The Tishman Environment and Design Center has named Mike Harrington (’18) as its new Assistant Director. In this role, Mike will continue to advance The New School’s commitment to sustainability and the Tishman Center’s mission to integrate bold design, policy, and social justice approaches to environmental issues. Mike will assume many of the responsibilities of outgoing Assistant Director, Molly Johnson (’15), now at the Meyer Memorial Trust in Portland, Oregon. Both Mike and Molly are graduates of Milano’s Environmental Policy and Sustainability Management (EPSM) program.
Mike began the EPSM program in 2016 and quickly contributed to the university’s sustainability work. He joined and later became the President of the Sustainable Cities Club, where he updated the club’s infrastructure and encouraged wider outreach to undergraduate and non-sustainability major students in order to make the club more inclusive and stable. He was also a Teaching Assistant for the Parson’s Sustainable Systems course for first-year students, where he utilized his experience in the energy efficiency field to deliver lectures and assist faculty with their lessons in various ways. He also worked with Dining Services to measure the amount of sustainable food purchasing for The New School cafeteria and worked closely with Dr. Kristin Reynolds on urban agriculture and environmental education research.
Prior to attending The New School, Mike was a sustainability advocate in Chicago, working with the innovative energy efficiency and environmental justice organization, Elevate Energy. As a key member of the outreach team, Mike advanced energy efficiency programs for environmental justice communities primarily in his hometown on Chicago’s Southside. He was also a founding member and Associate Board Chair of environmental nonprofit/consulting firm the Delta Institute, where he led many networking, education and community building events in the environmental sector. He also served as a steering committee member of Ginkgo Organic Gardens and was a member of the Green City Market’s Associate Board, giving him a well-rounded understanding of how to advance urban sustainability.
We congratulate Mike and are glad to know that he will continue to share his expertise and commitment to environmental justice and sustainability with The New School community as he transitions into this new role.
