The Director of Sustainability, Dr. Victor Udo is at the forefront of steering Bucknell towards a greener future. Dr. Udo joined the Bucknell Team in 2019 and immediately began working on creating a plan for sustainability on campus. “The process of creating a plan like this is a shared vision” Dr. Udo explained, sharing the knowledge of a plan for 2030 while also explaining that yearly plans are published to show how they are achieving this goal.
Energy consumption is a critical aspect of sustainability, and Dr. Udo acknowledges the university’s impact. “We spill a lot of carbon dioxide,” he explains, emphasizing the importance of addressing energy use in various aspects of life. “If we produce one unit of carbon dioxide on campus we have to find a way to use it,” Dr. Udo explains pointing out the overall goal of carbon neutrality.
Central to Bucknell’s sustainability efforts is the goal of preserving biodiversity and natural habitats. Dr. Udo imagines a campus that is “as natural as possible” and outlines strategies such as ecological conservation and restoration, as well as the development of the Bucknell Greenway.
Dr. Udo reflected on the waste that he sees on campus, prompting self-reflection on individual habits. With questions such as how much water are you wasiting or leaving lights on when you’re in class, he prompted consideration of personal contributions to sustainability, going in depth at this point as heard during the clip found at this link. However, students are not powerless, “You can be involved because, for each of these four areas (social sustainability, technical sustainability, environmental sustainability, governance & assets management process), we have walking groups” Dr. Udo shared, opening sustainable pathways to students.
In conclusion, Dr. Udo’s leadership at Bucknell University is steering the institution toward a sustainable future, emphasizing not only strategic plans and goals but also the importance of individual and collective responsibility. With hard work, Bucknell University can turn to a sustainabile lifestyle and a greener future, not on its own, but with the collective effort of students, staff, and community members.