September

Incoming Students Pledge Support for Campus Sustainability

First-year undergraduate and graduate students were introduced to Stanford’s thriving culture of sustainability during their first moments on campus, thanks to an increased partnership among Sustainable Stanford, the Vice Provost …

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Stanford Bright Award Honors Sustainability Champion

Stanford’s top environmental accolade—the 2016 Bright Award­—went to Polly Courtice, founding director of the University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership, for her efforts in guiding decision makers to reach more sustainable …

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Energy@Stanford & SLAC Conference Introduces Incoming Graduate Students to Global Energy Initiatives

Some 125 Stanford graduate students attracted to the study of energy interacted with each other and leading scholars at the annual Energy@Stanford & SLAC conference. Held before the start of …

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October

Knowledge Grows at New Educational Farm

Thanks to the generous support of Laura and Kevin O’Donohue, MBA ’87, Stanford unveiled its new educational farm on October 14 at a dedication ceremony attended by scores of alumni, …

Stanford Earth Undergraduate Research Symposium Showcases Sustainability

The School of Earth, Energy & Environmental Sciences’ Stanford Earth Summer Undergraduate Research Program (SESUR) gives students the opportunity to gain research experience while working closely with faculty to explore …

White Paper on Plug Load Study Informs Sustainability Professionals

The Office of Sustainability released a white paper discussing the results of its campus-wide plug load equipment inventory. The inventory, which documented 110,000+ pieces of equipment in 220 buildings on …

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November

Equipment Timers Installed across Campus to Reduce Energy Waste

Sustainable Stanford interns began installing programmable timers on equipment across campus to reduce the university’s plug load energy use. More than 50 timers were installed during the first month of …

Thanksgiving Closure Program Conserves Energy over Holiday Break

Building on the success of the established Winter Closure program, Stanford’s Facilities and Energy Management department and Office of Sustainability partnered with building managers across campus to conserve energy during …

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Student Demonstrations Bring Awareness and Support to Fossil Fuel Divestment Movement

On November 16, students rallied in White Plaza and outside the university president’s building to demand that Stanford fully divest from all fossil fuel investments. These events, largely organized by …

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December

Partnerships Support Sustainability in Stanford Athletics

Continued collaboration between Sustainable Stanford and Stanford Athletics resulted in greener athletics facilities, operations, and events this year, as well as greater participant engagement. The Department of Athletics, Physical Education, …

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Faculty Senate Experiences Sustainability Innovation at Central Energy Facility Tour

At their December meeting, Faculty Senate members donned hard hats and safety glasses to tour the new Central Energy Facility, a primary component of the Stanford Energy System Innovations (SESI) …

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Winter Closure Provides Big Savings over Holiday Season

Since 2001, the annual Winter Closure program has served an important role in energy conservation at Stanford. Previously voluntary, the two-week shutdown of building heating, ventilation, and custodial services became …

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January

Jeffrey Koseff to Receive Stanford’s 2015 Richard W. Lyman Award

Jeffrey Koseff, Perry L. McCarty Director of the Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment, received the Richard W. Lyman Award for his extraordinary service to the alumni community and Stanford …

SESI Receives Governor’s Award for Climate Leadership

The Stanford Energy System Innovations (SESI) project received the Governor’s Environmental and Economic Leadership Award (GEELA) – the state’s highest environmental honor – in the category of Climate Change. Stanford …

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Students Glean Fresh Produce for Community Members

In 2015-16, the student-run Stanford Gleaning Project hosted more than 10 meetings where up to 15 students volunteered to harvest fruits and vegetables across campus for donation to underserved populations …

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February

Students Organize Petition for Sustainable Serviceware at Campus Cafés

In efforts to reduce the number of single-use coffee cups that are used on campus every day and destined for the landfill, Students for a Sustainable Stanford launched an awareness …

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Student Partnership with Local Community Results in Clean Energy Investment

Graduate students in the fall 2015 Energy Transformation Collaborative course leveraged class time to support sustainability in one of Stanford’s neighboring communities. The city of East Palo Alto asked for …

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“Stories of Sustainability” Showcases Diverse Perspectives on Environmental Justice

In the first “Stories of Sustainability” event, hundreds of students came together to listen to how climate change had impacted the home communities of their peers. The ASSU Executive Committee …

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March

Sustainable Organic Solutions Facility Tours Offered during RecycleMania

Stanford takes a portion of its food-rich compost to the Sustainable Organic Solutions (SOS) facility to be processed into a high-quality and nutrient-rich product that can be used as a …

Expanded Plug Load Inventory Increases Campus Energy Usage Data

Following a successful plug load inventory in 2014, an expanded equipment inventory was conducted in summer 2015, covering 43 additional on- and off-campus buildings. The expanded inventory allowed Stanford to …

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Stanford Senior Receives Regional Award for Campus Water Conservation Efforts

Students for a Sustainable Stanford (SSS) 2016 co-president Andrew Jacobs received the Silicon Valley Water Conservation Award for the water conservation leadership he exhibited during his four years at Stanford. …

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April

Stanford Students Pilot a Collegiate Athletic Program to Fly Carbon Free

The Stanford Carbon Offsets to Reduce Emissions (SCORE) initiative, a collaborative effort among Students for a Sustainable Stanford (SSS), Stanford Students Environmental Consulting, and Cardinal Council, enabled all of Stanford’s …

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Knowledge to Action Celebrates Sustainability as a Pillar of the University for 125 Years

To celebrate Stanford’s 125th anniversary, the Office of Sustainability partnered with departments and organizations across campus to host Knowledge to Action, a series of premier sustainability events, on April 19. …

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Earthfest Welcomes New Students to Sustainability Community

Hundreds of students came together at Earthfest to celebrate Stanford students’ sustainability initiatives. The festival, organized each year by Students for a Sustainable Stanford, aims to engage new students in …

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May

Earth Systems Capstone Project Uses Art to Communicate Climate Change

Senior Makulumy Alexander-Hills’s Earth Systems capstone project was anything but ordinary. When asked to communicate his combined learnings over the past four years, the Earth Systems and Music dual major …

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Campus Briefed on Divestment Decision at Town Hall

Stanford’s Investment Responsibility Stakeholder Relations (IRSR), with support from the Advisory Panel on Investment Responsibility Licensing (APIRL), hosted its annual Town Hall meeting on May 11. This year’s meeting was …

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Sorority Hosts Sustainable BBQ to Support Environmental Engagement in Black Greek Community

The sisters of Alpha Kappa Alpha, Inc. (AKA) hosted their second annual sustainable barbeque on May 25 to raise awareness and engagement around sustainability in the Black Greek community. This …

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June

Campus-Wide Conservation Efforts Greatly Reduce Water Use during Drought Conditions

In June 2015, Provost John Etchemendy issued a letter asking the campus community to take action for water conservation. To comply with state drought regulations, Stanford University limited domestic water …

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Student Research Moves Sustainability Forward in Residences

For the past several years Residential & Dining Enterprises Student Housing has managed dozens of student sustainability interns and has partnered with different academic departments to perform research in residences …

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Give & Go Program Diverts Tons from Landfill during Student Move Out

Residential and Dining Enterprises (R&DE) Student Housing organized the fourth annual Give & Go Move Out Campaign to encourage students to divert their unwanted reusable items from the landfill by …

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July

R&DE Student Housing Exceeds Expectation on Irrigation Water Performance

In response to the California drought and rising water costs in 2015, Residential & Dining Enterprises (R&DE) Student Housing replaced all of its irrigation equipment with more efficient models across …

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MSLS Retrofits Will Save More than $250,000 Annually

Built in 1992, the Medical School Lab Surge (MSLS), or Lucas Center, is a 143,000-square-foot School of Medicine building housing clinical diagnostic scanning equipment, offices, and laboratories. Its energy bill …

Stanford Renews STARS Gold Rating, Inching Toward Platinum

Stanford submitted its third report through the Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System (STARS) of the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) to receive its third …

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August

Pathway Lights Get an Efficient Makeover

A long-awaited project to upgrade campus street and pathway lighting was completed this summer. More than 2,000 of the familiar lantern-style fixtures were upgraded with new energy-efficient lamps, frosted glass …

Cardinal Green Labs Launches Voluntary Lab Recycling Program

Many items used in laboratories can be recycled, including cardboard, paper, metal, and certain uncontaminated glass and plastics. However, most labs don’t have easy access to recycling bins. In response, …

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Parking & Transportation Services Launch New Website

Parking & Transportation Services launched a new website to better serve customers and to improve promotion of sustainable transportation options. New features include a drop-down filter by destination to identify …