Partners

Our partners help make UMass Amherst the destination of choice for sustainability professionals. Across campus, UMass students are learning, living, and leading sustainability thanks to the vision and efforts of these people and organizations.
 


Ezra Small

Campus Sustainability Manager, Facilities & Campus Services
 
As the Sustainability Manager at UMass Amherst since 2011, Ezra Small works to foster a culture of sustainability by coordinating efforts across campus operations and forming interdisciplinary collaborative campus partnerships. He is the chair of the Chancellor’s Sustainability Advisory Committee (CSAC), which is the body responsible for advancing overall sustainable efforts at the University. Ezra oversees the reporting process for the Sustainability Tracking, Assessment Rating System (STARS) as well as annual energy and emissions reporting to the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources (MA DOER) and the Second Nature Climate Commitment. Ezra has been working to advance the renewable energy portfolio of the campus, build a collaborative team of students, faculty, and staff to increase recycling rates, promote greener construction and renovations of campus buildings, and continue to advance energy efficiency and alternative transportation. Read more >
 


Madeleine Charney

Sustainability Librarian

Madeleine Charney entered the world of academic librarianship shortly after receiving her MLS in 1991. Midway through her career, she received a second Master's degree in Landscape Planning and Design from the Conway School. She worked for several years as the solo librarian at the New England Small Farm Institute. Since arriving at UMass in 2004, she has become the sustainability "go-to person" at the UMass Amherst Libraries. She is the founder and moderator of Sustainable UMass, a campus-wide listserv. With a passion for growing food, Madeleine is a certified Permaculture Designer and has completed the training program offered by the Western Massachusetts Master Gardener Association. She is co-founder and current Coordinator of SustainRT: Libraries Fostering Resilient Communities, under the American Library Association. Read more >

 

Dwayne Breger

Extension Professor, Environmental Conservation
Director, Clean Energy Extension

Dwayne was hired as the Director of the UMass Clean Energy Extension in 2015.  Dwayne came to UMass after 13 years as the Director of the Renewable Energy Division at the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources (DOER). At DOER, he was responsible for the state Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS), the development of the RPS solar carve-out and solar loan program, the advance of biomass energy policy, and served on the staff working group that designed the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative. Read more >
 
 

Forrest Bowlick

Lecturer, Environmental Conservation & Earth, Geographic, and Climate Sciences
MS Geography-GIST Concentration Graduate Program Director

Forrest’s research investigates how students learn GIS, especially in the growing field of CyberGIS. Through analysis of curriculum and instruction in GIS, Forrest aims to build an evidence-based understanding of how GIS programs function, and what knowledge, skills, and practices make up the GIS degree. He has additional research interest in geography education, geography in higher education, resources of the elements, and tropical glaciers. Read more >

 

Shana Passonno

Director, Office of Professional Development
 
Shana Passonno is the Director of the Graduate School's Office of Professional Development (OPD). The OPD positions graduate students and postdocs for success in their careers at UMass and beyond. Annually, OPD organizes more than 400 events for 5,000+ total participants. Read more >
 

Henry Renski

Graduate Program Director, Master of Regional Planning
 
Henry Renski joined the faculty of Landscape Architecture and Regional Planning in the fall of 2007. He teaches courses in quantitative methods, Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and spatial analysis, and state and local economic development policy. Read more >
 

Departments and Organizations



Landscape Architecture and Regional Planning, College of Social & Behavioral Sciences
Through integrative teaching, research, creative work, and outreach, we design and plan sustainable communities and regions. We seek integrative, regenerative, community-based, beautiful solutions to serve the ecological, economic and social needs of human as well as natural systems. Our distinctive academic department, which combines landscape architecture and regional planning, enables us to connect spatial and social forms across multiple scales, from the site to the city to the region, and from design to plan to program and policy implementation. Learn more >
 
 

Department of Environmental Conservation, College of Natural Sciences
The Department of Environmental Conservation's focus extends from the ecology and management of fish and wildlife populations, trees, forests, watersheds and landscapes to the physical, social, and policy aspects of conservation involving urban forests, human habitat, and sustainable building. The study of biology, sociology, policy, engineering, building science, and resource management encompasses rural, suburban, and urban environments. The unifying focus of all these activities is on the stewardship of healthy and sustainable ecosystems that provide important human and community benefits. Learn more >
 
 

Stockbridge School of Agriculture, College of Natural Sciences
The Stockbridge School of Agriculture has led and will continue to lead progress toward a more sustainable future.  We specialize in hands-on, career-focused education in both science and practice.  Our alumni are successful businesspeople and scientists and provide an unparalleled support network for young graduates.  Employment rates of Stockbridge graduates approach 100%. Learn more >
 
 
 
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