Office of Sustainability
A Sustainable UA is about all of us. Students, Employees, Faculty, Administrators. We all play an important part in transforming our campus into a living learning laboratory for solutions to sustainability challenges.
The UA Office of Sustainability coordinates environmental sustainability programs, initiatives, and communication across the university, working with students, faculty, and staff to ensure that the UA continues to be a leader in sustainability among its peers.
Indeed, UA’s commitment to sustainability was recognized in 2012 with a gold rating for sustainability by the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE), which is considered the gold-standard in third-party assessment.
In addition to engaging with Business and Student Affairs units, as well as student groups and clubs, the Office of Sustainability coordinates the activities of the Green Fund Committee and works closely with the President’s Advisory Council on Environmental Sustainability.
The Office of Sustainability is located in Likins Hall at the northeast corner of 6th Street and Highland Avenue. Stop by to say hello! Or email a staff member with a particular question, idea or concern. Learn about current and past Office of Sustainability staff below.
Mailing Address (different from physical address):
P.O. Box 210182
Tucson, AZ 85721-0182
Joe is the Director of the Office of Sustainability at the University of Arizona, and is responsible for strategically identifying, assessing, aligning, and expanding projects and initiatives that make the UA a more sustainable institution and engage our students and employees. Joe oversees and drives several key projects and initiatives with partners across the UA, advises the UA Green Fund Committee, and sits on President Hart's Advisory Council for Environmental Sustainability. An interdisciplinary environmental scientist, policy-wonk, and change agent, Joe received his Ph.D. in Geography in 2006 and has over 15 years of combined experience in applied research, policy, and practice in the areas of air quality, water, climate change, and sustainability in higher education.
Celeste Belletire is a Chemical Engineering major with minors in Business Administration and Spanish. She's working for the Office of Sustainability as a NASA Space Grant Intern on the Deep Green Homecoming Project, and she's interested in life cycle assessments. Celeste is from Columbus, Ohio.
David is an Office of Sustainability alum, and remains an important special projects resource. David graduated in May 2012 with a Master's of Public Administration in the School of Government and Public Policy. As an undergraduate at the University of Arizona, he majored in Public Management and Policy with minors in Communications and Global Business and was a Clinton Scholar at the American University in Dubai in the summer of 2009. He is interested in international affairs and global policy of environmental issues and sustainability, particularly regional and international collaborative efforts to promote sustainable practices in the public, private, and non-profit sectors.
Leah Edwards is a Tucson native and a junior at the University of Arizona majoring in Environmental and Water Resource Economics and Political Science. She is a NASA Space Grant Intern and is passionate about urban sustainability.
Maya works on communications and marketing for the Office of Sustainability. She is a graduate student in the creative nonfiction MFA program at the UA. She writes about ecology and the environment in the Southwest. She likes to hike.
Megan works on communications and marketing for the Office of Sustainability. She's a graduate student in UA's MFA program for Creative Writing nonfiction. She's interested in sustainable food production, and writes about all things nature and science. Megan is from Los Angeles, but has lived and written in Nicaragua, Brazil, and Colorado.
Jake is a graduate research assistant working with the Office of Sustainability to asses the environmental impacts of the homecoming weekend activities at the UA. He holds a Bachelor's degree in geology from Miami University and is pursuing a Master's degree in hydrology and water resources at the UA. Previously, Jake worked as a project coordinator for a development management consulting firm in Chicago. He also served as an education assistant and interpretive park ranger at Kenai Fjords National Park through the Student Conservation Association. He is a LEED Accredited Professional as granted by the U.S. Green Building Council.
Tania Mashkoory is a Junior at the UA majoring in Broadcast Journalism major with minors in Spanish and Farsi. She's interested in sustainability because she wants to help keep the earth health through preservations of water, energy, and food. We are living on this earth; it’s our duty to help keep it clean! Tania works on social media for the Office of Sustainability, and helps spread the word about sustainable events on the UA campus and in the Tucson community. Tania's hometown is sunny San Diego, and she loves pilates, yoga, spinning, and hiking. Her guilty pleasure is reality television, especially The Bachelor/Bachelorette, and cupcakes. After she graduates, she hopes to travel around the world and immerse herself in different cultures and write about the different experiences she has.
Shoshana is a social scientist leading a participatory assessment of the challenges, opportunities, and next steps for engaging students and employees in UA campus sustainability projects. She holds an MA in geography, with a background in political ecology, global change, and stakeholder engagement. Her previous research focused on the use of volunteers at sea turtle conservation sites in Costa Rica. Shoshana is an Arizona native and enjoys spending time outdoors with her husband and son.
Brett Preston is a graduating senior at the University of Arizona, majoring in Economy and Industry with a concentration in Sustainability. He is currently researching sustainable practices, programs, and the structural arrangements within collegiate and professional athletics and their facilities. Brett’s interests include sustainable development, energy efficiency, and greening major athletic and entertainment facilities.
Craig Reinbold is a recent graduate of the MFA nonfiction program at the University of Arizona, and now teaches part-time at Pima Community College, while writing full-time about various nature and science issues. He conducts interviews and writes profiles for the Office of Sustainability, highlighting student and faculty involvement in Green Fund-sponsored projects around campus.
Julia is the Office of Sustainability's Coordinator of Sustainability Programs. Julia oversees the UA’s student-directed Green Fund, and helps coordinate UA’s EcoOps representatives, who engage employees on working and living sustainably. Julia has a Bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education as well as a teaching credential in Elementary education. For 16 years prior to coming to the UA, she managed a doctor’s office that concentrated on holistic living. One of her goals is to initiate a sustainability outreach program for businesses around Tucson to offer guidance and suggestions on how they can function more sustainably.
Campus Sustainability
