By Regina Perez

RIO GRANDE VALLEY, TEXAS – FEB. 9, 2024 – The sustainability network continues to expand in Texas, with UTRGV hosting the annual TRACS conference recently at the South Padre Island Convention Center. 

This year’s theme, “Sustainability, the Future of Texas,” marked the second time UTRGV has served as host of the event under the leadership of UTRGV Chief Sustainability Officer Marianella Franklin. 

Formed in 2008, the Texas Regional Alliance for Campus Sustainability (TRACS) is a network of faculty members, students and sustainability professionals supporting higher education in Texas by implementing climate change and sustainability solutions across campus operations, academic curriculum and off-campus fields of influence.  

Attendees shared and exchanged experiences around sustainability in higher education during three days of presentations Jan 29-31 by staff, faculty and students from participating institutions, a trade show of sustainability exhibitors, and a student poster session. 

UTRGV Chief Sustainability Officer Marianella Franklin received the Lifetime Achievement in Sustainability Leadership Award at the conference. (UTRGV Photo)

Welcoming remarks during the opening reception were by Laura Lara, UTRGV associate VP for Planning and Construction, who highlighted UTRGV’s pride in collaborating with the 21 participating institutions.

And Franklin recognized Texas A&M Sustainability Director Kelly Wellman and Rice Senior Executive Director for Sustainability Richard Johnson for 11 years of exceptional service as co-chairs of the TRACS executive committee. 

Johnson urged participants to “not reinvent the wheel.”

“We should rely on the expertise and lessons others have learned and developed. TRACS is that forum,” he said.

Presentation sessions spanned a variety of topics and perspectives. 

Maria Boccalandro, dean of Special Academic Programs at Dallas College, addressed the experiences of a community college and the potential of its relationship with sustainability.

“The power community colleges have is that, whatever you teach a student today about being a steward of the environment, they are going home to where they can practice sustainability, right there and then,” she said.

Franklin acknowledged sponsors for their support, including Platinum Sponsor UT at Austin. 

In response, Jim Walker, UT Austin director of sustainability, said cross-campus collaboration is vitally important on a variety of levels.

Attendees shared and exchanged experiences around sustainability in higher education during three days of presentations Jan 29-31 by staff, faculty and students from participating institutions, a trade show of sustainability exhibitors, and a student poster session. (UTRGV Photo by David Pike)

“One level is that this is who your people are,” he said. “You need others who are also working on domains of climate change and social collaboration to connect, empathize and celebrate each other,” he said.

Kelly Wellman, co-chair of the TRACS executive committee, said she was excited about the direction to include more student leadership in TRACS.

“We need to keep working on our end, but also provide these spaces for students to engage, to teach, to be the voice and for us to listen and learn from,” she said.

The conference closed with the presentation of a Lifetime Achievement in Sustainability Leadership Award to Franklin on behalf of the TRACS executive committee, for her extensive career advancing sustainability in South Texas.

To learn more about the 2024 TRACS conference or information about future editions, visit the OFS website, and tune into its social media networks.