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Student Sustainability Coordinator Profiles

Katie Leisenring
Facilities Operations Sustainability Coordinator

Pronouns: She/Her

Year: 2025

Major(s): Civil, Environmental and Sustainable Engineering

Minor(s): French

What do you do in your role at the Center? In my role as the Facilities Operations Coordinator, I help increase the sustainability efforts of our campus, specifically concerning waste diversion, landscaping, and our buildings. Over the past two years, I have taken on an inventory of the campus trees, hosted a number of waste characterizations for students, and increased the use of compost systems on campus. I am excited to see all that I accomplish in my final year at SCU!

What is your favorite part about being on the team? I love being surrounded by people who are also passionate about making positive change in this community. Plus, they’re really cool!

What extra/co-curricular activities are you involved in on campus? I’m a member of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) chapter at SCU and I spend a lot of time volunteering in the local community.

Other passions, hobbies, fun facts, or anything else you want to share? I am from the east coast so I absolutely love the weather and the opportunity to constantly be outdoors here! I enjoy exploring new places, whether that be small towns in Santa Cruz, or new restaurants in San Francisco. I like to write poetry, try out new recipes, and have recently been into cycling.