This week’s interview is with Cynthia Klein-Banai, who works as the Associate Chancellor for Sustainability at the University of Illinois at Chicago. Continue reading to learn more about Cynthia's work promoting sustainability, the many ways students are involved in the work of the sustainability office, and the different approaches UIC takes to raise money to support the sustainability efforts of the campus.

If you are interested in participating in the AASHE Interview Series or wish to nominate someone to participate please email me (niles@aashe.org). To read past interviews, click here.

What campus sustainability initiatives are you working on at the moment?
The sustainability office is working on an energy conservation campaign called– UNPLUG!
We are also focused on expanding our recycling program and increasing overall recycling rates (we experienced an increase of about 15% over last year). Finally, we are  working on transportation alternatives and increasing the awareness of different options and providing more and better bike parking.
 
How did you get started in campus sustainability?
I was doing research on campus sustainability in preparation for my PhD dissertation (for which I am a candidate in the Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences program at UIC). I was asked to serve on the Chancellor’s Task Force on Campus Sustainability. I chaired the subcommittee on Materials Flow and helped author the task force report which recommended a sustainability professional position and permanent committee be created. I was then asked to serve as Interim Associate Chancellor for Sustainability. Later the “interim” was removed.

What campus sustainability success are you most proud of?
I am most proud of completing the greenhouse gas inventory and working with the Chancellor’s Committee on Sustainability and Energy (CCSE) to develop the UIC Climate Action Plan. Also, I am proud that we are identifying revenue streams for our recyclables that are making the program self-supporting. Last, I am excited that the students are taking a stronger leadership role in this area on campus and have passed a green fee recommendation through the student government (a first step).

What advice would you give to others in your position who are just getting started?
Be patient – change takes time to happen. Also, avoid the tendency to try and take too much on – try to focus and have some measurable successes. Leverage what is already happening on your campus.

What are some of the advantages and disadvantages to the types of sustainability initiatives you can carry out on your urban campus compared to campuses not located in large cities?
One issue is the access to markets for our recycling and composting. We are unable to process as much as we'd like on campus since we don’t have a lot of land and a secure space, but there is a lot going on in the city around us that we can avail ourselves of. One advantage to our location is the access we have to public transit systems. We can also easily work with the larger city and area-wide initiatives, for example, Chicago’s Climate Action Plan, the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (Go to 2040 plan) and the Chicago Wilderness Climate Action Plan. We can work with other universities in the city to pool our knowledge, resources and efforts. We have to define sustainability for our campus within the larger urban area and not as a closed unit that would be self-sustaining.

In what area(s) do you see the biggest room for growth in the campus sustainability field?
Energy efficiency and conservation are still the biggest opportunities. The biggest challenge is purchasing for decentralized institutions.

How are you tracking your progress toward sustainability?
We are tracking our GHG emissions and participating in AASHE's Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System (STARS®) program. We are developing our own in-house database for reporting to all the requesting organizations as well. I’ve also prepared an ecological footprint analysis as part of my dissertation research.

Is there a particular insight (learning experience or “ah-ha” moment) you have had working on campus sustainability?
Urban life is more sustainable than rural.

How are your sustainability efforts funded?
The Office of Sustainability has a small budget, from state funds, that pays for staff salaries (including student workers), office equipment and supplies, and a small amount for campus outreach. We are managing two recycling equipment grants this year from the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO).  We received an Illinois EPA P-2 grant last year to pay for a summer intern to start up our biodiesel program, and we continue to seek grant and development funds. Campus sustainability efforts such as energy, recycling, and transportation are funded through the usual (dwindling) sources within facilities management. Our office tries to identify new sources of funds, and works on grant applications for energy efficiency and renewable energy projects, and for special projects that we'd like to see happen such as secure bike parking and composting. Our first LEED project was primarily funded through a student facility assessment and state funds. The geothermal well-field that it uses was partially funded by a grant from the Illinois Clean Energy Community Foundation. This Foundation has also funded a lot of our lighting retrofits which are also partially funded through DCEO energy efficiency grants.

In what ways are students involved in your work?
Students are members of the CCSE (Chancellor's Committee on Sustainability and Energy). We also work with our Student Centers Board and have a subcommittee on sustainability with them. We have several graduate assistants who work in the Office of Sustainability.  They work as recycling coordinators, help conduct the GHG inventory and gather other data, and support the CCSE and office activities.  A graduate assistant designed our website and is now our Outreach Coordinator. Undergraduate students work as recycling assistants and we are starting to hire them as paid interns to help with outreach and STARS. We hope to have students earn credits as interns as well.  We coordinate with student groups on many events – Sustainability Awareness Week, Earth Month, and other special programs throughout the year.

Are you involved in efforts to advance sustainability in curriculum at UIC? How?
I was involved in planning several Town Hall meetings held during 2008/2009 and put on by our Institute for Environmental Science and Policy. I will also be involved in working with a new faculty member who is tasked with looking at curriculum in the area of sustainability and energy.

How do you spend your free time?
Researching and writing my dissertation, hanging out with my 3 daughters and family watching movies and playing games, reading, walking/hiking, working out, and gardening (when the dissertation is done).