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.
Highlighted Office Projects
The following projects will be active in 2025-26. More projects will be added during the Fall 2025 semester.
- Community Matchbox: Expanded this existing program focused on campus-communty connections. Created a directory database on Airtable; reached out to faculty/staff, Wesleyan student groups, and Middletown organizations about joining; publicized, educated, and presented at meetings.
- Purchasing data analysis: Reviewed Amazon purchasing records, categorized purchases by product category, and flagged high-volume product category purchases. The goal is to suggest cost-effective and environmentally friendly alternatives.
- Improved Sustainability EDU: Worked with the new student orientation planning team to improve the sustainability education tab on the college2success orientation platform and revamp the Sustainability EDU survey to make it more straightforward.
- Pollinator gardens: Expanded existing project to reduce grass and increase native, pollinator-friendly plantings on campus. Added new garden sites, painted bee houses, and installed a bench in 2024-25. Plan to do more planting, upkeep, and engagement events in 2025-26.
- Amazing Grace connection: This project aims to facilitate a long-term relationship between Wesleyan and Amazing Grace Food Pantry through semesterly community engagement training, points drives, and student volunteer trips. In Spring 2025, this became part of the Environmental Solidarity Network with a new coordinator position.
- Zero Waste: Continued the path toward zero waste with investigations into surplus spaces and a surplus online shop. In Summer and Fall 2025 students are doing a return on investment analysis to restart and potentially expand Wesleyan's reusable to-go program.
- Snow School compost education: Continued a partnership with Middletown's Snow Elementary School to do weekly educational activities with two classes of preschool students.
- Green Office expansion: The Green Office Program is designed to recognize, support, and promote offices and departments that engage in environmentally sustainable practices. Expanded GOC outreach this year through continued emailing and hosting a Success at Wes workshop where faculty and staff could learn about the GOC process and begin their certification. Continuing outreach in Summer and Fall 2025.
- Fresh Monkee collaboration: Collaborated with the smoothie cafe Fresh Monkee on College Street to pick up weekly foodwaste from their new food mill to drop off at Long Lane Farm for composting.
- Gender-Affirming clothing swap: WesThrift partnered with the Resource Center to hold gender affirming clothing swaps once each semester. The fall version was just open hours (advertised through flyers and RC emails) and the spring version followed a RC-led transtape workshop.
- Revamp of Middletown Government Participation Guide and launch workshop: Updated the 2021 guide with new information and topic areas. Hosted a launch event at the Russell Library in March 2025. Attracted 70+ participants to give them an overview of the Guide and how they want to get involed in Middletown.
Sustainability Director
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Jen Kleindienst
Sustainability Director
284 High Street Room 104
860-685-3242
Jen Kleindienst (she/her) began as Wesleyan's first Sustainability Coordinator in 2012 and became Sustainability Director in 2015. Jen is passionate about building a more sustainable world and loves putting ideas into action with Wesleyan and Middletown communities. She oversees Wesleyan’s sustainability strategic planning, which focuses on achieving carbon neutrality, preparing students to become environmental and social leaders, and integrating holistic sustainability into everything that Wesleyan does. Jen leads a team of 30 students and collaborates with campus and community to turn challenging goals into reality and make change. 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.
Learn more about Jen at her Gordon Career Center page.
Environmental Fellows Coordinators
Two Environmental Fellows (EF) Coordinators lead fellow students in this minimum three-semester program. They manage rising EF apprentices in their first semester and manage EFs and their projects in the second and third semesters.
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Lydia Brutvan '25
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Lily Robbins '26
Environmental Fellows
Environmental Fellows (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. Working as an EF is a great opportunity to gain leadership skills and take part in building a more sustainable, equitable, and inclusive campus community.
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Arlette Aguilera '25
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Catherine Auerbach '26
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Nell Brayton '27
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Macie Carlos '27
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Asper Cisse '28
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Akram Elkouraichi '27
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Margery Fang '26
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Matthew Gilbert '25
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Ginevra Gilmore '27
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Brynn Heller '27
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Rory Joslin '28
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Sasha Lovell '28
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Bianca Morales '28
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Lyah Muktavaram '26
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Aishlinn Parrinello '27
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Sage Saada Saar '26
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Elias Schock '28
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Lucy Schwalbe '26
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Thalia Witkovsky '27
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B Frankenstein '25
Waste Not/WesThrift Coordinator
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Alexa Anderson '28
Waste Not/WesThrift Coordinator
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Daniel Coxson '27
Waste Not Coordinator
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Providence Mugisha '28
Waste Not Coordinator
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Jazmin Alvarez '26 (abroad Spring 2025)
Compost Interns
Compost Interns manage Wesleyan's residential composting program and food waste reduction programs in dining halls and residences.
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Olivia Benton '25
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Julia Chadwick '28
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Ethan Lee '26
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Matar Rocker '26
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Devin Sturtevant '25
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Rachel Walker '27
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Iris Zhan '27
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.
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Laine Gorman '25
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Tamira Le '26
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Shekinah Mba '26 (abroad Spring 2025)
Sew What Coordinators
The WesThrift free thrift store is run entirely by students, offering shopping hours each week, as well as free tailoring and tailoring workshops.
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Coleman Hamilton '27
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Shayna Klaidman '27
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Eden Porter '27
Sustainability Strategic Plan Ambassadors
Student Sustainability Strategic Plan (SSP) Ambassadors work on education, outreach, and support efforts relating to a particular aspect of the SSP.
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Michael Minars '25
Focus area: sustainable careers
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Isaac Moss '25
Focus area: invasive plant management
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Gad Nkurunziza '27
Focus area: sustainable careers
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Alex Potts '27
Focus area: publicity
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Elanora Smith '27
Focus area: invasive plant management
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Ava Symons '26
Focus area: transportation
Sustainability Office Coordinators
The Office Coordinators work on a variety of projects including those related to strategic planning, marketing, and general office assistance.
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B Frankenstein '25
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Natalie Sweet '25
Data Analyst
The Data Analyst is an Environmental Fellows who collects and analyzes Office data for accountability and marketing and develops graphics and other ways of sharing data publicly.
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Angela Han '26