With a new director, the Hill community plans to move towards a more integrated approach to sustainability that involves student voices. New to the Hill community, Mike Kolter, instructor in a science department, has taken on a new role as the High Meadows Chair of Sustainability from Bill Yinger ’95.
Since the handoff from Yinger to Kolter has not formally occurred, there have not been any new status on projects other than student engagement. While the previous efforts moving towards sustainability have largely been done by faculty, Kolter hopes to incorporate more student voices and action in the area. By serving as the faculty advisor to the Hill Sustainability Council, Kolter hopes “to support and encourage more student-driven projects in the future”.
A new club, The Hill Sustainability Council, was founded in order to promote sustainable ideas across campus. Erin Lee ‘26, co-president of the Hill Sustainability Council, claims, “As a club that aims to create a greener Hill, we want to do so by student-led initiatives, creating more awareness and consideration of our community’s sustainability footprint.”
In particular, Lee plans on finding ways to substitute the current plastic utensils in the dining hall with more sustainable ones, such as those made of bamboo or wood. Lee also hopes to spread more awareness about recycling and everyday actions students can take to promote sustainability on campus.
With success at the club fair, the Hill Sustainability Council aims to become an influential group of students who are able to enact changes in policies within the community. Members will work directly with Kotler to brainstorm and propose projects that will be approved by the administer before implemented. The process will be largely collaborative as Kolter hopes that more members of the community will be involved in the decision-making process.
Aside from student-led organizations, Kolter has indicated that in the near future, more sustainability projects related to agriculture. In terms of sustainable food sources, a Hill alumna is growing crops in a nearby area of Pennsylvania hopes to be able to supply a portion of the school’s demand in the coming year. While the project is only getting started, Kolter is hopeful that it will become a reliable source of ethically grown agricultural products.
