Department of Environmental Affairs
The Department of Environmental Affairs of the Taylor Administration plans to promote sustainability, uplift environmental student organizations, host sustainability events, and challenge environmental policy in the 2024-2025 academic year.
The department’s priorities include:
- Advance Environmental Justice–We will foster relationships with local communities to advance environmental justice, host events to educate the student body on the history of environmental justice in our state, and lead workshops that inspire students to take action on environmental injustice.
- Increase Access to and Practice of Sustainability on Campus– We want to ensure UNC students have the resources and opportunities to lead greener lifestyles and gain environmental education. Specifically, our department will work towards increasing student awareness about food waste reduction and proper waste management practices, with a particular focus on South Campus and incoming students.
- Promote Energy Transition Awareness and Student Involvement – As a department, we will increase communication between students and university administrators surrounding UNC’s Energy Transition. We will also create opportunities for students to learn from experts in clean energy and leading an energy transition, all in an effort to help students lead their communities to be more resilient in facing climate change.
- Strengthen Collaboration Between Student Environmental Groups – There are several student groups at UNC who are working towards a similar goal of sustainability and environmentalism. Through creating a central line of communication and fostering collaboration between these groups, the department aims to bolster the impact of student-led environmental initiatives.
- Promote Professional Development and Networking in Environmental Fields – Our final goal this year will be to promote students’ professional growth in environmental fields through hosting professional development programming and networking events. We hope to host professionals from a variety of sectors in order to diversify students’ perspectives of sustainability-related professions and broaden their horizons.
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Lydia Stranathan (she/her)Co-Director of the Department of Environmental Affairs || lydstran@unc.eduLydia is a junior majoring in Environmental Studies with a minor in Geographical Information Science. She is involved with the Renewable Energy Special Projects Committee (RESPC) and Epsilon Eta. |
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Margot Francini (she/her)Co-Director of the Department of Environmental Affairs || mfrancini@unc.eduMargot Francini is a senior double-majoring in Environmental Health Sciences and Public Policy with a minor in Portuguese. At UNC, she has been involved with the UNC Sustainability Council, Phi Alpha Delta, Epsilon Eta, UNC Italian Club, and the Carolina Bluegrass Band. This past spring, Margot was awarded the Andrews Fellowship in Environmental Policy, which is given to one rising senior with a demonstrated interest in and dedication to policy-related research and/or service related to solutions for local, state, national and/or global environmental challenges. Margot currently works with the NC Collaboratory on PFAS policy research and the Gillings School of Global Public Health as a PFAS air quality research assistant. |