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 are active in 2025-26. More projects will be added during the Spring 2026 semester. For details on Environmental Fellows' Fall 2025 projects, view their summary presentation.
- Activism town hall: Partnered with ESN to hold a November 2025 town hall to identify ways to encourage collective and systemic activism around intersectional sustainability issues. Workshops addressing shared themes will begin in Spring 2026.
- Pollinator gardens: EFs expanded this existing project to reduce grass and invasive plants and increase native, pollinator-friendly plantings on campus in collaboration with the Bailey College of the Environment.
- Amazing Grace: EFs continued to build relationships between Wesleyan and Amazing Grace Food Pantry through community engagement training and student volunteer trips. Amazing Grace coordination is slated to become a component of a new Food Justice Coordinator position in Spring 2026.
- Zero waste: EFs continued the path toward zero waste with investigations into surplus spaces and a surplus online shop. In Summer 2025 students did return on investment analysis and conducted outreach in Fall 2025 to restart and potentially expand Wesleyan's reusable to-go program.
- Snow School compost education: EFs and compost interns continued a partnership with Middletown's Snow Elementary School to do weekly educational activities with two classes of preschool students.
- 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.
- Middletown Government Participation Guide outreach: Sustainable Middletown Interns developed new materials to teach the Guide to Middletown middle school students.
- Outdoor compost access: Compost Interns received Green Fund funding to expand public compost collection in several public locations on campus, including a new waste station with compost for WesWings, which will be installed in Spring 2026.
- SSP publicity: Communications Coordinators are working on a "Faces of the SSP" video series, which will launch on Instagram in Spring 2026.
- Bikeshare: EFs connected with Public Safety to find ways to expand and improve the existing semester bikeshare program.
- Play It Forward: EFs launched this new student-led program in collaboration with Wesleyan Athletics and the Sustainability Office that collects gently used athletic shoes and athletic apparel from the Wesleyan community for donation to Middletown residents.
- Local Food Producers: EFs connected students to local producers and farmers through informational signage, events, and field trips to local farms.
Sustainability Director
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Jen Kleindienst
Sustainability Director
284 High Street Room 104
860-685-3242
BioJen 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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Lily Robbins '26
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Lucy Schwalbe '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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Catherine Auerbach '26
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Lara Barzenji '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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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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Sage Saada Saar '26
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Elias Schock '28
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Thalia Witkovsky '27
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Jazmin Álvarez Izaguírre '26
Waste Not/WesThrift Coordinator
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Providence Mugisha '28
Waste Not/WesThrift Coordinator
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Daniel Coxson '27
Waste Not Coordinator
Compost Interns
Compost Interns manage Wesleyan's residential composting program and food waste reduction programs in dining halls and residences.
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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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Rachel Walker '27 (abroad Fall 2025)
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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Genesis Castro '28
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Tamira Le '26
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Shekinah Mba '26
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Eli Villalobos-Sharone '28
Sew What Coordinators
The Sew What mending program is run entirely by students, and also offers sewing workshops.
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Shayna Klaidman '27 (abroad Fall 2025)
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Alexandra Lee '29
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Tess Lieber '28
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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Bella Migliore '28
Ecological Restoration Intern
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Gad Nkurunziza '27
Sustainable Careers Intern
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Elanora Smith '27 (abroad Fall 2025)
Ecological Restoration Intern
Office and Communications Coordinators
The Office Coordinators work on a variety of projects including those related to strategic planning, marketing, and general office assistance. Communications Coordinators manage outreach efforts including posters, social media, and more.
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Daniel Coxson '27
Office Coordinator
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Ava Symons '26
Office Coordinator
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Catherine Auerbach '26
Communications Coordinator
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Frances Mitchler '28
Communications Coordinator
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 (on leave Fall 2025)