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.

Meet the UB Sustainability Team

Ryan A. McPherson, Chief Sustainability Officer

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, Sustainability Engagement Coordinator

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

Erin works to identify strategies and create educational programs to help the campus community engage in sustainability initiatives, and transform UB’s operations. Erin coordinates UB’s participation in RecycleMania, oversees the Zero Waste program at UB Stadium and assists the student led UBReUSE team. Erin works closely with the Education and Leadership Fellows in Sustainability (ELFS) to create student led sustainability programming, and with the sustainability student team to deliver campus programming.

JoMarie Woltz, Administrative Assistant

JoMarie joined UB Sustainability in 2014 as Administrative Assistant after spending many years at UB as Secretary to the Chair in the Department of Epidemiology and Environmental Health in the School of Public Health. JoMarie has worked with research and academic faculty and staff and comes to Sustainability with over 30 years of knowledge and experience in the University's business systems. 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!

Allison DeMaria

Name, hometown, year, major and personal passion: My name is Allison DeMaria and I am from Rochester, NY. I recently moved to Buffalo full time and am a first year graduate student is the Advanced Certificate of Sustainability Program. My passion is environmental education and working with all different types of people!
Why did you decide to work with UB Sustainability? I decided to work with UB sustainability because I love the goals set in place to keep UB on the sustainability path and love would love to share their work with UB and the surrounding communities.
What do you love most about UB? My favorite thing about UB is its huge student body. I love seeing and meeting new people every day.
When you visit UB in 25 years, what do you hope to find? In 25 years I hope to find that UB achieved its goal of carbon neutrality and has a diverse body of students passionate about sustainability on campus.
Fun fact/secret skill: My fun fact is that I spent a month in the Florida Everglades hiking through the swamps to learn about its ecosystem.

Netra Mittal

Name, hometown, year, major and personal passion: Hi! My name is Netra Mittal and I’m an international student from India. I’m studying Applied Mathematics and minoring in Economics. I'm a very politically active person who loves volunteering, working on community projects, reading, and baking!
Why did you decide to work with UB Sustainability? I've always wanted to channel my passion for advocacy and research into a productive, goal-oriented environment. Coming from a country that doesn't have as much of a sustainability culture, I love seeing the tangible change and work being put into environmental justice. I hope to learn as much as I can from some of the most knowledgeable people in the game!
What do you love most about UB? I love that we have created a community that mobilizes and shows up when someone or something needs attention. I am constantly motivated to keep growing because I'm surrounded by people who are very diverse in thought. I appreciate the emphasis put on representation through inviting diverse groups of people for the lecture series as well.
When you visit UB in 25 years, what do you hope to find? I hope to see the successful implementation of the Climate Action Plan, an increase in funding for mental health services and counseling, and also a change in campus dining culture. I'd like to see more of a collaboration with and dependency on local farms and businesses and our campus garden to meet our dining needs.
Fun fact/secret skill: I love embroidery because it's very calming, mechanical, and reminds me of my grandma!

Melanie Monroy

Name, hometown, year, major and personal passion: Hello, my name is Melanie Monroy. I am a final year Master of Urban Planning student, specializing in Community Health and Food Systems. I aspire to return to my hometown in the South Bronx and join the momentum toward food and land sovereignty. My personal passions include hiking the Catskill Mountains and cycling.
Why did you decide to work with UB Sustainability? I was motivated by the opportunity to learn about sustainability initiatives and to disseminate that information to our community. Overall, I am elated to help facilitate conversations about sustainability, share available opportunities, and prompt my peers to holistically reimagine healthier institutions.
What do you love most about UB? As an Urban Planning graduate student, I enjoy learning about local and regional initiatives. It is interesting to see UB’s involvement with these projects and how they continuously work to become a more sustainable and diverse environment.
When you visit UB in 25 years, what do you hope to find? In 25 years, I hope that UB becomes a more diverse, inclusive, and sustainable community. Additionally, I would like to see UB campuses become more in tune and collaborative with surrounding communities year-round.
Fun fact/secret skill: My fun facts are that I am a pet-sitter and enjoy photography.