Sustainability Project Commission
Victoria Orozco
Sam Weltsch
Sustainability Project Commissioner
Sustainability Project Commissioner
Hi! My name is Victoria Martinez Orozco (she/her/hers) and I am serving as one of the Sustainability Project Co-Commissioners. I am a fourth-year psychology major who has a deep passion for environmental policy, climate change, and the overall relationship between consumerism and sustainability. Last year, I had the opportunity to be an intern for the Sustainability Project Commission and I hope my experience last year will allow me to strengthen students understanding and efforts of sustainability both on and off campus. As a commissioner, I also hope to bring sustainability to the forefront of many conversations, both at the student body and institutional level. Finally, I strive not only to make previous events like Zot ‘n Clothes more successful than ever before, but I also hope to help and lead a wonderful group of interns through their amazing sustainable event ideas this upcoming year.
Office Hours: TBD
Hello! My name is Sam Weltsch (he/him.) I am going to be a second year Environmental Science and Policy major, and I am one of the Sustainability Project Co-Commissioners for the year. I am deeply interested in all things environmental and sustainable. I am especially into how we can transform our societal systems to be more sustainable systems, for example with our water, food, and transportation. As an intern on last year’s Sustainability Project Commission, I saw how we can educate our peers and our community and strive to reach sustainability goals. I hope to carry on the successes of the commision from years past, and introduce new sustainability-focused ideas and events from our interns to UCI. I am looking forward to an eventful year for the Sustainability Project Commission as we educate on what I believe are some of the most important and pressing issues today, and promote sustainable change, both personal and systemic.
Office Hours: TBD
Commission Description:
The Sustainability Project Commission targets intersectional advocacy, environmental justice, waste management and reduction, recycling, energy efficiency, and self-sufficiency in the UCI student and staff community. Through close collaboration with organizations such as the Sustainability Resource Center (SRC) and the CA Public Interest Research Group (CALPIRG), we support green initiatives on campus to work towards UCI’s sustainability goals, and on a state-wide scale – the University of California’s Carbon Neutrality Initiative as presented from the UCOP.
Previously, we have hosted and been a part of successful events such as Sustainival, Zot n Clothes, Earth Week, Sustainability Action Week, and many more. Along with the Garden Commission and the Sustainability Resource Center (SRC), we help maintain the Ants in Your Plants Garden in Arroyo Vista which donates campus-grown produce to UCI’s FRESH Basic Needs Hub.
Goals:
– Increase student awareness and student involvement in sustainability initiatives and projects on campus
– Support University of California’s Carbon Neutrality Initiative and UCI’s Zero Waste goals through community engagement, policy work, and immediate action
– Collaborate with registered student organizations (RSOs) to plan and coordinate school-wide events targeting environmentalism and sustainable living
– Provide quantitative data to the administration on our campus-wide impacts, e.g. food waste composted, produce grown, student involvement, clothes donated, etc.
– Support Garden Commission’s initiatives to encourage students to destress at the Ants in Your Plants Garden while making a sustainable impact