The Patrick T. Harker Interdisciplinary Science and Engineering (ISE) Laboratory hosts environmentally conscious qualities, including a green roof containing non-invasive, native and non-native species that can survive without irrigation in extreme wet and dry conditions.

UD reenergizes sustainability initiatives

Article by UDaily Staff Photos by Evan Krape May 06, 2026

President’s Committee on Sustainability to highlight and advance efforts

To bring fresh energy and ideas to the University of Delaware’s sustainability efforts, President Laura Carlson has created the Presidential Committee on Sustainability, composed of faculty, students and staff from throughout UD.

“So many people at UD are engaged in research, scholarship, service and hands-on work to help ensure a healthy future for people and our planet,” Carlson said. “We want to support and celebrate those efforts and encourage even more action to make UD a true leader in this field.”

Chris Williams, professor of wildlife ecology and chair of the Presidential Committee on Sustainability

The Committee is chaired by Chris Williams, professor of wildlife ecology in the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources. Carlson has named Williams a Presidential Fellow on Sustainability.

“It’s inspiring to be working with the dedicated researchers, teachers, students and staff members who are passionate about sustainability,” Williams said. “We have enthusiasm and momentum, and we’re excited to continue to make a positive impact for UD.”

The Committee will work closely with the University’s Office of Sustainability to make strategic recommendations. The office is part of Facilities Services and Campus Planning and focuses on improving the sustainability of UD’s facilities and operations.

“The goal of the Committee is to explore valuable ideas and proposals from across the UD community to advance sustainability in a variety of ways,” Williams said. “We want to foster connections and spark new ideas so we can expand UD’s efforts and success.”

The work of the Office of Sustainability has already had a significant impact on UD, said director Jeffrey Summerhays.

UD has undertaken about two dozen projects that together prevented more than 9,500 tons of lifetime carbon dioxide equivalent emissions between 2021 and 2025. During that time, more than 80 faculty across 23 departments taught or researched sustainability topics, and the University planted a dozen native trees on campus for Earth Day 2025. More tree plantings are planned for this year’s Earth Day events.

Jeffrey Summerhays, director of the Office of Sustainability

Those and many other improvements recently led to the University earning a STARS Silver rating from the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE), which is the world’s most widely recognized framework for sustainability reporting in higher education. STARS measures a range of efforts, from institutional commitments to systemic support for individual actions.

Many new initiatives also are planned. For example, laboratories throughout UD can begin participating in the My Green Lab program this year, which will help researchers run more efficient and sustainable labs. UD also has received a $1 million grant from Energize Delaware for several projects, including the replacement of old and inefficient ultra-low-temperature freezers in research laboratories.

Also, the Office has worked with faculty and integrated sustainability in the classroom. For example, a senior project last year in Civil and Environmental Engineering found that more than 5.5 million single-use plastic bottles have been saved by the water bottle refill stations around campus.