10 Questions With… Brandon Trelstad, sustainability officer with the Sustainability Office
What originally brought you to Oregon State and how long have you been here?
I came here as a first-year undergrad in fall 1997 and landed a student employee job in the Government Relations office my senior year. After I graduated, I applied and was hired for a part-time job in that office where I stayed for four years. It was an incredible (and at times intimidating) experience working with OSU senior leadership as a student and very early career professional. It was also an interesting time at OSU.
You basically created the position of a sustainability officer at OSU 20 years ago. How has that position evolved for you over time?
About half of my work is similar to 2005 when I created and started this job. I still work with a large variety of OSU units and also with outside entities like Energy Trust of Oregon and the State of Oregon. Our team is still focused on reducing energy use in buildings, but in very different ways from 20 years ago. I’ve been delighted to see OSU create positions for things like transportation options, which used to be part of my portfolio, as well as a position to focus on energy efficiency in building heating and cooling systems.
What makes you passionate about higher education?
Some aspects of my childhood contributed to me being a planner, valuing community and focusing on the future. If you care about the future and want to improve it, education is a natural fit as a career. I love higher education since I encounter so many talented people — students included — doing amazing things, many of which are intended to improve the future.
What is the most exciting aspect of working in sustainability right now?
Well, it’s not the excitement I welcome but it’s hard to escape the challenging and changing federal landscape. I know our team feels it less than others right now, especially in the research community, but federal financial incentives and data are things we rely on in our work. More positively, these changes have brought many communities closer together and strengthened networks at scales that are more human-oriented, like at the local and state level. Additionally, I’m excited that our economy continues to turn the corner on moving toward a lower carbon future fueled by renewable energy. The economics support grid-scale renewables now more than ever.
What advice would you give the younger version of yourself who was just starting college?
Get involved earlier — in clubs/orgs, student government, a university department or as a volunteer in the local community. Getting that first “real” job can be intimidating. As a farm kid from Salem, I still remember how scared I was to try new things in a visible job where I had to learn quickly.
Who inspires you either personally or professionally to continue the work that you do?
My work aligns 100% with my personal values and priorities. I mentioned earlier that I’m someone who focuses — maybe too much — on the future. I tend to sacrifice my free time today for a better tomorrow since I really believe strongly in intergenerational equity. It might sound sappy and predictable to say “our students” but it’s not just OSU students. It’s everyone born today who will have to live with the consequences of choices we make. And there are a few people in the local non-profit space who continue to inspire me who, as volunteers, put a ton of time into making Corvallis a more sustainable community. My fellow leaders of the Corvallis Sustainability Coalition specifically, but also those involved with Greenbelt Land Trust, Corvallis Environmental Center, and many others, plus those few on Corvallis City Council who are speaking up for climate justice.
What was your favorite course in college?
I had several but one course that stood out was a writing intensive ecology course that fast-tracked me to be a better writer. It was tough — I had not been pushed to really improve my writing until this course. I was frustrated at first but about three-quarters of the way through the course, I realized the toughness the instructor employed (a lot of red ink on my assignments) was having an impact for me. Other courses that come to mind were the History of Science; Bargaining and Negotiation and Environmental Ethics.
How do you think growing up in Oregon shaped your views on environmental policy and sustainability?
Oregon was and is a great place to do this work. As a kid, and at a time when it was inconvenient, my parents recycled before anyone else I knew. I grew up near a wetland in South Salem and didn’t appreciate until my 30s how rich an experience that was. As part of my environmental policy minor, we even used Salem as a case study for contradictions and compromise, and I learned about the legacy of Gov. Tom McCall and Oregon’s amazing land use laws and bottle bill. In my career I’ve seen Oregon communities set the bar high for organizational performance — they want change much faster than large organizations can shift, but I would not trade the positive support of sustainability work for anything else.
What are some of the biggest challenges you see facing sustainability in higher education in the coming years?
As with most others, my work is subject to budget ups and downs. But I and most of my counterparts in higher ed are used to being adaptable, scaling programming and seeking alternative ways to accomplish work. I think our students will continue to push us to do more, despite other setbacks like loss of federal funding and incentives. As the imperative of addressing climate change becomes even clearer to future generations, reducing our operational greenhouse gas emissions may get more attention.
What is your favorite non-academic pursuit or passion?
As an energy nerd, I like to see how low my personal carbon footprint can go with my solar, heat pumps, electric vehicle and a circuit-level home energy monitor. But I also play indoor soccer year-round, love to fix everything from appliances to major home remodels and I volunteer in the community. Two guilty pleasures I don’t plan to give up soon are restoring and maintaining a few old German cars (recently won an award for one) and enjoying large amounts of dairy products, particularly around the holidays.
