OUR TEAM
Bruce DixonSustainability and Energy Specialist
Tyler DiFioreSustainability Office Intern
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Lauren DadekianSustainability Office Intern
Kate KellyGarden Steward
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What does being sustainable mean to our team?
Tyler DiFiore
Sustainability refers to environmentally friendly efforts, large and small, that help us ensure a healthy planet for humans to survive. It involves acting to mitigate threats of climate change, as well as adapting to those dangers we already face. It means defending against rising seas and more extreme natural disasters in the present, while also developing innovation that can provide efficient long-term answers for the future. I look at sustainability, not as an ancillary goal, but as a prudent and necessary one. As much as the challenge can be daunting, it is also motivating and exciting. We, as individuals, companies, and nations, get to design and implement ways to actively reverse a trend that started during the Industrial Revolution. On a large scale, we can clean up emissions and promote a safe path for economic growth all over the world.
Sustainability refers to environmentally friendly efforts, large and small, that help us ensure a healthy planet for humans to survive. It involves acting to mitigate threats of climate change, as well as adapting to those dangers we already face. It means defending against rising seas and more extreme natural disasters in the present, while also developing innovation that can provide efficient long-term answers for the future. I look at sustainability, not as an ancillary goal, but as a prudent and necessary one. As much as the challenge can be daunting, it is also motivating and exciting. We, as individuals, companies, and nations, get to design and implement ways to actively reverse a trend that started during the Industrial Revolution. On a large scale, we can clean up emissions and promote a safe path for economic growth all over the world.
Lauren Dadekian
When I was in seventh grade, I saw a magazine with the statue of liberty halfway under water. This is where the water level will be if all ice on earth melts. I am from the greater New York City area, so this image struck a chord with me. This was also when I learned what climate change is. I have since then decided to pursue a career in Sustainable Business. More recently, climate change has made a larger impact on my life. One of my friends lost her home, and almost her life in hurricane Dorian when it hit Grand Bahama Island. This made me realize how imminent of a threat climate change is, and how much we need to convert to sustainable practices, not only to protect our environment, but to protect our friends and family.
When I was in seventh grade, I saw a magazine with the statue of liberty halfway under water. This is where the water level will be if all ice on earth melts. I am from the greater New York City area, so this image struck a chord with me. This was also when I learned what climate change is. I have since then decided to pursue a career in Sustainable Business. More recently, climate change has made a larger impact on my life. One of my friends lost her home, and almost her life in hurricane Dorian when it hit Grand Bahama Island. This made me realize how imminent of a threat climate change is, and how much we need to convert to sustainable practices, not only to protect our environment, but to protect our friends and family.
Kate Kelly
Sustainability and environmental awareness have been a part of my life since I was a little girl who loved playing outdoors. This deep love for nature and all that it provides for us has stayed with me and evolved into a passion for sustainability. As I grew up, I was fortunate to be surrounded by positive role models who taught me about the importance of the earth and how to better care for it. Now, I work to find ways to advocate for change and live a conscientious lifestyle which being a part of the Sustainability team at Boston College supports me in doing. My involvement with the RealFood club as both the Garden Manager and the Garden Steward has allowed me to reimmerse myself in a welcoming environment of people who are passionate about saving the earth. I hope to use these resources available to me, being at Boston College, to be a catalyst for positive, sustainable, and attainable change.
Sustainability and environmental awareness have been a part of my life since I was a little girl who loved playing outdoors. This deep love for nature and all that it provides for us has stayed with me and evolved into a passion for sustainability. As I grew up, I was fortunate to be surrounded by positive role models who taught me about the importance of the earth and how to better care for it. Now, I work to find ways to advocate for change and live a conscientious lifestyle which being a part of the Sustainability team at Boston College supports me in doing. My involvement with the RealFood club as both the Garden Manager and the Garden Steward has allowed me to reimmerse myself in a welcoming environment of people who are passionate about saving the earth. I hope to use these resources available to me, being at Boston College, to be a catalyst for positive, sustainable, and attainable change.
Former Interns
Jillian PrunerSustainability Office Intern
CSOM '21 |
Meagan LuffSustainability Office Intern
MCAS '20 |
Johana SchultzSustainability Office Intern
Cornell University '24 |
Where are they now?
Johana Schultz
Major: Food Science
Major: Food Science
Hana worked as a Summer office Intern in the Office of Sustainability and as the Garden Steward for the University Garden in June. Tough to take on two roles but she worked to create an energy spreadsheet for our Newton buildings, reached out to department heads and students about our STARS submission and developed new submissions for the survey, and assisted other directors with their spreadsheets.
As Garden Steward, she provided daily irrigation for the garden, maintained the growth of the vegetables and worked with the manager of the garden to provide produce for the Centre Street Food Pantry in Newton.
On behalf of the Office of Sustainability, the Real Food Club and the directors of the Facilities Department we would like to thank Hana for her hard work and dedication to the office and the garden this Summer. Our work would not have been completed without her help!
Thank you and best wishes as you continue your academic studies at Cornell University.
As Garden Steward, she provided daily irrigation for the garden, maintained the growth of the vegetables and worked with the manager of the garden to provide produce for the Centre Street Food Pantry in Newton.
On behalf of the Office of Sustainability, the Real Food Club and the directors of the Facilities Department we would like to thank Hana for her hard work and dedication to the office and the garden this Summer. Our work would not have been completed without her help!
Thank you and best wishes as you continue your academic studies at Cornell University.
Jillian Pruner, CSOM '21
Jillian Pruner graduated from the Carroll School of Management in 2021 with a bachelor’s in Operations and Managing for Social Impact and the Public Good.
Jillian stayed active and engaged while on campus. She became an executive board member of Ecopledge, a student-led organization dedicated to creating a more sustainable and environmentally friendly campus, and started an internship at the Boston College Office of Sustainability. She is passionate about establishing “stronger administrative championship” and partnering with like-minded groups in order to enact real environmental change and sustainable campus initiatives.
Jillian’s desire to create a more green BC campus was on display in the Office of Sustainability by working with environmental stakeholders to organize events, represented the office at various meetings on campus, participated in environmental events, and attended actions supporting environmental causes. Everyone in Facilities Services is thankful for her service, activism, and wishes her well.
Jillian Pruner graduated from the Carroll School of Management in 2021 with a bachelor’s in Operations and Managing for Social Impact and the Public Good.
Jillian stayed active and engaged while on campus. She became an executive board member of Ecopledge, a student-led organization dedicated to creating a more sustainable and environmentally friendly campus, and started an internship at the Boston College Office of Sustainability. She is passionate about establishing “stronger administrative championship” and partnering with like-minded groups in order to enact real environmental change and sustainable campus initiatives.
Jillian’s desire to create a more green BC campus was on display in the Office of Sustainability by working with environmental stakeholders to organize events, represented the office at various meetings on campus, participated in environmental events, and attended actions supporting environmental causes. Everyone in Facilities Services is thankful for her service, activism, and wishes her well.
Megan Luff, MCAS '20
Megan Luff, a British international student, graduated from Morrissey College of Arts and Sciences in 2020 with a bachelor’s in Environmental Geoscience and a minor in education.
Megan quickly realized her passion for the environment after joining clubs such as Real Food, Ecopledge, and Climate Justice for BC. Megan was also a dedicated intern at the Office of Sustainability which combined her love for collaboration and community, while also tackling local sustainability issues. Reflecting on her time, Megan stated that “The Office of Sustainability has become a second home to me here, where I can focus on my passions and make positive changes to campus."
Megan strongly believes that the environment should be a conversation that goes beyond the walls of our campus in order to inspire real, widespread change. She has continued this path as a master’s degree candidate in Environmental Education, and both interns and produces at environmental-centered organizations. Megan was assigned to manage the Tree Campus USA program representing the Office of Sustainability, collaborating with Landscape Services, and was instrumental in creating a platform for tree awareness on our campus.
Also, she collaborated with Allen Li ‘21 to create a “tree app” to help our campus community locate all of the trees on our campus and identify the type of trees that will help Landscape Services with their inventory of trees on all of our campuses. Megan’s work in the office has helped BC question is sustainable position to create a more sustainable campus, and all of us from Facilities Services appreciate her work and wish her well with the next phase of her academic studies.
Megan Luff, a British international student, graduated from Morrissey College of Arts and Sciences in 2020 with a bachelor’s in Environmental Geoscience and a minor in education.
Megan quickly realized her passion for the environment after joining clubs such as Real Food, Ecopledge, and Climate Justice for BC. Megan was also a dedicated intern at the Office of Sustainability which combined her love for collaboration and community, while also tackling local sustainability issues. Reflecting on her time, Megan stated that “The Office of Sustainability has become a second home to me here, where I can focus on my passions and make positive changes to campus."
Megan strongly believes that the environment should be a conversation that goes beyond the walls of our campus in order to inspire real, widespread change. She has continued this path as a master’s degree candidate in Environmental Education, and both interns and produces at environmental-centered organizations. Megan was assigned to manage the Tree Campus USA program representing the Office of Sustainability, collaborating with Landscape Services, and was instrumental in creating a platform for tree awareness on our campus.
Also, she collaborated with Allen Li ‘21 to create a “tree app” to help our campus community locate all of the trees on our campus and identify the type of trees that will help Landscape Services with their inventory of trees on all of our campuses. Megan’s work in the office has helped BC question is sustainable position to create a more sustainable campus, and all of us from Facilities Services appreciate her work and wish her well with the next phase of her academic studies.
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300 Hammond Pond Parkway
Chestnut Hill, MA, 02467 |
Instagram @susainabilitybc
Facebook @officeofsustainability |
