qualities employers look for to encourage practical skills that can progress their careers. “Almost every course on campus has some aspects of sustainability, so we really want to make sure that our minor is up to date and addressing the needs of students,” Goger said.
The minor currently has students from 80 different majors, with the most popular colleges being Engineering, Behavior and Social Sciences, Architecture, Business, and Computer, Mathematical and Natural Sciences, Goger said. She believes the minor provides Maryland students with a sustainability lens and knowledge of principles that they can apply to their future career.
Explore the Sustainability at UMD Timeline to find additional milestones.