The focus of the Marshall University Sustainability Department is to identify guidelines that promote the most efficient use of the university’s resources, as well as coordinate and educate on sustainability issues, both on campus and beyond.
We emphasize that there are tremendous opportunities for energy efficiency, waste reduction and recycling, a thriving local economy, an active healthy community, and sustainable innovation.
History
In 2008, a “green” focused student movement petitioned then-President Stephen J. Kopp for a sustainability department. They requested the addition of a $5 “Green Fee” to be added each year to their student fees to pay for sustainable programs on campus. Their proposal was approved by the Board of Governors.
The Marshall Sustainability Department began in 2009. We began as a division of Marshall’s Environmental Health and Safety Department. In July of 2023, we were moved to be a part of Workforce and Economic Development. Our offices are located inside the Sorrell Maintenance Building, on the east side of campus along 20th Street, next to the Rec Center and practice field. (Download the Campus Map PDF)
At our core is a dedication to being environmentally conscious in all areas. Efforts include the conservation of water and energy, campus-wide recycling, sustainability gardens, the Green Trail project, the inclusion of green technologies and materials into the university, and much more. We work closely with many departments across campus to help make them as energy-efficient as possible. The sustainability department offers many opportunities for students, staff, and faculty to get involved. We host and attend many events in the area involving sustainability, intending to make connections between Marshall University and the community.
Purpose
The purpose of the Sustainability Department is to:
- Share the benefits of sustainability with faculty, staff, students, and the community
- Educate on how actions impact energy and resource consumption, both on and off campus
- Motivate all ages to modify their behaviors, so sustainability is part of each person’s daily activity
- Demonstrate the university’s commitment to reducing energy and resource consumption and developing sustainable initiatives
We welcome your ideas and suggestions. Please email them to BeMarshallGreen@marshall.edu.
Mission Statement
The Marshall University Sustainability Department will consistently strive to maximize the conservation of energy resources, preserve and improve the environment and develop strategies to bring all areas of the campus together in one united effort to reduce the university’s environmental impact on our local, state, and local communities for future generations.
Vision Statement
To be environmentally conscious in all decision-making activities and to employ sustainable practices and actions in the daily use of the Earth’s limited natural resources.
The “Student Green Fee” is utilized to help the university look for ways to conserve water and energy, reduce waste and incorporate green technologies and materials into planning and operations.
Sustainability Department Staff
Sustainability Manager
Amy Parsons-White has been a member of the Marshall University community since 2007. She earned both her Bachelor’s Degree and Master’s Degree in Biological Science from Marshall University. She spent the next four years working in the Department of Biological Sciences as a research technician gaining skills in lab management. In February 2018, she took over as Sustainability Coordinator at the Marshall University Sustainability Department. Her current projects for the department include growing the bike share program, expanding the recycling program to both include glass recycling as well as increasing visibility and the number of recycling locations. She is also working to bring large-scale composting to campus that will allow for the expansion of our student gardens. Amy is looking forward to working with the surrounding community by providing community gardens, sustainable living and water conservation educational outreach, and collaborations with local groups to promote a sustainable lifestyle through education and awareness.
Carrie (Carolyn) Uihlein Nilles, MA
Sustainability Coordinator
Carrie has been a part of the Marshall community since 1994 when she joined the Department of Sociology and Anthropology as an instructor. After a long period of community-based volunteering, she returned to Marshall to work with the sustainability department in the summer of 2016. She first worked as a teaching assistant for GSEM Summer Camps. She remained as a general office assistant and her job has now expanded to include grant writing, social media coordination, data entry and analysis, and coordination of utility management.
Angela Kargul, BS NRRM
Lead Gardener
Angela Kargul has worked with the sustainability department since 2012, first as an intern and later a
s staff, and has helped to define and develop the position of Lead Gardener through research, education, and implementation. During the growing season, she hosts weekly Market Days and Volunteer days, harvesting fresh produce and sharing seedlings with Marshall’s campus and the greater Huntington community, and educating students on garden maintenance. Angela manages the many Sustainability Gardens across campus, Marshall’s two Green Roof gardens, and various department projects in the Greenhouse.
Caroline Copenhaver, BS
Compost Coordinator
Caroline was born and raised in Charleston, West Virginia. She is a passionate composter with over ten years of experience and hopes to inspire others to join in. Caroline is excited to be a part of this project, making a tangible impact on the amount of material we send to our landfills. She spent much of her childhood playing outdoors and gardening alongside her mother and grandmother. She graduated in 2011 from WVU with a bachelors of science in agriculture, Environmental protection. Before coming to Marshall University, Caroline worked as an agricultural extension agent teaching both youth and adults at West Virginia State University.