Colin Moynihan | HDH Sustainability Manager|Class of 2015 | B.S. Environmental Engineering
How did you first become involved with the EcoNauts and could you talk about what you did as an EcoNaut?
I first became involved with the EcoNauts in the summer of 2012, when I was hired by Krista Mays. As an EcoNaut, I created programs and worked on projects to promote sustainability and living green on campus. I worked closely with the other EcoNauts to plan events, educate UC San Diego students about sustainability, perform waste audits, and implement various other programs to make Housing*Dining*Hospitality (HDH )and UC San Diego more sustainable. I particularly enjoyed the creativity that this position called for because it required that I think outside the box, and it helped my passion for sustainability grow!
Could you please talk about what you do as the Sustainability Manager in HDH?
As Sustainability Manager for HDH, it is my overall role to foster a culture of sustainability among students and staff. In order to do this, I have my hands in many different things. I manage and support the EcoNauts with their projects and events. Since they are HDH’s student sustainability advocates, it is important to make sure they have the tools they need to engage, educate, and inspire residents on a peer to peer level. I also review HDH’s programs and operations and suggest various sustainability improvements to help us achieve our many sustainability goals, such as Zero Waste by 2020. Such improvements range from waste management, to sustainable food procurement, to our back-of-house food scrap composting program.
My other responsibilities include collaborating with other areas and campus departments on projects such as UC San Diego’s zero waste plan and the UC Office of the President’s Annual Sustainability Report, advising the sustainability efforts of new building projects, and reviewing Green Grant applications, just to name a few more.
What are some of the sustainable practices that are currently being implemented or you hope to see implemented in the future in housing and dining facilities on campus?
I am working on a pilot program to re-introduce post-consumer food scrap collection and composting in the HDH dining facilities. We’ve struggled with contamination of non-compostable items for many years, and have had a challenging time implementing a successful program. I am taking a different approach to capture this difficult waste stream, and am excited to see how well it performs. It is planned to be rolled-out this Winter Quarter, so keep an eye out for it!
In the future, I hope to see even greater sustainability innovations in future HDH buildings. With our various campus sustainability goals, such as zero waste and climate neutrality, fast approaching, it is important that we start designing our new building projects with the mindset that these goals have been achieved. Our next development, the North Torrey Pines Living and Learning Neighborhood, is planned to be cutting edge, but it is only the tip of the iceberg of what is ultimately possible in sustainable buildings. Designing with these goals in mind will push us to think more creatively about how to solve the challenges we are facing today.
What is your graduation year, major(s)/minor(s)
I graduated in early 2015, with a BS in Environmental Engineering. I ended my undergraduate career as a researcher at Osaka University, Japan, studying energy engineering. Upon my return, I took a position as a Project Engineer at a mechanical design and consulting firm in San Diego, where I designed HVAC systems for commercial buildings, including some of UC San Diego’s buildings. After a couple years I decided to make a transition to focus on my passion of sustainability, and I accepted the position as HDH Sustainability Manager. I’ve been on board since May of 2017, and have been especially enjoying the creativity and variety of work that this position allows. I am looking forward to contributing more to the sustainability of HDH, and UC San Diego overall!