The SEED2SOIL program brings together experts and stakeholders along with operational sustainability topics to expand, prioritize, and refine known opportunities for carbon reduction.
Process is led by the Cultivators, an administrative committee, meeting on a biweekly basis:
- Alexis Pearl Lee (UHealth)
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Dana Holmes (U Facilities, SEED2SOIL Program Manager)
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Dr. Sarah Hinners (Dir Research and Conservation, Red Butte Gardens)
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Emerson Andrews (Sustainability Office)
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Jack Kay (U Facilities, Project Manager)
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Lissa Larson (U Facilities, Associate Director Sustainability & Energy)
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Make an impact
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Brainstorm your ideas to improve University operations in relation to sustainability
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Have ideas guided by an expert
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Network with experts, stakeholders, and cultivators
Social Engagement, Evaluation, and Discovery 
Any event or coordination effort focused on capturing ideas for projects/initiatives that would improve University operations in relation to sustainability and support the university’s Climate Action Plan (CAP) and 2040 carbon neutrality goals. Areas of influence addressed include Buildings & Infrastructure, Water Conservation, Purchasing, Waste & Recycling, and Transportation.
- Formal SEED events bring together subject matter experts to review campus operations and brainstorm new ideas to meet sustainability goals.
- Informal SEED events can include Probletunity sessions hosted by the Sustainability Office, campus tabling events, or submission of an idea via email.
- Ideas will be sorted by "areas of influence" and collected for further evaluation in a Sustainable Operations Workshop (SOW) session.
Sustainable Operations Working 
Workshops are held with a group of diverse stakeholders and subject matter experts to review ideas generated during SEED discussions.
- These workshops review projects/initiatives that have been submitted during SEED discussions, brainstorm new projects/initiatives that meet Climate Action Plan (CAP) goals, and identify campus partners to be involved.
- A project Champion is identified for projects/initiatives that will work with campus partners to further develop the project.
Sustainable Operations Investment Leadership 
Annual cross-departmental funding meeting to review high priority sustainability projects proposed for funding in the coming Fiscal Years.
- The group reviews projects proposed for funding to understand the big picture across campus, including how each project supports the university’s Climate Action Plan and 2040 carbon neutrality goals.
- Where feasible, opportunities to align scope/resources with Partners’ current priorities to maximize use of available funds are identified.
- Potential funding sources include Revolving Sustainability Fund, Sustainability Energy Fund, Deferred Maintenance funds, other internal sources, and supplemental external funding.
Project Labor Accounting Navigation Team
Phase in which funded projects are being implemented.
- Implementation of projects/initiatives is led by the appropriate party, including U Facilities project managers, Auxiliary Services, Campus Planning, or other technical experts.
- Project leads will regularly report updates and status tracking to assigned SEED2SOIL representatives. As appropriate, progress will be tracked in Climate Action Plan Annual Reports.
Historical Analytic Results & Visualized Evidence Support Team 
Annual meeting to review projects that were selected for implementation (ongoing and completed).
- Celebrate our project success for projects implemented through the SEED2SOIL process for the year!
- Discuss lessons learned, and if needed, refine any priorities or goals for the upcoming year.
Climate Action Plan (CAP)
Do you have a project to submit?
SEED2SOIL 2022 Awardees
The SEED2SOIL program proudly announces the following research grant awards for U Facilities-identified areas focused on improving campus operations and contributing to broader sustainability knowledge. Each project represents researchers and students working collaboratively with U Facilities on real-world applications.
This Campus as a Living Lab (CLL) approach directly connects researchers with U Facilities representatives in a true One U, cross-campus collaboration on projects that would have otherwise been sourced to external firms. Researchers are encouraged to develop results that improve sustainable operations for the U’s campus, the broader community, and beyond.
Chen Wang
Assistant professor of materials science and engineering
Nagendra Tanikella
Doctoral student of mechanical engineering
Barnali Sutradhar
Incoming doctoral student of materials science and engineering
Radhika Bhakta
A third-year undergraduate student majoring in quantitative economics and chemistry with a chemical engineering emphasis
Jianli Chen
Assistant professor of civil engineering
Kody Powell
Director of the DOE-funded Intermountain Industrial Assessment Center, assistant professor of chemical engineering, adjunct assistant professor of mechanical engineering
Blake Billings
Doctoral candidate in chemical engineering
Graduate and undergraduate students who have yet to be determined
Todd Easton
Professor of mechanical engineering
Cori Jackson
Incoming doctoral student in mechanical engineering
Kerry Kelly
Associate professor of chemical engineering
Darrah Sleeth
Associate professor of occupational and environmental health
Pierre-Emmanuel Gaillardon
Adjunct associate professor in the School of Computing, associate professor of electrical and computer engineering
Jianli Chen
Assistant professor of civil engineering
Tony Saad
Assistant professor of chemical engineering
Graduate students from chemical engineering and occupational and environmental health who have yet to be determined
Daniel Mendoza
Adjunct assistant professor of internal medicine and city and metropolitan planning, research assistant professor of atmospheric sciences
Tabitha Benney
Associate professor of political science
Casey Olson
Graduate student of atmospheric sciences
Undergraduate student researchers through the Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program who are yet to be determined
Andy Hong
Assistant professor of city and metropolitan planning
Anna Maki
Graduate student in city and metropolitan planning
Tom Millar
Associate instructor in city and metropolitan planning
Undergraduate student research assistant who is yet to be determined
John Lin
Professor of atmospheric sciences
Derek Mallia
Research assistant professor of atmospheric sciences
Maria Garcia
Research associate of atmospheric sciences
Daniel Mendoza
Adjunct assistant professor of internal medicine and city and metropolitan planning, research assistant professor of atmospheric sciences
Nic Hofmann
Undergraduate student researcher
Cathy Liu
Associate professor of civil and environmental engineering
Bei Wang Phillips
Assistant professor of computing and the Scientific Computing and Imaging (SCI) Institute
Yirong Zhou
Doctoral student in civil and environmental engineering
Graduate student from the School of Computing who is yet to be determined