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
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.
Natalie Vasilivetsky (She/her), Project Manager, Sustainability Office
Natalie manages research and learning projects at the U of T St. George campus Sustainability Office. With over a decade of experience in the sustainability field, she specializes in community-based experiential learning and resource recovery program development in the higher education sector.
With a keen eye for collaboration, Natalie brings together students, staff and faculty to drive initiatives that combat climate change. Harnessing the power of experiential learning, she helps transform the campuses into a vibrant living laboratory. Partnering with leading researchers, Natalie co-designs and implements cutting-edge sustainability projects. Natalie holds a BA in anthropology and philosophy from the University of Guelph and is currently pursuing an MA in geography. She is also experienced in program evaluation, operations management, circular economy implementation and radio broadcasting.
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.
Kaitlyn Myles (she/her), Sustainability Coordinator, 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
Christie Anderson (she/her), Administrative Assistant, Facilities and Services
Christie supports the Director of Sustainability Operations & Services and the Director of Building Services, Grounds & Trades. She joined the University of Toronto in 2022 and is excited to support the work of the Sustainability Office.
Christie holds a Bachelor of Environmental Science and a Master of Environmental Management and has experience working in the office, laboratory, and field for an environmental non-profit organization, editing research papers in environmental science, and facilitating outreach programs for the Temerty Faculty of Medicine.
Student team
Jennie Mai (she/her), Sustainability Program Development Assistant
Jennie is a first-year graduate student in the Department of Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry, pursuing her master’s of engineering. With a background in biology and communications, she has long been dedicated to sustainability and conservation. Jennie actively participates in the FLAP program for bird conservation and engages in community outreach to promote sustainable practices. Through various course projects, she has explored different facets of sustainability, including non-profit management, life cycle assessments, environmental audits and financial analysis. She is enthusiastic about applying her skills and knowledge to contribute to the development of a sustainability program at the university. Jennie looks forward to expanding her impact beyond conservation to include more direct sustainability initiatives.
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 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 sustainable campus for the future U of T community.
Irina Belgorodskii (she/her), Marketing & Communications Assistant
Irina Belgorodskii is a final-year University of Toronto student in the Rotman Commerce program, specializing in management with a focus on marketing, strategy, and innovation. She is also minoring in economics and working towards a sustainability certificate. Irina has worked in the beauty industry for the past five years, which allowed her to see a tremendous amount of global waste being created—and that many beauty brands were greenwashing. This experience led her to become very passionate about sustainable beauty. She is very excited to be back in the Sustainability Office for the third year in a row, where she can continue to educate students and staff about sustainable practices on campus.
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 many environment-focused initiatives on campus such as 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 way to combat the challenges of climate change. She was a member of the first cohort of Student Sustainable Ambassadors in the winter semester, helping to spread sustainability knowledge to the University community. In the summer of 2023, she worked as an intern for the Sustainability Office and helped 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 and looks forward to working with students and faculty to create a sustainable future for all.
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 together with our students, faculty, and staff 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 (CECCS) 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 both 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