University of Wisconsin Stout | Wisconsin's Polytechnic University

Environmental Sustainability Office

The mission of UW-Stout's Environmental Sustainability Office is to foster a culture of environmental sustainability among the university community by coordinating sustainability priorities; engaging students and staff in sustainability initiatives; working with local, regional, and national organizations; and promoting UW-Stout's work in the area of sustainability.

  Sarah Rykal, Sustainability Coordinator

Sarah Rykal serves as the Sustainability Coordinator for the UW-Stout campus.  She earned a Master's Degree in Sustainable Community Development from the University of Wisconsin-River Falls.  Sarah serves as the chair of UW-Stout's Environmental Sustainability Steering Committee (ESSC), the chair of UW-Stout's Waste Reduction Work Group, the co-chair of UW-Stout's Alternative Transportation Work Group, and is a member of the Sustainable Dunn Steering Committee, UW-Stout's Campus-Wide Energy Committee, Dunn County's Joint Sustainability Working Group, UW-Stout's Strategic Planning Group, the Upper Midwest Association for Campus Sustainability (UMACS) Steering Committee, and the West Central Wisconsin Local Food Hub. 

Sarah enjoys music and movies, and often spends her free time at various concert venues and movie theaters. She also enjoys biking, kayaking, hiking, gardening, playing kickball and indoor soccer, snowboarding, snowshoeing, cooking, traveling, taking photos, drinking iced tea or hot cocoa (depending on the season), and sitting next to campfires.

Contact Sarah by email or by phone at 715.232.5254.

  Jill Webb, Sustainability Assistant

Jill is a senior majoring in Business Administration and Property Management.  She began working for the Sustainability Office in October 2010.  During that time, Jill has gathered data to contribute to the campus' Greenhouse Gas Report and performed research related to recycling and waste reduction, bike share programs, methods for reducing bottled water used, and many other areas.  Jill is also a member of UW-Stout's Campus-Wide Energy Committee.  Jill is also engaged in event planning for the Sustainability Office, including the annual Food for Thought Film and Speaker Series.  Jill enjoys playing and watching sports, watching movies, listening to music, biking, cleaning, and residential architecture.

Leann Fay, Sustainability Research Assistant

Leann is a second year graduate student studying Applied Psychology with concentrations in Health Promotion and Program Evaluation.  Leann's focus as Sustainability Research Assistant is in gauging sustainability progress across UW-Stout's campus, using the Sustainability Tracking, Assessment, and Rating System (STARS) Program.  For her thesis, Leann is researching different types of pro-environmental behaviors and how they relate to demographic factors.  In her free time, Leann likes to rock climb, backpack, spelunk, mountain bike, cross country ski, and usually spends her favorite moments outdoors.

Environmental Sustainability Steering Committee (ESSC)

The Environmental Sustainability Steering Committee (ESSC) provides oversight and recommendations for sustainability initiatives at UW-Stout.  This includes:

• Proposing strategies to move toward sustainable campus operations in accordance with the American College & University President's Climate Commitment mandates;

• Encouraging the incorporation of sustainability into the curriculum;

• Providing oversight and recommendations regarding sustainability policies to be considered for university adoption;

• Assisting with sustainability-related community outreach; and

• Assisting in increasing public awareness and participation in the plan.

Back row (L to R): Jason Introwitz, Jeff Keenan, Arthur Kneeland, Luke Hunter, Ryan Massey
Front row (L to R): Camille Thorson, Mallory Cina, Sarah Rykal, Joan Menefee, Juliana Lucchesi, Glendali Rodriguez

The ESSC is comprised of 15 members, 11 nominated positions representing different areas of the university and 4 at-large positions.  Our 2012-2013 representatives are as follows:

Wendy Stary (Academic and Student Affairs)
Assistant Professor, Engineering & Technology Department

Glendali Rodriguez (Faculty Senate)
Associate Professor, Construction Department

Keith McCarten (Parking Services)
Police Sergeant

Jeff Keenan (Student Life Services)
Stout Adventures Coordinator, University Recreation

Juliana Lucchesi (Ally Initiatives)
Sustainability Specialist

Arthur Kneeland (Senate for Academic Staff)
Lecturer, Biology Department

Joan Menefee (At-Large)
Associate Professor, English & Philosophy Department

Sarah Rykal (Sustainability Office)
Environmental Sustainability Coordinator

Chris Struve (Stout Student Association)
Student/Sustainability Senator


Jason Introwitz (At-Large)
Student

 
Ann Marie Hoffman (University Housing)
Assistant Director, University Housing

 
Ben Markl (At-Large)
University Housing Sustainability Work Team

Wendy Jedlicka (At-Large)
Lecturer, Art & Design/Sustainable Management

John Paulus (Physical Plant)
Building & Grounds Superintendent, Physical Plant

Allie Gams (Greensense)
Student

UW-Stout's Students of Sustainability

A number of UW-Stout students are engaged in sustainability-related initiatives.  Below are students who are currently working with the Environmental Sustainability Office on sustainability projects on and off campus.

 Ellen Jordan

Ellen Jordan is an Applied Science major with a concentration in Environmental Science.  Employed through Ally Initiatives as a Sustainability Specialist, Ellen works mostly on local food oriented projects such as establishing a Menomonie Youth Garden Program.  Outside of academics and employment, she spends her time rock climbing, slacklining, cooking/baking, gardening, dancing, and sitting in hammocks.  Ellen also enjoys hula-hooping, traveling, art, books, music, and movies.

Julianna Lucchesi

Juliana is an Applied Science major with a Biotechnology concentration.  Her minors include Plant Science and Materials.  Juliana is a Sustainability Specialist for the Ally Initiatives and a Lab Assistant for the Biology Department.  Some of Juliana's projects include analyzing the success of UW-Stout's new recycling system, developing materials to promote sustainability on campus, and assisting sustainability-based student organizations with events and planning.  She is an avid ultimate frisbee player and enjoys being outdoors.  After graduation, Juliana intends to attend graduate school for Bioproduts and Biosystems Engineering.

Kyle Mills

Kyle a psychology major with a minor in Economics.  He serves as an economics tutor and runs for the University of Wisconsin-Stout Cross Country and Track teams.  After graduation, he intends to attend graduate school for Industrial and Organizational Psychology.  Kyle was awarded a UW-System Solid Waste Research Grant and is currently working on a project with the Sustainability Office to audit the City of Menomonie and UW-Stout's capacity to compost food waste or other materials.

Catie Rawlins

Catie is an Applied Science major concentrating on Plant Biology and Chemistry.  She is the Vice President of Sustainable Agriculture Education Association (SAEA). She works as a student researcher in the Biology Department and helps manage the Stout Greenhouse in Jarvis Hall.  After graduation, Catie plans on pursuing graduate school and hopes to work in the field of molecular biology or biochemical engineering.  She worked with the Environmental Sustainability Office to found and plan of the 2011 Food for Thought Series, an 8-week film and speaker series devoted to sustainable food systems and public health.

Past Students of Sustainability

A number of UW-Stout students have been engaged in sustainability-related initiatives.  Below are UW-Stout graduates  who have worked with the Sustainability Office on projects on and off campus during their time on campus.

  Chris Fox

Chris is a senior majoring in Applied Social Science with a concentration in Sociology and Anthropology, and minoring in Human Resource Management. Chris works as a Sustainability Specialist for the Ally Initiatives for Civil Rights and Civic Responsibility in the Involvement Office. In this position, he works on various projects promoting sustainability on campus, while also serving on the board of directors of Tainter/Menomin Lake Improvement Association, a local non-profit organization dedicated to improving surface water quality in Dunn County.

  Mallory Cina

Mallory is a 2012 graduate with a major in Retail Merchandising and Management and a minor in Sustainable Design and Development. Outside of her academic career, Mallory worked in the produce department at the Menomonie Market Food Co-Op. She was also the co-director of the Pardon Fashion Show, which takes place in Menomonie, WI. During her time at UW-Stout, Mal served on the Environmental Sustainability Steering Committee, helped produce the "Green We Go" video series dedicated to UW-Stout's sustainability initiatives, and aided in the planning of the Food for Thought Film & Speaker Series.

  Camille Thorson

Camille is a 2012 graduate with a major in Applied Science and a concentration in Environmental Science and minors in Sustainable Design and Development, Geographic Information Systems (GIS), and Plant Science. While at UW-Stout, Camille worked as the Involvement Department's Sustainability Specialist. As the Sustainability Specialist, she worked with students and organizations to coordinate different projects focused on sustainability on campus and in the community. She also served on the Environmental Sustainability Steering Committee, worked for Ally Initiatives and Civic Responsibility, and helped plan the 2011 Food for Thought Film and Speaker Series. She was an active member of the Menomonie Community Garden since its inaugural year, helping plan events and workshops to increase awareness of plants and techniques for good gardening practices. She also co-produced and starred in the "Green We Go" video series.

  Katey Fortun

Katey is a 2012 graduate with a major in Art with a concentration in Interior Design and a minor in Sustainable Design and Development.  While at Stout, Katey served on University Housing's Sustainability Work Team and worked with the Environmental Sustainability Office to design furniture pieces out of reclaimed materials to showcase for the campus.

  Andrew Steele

Andrew is a 2011 graduate with a major in Manufacturing Engineering and a Sustainable Design and Development minor.  While at Stout, Andrew was involved with many on-campus sustainability efforts, as well as Cycling Club.  He also served as Vice President of the Stout Student Association.  After graduation, he worked briefly as an engineer at Oshkosh Defense before taking a job in the electric vehicle industry at Columbia ParCar. When not working, Andrew is very active in endurance racing.  He recently competed in the Ironman and a 50-mile ultra-marathon.  In addition, he coaches soccer at a local high school and also coaches a variety of triathletes and runners of all levels.  As a Stout student, Andrew worked with the Sustainability Office to start the StoutBikes Bike Share Program and helped maintain the program during its inaugural year.