蜜桃传媒

In September of 2011, Ryan was named the 蜜桃传媒’s first Chief Sustainability Officer. In his role as the CSO, Ryan connects people across the university with information, innovation, and tools to reduce UB’s footprint on the future and enhance quality of life by improving environmental stewardship, increasing economic efficiency and augmenting cultural values and awareness. He specifically works closely with university partners and employs an integrated campus-wide strategy that leverages the university’s operations, curriculum, external engagement and research to further UB’s sustainability efforts.

Derek works to connect students, staff and faculty across the university with information, innovation and tools to reduce UB’s footprint on the future and enhance quality of life. He does this by improving environmental stewardship, increasing economic efficiency and augmenting cultural values and awareness to the UB community through campus outreach and communication. Derek will coordinate the engagement efforts of the university’s Localizing Buffalo’s Renewable Energy Future project awarded by the State through the REV Campus Challenge.

Erin has over twenty years of experience, expertise and relationships in the sustainability field to move UB’s sustainability work forward.  Erin develops solution-based approaches to help departments achieve sustainability on campus, and assists passionate students in creating and implementing initiatives which further our climate neutrality goal.  Erin coordinates the UBReUSE move-out program, our professional clothing boutique HIRED, and develops collaborative strategies to achieve Zero Waste on campus.  Erin works closely with colleagues in Facilities, and Contracts and Purchasing to institutionalize sustainability practices.

Olivia supports UB Sustainability's unit operations including events, programmatic initiatives, partnerships, and student collaborations. She works to implement sustainable operations and business functions throughout the department while managing the unit's budget, finance, and human resources transactions. Olivia also stewards the use of the GRoW Clean Energy Center, UB’s ultra-energy-efficient demonstration home originally built by students, faculty and staff for a national competition, which now functions as a meeting and event space.

1. Name, hometown, year, major and personal passion: Hello! My name is Laron Fomby (he/him). I was born and raised in the city of Buffalo, and I’m a third-year undergraduate majoring in political science. I’m also enrolled in the 蜜桃传媒 School of Law’s 3+3 JD (Juris Doctorate) program. A personal passion of mine is definitely American politics and government.

2. Why did you decide to work with UB Sustainability? Previously, I worked in the student government as the assistant director for environmental affairs. Working at UB Sustainability just seemed like the next step to pursue climate justice advocacy.

3. What do you love most about UB? One thing I love most about UB is how diverse the campus is. I love meeting new people every day and learning how they view and see the world.

4. When you visit UB in 25 years, what do you hope to find? In 25 years, I hope to find the campus greener, cleaner, and more sustainable than I left it. I want to see students more engaged in environmental justice.

5. Fun fact/secret skill: I did study abroad in Costa Rica my first semester of college. I then attended Ithaca College for my second semester as a screenwriting major. For my sophomore year, I transferred to UB and changed my major to my true passion, political science. My academic history is quite something.

1. Name, hometown, year, major and personal passion: Genevieve Fontana, Lancaster, First Year MA Student, Sustainability Leadership. At my previous institution, my passion was providing community connections through sustainable initiatives. Some of my favorite projects were creating an on-campus thrift store and working on the campus pollinator gardens.
2. Why did you decide to work with UB Sustainability?: I decided to work with UB Sustainability because I wanted to be involved on my new university campus. Someday, I plan to become the director of a college sustainability program and am eager to learn all there is to being part of this group. As the communications student assistant, I look forward to spreading the word about all the sustainable initiatives on campus!
3. What do you love most about UB?: So far, my favorite thing about UB is its commitment to sustainability and its physical presence on campus, which was very different from my last institution. I love UB's innovative GRoW Clean Energy Center, which paves the way and inspires other clean living.
4. When you visit UB in 25 years, what do you hope to find?: In 25 years, I hope there will be a robust residential composting program and that the GRoW Clean Energy Center will become a go-to location for students and faculty on campus. I would love to see the area grow into a sustainability section with a new incoming garden space.
5. Fun fact/secret skill: I live on a hobby farm with a donkey, goats, sheep, and chickens.

1. Name, hometown, year, and personal passion: Lily Brannon (she/her), East Aurora, NY; Class of 2028; Environmental Engineering. Sustainable education focused outreach with a focus on climate justice.

2. Why did you decide to work with UB Sustainability?: I decided to work at UB Sustainability to get a better idea of the corporate side of sustainability as well as how sustainability offices operate to create practical change in a real-world setting. 

3. What do you love most about UB?: Obviously, I love the people, who are absolutely awesome, but the wide range of clubs, activities, and speakers available to students makes it easy to create a community that encompasses every aspect of a person's interests.  

4. When you visit campus in 25 years, what do you hope to find?: I would love to see more public transportation available to commuter and local students as well as fewer parking lots, replaced with green spaces like outdoor study spaces, nature emersion spaces, and areas of increased biodiversity.

5. Fun fact/secret skill: I’ve been to 5 of the 7 Continents.  

1. Name, hometown, year, major and personal passion: I am Kiara Wisniewski (She/Her), and I'm from Alfred, NY. I am a current freshman studying Health and Human Services through the UBTeach combined degree program. My passion is to teach people and establish good habits in hopes of a better future. 
2. Why did you decide to work with UB Sustainability? I decided to work with UB Sustainability to further some of my interests while being able to teach myself and others new ways to stay sustainable. 
3. What do you love most about UB? I love both how big UB is and the opportunities offered. Despite being a freshman, I have been able to meet and work with many great people while taking advantage of some amazing opportunities. 
4. When you visit UB in 25 years, what do you hope to find? When I visit UB in 25 years I hope to see the different climate action plans UB has created and incorporated on campus. I also hope to see more sustainability initiatives in residence halls. 
5.  Fun fact/secret skill: A fun fact about me is that I have a twin brother. A secret skill I have is that I can make a delicious, competition winning chocolate cream pie!

1. Name, hometown, year, major and personal passion: Tabitha Wechter (she/her), Buffalo, NY, Second Year MA Student (Sustainability Leadership) My passion is contributing to a resilient food system that empowers and protects growers, eaters and the planet.

2. Why did you decide to work with UB Sustainability?: I chose to work with UB Sustainability in order to participate in their robust Climate Action Plan. I love the collaborative potential between Student Assistants, and all the opportunities to learn in different ways. Additionally, I’m intrigued by the impact an institution like UB can have on our region’s food system.

3.  What do you love most about UB?: I admire the passion that each individual brings to UB. This devotion to improving our world is made apparent in the great work UB is doing- especially regarding sustainability.

4. When you visit UB in 25 years, what do you hope to find?: In 25 years, I hope to find UB to be entirely carbon-neutral with an emphasis on local and sustainable food procurement! I envision a campus where students and staff care deeply for the land where they learn

5. Fun fact/secret skill: I've worked on several farms in the city of Buffalo and love to be out in the gardens. My favorite plant to grow has always been radishes. (House plants on the other hand are a completely different story!)

1. Name, hometown, year, major and personal passion: Phoebe LaManna (she/her), Pittsford, NY; Class of 2026 – Pursuing a BS in Environmental studies and a minor in Media Studies. I’m passionate about protecting and rehabilitating the environment from human-mitigated effects and making conscious efforts to practice sustainability.
2. Why did you decide to work with UB Sustainability?: UB Sustainability has always stood out to me because of their Climate Action Plan and I felt like it would be the perfect place for me to expand my knowledge and practices on sustainability.
3. What do you love most about UB?: I love how big UB is! There are so many extracurricular opportunities to do and so many new friends to meet. Everyone is super helpful and friendly and so far, I’ve really enjoyed my time here.
4. When you visit UB in 25 years, what do you hope to find?: I hope UB achieves their Climate Action plan and continues to expand on their campus wide sustainability efforts across all aspects of North and South Campus.
5.  Fun fact/secret skill: In 2021 I watched a total of 404 movies and occasionally watched 5 movies in one day.

1. Name, hometown, year, major and personal passion: Omar Velasquez (he/him), Central Islip NY, 2nd Year Graduate Student, Clinical Nutrition. My personal passion is to empower underrepresented communities – especially POC and LGBTQ+ populations – through nutrition education, advocacy, and access to universal healthcare. My goal is to make nutrition easy to understand, welcoming, and culturally important for everyone, whether I'm providing wellness education, running campus projects, or providing food support to local communities.
2. Why did you decide to work with UB Sustainability?: I decided to work for UB Sustainability because its goals are very similar to mine: to improve food security and health equity. I saw this as an opportunity to contribute to sustainable solutions that address systemic issues such as food insecurity and the state of the environment.
3. What do you love most about UB?: I absolutely love how UB has a place for everyone and everywhere. There is a place for you to call home and always room for growth and development. UB has supported my growth not just academically but as a leader and advocate for communities I care about. UB nurtured my passions and dreams – I'll always be grateful. Go, Bulls!
4. When you visit UB in 25 years, what do you hope to find?: It's my hope that when I come back to campus in 25 years, UB will still be a leader in promoting health equity, sustainability, and community involvement. A dynamic school garden and kitchen where students can use culinary and nutrition science would be such a cool opportunity. This would help students and staff to make connections between food, culture, health, and the environment.
5.  Fun fact/secret skill: I’ve gone cliff diving in Wales!