The Office of Student Affairs at Pitt Public Health is celebrating a new milestone: recognition from Pitt’s Office of Sustainability as a Green Office at the Sapling level. That makes Student Affairs the first office in the school to earn the designation.
Earlier this year, the Department of Infectious Diseases and Microbiology achieved Green Lab Sapling status for its lab spaces, highlighting how sustainability efforts are gaining traction across the school and the University.
The Green Office program has four levels—Seed, Sprout, Sapling and Sustainable Oak—awarded based on an office or lab’s efforts in areas such as energy use, transportation, waste, food, purchasing and engagement. Offices complete a self-assessment to see how their everyday practices measure up. At the lab level, sustainability efforts have included recycling styrofoam, freezer gel packs, pipette tip boxes and unused lab supplies. Some labs have also upgraded freezers to more energy-efficient models and participated in a chemical redistribution program.
“We realized we were already doing many of the things on the checklist, so it just made sense to go for it,” said Lauren Smith-Lemesh, Pitt Public Health undergraduate academic advisor who spearheaded the project for Student Affairs. “Public health has such a natural connection to sustainability through environmental health, so this was a great way to put that into practice.” She implemented the program with Jonette Suiter, administrative coordinator in Student Affairs.
Smith-Lemesh’s interest began simply—by subscribing to a sustainability newsletter from the University of Pittsburgh. “I didn’t realize at the time how much it would spark ideas,” she said. “Once I started reading, it felt like a rabbit hole, and I began thinking about how we could put some of these practices into action in our office.”
Some steps were already in place, like motion-sensor lights, reducing overhead lighting, and quickly reporting facilities issues to improve efficiency. Others were easy changes with a big impact—like plugging small appliances such as the coffee maker and water kettle into a power strip that gets turned off at the end of each day. Many solutions were simple and inexpensive to put in place. “It really hasn’t been a big adjustment, especially since we don’t have the most technologically advanced items to begin with,” Smith-Lemesh joked.
The team also started thinking more about waste. They’re exploring Pitt’s K-Cup recycling program and composting options for events, and rethinking student gifts and recognition items to choose things that are reusable or responsibly sourced.
While Sapling is the second-highest tier, the office is already close to the top. Strong scores in energy and purchasing put them only about four percent away from the Sustainable Oak level. The biggest opportunity now is engagement—encouraging more staff and students to join in.
The momentum isn’t just among staff. This semester marks the launch of the School of Public Health Sustainability Club, led by Bachelor of Science in Public Health students. The new group is taking a project-based approach to making both the school and the wider community more sustainable. “We can’t wait to get started,” the students shared in announcing the club, which plans to work with faculty on green projects in the school, collaborate with labs to help them go green, serve as a resource for undergraduate service-learning, learn about sustainable approaches to health care, and advocate for environmental justice in the community.
For Smith-Lemesh, the focus on sustainability isn’t just about the plaque on the wall. “It shows people who come into our office that this is a priority for us,” she said. “It’s a way to start conversations and invite them to get involved, too.”
- Clare Collins