7 – Coordination, Planning, Communicating with Partners and Administration

The setting of institutional goals (e.g., a Greenhouse Gas Reduction Goal), and the activities involved in their pursuit, will require broad participation and engagement with almost all sectors of the University community and beyond. The processes to design goals and strategies are as important as the goals and strategies that emerge, and potentially involve both ground-up and top-down actions. What are the pieces that need to be in place for us to collectively set and pursue goals, who are the stakeholders that must be included, and what kind of process can we envision? This workshop hopes to identify the important activities and tasks that will be necessary, and design a preliminary process and timeline.

PARTICIPANTS

JEREMY BEAN
Associate Director of Planning, Sustainability Institute

Jeremy is currently engaged in the process of integrating sustainability in the university planning process.  He supports units in their strategic planning efforts to align sustainability as a key supporting component to their work.  He also has a successful consulting business that delivers leadership and management development trainings, and supports companies in developing highly functioning organizations.

VIN CRESPI
Distinguished Professor of Physics, Chemistry, and Materials Science & Engineering

Vin Crespi is a distinguished professor of physics, chemistry, and materials science and engineering at Penn State University and Director of the Penn State Materials Research Science and Engineering Center. His research covers a broad range of condensed matter theory, from simple analytical models to large-scale computation. Topics of research include mechanical and electronic properties of semiconducting and metallic nanostructures, superconductivity, surface science, semiconductor alloys, energy storage, magnetic frustration, catalytic motors, photonic materials and self-assembly. He also maintains an interest in energy policy design, implementation, and communication.

SARINA KATZ
Student President, Eco Action

Sarina Katz is a senior at Penn State University majoring in International Relations and History. She is looking forward to entering the field of international development and incorporating her work on environmental campaigns in her career. As president of the on-campus organization Eco Action and a member of the Student Sustainability Advisory Council, she has done hands-on work in encouraging the University to strive for a greener future. 

MARYBETH MCGINNIS
Student Intern, Sustainability Institute

Marybeth McGinnis is a graduating senior majoring in Geography. As an intern, she has focused on student engagement with sustainability.

SHELLEY MCKEAGUE
Environmental Compliance Specialist, Office of Physical Plant

Shelley McKeague is an Environmental Compliance Specialist with the Office of Physical Plant. She coordinates a broad range of environmental permitting and reporting, including Penn State’s annual GHG Reporting to the EPA. Shelley administers the University-wide GHG Inventory (22 locations) tracking emissions and developing forecasts based on operational strategies.

DANIEL TOMASO
Graduate Student in Meteorology
Professional Broadcast Meteorologist, abc27 WHTM

Dan’s love for the weather and education continues as he studies meteorology at Penn State University in the PhD program working for Dr. Raymond G. Najjar.  In August 2013, Dan completed his Bachelors and Masters degrees in meteorology through the prestigious Penn State Integrated Undergraduate/Graduate Program.  He was accepted into this program in the spring of 2011 and worked with Dr. Najjar on his thesis research titled, “Seasonal and Interannual Variability of the Upper Delaware Estuary Dissolved Oxygen and Dissolved Inorganic Carbon Budgets”. In addition to his research, Dan remains active as a broadcast meteorologist at Penn State and in Harrisburg, PA working on weekends for abc27.  You can see his state-wide forecasts several times a month on “Weather World”, a show produced Monday through Friday by the Department of Meteorology at Penn State.  Dan also brings you the forecast every weekend morning from 9 to 10 AM on the abc27 Saturday and Sunday Morning news shows. 

DENICE HELLER WARDROP
Executive Director, PSIEE

2014 Conference Information