Sustainability Champions: Patrick Hixenbaugh, '14

Thu, 10 Apr 2014 16:49:50 -0400
environment, graduating, senior, sustainability

Interview Questions for Graduating Sustainability Leaders:

We are conducting interviews with graduating student leaders to share their stories and inspire UMBC students for years to come. We are proud to celebrate the accomplishments of our student change agents who enact and lead progress towards a more sustainable world. We’re asking students to answer 5 questions before they graduate:

1. In what ways were you involved in Sustainability efforts on campus during your time as a student?

It took me a few tries to discover my niche at UMBC. I started off simply trying to get a bike rack in front of Susquehanna Hall, where my CD, Jes Lassiter, made me see how important it was to reach out to other people to make change. Then a professor told me about the biodiesel club, where I could use my chemistry degree to help the school become more sustainable. After that, I began leading efforts to make cycling on campus more accessible to everyone. But I really became involved in sustainability when, in Summer of 2013, I joined Jack, David, Julianna, and Kelsey in the budding Community Garden group to physically create a sustainable space on campus.

From there I found the rest of the environmental crowd, and joined Students for Environmental Awareness to become part of the Powershift conference. I also found out about the daily stream of improvements to UMBC’s sustainability culture. As Sustainability Outreach Intern, I got the chance to work for everybody who was making UMBC a better place.

I didn’t lead any projects like Maddy Hall did with composting, Yasmin Radbod did with Bike Share, or Tanvi Gadhia did with the green office program, but I feel like in assisting everything I could, I succeeded connecting different groups working for the same purpose to begin working together. I am really excited that before I left, I could help the Garden grow into such a strong organization with solid funding and a real, solid future.

By working with Tanvi, creating the sustainability calendar, green pledge updates, and leadership events from my intern position, I feel that I’ve laid the groundwork to help everyone succeed together, years and years to come.

2. What compelled you get involved? What did you get out of the experiences?

Other students. Students involved in sustainability have always been the kindest, most driven individuals to make real change happen. I’ve always wanted to inspire change, but never knew how. I couldn’t do it in class, in music, in biodiesel, or in cycling. But when I found myself in a room with all the other sustainability students and staff, their energy picked me up and I’ve been riding that wave since.

The other big factor was Powershift, which thanks to Alexa White and the SEA officers, 25+ students from UMBC were able to attend. That was an even bigger room, with even more energy all across the nation. That really did inspire in us the energy to accomplish all we did at UMBC.

3. What changes have you seen take place during your time at UMBC?

There have been so many. Bike share overcame all the obstacles and planted itself at the RAC. The Garden became real. UMBC went smoke-free. Casual Carpooling took off. Composting spread from the Dining Hall to the Commons. The Green Pledge united 350+ voices. Breaking Ground began funding professors who use their courses to make real changes. Dining Services pledged to take the Real Food Calculator. Green buildings sprouted up everywhere. They’re even putting a green roof on the Admin building, where Hrabowski and his guests will see sustainability every day.

Meanwhile, the Biodiesel Initiative burned brightly and faded quickly due to a lack of institutional ownership. Improvements to bicycling could never seem to find the student energy needed to push them through, at least not yet. More people are turning off lights in buildings, but a lot are left on every night. And a lot of work has to happen still to progress from students’ research on UMBC’s waste streams to programs reducing this waste.

4. What is your vision for the state of sustainability at UMBC 5 years from now?

A whole lot has happened in the 3 years I’ve been at UMBC. So in 5 years, we could have even more. A thriving leadership from the student government, a program saving student waste at move out day, and funding green initiatives. Composting and consistent waste reduction and all across campus, especially Residence Halls. Bicycles and fix-it stations everywhere, connecting students to new hangouts right off campus. Students, faculty and staff growing their own food together every year, creating art, music, and research together at the Garden. The Dining Hall working to provide students real, tasty, healthy food, and redirecting excess to those who need it. A farmer’s market accessible to campus, and more room for students to make and sell their own food. Almost every class asking, "how do our actions affect future generations, the global interconnections of all things, and what can we do while we’re learning?" A whole sustainability network of professors and classes working across disciplines to accomplish the latest and greatest project. Perhaps even biodiesel produced from our kitchens running our the campus vehicles. A better way for sustainability clubs to work with each other creating events and initiatives that they can all look forward to. And a campus culture that is proud to be forward thinking, designs the future of sustainability, and turns off the lights at night. That is my dream.

5. What are the most important lessons you’ve learned through your work and efforts that you wish to share with UMBC students?

Be inclusive. Everyone has good feedback, even if you don’t realize how it’s relevant at first. People naturally tend to form cliques, so it’s important to rail against that by being inclusive, communicating, and inspiring those around you. Create other leaders. Don’t be afraid to break rules, but follow them when you need to. Make mistakes, get messy. Be open minded, and be willing to put your time where it makes the greatest difference. And remember to have fun; never forget who you are, and why you care.