Assembly Member Zelinda Welch joined a panel of USC experts for discussions on sustainability research and practice throughout USC. The event was held at the Dundon-Berchtold University Club of USC on Tuesday, September 17th. Zelinda provided updates on current FMS initiatives and provided the following recommendations to staff and faculty:
Reporting – Be an active participant. Report issues such as lights not turning off or rooms overly cooled. (call the CRC)
Leadership – Identify opportunities within your area. Leadership can be accomplished (and is needed) at all levels within the organization. Tell the story to your colleagues and community. If there is a demand response event, and others complain about the slight temperature change explain why the university is participating and help them understand how they are now contributing to a greater effort.
Collaboration – Collaborate across groups. Sustainability is a joint effort. USC is in a unique situation as an academic institution, where application and research can be pulled together. Leverage USC’s resources. The Living Lab initiative is a great example of where we can work to link investments in infrastructure to investments in education.
Zelinda Welch is an Energy Manager at Facilities Management Services. She is a member of the Environment and Safety Committee.