Skidmore welcomes two new sustainability professionals

Two new staff members, Levi Rogers and Rachel Willis, have joined the staff of the Sustainable Skidmore program. Designated as sustainability fellows, Rogers and Willis have two-year appointments under a grant from the Margaret A. Cargill Foundation.

“Rachel and Levi will expand the sustainability work we can carry out on campus for students, faculty, and staff,” said Riley Neugebauer, Skidmore’s sustainability coordinator. “They both bring different and relevant experiences and skills to this work, which will help us educate and engage others toward the goal of a more sustainable future.”
 

Rogers recently earned an MBA in sustainability from Antioch University New England and holds a bachelor's degree from the University of New Hampshire in environmental conservation, with a focus on sustainable agriculture. While at Antioch, he worked with the City of Keene, N.H. to assess the feasibility of an aquaponic greenhouse fueled by recaptured methane. He also completed a research project on the sustainability challenges faced by institutions of higher education.

Rogers worked as a sushi chef in New Hampshire and helped make the restaurant more sustainable through local food partnerships and sourcing from sustainable fisheries.   

At Skidmore, Rogers will work on communications strategy and implementation, a sustainable office certification program, alternative transportation options, and overseeing the student garden and composting efforts.

Willis graduated in 2012 with an environmental science degree from Allegheny College, where she assisted the college’s sustainability program on many fronts.  She was the director of sustainability for student government and helped create a green living community within residential life, becoming that program’s the first R.A. She also helped create a sustainability tour for the admissions office. She also participated in various projects related to community development in Meadville, Pa., where the college is located.

At Skidmore, Willis will work on the student sustainability rep (S-Rep) program, which provides peer-to-peer education and outreach in the campus residence halls. The S-Reps help to carry out such programs as Skidmore Unplugged, a three-week energy-conservation competition among buildings on campus that has grown to become a competition among schools as a part of the Campus Conservation Nationals. Willis will also help to develop a sustainability tour for Skidmore, manage the North Woods stewards program, and co-manage the Skidmore Student Conservation Corps.