What does sustainability at Butler look like?
Maybe The Farm at Butler and its fresh, vibrant produce comes to mind, or the distinct blue of the campus-wide recycling receptacles. The flash of energy-efficient lights activating might serve as a reminder when entering a room, or the “no mow zones” designed to preserve native plant life on Butler’s grounds.
While these examples do represent several areas of Butler’s sustainability initiatives, they are only snapshots of a much larger picture. At Butler, the most significant strides toward sustainability are often like changes in the atmosphere— unseen, yet everywhere.
Enter the new Office of Sustainability, the beating heart behind Butler’s large body of sustainability and decarbonization efforts.
The Office of Sustainability will continue all programming formerly offered by the Center for Urban Ecology and Sustainability (CUES) while centralizing campus-wide efforts toward achieving Butler’s Sustainability and Climate Action Plan. It will also facilitate Butler’s journey through its Decarbonization Roadmap—approved by the Butler University Board of Trustees in February 2024—placing the University in an excellent position to reach its goals of a 45 percent reduction in greenhoiuse gasses by 2030 and net carbon neutrality by 2050. The multi-phased, multi-decade Roadmap will pave the way for Butler’s goal of 45 percent reduction in greenhouse gasses by 2030, net carbon neutrality by 2050, and the University’s eventual adoption of clean energy.
Research ecologist, educator, and long-time CUES Director Dr Julia Angstmann was named the inaugural Executive Director of Sustainability, working alongside Assistant Director of Operational Sustainability Julie Lindeman and Farm Manager Tim Dorsey. Two new positions in the Office are yet to be filled.
“The new Office of Sustainability represents systemic change that is integral to transforming how the University will solve its most complex sustainability challenges,” Angstmann says. “This change provides a potent opportunity to redefine how all divisions on our campus innovate, collaborate, and support one another to meet our sustainability goals.”
To accomplish these institution-level sustainability policies, this Office will lead and collaborate with the Butler Sustainability Leadership Council (BSLC), consisting of campus-wide divisional leaders, to continue progress in the following areas: land and water management, waste diversion, intelligent building technologies, energy efficiency, community partnerships, green fleet development, responsible institutional investing, and more.
“Julia Angstmann and a handful of other sustainability champions on our campus, including CUES co-founders Dr. Travis Ryan and Dr. Carmen Salsbury, have been diligently working on these efforts behind the scenes for many years,” says Butler President James Danko. “Today, over 70 percent of Butler students, faculty, and staff believe that protecting the natural environment is more important than all or most other issues. Sustainability simply must feature prominently among our students’ learning and professional development options.”
In keeping with this renewed prioritization and increased awareness, Presidential Spouse and University Relations Associate Bethanie Danko has served as the Office’s executive sponsor over the past two years, providing strategic planning, resource allocation, and project management support. She will continue to serve as a member of the BSLC on behalf of the President’s Office.
The Office will also continue championing student-focused programming such as The Farm, curriculum connections, the Green Grad program, community education, and the Sustainability Leadership Cohort (SLC). The SLC internship model focuses on peer-to-peer mentorship and community building, providing opportunities for real-world problem solving and professional development. Student contributions remain integral in achieving Butler’s sustainability goals.
“I am so excited about the creation of the Office of Sustainability because of all the new internship and leadership opportunities it will provide for students. I think it will make students from all majors feel even more empowered to pursue a career in sustainability,” says Ella Sarles, a senior Environmental Studies major and SLC intern. “Working at the Office has really helped me narrow down what I’m looking for most in a career. It’s allowed me to gain experience in different fields such as sustainable agriculture, conservation, and energy auditing.”
Sarles conducts audits across campus to assess Butler’s transition to LED lighting. This research will enable the University to identify the status of energy used for lighting, the cost to complete the entire campus conversion, and the projected return on investment and carbon emissions reduction.
In addition to the reduction of greenhouse gases, future sustainability projects include implementing curricular and internship enrichments, conducting a carbon sequestration inventory, developing guidelines for sustainable campus events, piloting a campus thrift store, transitioning to intelligent building management systems, and replanting Holcomb Gardens using local plant species in partnership with the Indiana Native Plant Society (INPS). The INPS flower bed designs will evoke those established by James Holcomb and Arthur Lindberg in the late 1940s, but will use native species to better support the larger ecosystem.
“For the first time in Butler’s history, environmental sustainability has been formally endorsed as a strategic priority of the University. Cross-divisional collaborations abound that will generate lasting, impactful change to University operations, student learning, and campus and community engagement,” Angstmann says. “I am inspired by the participation and ideation of our campus community in these early stages and look forward to continuing forging a path to more sustainable operations and carbon neutrality.”