First IU sustainability director named

In an effort to increase IU’s sustainability, the University has named Indianapolis architect William M. Brown as its first director of sustainability.  

Starting March 2, Brown will head IU’s Office of Sustainability, coordinating projects and making the office’s written goals a reality.

“It’s a dream job as far as I’m concerned,” Brown said.

Brown will be the only full-time staff member in the office, said Michael Hamburger, geology professor and co-chair of the Task Force on Campus Sustainability.

The office is currently made of 14 undergraduate student volunteers working on projects, he said.

Brown is an architect who specializes in “green” buildings. Previously, he helped make the White House “green,” and later he brought the idea of sustainable design to Indiana.

He also has public policy experience, Hamburger said. Brown said he has volunteered at different sustainability-focused community groups, such as the Indianapolis-Marion County Green Commission.

He won’t focus on campus buildings, but will spend much of his time mentoring and teaching students and coordinating projects. Before he was an architect, he was a teacher, Brown said.

However, architecture skills would be useful, he said. An architect can take a vision and a loose idea and make something out of it, he said.

“Sustainability is not a simple problem to solve,” Brown said.   

Brown’s salary will be paid evenly from the budget of the provost’s office and the budget of the vice president’s office, said Vice President and Chief Adminstrative Officer Terry Clapacs.

The provost is in charge of the academic side of the University, and the vice president is in charge of the physical side of the University.

The primary aim of Brown’s new role is to create sustainability strategies for both sides.

IU has several academic programs involving sustainability around campus and there’s a need to link them, Hamburger said.

Brown said his main goal is to make the recommendations in a report released by the Task Force on Sustainability a reality.

There’s already a lot of momentum at IU concerning sustainability, Brown said, adding he hopes to keep it going.

“The real power we have here on campus is brain power,” Brown said.