SUI Leadership

The Department of Sustainability, Utilities & Infrastructure (SUI) is made up of a diverse community of professionals who work to develop comprehensive, long-term strategies to manage the university's carbon footprint and natural resources in a sustainable and efficient manner. The department is led by Executive Director Lincoln Bleveans, and is comprised of nearly 100 engineers, trade, and professional staff.

HISTORY

The Department of Sustainability, Utilities & Infrastructure (SUI) was founded in 2007 to bring a unique and particular focus to the environmental impact of operating a premier research institution. The department serves as steward of the university's carbon emissions and resource consumption, actively working to reduce the university’s footprint and establish Stanford as a global leader in not only academic research, but innovative operations.

The first Energy Resource Management group was established in 1979, laying the framework for the first Energy Action Plan in 1981 and setting a foundation for the robust conservation programs SUI operates today. From there, significant milestones in the late 1980s and 90s included the publication of the first landscape design guidelines, establishment of the Energy Retrofit Program, and creation of the recycling program. By the year 2000, the majority of buildings were outfitted with electric, steam, and water meters to allow Stanford to monitor and verify resource consumption, and in 2001 and 2002 respectively, the Water Conservation, Reuse and Recycling Master Plan and Transportation Demand Management Program were established.

The landmark effort that President Hennessy launched in 2003, the Initiative on the Environment and Sustainability, helped to propel academic and operational sustainability into the forefront of thought and action, and marked the beginning of the effort to embed sustainability as a "core value" Stanford culture. From this point through 2011, when the major fundraising campaign concluded, the structure of sustainability programming at Stanford grew into the institutes, programs, and departments - including SUI - that help drive the culture and innovation of sustainability.

The unique approach of looking at all of the major contributors to environmental sustainability within the same department allows for the university to address the issues of climate change and resource consumption in the areas of highest impact. Through integrated, innovative demand and supply programs that focus on building operations, power production, transportation programs, water resource management, and engaging the campus, Stanford is able to lead the way and support the academic mission as a living laboratory that showcases how solutions can be implemented successfully at a large scale.