Author: Sophie

Sophie Golomb is the Manager of Sustainability, overseeing the Office's outreach, engagement programs, and communications. She supervises the NYU EcoReps program, coordinates events and university-wide initiatives, and helps to spread awareness of sustainability throughout the NYU community. She has a B.A. in Anthropology and Studio Art from Brandeis University and an M.A. in Environmental Conservation Education from NYU Steinhardt.

Sustainability Summer Reading List 2017

Looking for something to read this summer? Here are some suggestions of acclaimed books that speak to a diversity of sustainability- and environmentally-related issues and ideas. Pick up one of these books this summer and gain a radically new outlook on the world we live in and how we can help to make it a better place.

Lab Girl - Hope Jahren1. Lab Girls

By Hope Jahren
Lab Girl is the debut memoir of Hope Jahren, who has devoted her life to the study of trees, flower, seeds, and soil. The story, as told by Jahren, takes the reader back to her childhood in rural Minnesota where her father allowed her access to his classroom’s lab, in which she found a love for science and learned to perform lab work. However, the book’s core plot hinders on Jahren’s relationship with her lab partner and best friend, with whom she travels across the United States from the Midwest to tropical Hawaii, where she currently lives and works. Lab Girl is highly acclaimed, a New York Times 2016 Notable Book, and a national bestseller.

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New York City Teens Advocate for Environmental Sustainability

 On Tuesday, February 21, thirty-two students, representing twelve different high schools throughout New York City, gathered at New York University. The students spanned the city geographically and expressed interests in a variety of topics from art to mathematics. But despite their diverse backgrounds and interests, they came together over one shared goal: to advocate for sustainability.

Over the past six months, I have had the honor and privilege of developing, organizing, and directing the Teen Advocates for Sustainability Corps (TASC, pronounced “task”) Summit. The TASC Summit is a three-day environmental advocacy conference for New York City high school students. The program is a joint effort of NYU Steinhardt’s Wallerstein Collaborative for Urban Environmental Education and the NYU Office of Sustainability’s Green Grants program, which offers funding to projects that advance sustainability at NYU. Read more

NYU Sustainability 2016 #YearinReview

Here are some of NYU Sustainability’s major accomplishments in 2016!

unplugged2016Residence Halls Conserve Energy for NYUnplugged
In February, 17 Residence Halls competed in the NYUnplugged energy reduction challenge. Lipton Hall not only saved the most energy but also brought the most awareness to energy conservation through events and social media, securing their spot in first place!

Student, Faculty & Staff Collaborate
In March members of the Sustainability Task Force (STF) submitted a proposal to Governor Cuomo’s REV Campus Challenge, which called for New York State colleges and universities to develop clean energy plans for a chance to win $1 million for support in implementation. NYU was nationally recognized as a competition “Leader” and a “First Mover” for joining the competition in its first 6 months. The effort brought together a diverse group of individuals, who developed a proposal for an anaerobic digester at NYU. Additionally, throughout the Fall, an STF working group collaborated on a Sustainability Indicator Survey to question the NYU community on their attitudes towards sustainability. The survey is in queue for release.   Read more

Guide to Cycling in the Winter

Don’t let the cold slow you down! Just because it is starting to get a little chilly out there, does not mean you need to store your bike away and let it hibernate for the winter. With the proper gear and some safety tips, you can become a fearless winter warrior and bike your way into the springtime.

Gearing Up

Let’s not fool ourselves: wind chill is real and it’s just about the worst part of biking in the winter. But if you layer up properly, you’ll be juuuuust fine. Here’s what Pio Tsai, Bike Share extraordinaire, suggests: Read more