Jen Kleindienst, Sustainability Director

284 High Street, Room 104
Middletown, CT 06457
jkleindienst@wesleyan.edu
860-685-3242

Meet the Sustainability Office

Launched in 2012, the Wesleyan Sustainability Office demonstrates the University's commitment to promoting holistic sustainability.  Meet past Office employees on the alumni page.

Sustainability Office Employees January 2023

Sustainability Director

  • Jen Kleindienst

    Sustainability Director

    284 High Street Room 104

    860-685-3242

    jkleindienst@wesleyan.edu

    Jen Kleindienst began as Wesleyan's first Sustainability Coordinator in July 2012 and became Sustainability Director in July 2015. Jen is passionate about building a more sustainable world and loves putting ideas into action on the Wesleyan campus. She works to coordinate sustainability efforts between students, faculty, staff, and administrators, and create new programs to foster sustainable thinking and acting. Before coming to Wesleyan, Jen worked in the sustainability offices at Tufts University, St. Michael's College, and MIT. Jen holds an M.S. in Environmental Studies from Antioch University New England and a B.A. from Hamilton College.

Eco Facilitators Coordinators

Two Eco Facilitators (EF) Coordinators lead each EF cohort, comanaging this three-semester program.  They lead a student forum (Inspiring Sustainable Behaviors and Systemic Change) in their first semester and manage EFs and their projects in the second and third semesters.

EF Coordinators 2022-23

  • Debbra Goh '24

    WesThrift Coordinator

  • Annie Volker '24

    WesThrift Coordinator

EF Coordinators 2023-24

  • B Frankenstein '25

  • Matthew Gilbert '25

Eco Facilitators

Eco Facilitators (EFs) are a group of students who provide students with the tools, education, and encouragement necessary to develop sustainable living practices, as well to encourage a sense of environmental consciousness and social responsibility.  In this three-semester program, EFs first enroll in a semester-long student forum (Inspiring Sustainable Behaviors and Systemic Change). The following school year, EFs are paid to apply their ideas and to manage physical tasks in their assigned dorm. Working as an Eco Facilitator is a great opportunity to gain leadership skills and take part in building a more sustainable, equitable, and inclusive campus community.  To learn more, email ecofacilitators@wesleyan.edu. 

Eco Facilitators 2022-23

  • Arlette Aguilera '25

    Post-Landfill Action Network Atlas Zero Waste Fellow & WesThrift Employee

  • Ishani Dave '25

    WesThrift Employee

  • B Frankenstein '25

    WesThrift Employee

  • Matthew Gilbert '25

    WesThrift Employee

  • Eden Ho '24

  • Isadora Leviton '25

  • Gwyneth MacDonough '25

  • Audrey Maxim-Rumley '25

    WesThrift Employee

  • Vivian Redmond '24

    Post-Landfill Action Network Atlas Zero Waste Fellow & WesThrift Employee

  • Natalie Sweet '25

  • Katie Yin '24

    WesThrift Employee

  • Charlotte Zapletal '25

Eco Facilitators 2023-24

  • Catherine Auerbach '26

  • Aviva Branoff '26

  • Lydia Brutvan '25

  • Danielle Eforo '25

  • Margery Fang '26

  • Angela Han '26

  • Maxwell Maveus '26

  • Lyah Muktavaram '26

  • Matthew O'Toole '25

  • Luke Robbins '26

  • Matar Rocker '26

  • Lucy Schwalbe '26

  • Sadie Woodruff '26

Data Analyst

  • Mao Kato '24

    WesThrift Employee

Sustainability Coordinators

The Sustainability Coordinators, along with the Waste Not Coordinator, run the Waste Not collection each May and tag sale each fall.  The SCs also collaborate with program houses, woodframes, and campus-wide, managing individual and collective projects that promote sustainability.

  • Aurora Guecia '25

  • Felicity Guevara '24

    Abroad Spring 2023

  • Lily Krug '24

Compost Interns

Compost Interns manage Wesleyan's residential composting program and food waste reduction programs in dining halls and residences.

  • Bella Barocas '24

    Abroad Spring 2023

  • Peter Fulweiler '23

  • Emma Singleton '23

  • Devin Sturtevant '25

  • Dane Thompson '24

Sustainable Middletown Interns

The Sustainable Middletown Interns coordinate with City of Middletown employees and volunteers to identify and implement projects to support Middletown's sustainability efforts.

  • Tamira Le '26

  • Serena Levingston '24

WesThrift Employees

The WesThrift free thrift store is run entirely by students, offering shopping hours each week, as well as free tailoring.

  • Julia Noriega '24

    WesThrift Tailor

Sustainability Strategic Plan Ambassadors

Student Sustainability Strategic Plan (SSP) Ambassadors work on SSP education and publicity and/or work with a team of faculty, staff, and students to implement a specific objective. 

  • Dylan Campos '24

  • Stella Li '23

  • Maggie Monaghan '24

  • Isaac Moss '25

  • Hannah Podol '25

Sustainability Summer Assistant

The Summer Assistant works on a variety of projects including those related to strategic planning, marketing, and general office assistance.

This position is vacant until May 2023.