Meet The C&CP Sustainability Planning and Engagement Team

As Senior Planning & Sustainability Engineer within SPE, Bud oversees the implementation of climate, waste, and water sustainability plans on the UBC Vancouver campus. With a passion for environmental stewardship and a commitment to fostering positive change, Bud's mission is to support UBC's transition towards a more sustainable and resilient future. Bud strongly believes in using holistic approaches to develop solutions to planning issues, through connecting diverse collaborators, processes, and systems in order to achieve co-benefits. 

Please contact Bud if you have questions about the following:

• Zero Waste and Circular Economy policy, planning and projects
• Water conservation
• Campus operational sustainability and linkages with research programs and projects

As Green Labs Program Lead, Kate supports UBC researchers in minimizing the environmental impacts of laboratory-based activities by incorporating sustainable practices and technologies. Recognizing that labs are often very resource-intensive spaces, Kate understands their pivotal role in helping UBC meet its institutional sustainability goals. Kate is actively working to foster an academic culture within research labs that prioritizes sustainability, with the knowledge that such efforts carry significant and far-reaching implications for the future.

Please contact Kate if you have questions about the following:

• Energy and water conservation in labs
• Climate action campaigns
• Sustainable procurement
• Lab waste recycling

As Climate Action Planner, Maxi is responsible for coordinating UBC’s climate change response. He works to reduce climate impacts on the UBC Vancouver campus from a wide variety of angles, ranging from energy systems, environmental policy, economics, project finance, engagement, and more. Maxi feels incredibly lucky to work on climate action and help to make a meaningful impact here at UBC. Through collaboration with committed staff, students and researchers, Maxi is working to set the university on an accelerated path towards net-zero emissions and provide a framework that other jurisdictions can follow.

Please contact Maxi if you have questions about the following:

• Climate action
• Environmental policy
• Zero carbon energy technologies

As Green Infrastructure Engineer within SPE, Jake oversees the Integrated Rainwater Management Plan for the UBC Vancouver Campus. His work helps to support the plan's 3 primary goals, 1) to reduce the flow of water off-campus, 2) to reduce the impacts of stormwater flows off-campus, 3) to maintain and enhance water quality at campus boundaries so that it meets or exceeds municipal best practices.

Please contact Jake if you have questions about UBC Vancouver's Integrated Rainwater Management Plan.

As Sustainability Data and Reporting Manager, Rebecca is responsible for managing a broad range of sustainability data and reporting processes, as well as making decisions regarding the development and implementation of sustainability data and reporting systems. Rebecca is deeply passionate about tackling climate change and the power of collective action in helping our environment. Through her work, Rebecca collaborates with multiple UBC units to manage sustainability data and reporting processes for UBC's net-zero emissions targets and achievements.

Please contact Rebecca if you have questions about the following:

• UBC climate action and greenhouse gas emissions data and performance
• UBC climate action accountability framework 

As Manager of Climate and Sustainability Engagement, Taryn plays a key role in the strategic planning and implementation of UBC’s Climate Action Plan 2030. Her mission is to cultivate a culture of climate action and shared commitment to sustainability at UBC through climate action programming on the Vancouver campus. These programs aim to nurture and build connections between staff, faculty, and students, by providing spaces where diverse perspectives can come together and make meaningful contributions towards envisioning a more climate resilient future. 

Please contact Taryn if you have questions about the following:

• Collaborations under CAP2030 
• Campus-wide climate action engagement
• Sustainability tools and resources

As a Community Engagement and Strategic Projects Specialist, Zainab works to plan and implement programs and events for staff, faculty, and student engagement in order to further the mission of UBC’s Climate Action Plan 2030. Zainab is passionate about community connectivity and its critical role in creating a climate just world.

Please contact Zainab if you have questions about:

• Opportunities for staff, faculty, and students to engage with climate action
• Sustainability-related events and initiatives on campus
• Fostering community connectivity through taking climate action

Hi there, nice to meet you! My name is Tashi (short for Tashiya), and I’m very excited to join the Campus and Community Planning team as your Sustainability Engagement and Communications Coordinator for Term 1. I am a fourth year in Geography here at UBC and am majoring in Environment and Sustainability. This position is my second co-op work term, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to learn and contribute to sustainability efforts at UBC! I grew up just outside of Yellowstone National Park in Cody, Wyoming, which sparked my aspiration to work in the field of climate communications. Outside of work and academics, I serve as president of the UBC Figure Skating Club, and enjoy spending my free time doing photography and practicing metal vocals.

Rachael is a 4th-year Integrated Engineering student at UBC, specializing in Chemical/Biological and Software engineering. She has spent a few co-op work terms in pipeline integrity engineering and project management, as well as in infrastructure advisory. Outside of school and work, she enjoys badminton, fine art, and travelling. Rachael is passionate about sustainability, clean energy, and community impact. She’s excited to be part of the team and help contribute to a greener UBC campus! 

Andrea is passionate about sustainability, with 5 years of experience as a consultant in circular economy and ESG for organizations of various sizes and sectors. She has led circular economy and waste management projects, including audits, waste characterization, data analysis, reporting, trainings, contributions to obtaining TRUE Zero Waste certification, and other circular economy strategies that help reduce and divert waste. Her mission is to inspire others to embrace a sustainable culture, enabling individuals to become change agents within their own fields to collectively advocate for the common good. She is currently doing a graduate degree in sustainability at UBC.

Rojini Kathiravel is a PhD student in Forestry at the University of British Columbia, specializing in sustainable building design, embodied carbon assessment, and Building Information Modelling (BIM). Her research focuses on decarbonizing construction and demolition through design for adaptability and disassembly, building on her earlier work in structural optimization and the hygrothermal performance of innovative wall panel systems. She has collaborated with the National Research Council Canada and contributed to UBC’s Sustainability Hub on embodied carbon projects. In addition to research, she has served as a Mitacs Globalink mentor, and a Sustainability Ambassador at UBC.