The Pitt Green Spotlight is a monthly series highlighting people advancing sustainability, including Pitt Green Ambassadors and Pitt’s Green Offices & Labs!
We hope these spotlights will inspire you to try out new sustainable practices in your own campus experience! Want to be included in our next highlight? Contact us.
Pitt Green Ambassador Spotlight:
Rachel Garcia (she/her), SOOS-SGB Liaison, Class of 2026
Rachel Garcia is the Student Government Board–SOOS Liaison in the Student Office of Sustainability. She previously served as an EcoRep for Business, Housing and Auxiliary Services, where she helped to raise awareness of and access to sustainable housing options for students, and recently joined the Pitt Green Ambassadors to share her sustainability knowledge with peers across campus.
We sat down with Rachel to learn more about what got her started in campus sustainability, and what she’s excited about for Campus Sustainability Month:
What got you interested in sustainability and acting on climate change?
“What got me interested in sustainability was when I was in high school, I took AP Environmental Science (APES) where I had a great teacher that believed in me and taught environmentalism in a really engaging way.
On top of that, that same teacher was the advisor for the PA Envirothon, which is an environmental competition for high school students. During this time, I studied forestry, and it provided me with the opportunity to learn and engage with the environment in a way that I have never done before.
The opportunity to have hands-on engagement with the environment like how I did in high school is a massive reason as to why I am so interested in sustainability and has influenced me to continue this passion in college!”
How would you recommend those just getting started with sustainability on campus get involved?
“For those just getting started in sustainability I would recommend going to First Thursday! First Thursday is held on the first Thursday of each month in the Student Office of Sustainability (WPU 510) at 8:30 pm. This is where a bunch of sustainability related clubs talk about what they are up to, and that is a really great way to figure out what kinds of clubs you want to get involved in!”
What sustainability challenge would you like to tackle next, and what would you like to see the university address?
“Next, I am tackling single-use plastics! In my current role as SOOS-SGB Liaison I oversee the Single-Use Plastics Ad Hoc committee that works to eliminate single-use plastics on campus! The first major event of this ad hoc is Plastic Free Week, which is being held October 21-25. I would love to see the university address the issues of single-use plastics and work to eliminate them on campus!”
Thanks to Rachel for all your efforts!