Sustainability | St. Thomas Newsroom

(l-r) St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter, St. Thomas assistant director of sustainability Amir Nadav, associate vice president of facilities management Jim Brummer, and St. Paul's "Chief Resilience Officer" Russ Stark pose for a photo with St. Thomas' recognition in the city's Race to Reduce program.

St. Thomas Recognized by St. Paul for Energy Efficiency

December 17, 2018

On Thursday, Nov. 29, Mayor Melvin Carter commended participants of Energize Saint Paul’s Race to Reduce energy benchmarking program. St. Thomas was recognized for its work through facilities management, which has been a key contributor to the university's evolving efforts around sustainability.

Hannah Wallace and Eric Udermann hold loafs of bread by Hannah's car on November 12, 2018 in the Anderson Student Center in St. Paul. Hannah Wallace collects leftover food from the View and brings it to a central receiving area as part of the Food Recovery Network.

Food Recovery Network Turns Waste to Sustainability at St. Thomas

Cassie Froese '20

December 17, 2018

Current Students, Homepage, News, Our Community, Sustainability, Top News, Uncategorized

Senior environmental science and biology major Hannah Wallace runs the St. Thomas chapter of the Food Recovery Network, a nationwide student movement that works to reduce the amount of food waste at colleges and universities.

St. Thomas' Sustainability Week moves off campus Saturday with the annual fall cleanup of the east bank of the Mississippi River. / UST photo by Mike Ekern.

St. Thomas Earns Three Sustainable Marks of Distinction

Angela Vognild

November 11, 2018

Front Page, News, Sustainability, Uncategorized

St. Thomas has been recognized with three climate commitment marks of distinction from Second Nature.

Members of the Sustainability Living Learning Community talk about the results of their research during a soils lab at Hidden Falls Park.

Princeton Review Recognizes St. Thomas as ‘Green College’

Jordan Osterman '11

October 22, 2018

Front Page, News, Our Community, Sustainability

St. Thomas is one of the 399 most environmentally responsible colleges, according to The Princeton Review.

A bee collects pollen from a flower in the south campus Stewardship Garden.

St. Thomas Receives Silver STARS Rating for Sustainability

Jordan Osterman '11

September 5, 2018

Homepage, News, Our Community, Sustainability, Top News

The University of St. Thomas has received a STARS rating in recognition of its sustainability achievements from the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE). STARS, the Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System measures and encourages sustainability in all aspects of higher education.

The rare rusty-patched bumble bee spotted on St. Thomas' St. Paul campus.

Rare Bumble Bee Lands in St. Thomas Pollinator Path

Scott Beedy

August 14, 2018

Around the Quad, Sustainability

On Aug. 6, Doreen Schroeder and Catherine Grant from the Biology program sighted an endangered rusty-patched bumble bee (bombus affinis) foraging on the Pollinator Path bed outside of Owen Science Hall.

BrightSide employee Steven Fuller, left, and St. Thomas student Ben Kachian (Biology), center, talk with Ahmed, owner of North Side Food Market, while making weekend deliveries to neighborhood stores for BrightSide Produce in Minneapolis on September 30, 2017. BrightSide, a project conceived at St. Thomas and run with the help of students, brings healthy food (some of which comes from the St. Thomas stewardship garden) to underserved communities.

BrightSide Produce Brings Ingenuity, Collaboration to Food Desert Battle

Jordan Osterman '11

July 9, 2018

2018 Summer, Academic News, Biology, College of Arts and Sciences, Communication and Journalism, Department of Health & Exercise Science, English, Environmental Science, Homepage, Justice and Peace Studies, News, Political Science, Sustainability, Top News

University students deliver needed nutrition to neighborhoods in food deserts.

Purple flowers and grass frame the Harpole Memorial Fountain September 13, 2013 as the silhouette of Aquinas Hall looms in the background.

Sustainability Taking Center Stage at St. Thomas

Jordan Osterman '11

April 9, 2018

Academic News, College of Arts and Sciences, Common Good, Homepage, News, Our Community, School of Engineering, Staff, Sustainability, Top News, Uncategorized

When then-President Father Dennis Dease signed the the American College and University Presidents’ Climate Commitment (ACUPCC) in 2008, he underscored St. Thomas’ ongoing and future commitment to sustainability. With the commitment of carbon neutrality by 2035, the statement included ambitious goals. In the decade since nearly every aspect of life on the university campus has been touched in some way by St. Thomas’ commitment to sustainability.

New solar panels on the roof of the Anderson Student Center are shown October 9, 2014.

St. Thomas Introduces First Full-time Campus-wide Sustainability Director

Jordan Osterman '11

February 7, 2018

Academic News, Current Students, News, One St. Thomas, Our Community, Social Innovation, Sustainability, Top News, Uncategorized

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The university recently welcomed Amir Nadav as its new assistant director of campus sustainability, a role long-envisioned as a key piece of organizing and coordinating St. Thomas’ growing work in sustainability.

Volunteer for the Annual Spring Mississippi River Cleanup on Sept. 30

St. Thomas Newsroom

September 27, 2017

For Faculty/Staff, For Students, Notices, Sustainability

Join Facilities Management and the Sustainability Club for the annual Mississippi River cleanup on Saturday, Sept. 30, from 10:30 a.m.-1 p.m.

Summer Microgrid Research Powers Possibilities

Jordan Osterman '11

July 19, 2017

Academic News, Current Students, Homepage, News, Our Community, School of Engineering, Sustainability, Top News

Senior Zach Emond is taking on the challenges of the St. Thomas microgrid's weather station.

Ten Faculty Members Receive Sustainability Grants

St. Thomas Newsroom

July 14, 2017

Academic News, Biology, College of Arts and Sciences, English, Opus College of Business, Philosophy, Psychology, School of Engineering, Sustainability, Theology

Awardees will integrate environmental sustainability into their courses by designing new assignments or units for a current course or by developing a new course.

Lifelong Learners Tap Into Urban Agricultural Expertise

Jordan Osterman '11

June 29, 2017

Academic News, Biology, Homepage, News, Sustainability, Top News

The Selim Center for Lifelong Learning's lecture series gives students education and the power to do more.

Sustainable Communities Partnership Fosters Real-world Impact

Jordan Osterman '11

June 26, 2017

Academic News, College of Arts and Sciences, Economics, English, Environmental Science, Homepage, News, Research, Sustainability, Top News

The University of St. Thomas Sustainability Communities Partnership pairs courses with city partners to bring real-world impact to the classroom.

A sunflower blooms at the University of St. Thomas Stewardship Garden on south campus on September 22, 2015 in St. Paul.

Pollinator Path Blooms With New Opportunities

admin

June 7, 2017

Academic News, Biology, College of Arts and Sciences, Homepage, News, Sustainability, Top News

The St. Thomas Pollinator Path provides food for pollinators and educational opportunities for students and the surrounding community.

Matthew Kim and Monica Hartmann Earn 2017 Curricular Innovation in Sustainability Award

St. Thomas Newsroom

May 12, 2017

Academic News, College of Arts and Sciences, Economics, Faculty, For Faculty/Staff, For Students, Notices, Our Community, Sustainability

Every year the Office of Sustainability Initiatives recognizes a St. Thomas faculty member for innovation and excellence in integrating sustainability into one of their courses.

City of Elk River, a St. Thomas SCP Partner, Wins Award for Innovation in Communities

St. Thomas Newsroom

May 5, 2017

Front Page, News, Sustainability

A University of St. Thomas Sustainable Communities Partnership (SCP) partner, the city of Elk River, Minnesota, received the 2017 Outstanding City Partner Award from the Educational Partnerships for Innovation in Communities (EPIC) Network.

Upping the Ante on Urban Agriculture Research

Jordan Osterman '11

April 5, 2017

Academic News, Biology, College of Arts and Sciences, Current Students, Faculty, Homepage, News, Our Community, Social Innovation, Sustainability, Top News

Biology assistant professor Chip Small, associate professor Adam Kay and their students are primed to contribute some much-needed research to the field of urban agriculture.

Environmental Studies Scholarship Recipients Announced

St. Thomas Newsroom

March 28, 2017

Academic News, College of Arts and Sciences, For Faculty/Staff, For Students, Geography and Environmental Studies, Notices, Sustainability

To be eligible for this award, students must have a declared major in environmental studies and have an outstanding record of academic achievement and involvement in environmental activities.

Volunteer for the Annual Fall Mississippi River Cleanup Oct. 15

St. Thomas Newsroom

October 12, 2016

For Faculty/Staff, For Students, Notices, Sustainability

Join the Facilities Recycling Team and the Sustainability Club for the annual Mississippi River Cleanup Saturday, Oct. 15, from 10 a.m.-2 p.m.

A member of "Father Dease's Moving Crew" (left) helps a parent pull a box out of a truck during move-in day September 3, 2011.

How It Works: Moving Out of Residence Halls

admin

May 17, 2016

Current Students, News, Our Community, Sustainability, Top News

Here's a how-to guide for moving out of residence halls by donating, reusing and recycling.

Dr. Todd Lawrence Earns 2016 Curricular Innovation in Sustainability Award

St. Thomas Newsroom

May 13, 2016

Academic News, Civic Engagement, College of Arts and Sciences, English, Faculty, For Faculty/Staff, For Students, GALE, Notices, Our Community, Sustainability

This award, given every year by the Center for Global and Local Engagement, recognizes one St. Thomas faculty member for innovation and excellence in integrating sustainability into one of his or her courses.

The Frey Science and Engineering Center, with O'Shaughnessy Science Hall at right and Owens Science Hall at left July 25, 2011.

Environmental Studies Scholarship Recipients Announced

St. Thomas Newsroom

April 22, 2016

Academic News, College of Arts and Sciences, For Faculty/Staff, For Students, Geography and Environmental Studies, Notices, Sustainability

To be eligible for this award, students must have a declared major in environmental studies and have an outstanding record of academic achievement and involvement in environmental activities.

St. Thomas Reviewing Its Sustainability Coordination Process

St. Thomas Newsroom

April 20, 2016

Front Page, News, Sustainability

The Sustainability Committee has been placed on hiatus this academic year while that process happens, but sustainability efforts are still taking place across campus. A new sustainability structure, including a web page that will outline St. Thomas' sustainable efforts, will be introduced in the fall.

St. Thomas Celebrates Earth Week

admin

April 14, 2016

For Faculty/Staff, For Students, Notices, Sustainability

The St. Thomas community is invited to participate in a "Flip the Switch" event in memory of Steve Hoffman, and the Office of Sustainability Initiatives will host several events throughout the week.