Contact

Kenneth Foster, PhD

Director of Sustainability

Ken leads and coordinates Vassar’s efforts to decarbonize campus operations and implement environmentally-friendly practices, while providing active support for sustainability-focused education and skills development. Ken came to Vassar in 2024 after over two decades working in Minnesota and British Columbia. He spent seventeen years as Professor of Political Science and Environmental Studies at Concordia College, where he also served as Chair of the President’s Sustainability Council and, for three years, as Director of Community Engagement. During that time, Ken served as a Public Member, appointed by Governor Walz, of the Minnesota Environmental Quality Board and spearheaded the Moorhead Community Resilience Project. He also has deep experience in China and Taiwan. Ken serves on the Board of Directors of the national organization Wild Ones, which promotes native plants and natural landscaping.

Kyra Hoffman ’24

Jill Troy Werner Sustainability Fellow

Kyra is the Jill Troy Werner Sustainability Fellow at Vassar College. She is from Massachusetts and graduated from Vassar in May 2024 with a BA in Environmental Studies. Her thesis investigated how beaver dams impact the water quality of the Casperkill. She is continuing work in environmental studies through this fellowship by promoting sustainability initiatives and supporting student projects. In her free time, she knits the day away and fights the never-ending battle of crafting clutter.

Alexandra Tapia

Social Media Intern

Hi everyone! My name is Ale (short for Alexandra) and I am from Newburgh, New York. I am a junior majoring in Neuroscience. I got my interest in sustainability and green initiatives from my very enthusiastic AP environmental teacher in high school. I wanted to find a way to incorporate those while I’m at Vassar because I think the sustainability movement is something everyone across all disciplines should be involved in, we all have the Earth in common after all. I also love how our campus is full of adorable animals and plants! It’s so fun to post about and I love seeing everyone appreciate it too.

Lily Shimpach

Lead Waste Reduction Intern

Hi everyone! My name is Lily Shimpach (she/her) and I am a junior from Northampton, Massachusetts. I am pursuing an Environmental Studies major with concentrations in Earth Science and Media Studies, as well as a Geography correlate. Besides working with the Office of Sustainability, I am a member of Vassar’s cross country and track teams! I am really looking forward to working with the Triple R Team this semester. Sustainability is important to me as it represents a measure we can take against climate change on an individual level. Our program, in particular, can make a tangible difference on the Vassar community and help educate our peers on the importance of sustainable practices. Last year, I worked with the Office of Sustainability and participated in waste audits and planning meetings aimed at making Vassar more sustainable when it comes to food waste and waste in general. I am excited to continue that work this semester. We have the ability to make a positive impact on the environment and with our combined experience, I am confident we will be successful in that endeavor!

Sofia Rojas Collins

Waste Reduction Intern

Hi everyone! My name is Sofia (She/Her). I am a freshman from Washington D.C. I am currently thinking of majoring in Biology, and minoring in Art and Spanish. My interests revolve around thrifting, painting, STEM and the environment. Since the second I learned of the climate crisis I have felt obligated to try and limit my ecological footprint. I am a pescatarian to reduce meat consumption and sell used clothing on Depop to promote the recycling of clothing. I hope to contribute ideas both related and unrelated to my interests. I am really excited about this team and meeting everyone!

Diego Sari

Waste Reduction Intern

Hello my name is Diego (he/him), and I am a freshman from Peekskill, New York. I intend on majoring in Economics or Mathematics. Some of my interests are running because I got into running my sophomore year of high school when I began cross country and track. Another of my interests is soccer. I am a big Lionel Messi fan and an FC Barcelona fan as well. What motivated me into working on this team was that in my high school I conducted a recycling education intervention project where I assessed students’ improvements towards recycling. The main reason why I began this project in my high school was there was very little recycling going on in my community and I wanted to change that. Along with this there was actually an incinerator in Peekskill which many students were unaware of and I felt they should be aware of the things they throw away due to it affecting us so closely.

Lora Jaczewski

Waste Reduction Intern

Hello everybody! My name is Lora (she/her), and I am a first-year student from Queens, New York. I intend on majoring in Biology with an Environmental Studies and English correlate. I love learning about Earth’s beautiful and complex environment, and the many different ways organisms are able to interact with each other and respond to their environments. Because of this interest, I was immediately drawn to sustainability and learning about the variety of ways we can individually make sure the environments that we live in and affect are protected for future generations. I love in-person activism and being able to make a difference firsthand, like picking up trash from shores or cleaning up trails with friends. But when I’m not engaged in stewardship, I love learning new languages, writing, or staying active through sports like fencing and equestrianism. I can’t wait to meet everyone and see just how much we can accomplish together!

Moxie Thompson

Waste Reduction Intern

Hello! My name is Moxie (she/her) and I am a Junior from Portland, Oregon. I’m majoring in Anthropology with a correlate in Spanish. I love bicycles, hiking, farming, playing guitar, looking at crumbling infrastructure, and learning about first aid and medicine. I’m interested in equitable resource distribution and humans’ relationship with the environment, which draws me to the field of sustainability. I want to help improve the system of food recovery at Vassar. Let’s do some amazing work together!