This is where change begins.
Sustainability Impact Team Members
Welcome to our showcase of the pilot year members of Student Sustainability Impact Team Members (SSIT)! These individuals have/are helping to further UB's 10-in-10 Climate Action Plan and our programming goals by being highly motivated, achievable Change Agents.
SSIT Leader
Michael Griffin
Name: Michael Griffin
Year: Graduate Student
About Me: I am a current graduate student in the Sustainability Leadership MA program within the College of Arts and Sciences, in which I have just finished my thesis: GRoWing Sustainable Futures: A Case Study on Academic Competitions Driving Innovation in Sustainable Building.
In addition to my capacity as the SSIT lead, I also serve a role as the Communications and Outreach Graduate Assistant for UB Sustainability.
SSIT Members
Cassidy Jimenez
Name: Cassidy Jimenez
Year: Senior
About Me:
Hometown: Wappingers falls NY
Major: Environmental Studies
Minor: Earth Systems Science
Personal Passion: Botany and Ceramics
What do I love about UB: I love the EVS department and the world of opportunity it has brought me! The department head work hard to know students personally and provide us with a wide variety of field classes for hands on learning.
When I visit UB in 25 years, I most hope to see accessible campus wide composting well established and implemented for everyone.
Fun fact: I have been practicing ceramics for over seven years now and it has further connected my to the Earth and its elements.
Marissa D'Antoni
Name: Marissa D'Antoni
Year: Senior
About Me: My name is Marissa D'Antoni, my hometown is fabulous Staten Island, New York. In May of 2023 I will graduate UB with a BS in Environmental Studies. As an advocate for sustainable living, I am deeply passionate about veganism and the significant benefit has on our planet. I firmly believe that by being mindful of what we put on our platess, we can make a meaningful contribution to the preservation of our environment.
What I love most about UB was the opportunity provided to me to create a space for like-minded individuals and starting a successful campus wide Vegan Club. When I visit UB in 25 years, I hope to see the same values instilled in Vegan Club resonating throughout the campus community and creating everlasting change.
A fun fact about me is I am a proud friend of a sheep.
Wasiq Ahmed
Name: Wasiq Ahmed
Year: Junior
About Me: Hi everyone I'm Wasiq and I immigrated from Dhaka, Bangladesh. I am a junior in the environmental studies major. I really love the friends I've made and community here at UB! When I come back to visit in 25 years I hope to see a larger focus on outdoor education and natural history. Fun Fact: I have taken every single ecology class offered at UB.
Michael Pawlowski
Name: Michael Pawlowski
Year: Junior
About Me: My name is Michael Pawlowski and I grew up in Lancaster, NY and I have lived in the Buffalo area my whole life. I am currently a Junior Chemical Engineering major and I have a strong interest in environmental conservation and restoration. What I love about UB the most is the student clubs, especially the Engineers for a Sustainable World club. Through this club, I have been able to lead a wildflower garden project to create garden beds on the campus for native pollinator species to use to sustain their populations. When I visit UB in 25 years, I hope to find that my wildflower garden project has still been upkept. I also hope to see more projects similar to it spread around the campus. A fun fact about me is that I have a twin brother named Steven who also goes to UB.
Danielle VanMarter
Name: Danielle VanMarter
Year: Graduate Student
About Me: Pronouns: She/Her
Hometown: Niagara Falls, NY
Favorite UB Climate Action Plan Strategy and why? Limiting waste. I am passionate about reducing specifically food waste and reusing it whenever possible in compost, and as a home gardener I would prefer to recycle those nutrients back into the soil to give as a gift to my plants rather than having it end up in a landfill. As well as cannot stress enough how crucial it is to limit single-use plastics and offer various types of recycling (i.e., technology, clothing, separating food/plastic).
Why be a SSIT member? To create a green culture on campus by spreading how important and fun sustainability is.
Fun Fact: My happy place is Latin America. The food, the music, the people, the animals, the environment – what’s not to love?! I traveled abroad when I studied as an undergrad for my BA Spanish Language and Literature degree in Cusco, Peru and interned in the Amazon at an animal rescue and rehabilitation center in Ecuador as an undergrad for my BS Environmental Studies degree. After graduating, I loved Peru so much I went to teach English for three months and ended up living in Lima for a year. My next trip abroad will likely be to Brazil or Patagonia!
Gabriel J. Recchio
Name: Gabriel J. Recchio
Year: Graduate Student
About Me: My name is Gabe Recchio, and I'm going into my final year in the Master of Urban Planning program. I grew up near Conesus Lake, and I love riding my bike and being critical of public policy. So far, what I love most about UB is the culture within the Urban Planning program. In 25 years when I visit UB, I hope to find a thriving public university still working to connect its programs to beneficial endeavors in surrounding communities. A fun fact about me in that I've lived and worked in every major region of NYS besides Long Island- WNY, the Finger Lakes, the Southern Tier, Central NY, the North Country, the Capital Region, the Hudson Valley and New York City.
Jasmandeep Singh Bhullar
Name: Jasmandeep Singh Bhullar
Year: Graduate Student
About Me: Hometown: Chandigarh, India;
Major: Management Information Systems;
Personal passion: passionate to advance sustainable agriculture using technology
About UB: its beautiful campus;
After 25 years, I want UB to be fully self-reliant in energy use; fun fact: I don't like enclosed gyms.
Ava Fetzner
Name: Ava Fetzner
Year: Sophomore
About Me: Hi! My name is Ava, I am a sophomore Environmental Engineer, I have a passion for waste mitigation and food waste reduction!
My favorite part about UB is the amount of opportunities I have to get involved in the community! I love integrating my interests for engineering, the environment, and sustainability into different clubs and activities that I participate in around campus. I have had the opportunity to meet so many students from around the world. These experiences have allowed me to help make an impact around the Buffalo community.
I want to see the implementation of composting around more of campus, hopefully including the residents halls. I also hope that there is a large reduction in single use plastic and that as a community works to reduce waste as a whole.
I love to watch sunsets and look for beach glass!
Ambre Amat
Name: Ambre Amat
Year: Senior
About Me: My name is Ambre and I am from Antibes, France. I am a senior majoring in Environmental Geosciences and I am also doing a geography minor in Earth Systems Science. I am a member of the UB Women's Tennis Team. Scubadiving is one of my passions.
I love how people are always very helpful here at UB as well as all the different opportunities I was able to pursue.
In 25 years, I hope UB will have a mandatory coursework related to sustainability that each student will have to complete in order to graduate.
Divine Jones
Name: Divine Jones
Year: Graduate Student
About Me: Divine Jones, from Johns creek Georgia
Graduate student
Masters of Sustainability Leadership
I have a passion for astronomy.
I love the sense of community.
I hope to find a school making room for sustainability within every aspect of the university.
I love to try new foods and hope to travel the world trying cuisines from all over the world.
Sanskriti Bansal
Name: Sanskriti Bansal
Year: Sophomore
About Me: I'm Sanskriti Bansal, sophomore, studying Economics. I'm from Gurgaon, India. I love sustainability, startups and outdoors!
On campus, I love the Sustainability Office, Blackstone Launchpad, The Women's Network and the Outdoor Adventure Club!
I joined the Office of Sustainability as part of the Student Sustainability Impact Team because I want to empower students with ways to reduce waste and enjoy an eco-friendly life!
I hope to see all on-campus apartments and residence halls turn into Grow houses that are sustainable, green and full of sunlight!
A secret skill would be turning problems into opportunities as I'm a budding entrepreneur! A fun fact: I've scuba dived in the coral reef and experienced marine life of Andaman and Nicobar Islands/
Email: sbansal4@buffalo.edu
Instagram: sanskritibansall
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/sanskritibansal
Abby Stressinger
Name: Abby Stressinger
Year: Senior
About Me: Hi! My name is Abby Stressinger and I was an SSIT member during my senior year. I am a Biology and Environmental Geosciences major and I am initially from Boston, NY. One of my personal passions is learning about our Earth's climate system, specifically how plants will respond to a warming and more extreme climate, and what we can do to adapt to this change. During my time at UB, I conducted research on plant leaf waxes to investigate the changes in a plant's natural organic compound production in temperate versus arctic climates! The aspect I loved most about going to UB was all the people I have met; everyone has a unique story, background, and dream they are pursuing. Over the next 25 years, I hope that UB continues to bring sustainable initiatives to the forefront of their attention. I hope to see more plant-based food options, improved renewable public transport, and increased usage of clean energies.
Sujith Prasanna Nagesh Kumar
Name: Sujith Prasanna
Year: Graduate Student
About Me: Hello, my name is Sujith Prasanna, and I am from Chennai, India. Currently, I have completed one year of my graduate studies, pursuing a major in Industrial Engineering. As I firmly believe in the power of collaboration, I am eager to be part of a team-oriented environment like SSIT, where I can engage with individuals from diverse backgrounds, share my knowledge, and gain practical experience.
One aspect I particularly admire about UB is the captivating sunset view from Baird Point on campus. It offers a serene and beautiful experience. Looking ahead, I envision UB's campus thriving with greenery and achieving the ambitious goal of net-zero carbon emissions when I revisit it in the next 25 years.
On a personal note, I find enjoyment in playing both soccer and cricket. Sports have taught me valuable lessons in teamwork, discipline, and resilience. I appreciate the camaraderie and competitiveness that these sports bring.