About Campus Sustainability

About Us

Office of Campus Sustainability

Natalie Sobrinski
Sustainability Specialist
[email protected]

Natalie Sobrinski oversees the co-curricular and operational efforts of campus sustainability. She is responsible for working with key campus and community stakeholders to create and support opportunities for outreach and engagement on sustainability issues for faculty, staff and students. Additionally, Sobrinski will complete institution-wide sustainability reporting to promote evidence-based decision making for campus initiatives.

Prior to joining Muhlenberg Sobrinski worked as a professional engineer promoting sustainability as an environmental and social justice imperative. She received her bachelor’s degree from UMass Amherst, where she studied Civil and Environmental Engineering and holds Master's Degrees in Sustainability Design from CU Boulder and Higher Education Administration from Penn State.

 

Richard Niesenbaum
Professor of Biology, Director of Sustainability Studies
[email protected]

Richard Niesenbaum is a professor of biology and director of the sustainability studies program at Muhlenberg College. He oversees the academic sustainability efforts on campus, including managing the sustainability studies major and minor, and works to grow faculty engagement within the sustainability curriculum. He is also the current director of the College's RJ Fellow honors program. Niesenbaum earned his Ph.D. in biology/ecology from the University of Pennsylvania, his master's in biological oceanography from the University of Connecticut and his bachelor's in biology and environmental studies from the University of Pennsylvania. 

Student Program Managers

Students can support campus sustainability initiatives through work study, internships & volunteer projects.  Learn more about how you can get involved with the Office of Sustainability by contacting [email protected].

Lindsey Adler (she/her) '24

Environmental Chemistry (self-designed) Major, Sustainability Studies Minor

Lindsey is an executive board member for enACT, Muhlenberg's student-driven environmental action team. She also worked with the Office of Sustainability to create a map of sustainable features on campus, which can be seen on the Muhlenberg website! She is now looking into ways to reduce waste in Muhlenberg's classroom and research labs.

 

Headshot of a student on a forest path

Ashley Henry (she/her) '26

Neuroscience Major, Spanish Minor

Ashley Henry (she/her) is currently pursuing the pre-med track with a major in Neuroscience along with a minor in Spanish. Ashley is a Special Projects Assistant for the Sustainability Department and is currently working on the Muhlenberg Bike Share Program in collaboration with the Trexler Library and Campus Safety. The Bike Share Program will allow all members of the campus to check out a bicycle for 24-hour periods. This project aims to promote more sustainable methods of transportation around campus. 

Ashley’s passion for sustainability stems from her desire to promote healthful and sustainable living. By investing in sustainable practices and pursuing a more encompassing form of healthcare, she aims to become a physician who can effectively treat the injuries of today while promoting better health for tomorrow. On campus, Ashley is also involved in Muhlenberg College EMS, STEM Outreach, Biochemistry/Chemistry Club, Student Government Association, research on neurodiversity and ADHD, and Delta Zeta. 

Julie Morrison (she/her) '26

Biology & Psychology Double major

Julie leads the campus Green Move-Out initiatives and is currently working on the schools Bee Campus certification. Julie is involved in Chapel, the Ornithology Museum, and the Delta Zeta sorority at Muhlenberg. Outside of campus, she enjoys hiking, thrifting, and reading.

 

Eliana Yascual (she/her) '27

Environmental Chemistry (self-designed) Major, Sustainability Studies Minor

Eliana Yascual,currently acts as the Social Media Manager for the Office of Sustainability.  She recently graduated from Frank Sinatra School of the Arts in Queens New York where she had daily hands-on experience with utilizing various social media platforms, design and editing tools effectively. She is eager to use her marketing skills in order to promote sustainability initiatives within the Muhlenberg College community. She believes that there is a power in the student voice and by using social Media it will accelerate the chance in making a  meaningful contribution to the Office of Campus Sustainability's mission. She has an enthusiasm for sustainability, but knows that there is always more to learn about what we could do for the earth and for ourselves.

 

 

Student Organizations

At Muhlenberg, you'll find a vibrant student community focused on sustainability. Join one of these student-run organizations—or start your own.

 

President's Committee on Sustainability
Meet the members. 

Mission Statement

We will investigate, develop and promote sustainability in our research and curriculum, administrative and facilities operations, campus community and other communities to which we belong, as well as in our individual behavior. We define sustainability as meeting the needs of the present generation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.

Vision Statement

We are committed to being good citizens of the Earth, and to making institutional decisions that are mindful of our complex relations with the ecosystem. We seek to minimize our resource use and to be good stewards of the natural resources entrusted to us. We seek to create ways to positively impact our environment. As an institution of higher learning, we seek to create a culture on campus that supports sustainability.

Values Statement

We believe that our individual and institutional actions can have a significant impact on our local, regional and global environment.

We believe that integrating sustainability into the educational experience is vital to preparing students for lives of leadership and service as responsible global citizens.

We believe that it is our responsibility as individuals and as a college to model environmentally sustainable practices, both within the campus community and beyond it.

We believe that good environmental stewardship is best realized through collaboration, when the diverse actors that make up a college are working together.

We believe that sustainability and good business go hand in hand, and that the ethical, scientific and economic dimensions of sustainability can and should be balanced.

We recognize that the notion of sustainability integrates economic growth and development with environmental protection and social justice, and we operate under that guiding principle.