Do you have a plan to vote?

Tuesday, November 3rd is the last day to submit your ballot!

Introducing the 2026-27 UMACS Sustainability Fellows!

• Analy Arciva Moreno - Central Community College
• Avery Pugh - Marquette University
• Brett Lund - College of Saint Benedict & Saint John's University
• Dani Lkhanaa - Augustana University
• Elijah Gomes - Minnesota State University, Moorhead
• Ella Martin - University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire
• Emma Holley - Michigan Technological University
• Hannah Hopkins - Michigan Technological University
• Irene Kamau - University of South Dakota
• John Olech - Knox College
• Logan Schwinghamer - Luther College
• Marti Martello - University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point
• Nicole Roman - Knox College
• Vivienne Beveridge - South Dakota State University

Read about our Sustainability Fellows Program here!

Strategic Communicators Co-Lab

Part 3: Sharing Ideas & Creating Communicators Library

Friday Nov 6th, 1:00-2:15pm CST

There is one session left in our Strategic Communicators CoLab! The goal of the CoLab is to help students, staff, and faculty in sustainability communications roles learn strategies, share ideas, and build a network of strategic communicators.

In our final session, everyone will have the opportunity to share their communications projects/ideas with the group. This will be an open discussion for all to listen and/or participate. We will also begin the process of creating a collaborative "Communications Library" where we can house communications templates that others can reuse!

Everyone is welcome, even if you weren't able to attend the first two CoLab sessions.

Advising Student Groups

Wednesday November 18th 9:00-10:00am CST

Are you advising, supervising and/or cheering on environmental student groups? Join us to share what is working and what is not, and to learn from your peers about how to support student groups to be successful, manage leadership transitions and more.

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI): An Open Discussion

Wednesday, December 16th 9:00-10:00am CST

How are you and your campus using/not using AI at work and in the classroom? Are you considering AI usage and its impact on your campus' carbon footprint? What other questions are you and your campus navigating when it comes to AI?

All students, staff, and faculty are welcome to join in on an open conversation about this topic.

Come with your own thoughts and feelings, an open mind, and your favorite morning beverage!

Sustainability Career Panel

Tuesday, December 1st 5:00-6:00 CST

Are you interested in a career in sustainability? Join us to learn from our panelists about their work in sustainability and their career/education paths.

• Aaron Hanson: Energy Program Specialist at UMN-Twin Cities
• Wyatt Thurber: Senior Auditor Trainer at the Center for Energy & Environment
• Katy Ayers: Mycological Researcher at University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center

Bring any questions you may have!

UMACS Office Hours

Friday, November 20th 11am-12pm CST

Do you have ideas for UMACS programming? Or are there other things you'd like to check in about? Join us for UMACS Zoom Office Hours!

Call for UMACS Student Intern!

Are you a student interested in helping UMACS advance sustainability in the Upper Midwest? We would love to talk with you about an unpaid internship, please reach out to Megan Voorhees to meet about possibilities.

Consider a Donation to UMACS!

We now have a Donation Portal up on our website! Donations to UMACS will enable us to provide more scholarships for students to attend our annual conference or to waive our program fee for our fellowship program. Thank you for considering supporting students through UMACS!

Join our Member Listserv!

Is your campus a UMACS Supporting or Limited Member? If so, you're invited to join our Member Listserv by filling out this form ! Individuals on the listserv can share resources, events, and initiatives within the network.

Online Course: Gender and the Environment

Cornell University Civic Ecology Lab

November 9th-December 6th

This course explores how gender shapes people’s experiences of environmental challenges, access to resources, participation in decision-making, and opportunities for environmental action. The course is designed for educators, students, researchers, community leaders, nonprofit and sustainability professionals, environmental practitioners, and others interested in gender, equity, and environmental sustainability.

Webinar: Specialty Recycling Streams

College & University Recycling Coalition (CURC)

Thursday, November 19th 1:00-2:00pm CST

What happens to materials that don't fit in the traditional recycling bin?

Join CURC as they explore specialty recycling programs and creative approaches to managing challenging waste streams on campus. Topics will include vape recycling and upcycling sports memorabilia. 

Job Opportunities

• Center for Sustainable Communities Director, Luther College
• Interested in a one year environment-related job or AmeriCorps position? Check out our list of One Year Service Programs (and please tell us about other programs we should add)

2026-2027 Conferences

• November 18-19, 2026: Partners in Community Forestry Conference in St. Louis, MO
• February 16-19, 2027: CampusEnergy2027 in San Diego, CA
• March 7-9, 2027: Second Nature Higher Education Climate Leadership Summit in Denver, CO
• March 31-April 2, 2027: Midwest Climate Collaborative Summit in Lincoln, NE
• June 7-11, 2027: Planetary Health Annual Meeting in Tokyo, Japan
• June 22-24, 2027: Green Sports Alliance Summit in St. Louis, MO
• October 7-9, 2027: UMACS Conference in La Crosse, WI

The Upper Midwest Association for Campus Sustainability (UMACS) is a network of staff, faculty and students from colleges and universities working together to promote sustainability throughout the Upper Midwest. We welcome everyone in higher education who wants to create a culture of sustainability on campus and in their community, working to meet the needs of all people without harming future generations' ability to meet their own needs.  Reach out to Megan Voorhees, Executive Director to share ideas about how we can best support your work.