Sustainability Federal Work Study Job

The University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB) Office of Sustainability is seeking a Sustainability Fellow to assist with the implementation of program initiatives in support of UMB’s Sustainability Strategic Plan, which outlines overarching goals and strategies for the University to minimize its energy use, reduce its waste, and engage the campus community.

Find the job listing under on-campus organizations here.

UMB Sustainability Zero-Waste Guide is Live

Our office has published a zero-waste guide for hosting an event. What is a zero-waste event? It's an event where 90% or more of the waste produced is diverted from the landfill or incinerator. Take a step further in your event planning and check out our guide below!

Read the guide here.

AASHE Advisory Council

Our Sustainability and Effectiveness Specialist, Meredith DiIoia, has been named to the AASHE Advisory Council for two years. The Advisory Council (AC) is the primary mechanism for members to get involved in AASHE governance. Consisting of leaders from higher education, business, nonprofits and government, the AC provides advice and guidance on high­-level strategy as well as specific programs and services.

Learn more here.

Sustainability Champion Series: Benjamin Eglash

The SEI Climate Corps Fellow Ben Eglash, whose fellowship ended in December 2024, helped UMB make strides in gathering data for its first Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) Sustainability Tracking, Assessment, & Rating System (STARS) report.

Read the article here.

Wildfire Smoke Linked to Heart and Lung Complaints

Wildfire smoke has long been known to exacerbate health problems like heart disease, lung conditions, and asthma, but now a new study finds that smoke from these fires can lead to poor health thousands of miles away. Researchers from the University of Maryland Institute for Health Computing (UM-IHC) found that medical visits for heart and lung problems rose by nearly 20 percent during six days in June 2023, when smoke from Western Canadian wildfires drifted across the country, leading to very poor air quality days in Baltimore and the surrounding region.

Read the article here.

Healthy Climate Maryland

Healthy Climate Maryland is a newer website that was created by a coalition of dedicated public health and medical professionals seeking to address climate change and environmental challenges by focusing on their impact on public health. There is information on climate change in Maryland, resources for vulnerable populations, and resources on environmental impacts on health.

Learn more here.

Trash Talk: How Centralizing Waste Will Transform Your Campus

The University of Maryland, Baltimore's centralized self-service waste model was highlighted in a recent article in Facilities Manager. The article goes in-depth about the importance of a centralized self-service waste model to reduce waste going to landfills.

Read the article here.

FSIS and FDA Extend Comment Period on Food Date Labeling

USDA and FDA announced a Request for Information (RFI) on date labeling in December 2024 and have extended the comment period. The aim of this RFI is to provide clarity, transparency, and cost savings to consumers by collecting information on “Use By” and “Sell By” dates for food products. Confusion on date labels is a major contributor to food being disposed of improperly in U.S. households.

Submit your comments in the Federal Register by March 5, 2025. Read the USDA Press Release here. Read the FDA Press Release here.

Nancy Nolet Art

Nancy Nolet is a Maryland artist who currently has a window art display called, "Tapestry of Life" at the Crow's Nest until February 28, 2025. There will be a reception and artist talk on February 8, from 3:30-4:30PM. You can RSVP here. Nancy creates intricate three-dimensional mixed-media pieces that explore the relationship between raw materials and man-made industrial objects. She usually uses repurposed salvaged objects, like the sculpture above has been made from a silver candelabra, a pocket watch case, mouse bones, watch gears, a Goliath beetle, and a skull. You can learn more about Nancy and her art here.

LED Lighting Upgrade

UMB is converting light bulbs in buildings across campus from fluorescent to LED. Once complete, this project is estimated to save 5,300,000 kilowatt hours (kWh) each year, which is equivalent to the greenhouse gas emissions from 817 passenger vehicles being driven for one year. The project is almost complete, with just a few more buildings left to complete this spring.

Learn more about the LED Lighting Upgrade here.