MHC Fellow - Northern Michigan University - Cohort 4

About the site:
Northern Michigan University offers academic and career programs to just over 7,000 students. We are a 'right to try' institution and we provide opportunities for scholarship, creativity, and community engagement to all students, graduates, faculty, and staff. We strive to contribute to a diverse and sustainable world. Our mission, vision, and strategic plan are based on eight core values: Community, Opportunity, Rigor, Environment, Inclusion, Connections, Innovation, and Wellbeing. NMU has adopted a carbon neutrality plan with strategic targets to decarbonize the University, and our current strategic plan (Compass Strategy 1.4) commits the University to embedding sustainable values into curriculum, operations, and external partnerships, with measurable targets for reducing emissions, energy use and waste on campus.

Dates of Service: 1/13/2027 – 8/20/2027

Position Type: In-person (On-site)

Site Location: 310 Harden Hall on the campus of Northern Michigan University

Hours of Operation: 9am - 5pm (during the academic year) and 8am-4pm (during the summer months)

MHC Fellow Role and Responsibilities:

• Work with the University's Assistant Vice President (AVP) for Sustainability to identify and implement climate action projects for NMU's campus focused in four areas: climate education, emissions, energy use, and waste reduction.
• Work with the AVP for Sustainability to design and launch two new climate action programs for students: (1) 'Climate Corps' – a program introducing first-year students to campus sustainability work and climate action pathways, and (2) 'Campus as a Climate Lab' program connecting upper-division students from any major to hands-on campus decarbonization and waste-reduction projects.
• Conduct research and help implement NMU's carbon neutrality plan and Compass Strategy 1.4 action plan to address reductions in emissions, energy, and waste.
  • Emissions: Assist with the annual GHG emissions inventory and reporting; identify opportunities for GHG reduction and improved efficiencies.
  • Energy: Assist with renewable energy project planning, including research toward transitioning the Ripley heating plant from natural gas to a renewable fuel source and exploring other opportunities for renewable energy installations on campus and with partners.
  • Waste: Help organize and coordinate climate resilience programming focused on waste reduction and diversion efforts, working toward Compass Strategy 1.4 targets. Identify best practices to increase recycling and post-consumer compost collection and reduce landfill-bound waste. Align campus targets with the state's goal of tripling Michigan's recycling rate to 45% and cutting food loss and waste in half by 2030.
• Attend Marquette County's Climate Adaptation Task Force meetings and the Northern Climate Network's Climate@Noon seminar series.
• Empower the campus and local community to access federal and state climate resources by planning meetings, educational programs, and other outreach activities to consistently share information related to reducing emissions, energy use and waste.
• Participate in MHC Fellows member development, shared learning, and collaboration activities, including three in-person convenings and monthly virtual trainings.