Sustainability Alumni Spotlight

Dylan Card

1. What year did you graduate?

BS 2015, MS 2019, PhD 2021

2. What was your major/minor?

BS Atmospheric Science, BS Physics, MS Atmospheric Science, PhD Atmospheric Science

3. What was your student organization involvement on campus?

I started as a member of the Sustainability Living Learning Community which began my involvement in all of the wonderful sustainability programs that now exist at UAlbany. During my freshman year we got UAS to label locally grown food in all of the dining halls, every year after that seeing those signs and seeing the sustainability movement grow at UAlbany made me very proud of what we as students had accomplished. I was one of the first group members of the UAlbany Students for Sustainability and UAlbany Outdoors, where I served as an Executive Board member of both groups for a few years. I began working in the Sustainability Office in 2013. During my time working there, I oversaw operation of the ink jet and compost collection as well as the UAlbany Bikeshare. I also oversaw the collection of energy, waste and recycling data for UAlbany to assist with the Energy Campaign and Recyclemania. Through the connection I made in the office with other students working there, I became the Vice President of the Graduate Student Association, and eventually President. It was the leadership abilities that I learned being involved with sustainability at UAlbany that made me comfortable enough to take on these institution-wide leadership roles. During my time with the Graduate Student Association, I served on the UAS Board of Directors as well as many other committees where I was able to interact and provide a student voice to university administrators. In these positions and on these committees, I continued to advocate for sustainability at UAlbany including the getting CDTA bikeshare bikes on campus.

4. What are you doing now? Where do you live?

Today I am working as a meteorologist for the Department of Defense in Florida.

5. How have you applied your experience with the sustainability movement on campus and involvement with the Office of Sustainability into your post-college life and career?

My leadership and office experience has allowed me, in the first few months of my job, to manage government contracts for my lab at the Department of Defense. I would tell everyone to join the sustainability movement on campus for the numerous opportunities to learn about sustainability as well as what we can all do and what we can advocate for in order to save our environment.

The Office of Sustainability is proud of the successes of our alumni! They were essential in the early stages of the sustainability movement at UAlbany and have shaped where it is now.