Neugebauer named new sustainability coordinator

Riley Neugebauer joined the Skidmore community as the new campus sustainability coordinator in early November. 

A graduate of Allegheny College, where she earned a B.A. degree in environmental studies with a minor in women's studies, Neugebauer focused on local activism and global governance in her undergraduate program. While enrolled at Allegheny she was selected as an AmeriCorps Bonner Leader and completed 900 hours of community service over two years. She also completed a one-year certificate program in renewable energy at San Juan College. 

Neugebauer has a broad background in sustainability work, having served previously at American University as the sustainability coordinator; as a consultant in sustainability to Allegheny College after her graduation from the college; as a research analyst in renewable energy options and energy efficiency; and as a founder of a youth coalition in Colorado.

She has significant experience in working with student groups and also worked as an intern on a small farm. She currently serves on the Advisory Council of the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE).

"We are excited by the experience she brings to this position, by her enthusiasm for beginning work at Skidmore, and by her energy for tackling the challenges of the position," said Susan Kress, acting president, and Mike West, vice president for finance and administration, in a joint statement announcing Neugebauer's appointment.

Neugebauer has spent the past month getting to know the campus and its people, and learning more about Skidmore's sustainability initiatives. She is excited about students' interests in this area and indicated that students are the key to several pieces of a larger sustainability project on composting.

Said Neugebauer, "We have hired Environmental Studies interns who will work for credit in the Spring Semester to aid in the development of a pilot project on composting. They will begin with pre-consumer and post-consumer waste from the North Woods apartments in a small scale project there, while also researching the requirements around composting the pre-consumer food waste from the dining hall. This research could eventually include horse manure from the stables and yard waste (leaves and grass clippings) from the campus." The goal is to see how possible and realistic is to develop and sustain a campus composting system.

Interest in the composting plan was sparked by several ES students who did a capstone project last year. Neugebauer said, "Our current conversation is a direct result of student research and a great testament to their interest. It will take time to see what ultimately happens but our hope is to start small scale, look at budgets and payback, and then see where we can take it."

Regarding projects that will continue, Neugebauer said that the student garden that was started two years ago on North Broadway will again be planted this spring. A subgroup of the Environmental Action Committee will handle garden responsibilities in the spring and fall and a garden manager will be in charge during the summer.

The North Woods Stewards program will continue and it is possible that their duties will expand, said Neugebauaer, citing the goal of making the trails more "user-friendly," perhaps through better signage, as a priority.

Renewable energy (both wind and solar) is one of Neugebauer's main interests and she's hoping to help Skidmore expand in this area. "Energy efficiency is so important, but it is also dependent on feasibility and economics," she said. "Facilities services is doing a great job in this area and I'm looking forward to helping in any way I can to maximize the college's effort."