Every April and October, the University hosts a campus-wide energy competition called Flip The Switch. This year we wanted to recognize faculty and staff who go above and beyond during the competition. Employees were asked to submit their innovative ideas for a chance to win! The idea could focus on conserving energy on campus, educating the campus about the importance of energy conservation, or increasing participation in our energy conservation competition. The best idea submitted by both an individual and a group would receive recognition and a prize!

Below you can read about the winning ideas and their submitters.

Winners pictured from left to right: Kim Dixon, Samantha Mosier, Lexy Bryan and Jordan Endicott

Winning Group Idea

Submitted By: The Green Beans (Political Science Green Team)

Idea co-produced by Samantha Mosier, Jordan Endicott and Lexy Bryan

Idea: We propose ‘flip the switch’ conservation tags that are placed next to light switches. After an audit of how much energy/cost of energy a light fixture uses, a conservation tag is placed next to the switch indicating hourly and annual costs for the light(s) being on. A program developed in Cookeville, Tenn. developed a similar effort that helped city employees develop knowledge on the cost of lighting and encouraged employees to turn out the lights when not in use. The conservation switch tag educates individuals on the costs of lighting and ask them to “Flip the Switch! Please turn off the lights when not in use!” Our three-person team has developed a prototype switch and would be interested in sharing if possible. Also, we suspect that the estimation of cost/energy usage would require knowledge of bulb type, # of bulbs on switch, and more technical knowledge than we possess. The implementation would require individuals or groups to initially request an audit and tag.

Tell us a bit about yourself and your office/department.

We all work in the Political Science Department, where we also share space with the Philosophy Department. Lexi Bryan is a junior majoring in History Education. She is our student worker. Jordan Endicott is our amazing Administrative Assistant. And I, Samantha Mosier, am an Assistant Professor in the Political Science Department. Our Green Team is called the Green Beans. We are working towards getting our Leaf Two application in and partnering with the Philosophy Department to expand our team.

What do you like most about working at MSU?

The environment is very supportive and the community is welcoming. We really like working with each other and enjoy opportunities to participant and promote sustainability on campus.

What was your inspiration for this idea?

This idea actually came from previous research project on a public-private partnership between the City of Cookeville, Tennessee and Cummins Filtration. Cummins Filtration developed a program called the Unplugged Challenge and then transferred/taught the program to officials at the City of Cookeville. While the program had a number of components, one low-tech and but very impactful aspects of the program was the creation of light switch energy stickers. The stickers were used to raise awareness among employees as to cost associated with keeping a light on. It was a first, but very significant step for the city to reduce energy consumption.

What do you do personally to live more sustainably?

We each have our own ways to live more sustainably including the following: reducing our use of plastics, using refillable cups/bottles, recycling, turning the lights and electronics off when not in use or needed, biking to campus (that’s Lexi!), or minimizing driving trips by consolidating errands. We are also very conscientious about what we eat, using the stairs, and printing less.

What do you do in your office to be more sustainable?

Jordan implemented a number of sustainability measures when she joined us last year including battery recycling, additional recycling bins, and joining the Greens Beans as a co-captain. We are working towards getting our Leaf Two application together and have plans for a sustainability bulletin board in our office, getting members of the Philosophy Department involved with our team, and are looking to replace older equipment with more sustainable options after the equipment lifecycle is reached. We’ve been looking for ways to reduce paper usage and to seek ways to reuse paper where we only printed on one side.

What do you think is the biggest challenge to sustainability in general? On campus?

It’s really seems like unsustainable behaviors are the result of convenience, lack of awareness, and cost. As consumers we have a tendency to use what is quick, easy, and/or cheap and we may or may not consider the impact of our decision because of the convenience and cost. Here on campus we’ve also observed behaviors that are at odds with sustainability such as using the elevator to go up/down one floor, keeping the lights on in rooms where natural light is plentiful or no one is using, and throwing recyclable materials into the trash. While we aren’t perfect, we do strive to be sustainable and wish to see that in the broader community

Winning Individual Idea

Submitted By: Kim Dixon

Idea: I would like to see MSU adopt these ideas as part of their sustainability pledge:

1. Provide to staff/students free unlimited use of mass transit to reduce the number of single-occupant drivers and also help with overcrowding of parking lots.
2. As recycling rates for plastic are low and as high-quality water available around campus, I’d like to see MSU ban the sale of bottled water to eliminate plastic bottle waste. It will also save on man-power for having to empty the recycling bins.
3. Go to single-stream – more simplistic (only have “recycle” and “landfill”). I believe it will increase the campus waste diversion if the process is simplified.
4. I’m not sure what campus dining services do with their leftover food, but an alternative to wasting it could be to start a student-powered Campus Kitchen project.
5. Encourage reusable cup, mug or bottle usage with the Cupanion Rewards app. Work in conjunction with on campus vendors.

Tell us a bit about yourself.  

I grew up in Springfield, went to Parkview High School, moved to St. Louis from 1984-2011. In 2011, I moved back to Springfield and began working at MSU for the Facilities Management Department. I am a mother to three amazing children (Ashley 30, Joshua 29, and Caleb 27), a granny to an adorable grandson (Brady 1 ½), a pet lover to a Pomeranian dog (Tootsie) who is 14 yrs. old and just recently, have taken in a rescue cat (Tabby). In my free time, I like to be outdoors working in the yard, hiking, biking or hunting. I am continually polishing my shooting skills of my Hoyt Ruckus bow and hand gun.

What do you like most about working at MSU?

I love working in a scholastic environment. After my first higher-ed experience of working for Washington University in St. Louis for the Olin Business School, I knew I always wanted to continue working in an educational atmosphere. There are so many opportunities to learn and grow, plus I love the excitement and fresh perspectives students provide. I love the buzz of busyness on the campus. It’s hope, excitement and promise in its purest form. Another perk I love about working for MSU is the credit fee waiver.  I have been taking classes in the evenings for the past two years, working towards an Accounting Degree, and thoroughly enjoy the challenge of expanding my knowledge and exercising my brain. I find satisfaction in being a part of something that changes people’s lives for the better. 

What was your inspiration for this idea?

My motivation for participating in this event is to see the campus continue working towards making sustainable choices in all its processes. All the way from the buildings we build, to the vendors we choose, to the purchases we make, to the food we eat. Lead by example. Continue Thinking Big – Solar parking like California State University which supplies 20% of the universities annual power needs; Solar Hot Water – like University of Wisconsin – Green Bay, which heats its indoor swimming pool from solar collectors on the roof, saving 6,540 therms of natural gas (equivalent to hot water for 20 residential households). Implement more rainwater harvesting on campus which can be used for flushing toilets. Make sustainability more than a buzz word, create an environment where you can’t help but notice it.

What do you do personally to live more sustainably?

Sustainability has always interested me. My first real impression of sustainability came when I was working at Washington University. Because of their sustainability program, I started taking notice on a more personal level. My colleagues were setting examples and making impressions.  The campus had a thriving, active sustainability program that was always catching my attention. At MSU, my interest was fed further. I found great value in the NWEI Menu for the Future classes that Jordan Schanda held, which made me think even more about my everyday choices. Because of that class, I now try to buy local, organic and grass-fed products as much as I can, while avoiding processed food as much as I can. I am encouraged by Pilar Karlen, our campus Energy manager, who creates awareness of utility usage. Because of this, I think twice about the energy I’m using. My current personal sustainability practices are a work in progress. I do the typical – recycle; don’t buy bottled water; instead of using the individual plastic produce bags when buying produce, my co-worker, Emily McGee, made me a reusable shopping bag from plastic grocery bags that I now use for produce purchases; only have lights on in one room at a time; instead of adjusting the thermostat, make other adjustments (layered clothing, or turn on/off a fan, open/close a window); unplug (or turn off the power strip) on appliances/electronics when not in use; downsized material possessions considerably (the minimalist lifestyle is interesting to me – less stuff, less worries, less space needed to store the stuff, less energy needed. Less truly is More.) There is so much more I can do, it’s a work in progress.

What do you do in your office to be more sustainable?

Pretty much the usual things all offices are doing I’m assuming – recycle paper, bottles/cans, cardboard, ink cartridges, batteries. We also have two hydration stations which we use for refilling water containers, reducing the use of plastic bottles. Our maintenance guys recycle metal from their jobs. We have minimized individual trash can usage in the building so that fewer liners are used, power down the computers in the evening, utilize sensor switches in the conference and break rooms, as well as the restrooms and turn off lights when not in the offices for an extended period of time. We have also networked most of our printers enabling us to reduce the number of printers/copiers being used in the department, which equates to less energy being used, less toners/ink cartridges, less spending.

What do you think is the biggest challenge to sustainability in general? On campus?

Changing minds. Sustainability involves the many individual decisions made every day. What helps change minds? Exposure, education, influence from our peers, support from the administration. Sustainability awareness on the MSU campus has grown a lot, I feel like, over my four years here. I’m encouraged by the campus’ support of initiatives which have created savings in utilities, construction of LEED certified buildings, and hopeful that mindset continues and more changes are being put in place. Change is not always easy, nor is it always inexpensive, and the easy way is usually a well-beaten path. What helps me is seeing the big picture of where our world will be if unsustainable practices continue – it is disturbing. If I step outside of thinking of just my life and existence and think of the future of the earth for my children and grandchildren, it makes me think about my choices – where is my trash going? Where does the food I’m eating come from? How was the food made? What kind of sustainable/unsustainable process was involved in making the food I’m eating? How big of a footprint are my daily choices leaving on this earth? Looking at the big picture helps me in making sustainable choices. The earth’s resources are limited and can be taken for granted. This earth is home to billions of humans and animals. Zooming it in to a personal level, would you continually do something damaging to the brick and mortar home you live in (like not fix leaks, or not spray for bugs, not mow the yard)? Probably not, because you want a comfortable, nice place to live. Expand that out to the big picture…….don’t we want a comfortable world to live in? Don’t we want to enjoy our environment with clear babbling brooks, versus the chemical filled streams? Clean air versus a smog filled haze? Do we want to continually cut down forests and turn the green into grime? It is estimated that we use a considerable amount more of natural resources every year than we can put back. That can’t end well. What will be the last straw? When the last straw is placed on the camel’s back, we can know with certainty it wasn’t the single last strand of straw that made the camel’s back collapse, instead it was the fault of all the straws collectively. Therefore, everyone must be involved to achieve environmental sustainability. We must choose our straws wisely. 

Any other information that you think would be important to include…

Bear Up and Be Sustainable!

We truly appreciate all of the faculty and staff who took the time to submit their ideas. We hope this competition will grow each semester and result in changes that will make positive sustainability impacts on our campus!