About Us

We work every day to create a more sustainable campus and community through our teaching, operations and interaction with the community — and we've been doing it for three decades.

UB Sustainability Team

UB Sustainability works with a broad range of campus and community groups, including the UB Stewardship Committee, to facilitate the university's Climate Action Plan, which calls for UB to achieve climate neutrality by 2030.

The office also works with campus partners to promote sustainability related programs and events throughout the year.

Sustainability Office Location

Visit the UB Sustainability Space at 101 Statler, North Campus to meet, gather, and find resources on sustainability.

Map to Sustainability.

Meet the UB Sustainability Team

Ryan A. McPherson, Chief Sustainability Officer (he/him)

In September of 2011, Ryan was named the University at Buffalo’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 Nichols, Associate Director for Sustainability (he/him)

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 Moscati, Sustainability Education Manager (she/her)

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 closet 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.

Carrie Zaenglein, Administrative Assistant (she/her)

Carrie joined UB Sustainability in 2021 as Administrative Assistant after spending time at UB's School of Management, Dental School and the Student Wellness Team. Carrie brings with her a comprehensive knowledge and experience in the University's business systems, and a personal commitment to live as sustainability as possible. She works closely with the Chief Sustainability Officer and Sustainability Team to ensure that day-to-day office operations run smoothly and efficiently.

Meet Our Student Assistants

UB Sustainability wouldn't be able to get all the work it does without the help from our amazing student assistants!

Michael Griffin

Name, hometown, year, major and personal passion: Hi there! My name is Michael Griffin and I’m a 1st year master’s student in the Sustainability Leadership program here at UB. I hail from a small town 45 minutes Northeast of Buffalo called Medina. Because of the community I come from, I have a vested interest in agriculture and carbon sequestration methods, but more recently I’ve been enamored with how social equity can be achieved as a result of agricultural processes!
Why did you decide to work with UB Sustainability? UB Sustainability offers a wide range of services that appeal to my interests. I believe that my involvement would promote the diversity, equity, and inclusivity subsets of sustainability in a manner that highlights public engagement and truthfulness about the issues at hand.
What do you love most about UB? I think it’s fantastic that UB has taken the steps to fund and initiate a wide range of programs that address our carbon footprint. As of this year, UB has been designated as one of NY’s flagship universities, so I hope to see potential increases in funding for both on and off-campus projects.
When you visit UB in 25 years, what do you hope to find? When I visit in 25 years, I hope to see the preservation of UB’s many green spaces. Academic greenspace promotes education outcomes while simultaneously promoting students’ mental and general well-being. Overall, I hope to see a further emphasis on the people/plant relationship and the effects it can have on day-to-day routines around campus!
Fun fact/secret skill: A fun fact about me is that I’ve recently inherited a 27-acre grape farm which I’m slowly turning into an area for permaculture testing. This summer I hope to take areas of soil with preexisting grape roots and measure nutrient content so that I may use that soil elsewhere on the farm for different projects!

Jeremy Sanford

Name, hometown, year, major and personal passion: Jeremy Sanford from Stafford, VA. 2^nd year masters student in Urban Planning with a specialization in Environment & Land Use planning. My personal passion is to reduce the impact of human action on the surrounding ecology and to amplify the voices of communities of color in environmental action & decision making.
Why did you decide to work with UB Sustainability? I love the proactive approach UB is taking in their sustainability actions, so I wanted to be a part of that as much as I could while also bringing unique voices into climate conversations, decision making, and oversight processes at the university.
What do you love most about UB? UB is attempting to be proactive to climate issues and environmental protection which I love. Also the student body is really great in engagement and welcoming new comers.
When you visit UB in 25 years, what do you hope to find? I hope to find the greenest campus in the country when I visit in 25 years. That means an equitable campus that allows people of all backgrounds, creeds, and ideals to thrive to the best of their ability without pressures of inequity. Also way more bike infrastructure specifically
Fun fact/secret skill: I’ve played guitar for about 9 years! I make music that I will never release until I’m 50 or have the time to be in an indie band – whichever comes first.

Matt Taboni

Name, hometown, year, major and personal passion: Matthew Taboni (he/him), Tonawanda, NY, first year graduate student, JD/MBA 2025, personal passion is social justice
Why did you decide to work with UB Sustainability? I decided to work for sustainability to expand my skill set in sustainability and so I could make more of an impact on the social issues that are intertwined with sustainability.
What do you love most about UB? AThe thing I love most about you are the opportunities that I have been able to have and the community I have made along the way.
When you visit UB in 25 years, what do you hope to find? In 25 years, besides a pastry shop on campus, I hope that UB has a comprehensive and robust student support center that serves as a one stop for all student support needs.
Fun fact/secret skill: I am an avid baker and want to open up my own pastry shop one day and my secret skill is that I know how to juggle.

Nicole Tremsky

Name, hometown, year, major and personal passion: Hello! My name is Nicole Tremsky and I come from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. I am a junior studying Environmental Engineering with a minor in Environmental Studies. I am passionate about traveling and the cultural exchange I get from it.
Why did you decide to work with UB Sustainability? I decided to work with UB Sustainability to pursue my desire to be a Sustainability Engineer. My decision became even firmer once I met the team. I had no option but to join them.
What do you love most about UB? Opportunity. UB has an immense range of opportunities for each student. I am grateful for all the extracurricular activities that UB offers. It helps us make new friends and take some time off academics.
When you visit UB in 25 years, what do you hope to find? I hope to walk around UB and encounter greener ways of living, such as more sustainable food options, energy from renewable sources and having our own big scale garden.
Fun fact/secret skill: I am passionate about eating and cooking plant based foods! I love trying new recipes and foods of different cultures.

Izzy Van Patten

Name, hometown, year, major and personal passion: She is from Holland Patent NY, and is a second year master’s student in the Sustainability & Leadership program. Her areas of expertise are: gender equity, political institutionalism & intersectional environmentalism.
Why did you decide to work with UB Sustainability? I was involved in a carbon offset project for one of my classes and knew I would love to work with everyone in the office! Promoting social sustainability is also really important to me so it seemed like a great fit and opportunity to incorporate it more in our future projects.
What do you love most about UB? What I love most about UB is all the exciting research everyone is doing. I loved working with the gender studies department in undergrad and it is so exciting to be able to bring that analytical lens to the EVS department.
When you visit UB in 25 years, what do you hope to find? That we run on 100% renewable energy! It would be great to see UB producing their own food and composting in every building/office too.
Fun fact/secret skill: I help run social media accounts which I love doing so hi everyone!