EcoReps
The Rice EcoRep Program is a student-led peer-to-peer environmental outreach network based in our university's eleven residential colleges. Each residential college is served by up to two EcoReps whose job it is to lead a series of college-focused sustainability initiatives, including utility conservation, recycling and environmental education.
The EcoReps are employed by the Office of Sustainability, and the program is further supported through "green funds" provided by Housing and Dining. For more information about the program, please contact Sustainability Program Coordinator, Kristianna Bowles, at kb102@rice.edu. To contact individual EcoReps, please consult the Rice Directory after reviewing the "Meet Our EcoReps" hyperlink.
PROJECTS
At their individual colleges Eco-Reps complete a variety of projects. Examples include:
- Ordering Greenware for their college and lending it out for college events
- Creating Herb and vegetable Gardens to support their serveries’ kitchen
- Planting trees and pollinator plants
- Installing hand dryers in common bathrooms
- Ordering motion sensing lights for common spaces
- Creating E-Waste and Special Recycling Stations in the Colleges
- DIY Environmental Events
- Hosting panels and discussion on environmental topics.
In addition to individual college projects, Eco-Reps also collaborate on campus wide projects. For example, they have created a Green Events Guide to promote making sustainable choices for events across colleges, and work together to help hold the Green Dorm Initiative in the Spring.
PROGRAM HISTORY
In the fall of 2006, the department of Facilities Engineering and Planning teamed with Housing and Dining to launch a pilot EcoRep project at Martel College. Ben Stevenson served as Rice's first EcoRep. In the fall of 2007, undergraduates Jeremy Caves, Jessica Coe, Lauren Laustsen, Alex Tseng, and Niki von Hedemann drafted a grant proposal for a start-up Envision Grant to support project costs for fully implementing an EcoRep program at all of Rice's residential colleges. They were awarded the grant in January 2008. The Office of Sustainability provided further support by covering student salaries, and Housing and Dining allocated "green funds" for each residential college to use (via application) for sustainability-focused projects.
The EcoRep program was fully staffed for each residential college beginning in the spring of 2008. Lauren Laustsen served as the first Head EcoRep, working with the Executive Director of Sustainability to provide strategic, organizational, and logistical oversight for the program. The Head EcoRep position has remained a staple of the EcoRep program with one to two EcoReps serving in the role each year. A full list of previous Head EcoReps can be found below.
- Jeremy Caves: 2008 - 2009
- Rebecca Sagastegui: 2009 - 2010
- Rebecca Sagastegui: 2010 - 2011
- Christina Hughes: 2011 - 2012
- Christina Hughes: 2012 - 2013
- Brian Strasters: 2013 - 2014
- Zach Bielak: 2014 - 2015
- Chynna Foucek (fall) and Lindsy Pang (spring): 2015 - 2016
- Conrado Asenjo: 2016 - 2017
- Travis Kwee: 2017 - 2018
- Allison Yelvington and Sarah Silberman: 2018 - 2019
- Sam Holloway and Aurora Kessler: 2019 - 2020
- Christine Zhao and Lucy Revercomb: 2020 - 2021