Sustainability Office
Your hub for sustainability on the St. George campus.
Who we are
The Sustainability Office on the St. George campus is on an ongoing mission to embed sustainability into the fabric of university operations and the on-campus experience.
The principles of regenerative sustainability and the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals act as our guide towards U of T becoming a model of sustainability worldwide.
We connect, engage and empower
We develop, support, and empower U of T’s students, faculty and staff as sustainability change agents on and off-campus. We are a hub for sustainability awareness, services, and collaboration to enable and promote positive change.
We collaborate with our academic partners as well as U of T Mississauga and U of T Scarborough for a more sustainable tri-campus University of Toronto.
We continuously transform
We work collaboratively with our colleagues responsible for campus stewardship to achieve our environmental commitments. We do this by developing low-energy, low-carbon strategies to responsibly grow our campus while continuously renewing our existing buildings and optimizing our campus operations to minimize all environmental impacts.
Our team
Catherine Thorn (she/her), Director, Sustainability & Energy Management
Catherine leads the Sustainability Office and Energy Management teams; she is responsible for achieving the University’s Climate Positive commitment. She oversees development of large projects in carbon reduction, energy conservation, and water/waste management and supports academic collaborations on sustainability projects. She lends her expertise to large tri-campus construction and renovation projects and directs the development of institutional energy performance and sustainability standards.
Before joining F&S, Catherine gained over 14 years of progressive experience and subject matter expertise in the energy sector. She previously served as the senior director of community energy planning at Enwave Energy, where she led development of new low-carbon and net-zero district energy systems (including award-winning and unprecedented landmark projects). In this role, she led Enwave’s first geoexchange project and developed a financing and governance framework for green projects. Prior to that, Catherine led strategic energy services at Golder Associates as an energy management specialist, where she managed projects, conducted energy and engineering analyses and grew the business.
As a passionate climate action leader, Catherine serves as a member of the Board of Directors for QUEST Canada, a registered charity that supports communities on their path to net-zero. Her case study work has been published by the United Nations.
Catherine is a Professional Engineer and holds a degree from the Ivey Business School.
Scott Hendershot (he/him), Senior Manager, Sustainability Office
Scott is responsible for oversight of reporting, policy, data, engagement, and communications initiatives at the Sustainability Office at the St. George campus. Working with his key stakeholders – students, faculty and staff – Scott acts as an advocate and leader for impactful sustainability at U of T.
A professional engineer with broad knowledge, keen interest and dedication to caring for planet earth, are what drive his motivation to deliver sustainable change across U of T, and beyond. Scott joined the University in 2021 from Pratt & Whitney Canada, where in his most recent position played an active role in developing and embedding sustainability across the corporation for over a decade.
Chelsea Dalton (she/her), Project Manager, Sustainability Office
Chelsea is responsible for managing and implementing projects at the Sustainability Office. Chelsea works collaboratively across a broad range of departments and with multiple stakeholders to strengthen the Sustainability Office’s projects and programs.
Chelsea joins us from Facilities Management & Planning at UTM, where she has over 10 years experience working in the Sustainability Office. She has worked extensively on outreach, engagement, program management, and sustainability assessment in higher education. Chelsea holds an Honours BSc in Environmental Science from the University of Toronto Mississauga. She is a passionate advocate for sustainability in higher education and throughout the world at large.
Kevin Leong (he/him), Project Manager, Sustainability Office
Kevin is responsible for managing and implementing projects at the Sustainability Office with a focus on energy metrics and how to effectively verify, measure, and monitor the success of various sustainability programs and campus operations initiatives.
Kevin is a U of T alumnus, holding a Bachelor of Environmental Science. He joins us from within the Facilities and Services family, bringing over 20 years of experience in at the university. In his previous role within Utilities and Building Operations, he has acquired vast experience around energy and water data, environmental metrics, budgets, facility operations, and maintenance—which are all connected to U of T’s sustainability goals.
Elliott Stambler (he/him), Project Manager, Sustainability Office
Elliott leads and manages scope 3 GHG reduction initiatives, with a focus on the Air Travel Emissions Mitigation Initiative (ATEMI). He is a licensed Professional Engineer and Project Manager with an expertise in mechanical and aviation Engineering as well as sustainable infrastructure implementation.
Prior to joining U of T, Elliott accumulated over 7 years of experience managing complex engineering projects in aviation and sustainability. He began his career engineering consulting with Arup before moving to Toronto Pearson International Airport, where he worked until 2024. His project experience spans includes international airports with notable work in Toronto (YYZ), Boston (BOS), New York (JFK), and Montreal (YUL). Elliott’s commitment to advancing environmentally responsible engineering solutions continues to fuel his impactful contributions to the university and the broader community.
Natalie Vasilivetsky (She/her), Project Manager, Sustainability Office
Natalie leads the research, learning and commercialization portfolio at the St. George campus Sustainability Office. With over a decade of experience in the sustainability field, she specializes in advancing campus-based environmental initiatives. Natalie fosters collaboration, bringing students, staff, and faculty together to drive impactful climate action. She partners with leading U of T researchers to transform the campus into a living lab for innovative solutions to environmental challenges.
Natalie holds a master’s in geography and a bachelor’s in anthropology and philosophy—both from the University of Guelph. Her expertise spans circular economy implementation, environmental policy, developmental evaluation, sustainability management, operations management and radio broadcasting. She is passionate about advancing U of T’s mission to become a climate positive campus.
Kaitlyn Myles (she/her), Project Manager, Sustainability Office
Kaitlyn is responsible for coordinating and managing Sustainability Office communications, events, outreach, and engagement. She is involved in various projects, supporting our project managers and the senior manager with coordinating details and making connections internally and externally.
Kaitlyn brings with her four years of experience working in large organizations, where she was responsible for designing and implementing sustainability programs as well as liaising across all levels of operation. She has previously worked in Environment and Sustainability roles at Bimbo Canada, Keilhauer, and the TTC. Kaitlyn holds a Bachelor of Environmental Studies with honours in Environment and Business as well as a Diploma of Environmental Impact Assessment—both from the University of Waterloo. Her passion for sustainability coupled with her sociable personality allows her to engage with students on why sustainability is important for our future
Larry Yang (he/him), Energy Manager, Sustainability Office
Lijun (Larry) Yang is a passionate energy professional with over 15 years of energy efficiency industry, strategic energy management, sustainability, and facility management experience. Larry is currently an energy manager where he manages the energy programs and renewable energy project initiatives. Specializing in net-zero energy existing building retrofit strategies and performance-based procurement, Larry oversees the implementation of ISO50001 Standard to continually improve the energy performance of his campus. Prior to joining the UofT, Larry was working in the building energy consulting industry for more than a decade. Larry has a M.A. Sc. from Concordia University and many industrial credentials including P.Eng., CEM, CMVP, BEAP, CBCP, CRE, and CEFP.
Vic Cassano (he/him), Senior Utilities Reduction Manager, Sustainability Office
Vic is responsible for energy management at St. George campus. His passions drive him to be the best he can be, to push the envelope, to create, lead and support an incredibly talented team and remain up to date on the latest technologies. He is passionate about helping U of T become a climate positive campus.
Vic began his career as an HVAC, plumbing, and Fire Protection Design Engineer which gives him the expertise required to deliver comprehensive solutions on energy management. Vic also brings experience from his previous role as a Director of Energy & Sustainability at BGIS, supporting projects that focused on operational energy management, enhanced utility reporting, and risk and mitigation strategy.
Ali Alnaggar (he/him), Energy Manager, Sustainability Office
Ali is responsible for managing the Tri-Campus Energy Performance Standard for new construction and renovation projects and collaborating with project teams to ensure compliance. Ali joined U of T in 2022 and is passionate about the Climate Positive Campus plan and climate action in general, with particular interest in developing and implementing energy and decarbonization projects that make sense financially and operationally.
A professional engineer, certified energy manager, and project management professional, Ali holds a Bachelor’s in Electrical Engineering and a Master’s in Clean Energy Engineering from the University of British Columbia. Prior to joining U of T, he has worked in various energy management and facilities planning & construction roles in British Columbia, Alberta, and Ontario.
Sherif Shakour (he/him), Senior Utilities Reduction Manager, Sustainability Office
Sherif is responsible for identifying and developing Deep Energy Retrofit Projects across the St. George Campus to reduce GHG emissions and improve the buildings’ energy performance. Working in concert with key stakeholders, Sherif is responsible for integrating Deep Energy Retrofit Projects with other Sustainability Office efforts to achieve our campus climate positive goal in 2050.
Sherif brings valuable experience from his role at Mann Energy Solutions in energy retrofits project development, and stakeholder engagement experience from his career at Schlumberger. Sherif enjoys working with teams on challenging projects and is passionate about energy efficiency, eliminating waste, and finding innovative solutions to address complex problems.
Student team
Fizza Qasim (she/her), Sustainability Engagement and Outreach Assistant
Fizza is a fourth-year undergraduate pursuing a double major in conservation biology and environmental studies with a certificate in sustainability. During her years at U of T, Fizza has been a part of environment-focused initiatives on campus like the Environmental Student Union and the University College Sustainability Committee. She has also worked as an ROP student for the Trinity Food Systems Lab researching hydroponics as a means of combatting climate change. She was also a part of the first cohort of Student Sustainable Ambassadors, helping to spread sustainability knowledge to the university community. In the summer of 2023, she worked as an intern for the Sustainability Office working to create one of the first biodiversity assessments of the St. George campus to protect and identify local at-risk species. Fizza is excited to be back with the Sustainability Office again and looks forward to working with students and faculty to create a sustainable future for all.
Enzo Baracuhy (he/him), Sustainability Program Development Assistant
Enzo is a first-year medical student at the University of Toronto. He holds a BSc in biomedical science from the University of Guelph and an MSc from McMaster University, where he studied cancer-killing viruses.
His passion for sustainability began during his undergrad, when he piloted a composting program for fellow students living in residence. This initiative sparked his continued commitment to environmental stewardship. His drive to develop new sustainability initiatives led him to join the Sustainability Office at the University of Toronto. Currently, he is actively involved in various sustainability projects on campus and is enthusiastic about the team’s goals for the year ahead.
Stella Chang (she/her), Sustainability Engagement and Outreach Assistant
Stella is a third-year undergraduate student pursuing a double major in environmental science and sociology with a minor in environmental chemistry. She was a Student Sustainable Ambassador in the winter and summer semesters of 2024 and now Stella is super excited to be joining the Sustainability Office as a Work-Study student.
Stella has been involved in student and residence life all around campus. She has done research at the Youth Climate Action in Toronto lab at UTSC, analyzing the impacts of climate change on Toronto youth as part of their research for TransformTO. Now, she will be working on sustainability in residences and piloting a sustainable residence move-out strategy to reduce waste. Stella looks forward to collaborating with amazing people and seeing this project unfold over the course of this school year.
Tiffany Feng (she/her), Carbon and Energy Management Assistant
Tiffany is a third-year undergraduate student specializing in applied statistics with a focus in health studies and a minor in forest conservation. She has spent the last four years tutoring children and has experience working as a teacher assistant. This past experience working with younger kids has led her to acknowledge the importance and impact of educating others and how developing positive and lasting habits is no easy feat. She recognizes that spreading public awareness on environmental issues and promoting sustainable practices is a comparable concern.
As a statistics student, she is looking forward to investigating the University’s environmental data, identifying trends and patterns to understand the impact of faculty and student activities on the campus environment. Tiffany is eager to work with the sustainability team in developing strategies for mitigating environmentally taxing practices and securing a campus that is sustainable for the future U of T community.
Diego Arreola Fernández (he/him), Sustainability Engagement and Outreach Assistant
Diego is a fourth-year undergraduate student pursuing a double major in international relations (with a focus on international law and human rights) and economics, with a certificate in sustainability. Originally from Mexico City, he has been working on advancing youth climate action around the global south for four years through his nonprofit organization, Green Speaking. He has presented his ideas on youth leadership and environmental policy at international conferences such as COP28, the Rainforest Youth Summit 2024, the UN Plastics Treaty INC-4, the Global Youth Climate Challenges 2022, and GreenBiz 21. Outside of campus, he volunteers with NGOs that advance environmental education, such as EarthEcho International and Captain Planet Foundation. On campus, he has worked on research projects with the U of T Trash Team and the Climate Positive Energy group. Diego is excited to continue applying these passions to his work with the Sustainability Office (now for the third consecutive year) and connect students across the University of Toronto with enriching opportunities that will benefit them and their communities.
Razzak Noorani (he/him), Sustainability Marketing and Communications Assistant
Currently pursuing a degree in biomedical ethics and political science, Razzak leverages his academic insights and passion for sustainability to advocate for eco-friendly practices at U of T. He contributes to the marketing communication efforts of the Sustainability Office, managing social media content and coordinating promotional activities for events, engaging both students and faculty across the campus.
In a previous role, Razzak worked on internal communications at the Royal Bank of Canada (RBC), where he focused on corporate storytelling and digital content creation. He also collaborated with the McDonalds Pakistan corporate team to design advertising campaigns for diverse markets. As social media manager at CIUT 89.5 FM, Razzak grew his expertise in media management.
Beyond these roles, Razzak has gained acclaim as a producer and DJ on the electronic music scene. He has also served as a digital storyteller for U of T’s Student Life, crafting engaging narratives to showcase the vibrancy of campus life and connect with a broad student audience.
Looking for student work opportunities?
Apply to the work study program for a chance to work with a team of dedicated professionals and passionate students. Be a sustainability change maker at the University of Toronto.
Our university partners
We work with students, faculty and staff to further sustainability at the university as we realize that we will achieve the most success when we are all-in.
We work in conjunction with our academic colleagues on the President’s Advisory Committee on the Environment, Climate Change and Sustainability to advance sustainability initiatives around teaching and learning, research, operations and community engagement.
The St. George campus Sustainability Office works with the sustainability offices at the University of Toronto Mississauga and University of Toronto Scarborough. Together, we form the Tri-Campus Sustainability Board, working to embed sustainability into the fabric of the entire university.
Our sustainability partners