OUR MISSION
MISSION
Welcome to the Sustainability Office! Our mission is to challenge and empower Dartmouth College and our students to take on the human and environmental problems of a rapidly changing planet. We do this via hands-on learning, building inclusive community, supporting research and teaching, and transforming campus operations.
VISION
WE IMAGINE A DARTMOUTH WHERE:
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Students of all identities feel that they and all their intersections are embraced and lifted up by the sustainability community.
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Students interested in sustainability feel nurtured, cared about and supported. They are and feel a part of the sustainability community.
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All students understand how sustainability is relevant to them and to other issues they care about, are motivated to address those issues, and are equipped with the skills they need to effectively create change and communicate about it.
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Students, staff, and faculty are empowered to contribute to and effect change here, and carry those skills and tools with them into their communities.
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Dartmouth students are aware of and invested in the Upper Valley community and they collaborate with that community towards a just and sustainable future.
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Campus operations prioritize human and environmental well-being. Sustainability is centered in operational decision making. Dartmouth pilots and practices the best solutions here. Students are informed about campus operations and learn about related decision-making processes.
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Dartmouth is a leader in providing the world with the research, innovations, teaching models, and human capital needed to tackle global sustainability challenges.
OUR APPROACH AND VALUES
(If you read this list, you will get a sense for who we are and how we function.)
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We actively create an office where everyone feels welcome and valued. We prioritize individual well-being and happiness and encourage genuine connections with and amongst our students.
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We embrace challenging conversations, opportunities for growth, and diverse experiences and perspectives.
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We pause to reflect on our work and its impact, seeking positive and negative feedback.
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We strive to make changes in response to critical feedback, supporting people of all backgrounds. This includes confronting microaggressions that may perpetuate a harmful environment.
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We work to center the voices of marginalized people and we strive to be actively anti racist.
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We don’t tolerate hate.
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We recognize that sustainability problems are systemic, multifaceted, and impact people in disparate and disproportionate ways. Therefore, diverse points of view are necessary for generating effective solutions. We prioritize hands-on sustainability learning and collaboration amongst diverse, interdisciplinary groups of students, faculty and staff to generate effective solutions that are just, equitable, and accessible to all people.
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We value collaboration and we strive to build strong and lasting partnerships that are mutually beneficial and supportive.
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We care about Dartmouth, and take pride in working here. We are invested in our community and we strive to embody what is most positive about this place when working on solutions within our institution.
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We are committed to challenging this place because we care about it.
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Our team focuses its energies on solutions rather than problems. We are creative and open-minded in pursuing diverse and multifaceted solutions.
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We fearlessly brainstorm new ideas and thoughtfully act on them.
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We foster engagement with the human and environmental challenges of a rapidly changing planet across a spectrum from understanding to action.
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The Sustainability Office fuels our students’ passions, creativity, and determination!
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We actively educate ourselves about the cutting edge of sustainability solutions and the big picture of global sustainability. We are constantly learning!
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We work with a sense of team adventure, and seek to spark moments and spaces of joy.
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We strive to lead among sustainability offices and to collaborate on best practices.
CHECK OUT OUR
MEET OUR TEAM
DIRECTOR OF SUSTAINABILITY
ROSI KERR aims to help transform Dartmouth into a global leader of sustainability scholarship, education and action. Rosi brings experience in community-based energy systems, energy markets, environmental nonprofits and organizational change to her role at Dartmouth. Rosi loves doing fun things with her kids, the far North, hiking, rowing, bikes (especially old ones) and cooking brunch.
ASSISTANT
DIRECTOR
LAURA BRAASCH works on experiential learning opportunities hosted by the Sustainability Office, including programs at the Dartmouth Organic Farm and Energy Immersion Trips. Laura also manages our digital media and website, finding new ways to creatively share our sustainability stories. When she's not at the farm, Laura spends lots of time with her family. She enjoys playing the mandolin, biking, taking photos, carving wooden spoons, and foraging for wild mushrooms.
ASSISTANT
DIRECTOR
MARCUS WELKER trains student analysts and supports their work to conduct measurement and assessment studies. He is responsible for the college’s carbon accounting, greenhouse gas emissions accounting, resource inventories, and annual reporting to assess our progress towards goals in energy, food, water and waste systems and in sustainability planning. Marcus loves hiking, biking, swimming, playing Ultimate frisbee, keeping bees, and cooking and spending time with family and friends.
PROGRAM ASSISTANT
JACK WALKER manages much of the day-to-day operations of the Organic Farm, such as planting, pest management, and harvesting. Jack also teaches students sustainable agricultural techniques. Jack also manages undergraduate intern teams focused on the farm and first-year programming. Jack loves listening to live music, cooking and fermentation projects, watching food documentaries, and building campfires.
PROGRAM
ASSISTANT
RACHEL KENT is focused on developing experiential learning programs, helping coordinate efforts to renew Dartmouth’s institutional sustainability road map, and cultivating the sustainability community. Previously, she studied food systems anthropology in Piedmont, Italy, and worked for the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization promoting sustainable forestry. Rachel enjoys cooking (overly elaborate) meals, hiking, contra dancing, and baking, especially for Sustainability office hours!
WHY INCLUSIVITY IS CENTRAL TO OUR WORK
Sustainability problems are systemic and multifaceted. Therefore diverse points of view are necessary for generating effective solutions. As part of our vision for successfully carrying out our mission statement, we imagine a Dartmouth where diverse interdisciplinary groups of students, faculty, and staff come together to develop solutions that are just, equitable, and available to all people. Additionally, we envision a future in which campus operations are reimagined to prioritize human and environmental wellbeing.
We know that our work in inclusivity is never done and we aim to create a culture that is always striving towards a better vision for the future. If you have thoughts on what we could be doing better, we love to hear feedback! You can talk to us at Office Hours (Wednesdays from 12-1:30pm in Robinson 106), send us an email, or leave anonymous feedback through our feedback form.