Jennifer Ivey is looking at sustainability through a wider lens after completing UGA’s Sustainability Leadership Program, a two-semester program designed to help employees develop leadership skills while advancing sustainability across campus.
Ivey applied to participate in the program and joined 18 other UGA employees from across campus. The first part of the program focused on leadership training and learning about sustainability initiatives at UGA. The group met twice a month for a couple of hours.
During the second half of the program, participants worked on their own projects and met monthly for workshops. The sessions gave them time to share ideas with the group and focus on their individual or group projects.
For Ivey, meeting people from across campus was one of the best parts of the experience.
“It was very rewarding to get to know others from across UGA who wanted to increase their leadership skills and commitment to UGA through their sustainability projects,” Ivey said. “The people who applied for this program are committed to making a difference on campus.”
She was especially interested in the sessions about recycling and waste management. Learning what can and cannot be recycled at UGA gave her a better understanding of the university’s waste practices.
“The UGA-specific sessions on waste management were so informative and fascinating,” she added.
Ivey’s project was a faculty and staff clothing swap, which she organized with her cohort partner, Nano Serwich in Odum School of Ecology. The swap was held in May on the Odum lawn, and several College of Pharmacy staff members participated.
Ivey would like to see more clothing swaps in the future and plans to share what she learned with colleagues in the College of Pharmacy. She also sees an opportunity to talk with the Pharmacy Staff Resource Group about the Sustainability Leadership Program and encourage others to apply.
Ivey said one of the biggest benefits for the College of Pharmacy is the network she built during the program. If someone has a sustainability question, she now has connections across UGA who may be able to help.
“I think the CoP can benefit from my increased network through SLP, in knowing who to ask when anyone here has sustainability questions or sharing information on other sustainability initiatives that came out of this program,” Ivey said.
Her interest in sustainability started long before she joined the program. When Ivey was in middle and high school, she remembers a renewed focus on being good stewards of the Earth’s resources. She has always loved animals, and learning about habitat destruction helped shape her interest in sustainability.
Today, sustainability is part of her everyday routine. She recycles and composts at home, uses cloth napkins, buys secondhand and brings a reusable cup to restaurants when allowed. She also labels containers for trash, recycling and compostable items at home to make it easier for her family to sort their waste. Some of her habits are simple, too. Instead of using a dryer, Ivey hangs her clothes out to dry.
For Ivey, sustainability is not just something she learned about through the program. It is something she has practiced for years and now has more opportunities to share with her College of Pharmacy community.
