The recognizes mid-career individuals who are significantly contributing to the advancement of sustainability in higher education. Durr is one of ten individuals chosen to receive this award in its second year. Selection was based on the impact recipients are making in the field of higher education sustainability through one or more of the following: programs and projects; products, presentations and publications; service and mentorship.

“I am truly honored to receive the AASHE Fellows Award,” said Durr. “Impactful sustainability work is not done in isolation. I am grateful for the collaboration, support and involvement of many Elon staff, students and faculty, as well as colleagues at other institutions, and for the support and opportunities provided by AASHE.”

Durr has been at Elon since 2008, when she was hired as the university’s first full-time sustainability professional. Since her arrival, Elon’s sustainability program has advanced significantly and received local and national recognition.

“Since joining Elon, Elaine has approached this work with passion, creativity and a deep commitment to cultivating sustainability within all aspects of the Elon community,” said Brad Moore, Associate Vice President for Facilities and Chief Facilities Officer. “This is a tremendous honor for her to be recognized as one of the top 10 leaders doing this work. We are incredibly proud of her and grateful for the lasting difference she continues to make at Elon.”

The AASHE Fellows Award is one of four annual awards given by AASHE.

“The 2026 AASHE Sustainability Award recipients reflect the momentum and innovation driving change across higher education. Among their community, these individuals are true changemakers—turning bold ideas into action and setting a powerful example of leadership and impact for the field,” said AASHE Executive Director Meghan Fay Zahniser.

To learn more about AASHE’s Sustainability Awards programs, please visit .

Kelly Harer, associate director of sustainability for education and outreach, recently completed a facilitator training with the climate leadership-development organization to bring the program to Elon. The program will support students as they explore the question, “How can I most meaningfully contribute to climate healing?”

Throughout this five-day training, 24 participants from higher education institutions across the country joined together in Elohee, Georgia to explore their own climate emotions, motivations and skills as well as discuss climate solutions and accelerators for change.

“Rather than stipulating actions that are one-and-done or one-size-fits-all, this course is tailor made to help us uncover ways to be of use,” said Katherine K. Wilkinson, the co-founder of The All We Can Save Project. “Together, we’ll hold our questions about climate and purpose, and work our way into answers.”

Climate Wayfinding is for people seeking clarity, courage and community on their climate journeys. Through diverse modes of exploration, students look inward, outward and forward to discern and enliven their unique contributions and develop key capacities for climate engagement.

The All We Can Save Project is an outgrowth of the bestselling anthology of writings by 60 women leading on climate, All We Can Save: Truth, Courage, and Solutions for the Climate Crisis, co-edited by Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson and Dr. Katharine K. Wilkinson. The Project is focused on growing climate leadership and engagement through narrative change, community building and deep learning, including its popular Circles program and Climate Wayfinding, both created by Dr. Wilkinson.

So many people are grappling with the question ‘what can I do?’ There is no simple formula, no fact sheet or checklist, for figuring out our roles in the vital work to forge a just, livable future.

— Katharine K. Wilkinson, co-founder, The All We Can Save Project

“I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to participate in this program, which has given me the knowledge and tools necessary to help guide others in finding their place in the climate movement,” Harer said. “I look forward to bringing Climate Wayfinding to Elon in the near future.”

“While net emissions have decreased from baseline levels, there is still more work to do to reach carbon neutrality by 2037,” said Senior Director of Sustainability Elaine Durr.

Achieving carbon neutrality by 2037 is a priority included within the Thrive theme of the university’s Boldy Elon strategic plan. These efforts are ongoing and guided by the Sustainability Master Plan and include exploring options for renewable energy, among other strategies.

The decrease in net emissions is primarily due to the purchase of verified carbon offsets for the Carbon Neutral Global Engagement Initiative and the source of Elon’s purchased electricity being less carbon-intensive.

Energy conservation efforts are also a critical component of Elon’s carbon neutrality strategy as energy consumption is the largest source of emissions at forty-nine percent. Since 2005, energy consumption per square foot has decreased by more than 30 percent on campus. Without these efforts, Elon’s emissions would be higher.

Transportation is the second largest source of emissions at about 48 percent of total emissions. Transportation includes university-funded travel for faculty, staff and students; study abroad travel; commuter travel and fuel use in the university fleet. Study abroad travel is the largest transportation source of emissions and accounted for 18 percent of overall emissions in the latest inventory. The Carbon Neutral Global Engagement Initiative started to address the emissions from study abroad or global engagement travel through the purchase of verified carbon offsets in fall 2020.

The COVID-19 pandemic significantly impacted annual emissions during the 2020-21 fiscal year through reduced energy and travel and associated emissions. Those emissions reductions were temporary, and the effects of the pandemic were small in this latest inventory.

Completing the greenhouse gas emissions inventory involves collecting data from numerous departments, ranging from Facilities Management for electricity and natural gas consumption to Elon Athletics for team travel data.

“Thank you to the many departments and individuals on campus who provide the necessary data to complete the annual inventory,” said Durr, who completes the annual inventory.

To learn more about the Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory and 51������’s sustainability efforts, visit the university’s Sustainability website.

Elon was highlighted for the Facilities Management Habitat for Humanity Monthly Build Day Program and for being one of the institutions with the fewest data accuracy issues in its most recent STARS report.

51������’s STARS report is publicly available on the .

51������ STARS

The Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System (STARS) is a transparent, self-reporting framework for colleges and universities to measure their sustainability performance. STARS was developed by AASHE with broad participation from the higher education community. The credits included in STARS span the breadth of higher education sustainability and are organized into four categories: Academics, Engagement, Operations, and Planning & Administration. All reports are publicly accessible on the STARS website. For more information, visit .

51������ AASHE

AASHE empowers higher education faculty, staff and students to be effective change agents and drivers of sustainability innovation. AASHE enables members to translate information into action by offering essential resources and professional development to a diverse, engaged community of sustainability leaders. We work with and for higher education to ensure that our world’s future leaders are motivated and equipped to solve sustainability challenges. For more information, visit .

With more than 900 participants in 40 countries, AASHE’s STARS program is the most widely recognized framework in the world for publicly reporting comprehensive information related to a college or university’s sustainability performance. Participants report achievements in five overall areas: 1) academics, 2) engagement, 3) operations, 4) planning and administration and 5) innovation and leadership.

“The STARS Report is a comprehensive assessment of university-wide sustainability efforts and requires data and input from many individuals across campus,” said Director of Sustainability Elaine Durr, who compiles the report. “I am so grateful for their participation and collective effort.”

The STARS report helps demonstrate that working toward sustainability goals is an institution-wide effort. Because each category is divided into subcategories and credits, with each credit being scored, the report is also a useful tool in identifying areas of improvement to guide future sustainability initiatives.

“STARS was developed by the campus sustainability community to provide high standards for recognizing campus sustainability efforts,” said AASHE Executive Director Meghan Fay Zahniser. “Elon has demonstrated a substantial commitment to sustainability by achieving a STARS Silver Rating and is to be congratulated for their efforts.”

To learn about the programs and practices that contributed to Elon’s STARS Silver Rating,

Unlike other rating or ranking systems, this program is open to all institutions of higher education, and the criteria that determine a STARS rating are transparent and accessible to anyone. Criteria for scoring the most recent report can be found in the

LEED – Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design — is the preeminent green building rating system internationally. Elon’s Green Building Policy states that new construction projects and major renovations more than 8,000 square feet will achieve LEED certification. LEED for Building Design and Construction assesses projects based on a point system that considers sustainable sites, water efficiency, energy and atmosphere, materials and resources, indoor environmental quality, innovation in design and regional priority credits.

The East Neighborhood residence halls and Tennis Pavilion have numerous sustainable features, including low-flow plumbing fixtures and energy efficient systems. The energy cost savings for the buildings is about 22 percent compared to buildings that just meet the standard building energy code. Regional building materials were used in the buildings as well as materials with recycled content.

Additional details about the sustainable features of the buildings can be found on the Office of Sustainability’s website.

He served in senior career positions as EPA’s Deputy Regional Administrator in the Southeast and South Central regions of the United States, as well as in EPA’s air office in Research Triangle Park and in Washington, DC. Among his many honors, he received EPA’s Distinguished Career Service Award, EPA’s Gold Medal for his work on the Clean Air Act Amendments, the Commander’s Award for Public Service from the Department of the Army, and was recognized by President Barack Obama as a Distinguished Federal Executive in 2012, the highest civilian award for a Federal senior executive.

He holds a bachelor’s degree from Wake Forest University and master’s and doctoral degrees from Johns Hopkins University, and currently serves as the director of graduate studies in sustainability at Wake Forest University.

Meiburg will share his insights on the future of environmental protection. Drawing on both his experience and contemporary controversies, he will discuss how science is essential and necessary for environmental protection but not sufficient, how the EPA’s role may evolve in the future, and how citizens can be affirmatively engaged in this critical work. 

Sponsored by the Office of Sustainability, Martha and Spencer Love School of Business, Center for Environmental Studies, Kernodle Center for Service Learning and Community Engagement and Political Science and Policy Studies

The International Society of Sustainability Professionals (ISSP) is the world’s leading professional association of sustainability professionals. The ISSP Sustainability Professional Certification is the first of its kind and was developed following internationally recognized International Organization for Standardization (ISO) criteria. Durr is a member of the first cohort to receive the certification. The application process required a demonstration of combined sustainability-related work experience and formal education as well as professional references. Once accepted, she took and passed two exams based on the core competency areas required of a sustainability practitioner to earn the ISSP-CSP designation.

Durr came to Elon in May of 2008 as Elon’s first full-time sustainability professional. She has a bachelor’s degree from Monmouth College in Illinois and a master’s degree from the University of South Carolina, as well as a professional certificate in Campus Sustainability Leadership from the Institute for Global Sustainability at the University of Vermont. She currently serves on the USGBC NC Advisory Council and the AASHE STARS Steering Committee.

Durr’s presentation, titled “Residential Energy Competitions: Adapting for Success,” described how Elon’s energy competition (POWERless) has developed, been evaluated and adapted over the course of nine competitions. Best practices and lessons learned were shared on the topics of organizing, marketing and student engagement.

Bilecki presented a workshop, titled “Adapting Eco-Rep Training to Optimize Student Experience,” with a colleague from the University of South Carolina. The workshop provided participants with a basic table of contents for Eco-Rep manuals, objectives to cover during Eco-Rep trainings, the opportunity to network with colleagues and the space to identify concrete implementation strategies to strengthen their own Eco-Rep programs.

Both sessions were well attended and sparked active discussion among participants. 

Visit the web site to learn more about POWERless and the Eco-Rep program.

If you have questions about the position, contact Kimberly (kimberly.l.velazquez@ehi.com) or Megan Moran (Megan.E.Moran@ehi.com).  

More information about the position is below, and application instructions are in the Elon Job Network.

Overview

Our Enterprise CarShare Internship plays an integral role in the success of the Enterprise CarShare program on an individual Campus. For a college student, real-world professional marketing experience can put you above the rest when you enter the job market. The goal of the part-time internship is to increase our membership base across campus as well as drive increased usage from existing members.  This is a paid internship program, and there will also be eligibility for performance incentives as you help to grow the business.

Responsibilities

When you join our Enterprise CarShare Internship Program, you’ll acquire highly marketable skills and experience pertaining to marketing and promoting a new and growing brand. Responsibilities include:

• Weekly On-Campus Marketing
• Participate in two on Campus Meetings per month
• Identify, organize and execute two special events per semester (one per quarter)
• Maintain Sales and Marketing Journal
• Project: Develop future on campus marketing strategies or identify new ways to develop Enterprise CarShare’s brand, usage, etc.

Qualifications

• Must be a junior enrolled full time at 51������.
• Must have 6 months of sales (business to business, commission based or quota based) or customer service or marketing or management experience.
• Must have a valid driver’s license with no more than 2 moving violations and/or at-fault accidents in the past 3 years.
• No drug or alcohol related conviction on your record in the past 5 years (i.e., DUI, DWI)
• Must be authorized to work in the United States and not require work authorization sponsorship by our company for this position now or in the future.
• 1 year minimum commitment with the availability to start Fall semester 2013.