Sustainability Graduate Assistant
Position Description
Unit: Department of Environmental Safety, Sustainability & Risk – Office of Sustainability
Title: Graduate Assistant for Sustainability
20 hours/week, 9.5 month paid position (August 2021-May 2022)
Apply by May 28. 2021 by sending a resume and cover letter to Tanvi Gadhia at sustainability@umd.edu.
Position Summary: The Graduate Assistant (GA) for Sustainability will develop and manage programs that engage students, faculty, and staff in sustainable behaviors and create a culture of sustainability among all sectors of the diverse campus community. The GA will support the Office of Sustainability initiatives including the management of existing programs, conduct research into new program areas, development of program proposals, and implementation of new initiatives. The GA will also work with the professional staff to support the sustainability programs of other campus departments as well as collaborative projects involving multiple campus units.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities:
- Support the Outreach Coordinator on implementing the Office of Sustainability’s behavior change programs including Green Terp and Green Chapter,. This will include planning outreach events, staffing those events (sometimes on evenings and weekends), and supporting the LEAF student outreach ambassadors team.
- Support other Office of Sustainability staff on special projects as needed. Also, support the University Sustainability Council and various workgroups and projects. This could include topic research, preparing written and oral reports/presentations/
communications, conducting surveys/focus groups, among other activities. - Participate in regular Office of Sustainability staff meetings, ESSR departmental meetings, Green Terp/Chapter planning meetings with DRL and DFSL, and other meetings as assigned.
Education: Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Science, Social Sciences, Education, Communications, Business, Engineering, Journalism, Life Sciences, or related field required. Academic experience specific to sustainability preferred. Must be enrolled in a UMD graduate program during the graduate assistantship.
Required Experience: At least one year of experience as a full-time student in a higher education institution involved in one or more aspects of campus sustainability. No professional experience is required.
Preferred Experience: Development and/or implementation of environmental and/or sustainability programs, behavior-change programs, environmental planning or policy, or related area. Experience in student or university-sponsored organizations involved in one or more aspects of sustainability environmental initiatives, resource management, and teaching/presenting complex information is desirable.
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:
- Strong communication skills including excellent writing skills and the ability to speak and present to small groups of people.
- Demonstrated understanding of, and experience with, methods, practices and procedures associated with campus sustainability.
- Proficient in the use of computer software programs and basic Microsoft Office products including Excel and PowerPoint.
- Strong interpersonal skills, working with diverse groups of individuals and building partnerships.
- Ability to work independently, to be a team leader and to be a team member.
- Ability to supervise and direct student interns.
- Demonstrated ability to manage and prioritize multiple tasks and to work with shifting priorities and schedules.
Supervisory Responsibilities: Student interns and volunteers
Co-Supervisors: Mark Stewart, Sustainability Manager, and Tanvi Gadhia, Outreach Coordinator