Open Positions with the Office of Sustainability

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Project Description: 

In Fall 2023, the Office of Sustainability and Columbia Dining collaborated with a student team to measure and reduce John Jay dining hall’s food procurement emissions and join the NYC Plant Powered Carbon Challenge. In Spring 2024, the University began its partnership with Greener by Default to measure and reduce its food procurement emissions by implementing plant-based meals. With the help of our first data intern, we were able to analyze and calculate carbon emissions from our dining portfolio and set a baseline. Now we want to include more years in the analysis and further expand our analytics. 

Internship Objective: 

The intern will work closely with the Sustainability team to streamline and scale up the food procurement data analysis process and support other initiatives to help the University meet its commitment to reduce food-related emissions by 25% by 2030.

Anticipated Tasks: 

  • Gather and categorize procurement data from SYSCO for 2023
  • Input procurement data into Cool Food calculator
  • Set up an automated data analysis system to categorize data using previous intern’s work for 2023 and 2024
  • Apply data analysis to all 8 dining halls and organic waste
  • Create procurement data hub to centralize information and share with Dining and Sustainability teams
  • Facilitate communications between Columbia, SYSCO, Greener by Default, NYC Mayor’s Office of Food Policy and other relevant stakeholders

Qualifications:

  • Any undergraduate or graduate Columbia student
  • Experience in Python programming, Excel, or any data analysis software
  • Strong organization and time management skills
  • Self-starter who wants to make an impact
  • Concise and consistent communication skills
  • Passion for sustainability especially regarding food procurement, scope 3 emissions, and/or student engagement 

Compensation and Time Commitment: 

$19/hour for 20 hours/week

How to Apply: 

Applications are now closed for this role.

Project Objectives: 

Contribute to Columbia University’s sustainability goals and its Plan 2030 objectives by working on a range of initiatives, including waste reduction, energy efficiency, sustainable transportation, campus engagement, and using the campus as a living lab.

The Office of Sustainability collaborates with numerous campus partners to advance university-wide goals. This role will combine campus operational challenges with both financial and environmental sustainability. The selected candidate will have the opportunity
to work on real-world sustainability issues, applying classroom learning to hands-on projects that drive meaningful change across campus.

Anticipated Tasks: 

Assist in managing the Campus as a Lab (CAL) initiative, which connects students with real campus sustainability needs. This includes engaging with campus stakeholders to understand operational challenges, developing project descriptions, and pairing them with student and faculty interests. Develop the CAL initiative into a program that enhances campus involvement. Additionally, contribute to a variety of sustainability projects through data analysis, research, and proposal development, offering actionable recommendations to improve university operations. Projects may include developing commute alternatives to reduce vehicle traffic and emissions from the Columbia community, and supporting waste reduction initiatives by improving waste sorting education and campus waste management systems.

Required Skills:

  • Great interpersonal skills such as ability to develop relationships.
  • Excellent verbal and written communication skills; including presenting and PowerPoint preparation.
  • Organizational skills and attention to detail.
  • Good understanding of sustainability topics.
  • Sound skills in Word, Excel, and Outlook
     

Proposed Benefits to Student:

Work on real work sustainability issues in a complex campus environment. Stakeholder Engagement. Exposure to various University departments.

Compensation

$23/hr

How to Apply

Applications are now closed for this role.