Texas A&M Office of Sustainability

We work to respect, protect, and preserve the financial, environmental, and

people resources that make Texas A&M and our community so great, not
only for today, but for Aggies to come. When Aggies commit to a sustainable
lifestyle, we bring Texas A&Ms core values to life.

Texas A&M Office of Sustainability

We have a vision [] for
every member of the
Aggie family to
incorporate sustainability
practices into
their daily lives.

Mission
We define sustainability as the efficient,
deliberate, and responsible preservation of
environmental, social, and economic resources
for future generations of Aggies, the TAMU
community, and beyond. TAMU is concerned
with meeting the needs of the present without
limiting future generations ability to meet those
same needs.
Our mission is to educate the campus and local
community
about
the
importance
of
sustainability. We will accomplish this by
promoting sustainable practices both on and
off campus in academic and non-academic
settings, providing resources and support for
people who wish to incorporate sustainable
practices into their work and life, and
advocating for sustainable programs and
initiatives.
We have a vision to be recognized as a national
campus leader in sustainability, to develop
long-term programs around environmental,
social, and financial stewardship for our earth,
and for every member of the Aggie family to
incorporate sustainable practices into their daily
lives. We envision a culture of sustainability at
Texas A&M University.

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Texas A&M Office of Sustainability

Office Initiatives
Campus Outreach
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

Sustainable Office Certification

Sustainability Pledge
Sustainability Cam
Campus Sustainability Day
Texas Recycles Day
Earth Day

The Sustainability 12:

1.

Management of Climate
Change
2. Purchasing of Sustainable
Goods and Services
3. Optimization of Energy Use
4. Sustainable Food and Dining
5. Management of Water
Resources
6. Waste Management
7. Sustainable Land Use
8. Use of Green Building Practices
9. Utilization of Alternative
Transportation and Fuels
10. Improving Social and
Economic Factors
11. Education and Research
12. Management and Funding
Support

Office interns take a MaroonBike tour and

stop at the Howdy! Farm on West Campus

Past Initiatives
1.
2.

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Hosted TRACS 2014

Developed Sustainability
Master Plan in 2010 and
published subsequent Biennial
Reports in 2012 and 2014.

Texas A&M Office of Sustainability

Sustainability 12
1. Management of Climate Change
Texas A&M combats climate change by
decreasing our energy usage through
investments in more efficient energy
production.
A combined heat and power plant has
allowed us to largely increase our productivity
and efficiency.
2. Purchasing of Sustainable Goods and Services
TAMU has significant purchasing power. Buying
renewable, reusable, locally produced and
purchased, and environmentally preferable will
greatly help sustainability on campus.
3. Optimization of Energy Use
Weve dropped energy consumption
consistently over the last 10 years. ResLife
Energy Challenge set up to get students living
on campus involved in competition to save as
much energy as possible in the dorms
4. Sustainable Food and Dining
The OS has a goal of raising our use of locally
grown and third-party certified foods to 20% of
purchases.
We plan to reduce waste from trays, plates,
and utensils by switching from plastic to
biodegradable and compostable products,
and through composting pre-consumer and
post-consumer food scraps.
Make nutritional information more accessible
and increase vegetarian and vegan options
on campus
5. Management of Water Resources
TAMU implements rainwater harvesting systems
in multiple building on campus such as the
Mitchel Physical Building, the Interdisciplinary
Life Sciences Building, and the MSC. The goal is
to manage storm water and including lowimpact development methods on campus.
6. Waste Management
TAMU generates roughly 1700 tons of waste
each month; a key initiative is reducing and
managing waste. Partnering with Brazos Valley
Recycling allows recycling to be more
accessible. Use of
solar-powered, three-system waste and

7.

8.

9.

10.

11.

12.

recycling containers around campus allow

recycling more visibility.
Sustainable Land Use
It is important to identify sustainability goals for
our Campus Master Plan. Such goals include
establishing and implement a policy and plan
for sustainable land use involving management
of green spaces, invasive species
management, construction impacts, and
native plants.
Use of Green Building Practices
New buildings are to be built to qualify as LEED
silver to minimize energy use and reduce water
consumption.
Utilization of Alternative Transportation and
Fuels
We develop and encourage use of the more
than 80-bus fleet servicing 6 on-campus routes
and 9 off-campus routes. The implementation
of MaroonBikes has allowed for more
accessible bike sharing.
Improving Social and Economic Factors
Plans for this initiative involve expanding
volunteerism by using our intern staff,
increasing the presents of sustainability jobs at
the Career Center, and integrating diversity on
campus through encouraging attendance of
diversity-related development workshops.
Education and Research
TAMU is a top research institution which opens
a lot to sustainability initiatives. This includes
multiple educational programs that encourage
sustainability, such as our peer-to-peer
sustainability outreach programs and our
sustainability speaker series. We support
student groups like the Environmental Issues
Committee and One Love.
Management and Funding Support
Founded in Spring 2010, the Aggie Green Fund
Advisory Committee has awarded grants for
sustainability initiatives. In the Spring of 2012,
$274,710 in grants were handed out to various
projects, and in 2013 $267,000 were given to
nine projects.

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Texas A&M Office of Sustainability

Campus Outreach
The OS is working on multiple initiatives to reach out to the Texas A&M community.
SUSTAINABLE OFFICE CERTIFICATION
The Sustainable Office Certification is
a new program being implemented
by the Office of Sustainability. The
certification programs goal is to help
make Texas A&Ms faculty and staff
more aware of sustainable practices
that can be easily incorporated into
everyday life, while collectively
reducing the consumption of TAMU.

PARTNERSHIPS
Departments:
Utilities and Energy Management
Residence Life
Multicultural Services
University Dining
Brazos Valley Recycling
Facilities Services
Transportation Services
*Aggie Green Fund Advisory Board

SUSTAINABILITY PLEDGE
The purpose of the Pledge is to put
Texas A&Ms commitment to forward
thinking into action. By committing to
the Pledge students, faculty, staff,
former students, and the Brazos Valley
community can join forces with the
University in our efforts to make A&M
sustainable for all the Aggies to come.

Student Organizations:
Howdy! Farm
SGA Environmental Issues Committee
One Love
Aggie Eco-reps

CAMPUS OUTREACH
The Office of Sustainability has used
interns to act as peer-to-peer
advocates for sustainable actions. We
use outreach events to communicate
to the Texas A&M community different
ways to be more sustainable.
Campus Sustainability Day
Texas Recycles Day
Earth Day
Sustainability Cam

Our Sustainability Cam in action

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Texas A&M Office of Sustainability

Past Accomplishments
TRACS Summit hosted by Texas A&M University

February 2014 brought the Texas Regional Alliance for Campus Sustainability (TRACS)
to the Texas A&M Office. Over 140 people registered for the event. Sessions included
presentations on sustainability in higher education, sustainability internship programs,
and sustainability and service-learning.

Sustainability Master Plan and Biennial Reports

Sustainability Master Plan
2014 Biennial Report
2012 Biennial Report

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Texas A&M Office of Sustainability

Personnel

Fall 2014 Staff and Intern Team: From left to right: top row Shelbi Orme, Samantha Jameson, Isaid Trejo,
Erin Wieser, and Sophia Mora; middle row Jonathan Martinez, Ben Kalscheur, Kelly Wellman, and Damien
Johnson; bottom row: Sreevidya Ghantasala, Emily Wornson, Victoria Benson, and Kayla Leal

KELLY WELLMAN
Kelly Wellman, the Sustainability Officer for Texas A&M University, enjoys being outdoors,
camping, nature walks, tennis, and advocating for social justice. Kelly earned a
Bachelor's degree in Geography from Texas A&M in 1995. She worked for the City of
Bryan in a variety of posts from Recycling Coordinator to Environmental Director. While
there, she earned an MBA. Kelly began work in the Office of Sustainability at its inception
in 2008.
BEN KALSCHEUR
Ben Kalscheur, the Sustainability Assistant Manager, believes working together to make
everyone feel valued and included is the key way to create a sustainable world. From
Wisconsin, Ben earned a Master of Arts in Sociology from the University of WisconsinMilwaukee. He started at the Office of Sustainability in 2010 as a graduate assistant. On
completion of his Masters in Water Management and Hydrological Science from Texas
A&M in 2013, Ben became full time in his current position.
We have an extensive internship program, which includes undergraduate students from
many disciplines and classifications. Bens core job is maintaining this program to create
a culture of sustainability through action and outreach.
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