Executive Committee

Richard Johnson earned a B.S. in Civil Engineering from Rice University and a Masters in Urban and Environmental Planning from the University of Virginia. He currently serves as the senior executive director for Rice University’s Office of Sustainability, where he leads Rice’s sustainability program and oversees a team whose work spans aligning university goals with the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals; energy and water conservation, procurement, and analytics; utility planning and visioning; design and specification review; zero waste initiatives; green building; climate action planning; campus engagement; and so much more.  Richard co-directs Rice’s Environmental Studies program and holds an appointment as a professor in the practice of environmental studies in sociology.  He serves as the chair of the Futures Council for the University of Arizona’s College of Architecture, Planning, and Landscape Architecture.  Richard is a husband, father, foodie, traveler, and has served as a volunteer public radio deejay for over 30 years.

Kelly Wellman, MBA has served as the Sustainability Director at Texas A&M University since March 2008. She is responsible for developing and administering the campus Sustainability Master Plan, overseeing a grant-giving organization called the Aggie Green Fund and monitoring institutional sustainability performance through the Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System (STARS). Kelly represents the Division of Finance and Operations on the President’s Sustainability Advisory Council, the Sustainability & Environmental Management Committee, the Solid Waste Minimization Committee, and the Tree Campus USA Committee.

Gary Cocke has led the Office of Sustainability at UT Dallas since 2018 with previous sustainability experience in higher education and municipal government. He is responsible for facilitating the integration of sustainability into academics, student life, operations, and administration and monitoring campus sustainability efforts through the Sustainability Tracking Assessment and Rating System (STARS) Report. Key affiliations and committees include; North Texas Regional Centre for Expertise, Sustainability Committee, Student Government Green Initiative, Tree Campus USA, Bee Campus USA, and Air North Texas. Gary is the point of contact for all sustainability related inquiries at UTD and is always happy to collaborate.

Danielle coordinates internal and external stakeholder collaborations between administrative departments, research faculty, and students to achieve community-focused sustainability at UT Dallas. She leads the Office of Sustainability communications channels including newsletters, social media, and outreach events while also organizing campus resources at Earth Week and the Community Garden. She began her university studies with horticulture and entomology, earning a B.S. in Plant and Soil Science followed by a Master’s in Environmental Sustainability and Natural Resource Management from Texas Tech University. She is currently working towards a PhD in Political Science at UT Dallas.

Anne Egelston is an associate professor of environmental policy and program director of environmental science at Tarleton State University. She has a twenty-year career spanning academia and industry in the fields of climate change, sustainability, and air permitting and is the 2022-2023 Engaged Faculty Award winner for the College of Science & Mathematics.

Marianella Franklin is the founding Director and Chief Sustainability Officer at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, leading the institutions global sustainability efforts with 14 years in higher education. Marianella’s leadership has helped launch various programs and centers that include: the UTRGV – International Center for Sustainability Across Curriculum; The South Texas Industrial Assessment Center; Sustainability Fellows, Scholars and Internship programs and assisted in developing new interdisciplinary undergraduate and graduate programs in Energy, Engineering, Entrepreneurship, Agriculture and Environmental Sciences. Marianella is a member of the International Society of Sustainability Professionals (ISSP), International Women’s Board (IWB), American Institute of Architects (AIA), USGBC and a LEED accredited professional. Marianella holds a BA in Architecture from the Universidad Autonoma de Nuevo Leon, and a Certificate in Sustainability Leadership from The University of Vermont.

Caitlin (she/they) coordinates the Climate Leaders Program, a student-led experiential learning program focused on climate action planning at UT Austin. She also manages external office communications through @texassustainability and office newsletter, and lends a hand with Sustainability Tracking Assessment and Rating System (STARS) reporting, the campus Tree Campus Higher Education (TCHE) committee, and ArbNet Arboretum certification. She is currently a dual degree-seeking graduate student in the Master of Public Affairs and Community & Regional Planning programs.

Ben has served in the Texas A&M Office of Sustainability since 2010. He started as a Graduate Assistant and became the Sustainability Assistant Manager in 2013 upon completion of his Master’s in Water Management & Hydrological Science. Hailing from Wisconsin, Ben earned a Master’s of Arts in Sociology from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. In the Office of Sustainability, his core job functions are running an internship program and institutional sustainability assessment. Ben is a strong advocate for the importance of incorporating social justice into sustainability and strives to build diverse and inclusive teams.

Karen Magid is the Director of Sustainability and STEM at Huston-Tillotson University (HT) an HBCU in Austin. She works on environmental sustainability and education across academics, engagement, and operations. Karen holds a PhD in Materials Science from the UC Berkeley, a Masters in Nuclear Engineering and a B.S. in Electrical Engineering, both from North Carolina State University. After completing a Postdoctorate fellowship at the ETH-Zurich, she transitioned her career to connect with her passion for the environment and to have greater connection to community. She served in the Peace Corps for two years before moving to Austin and starting work at HT in 2014. She serves as the chair of the Austin-Travis County Food Policy Board, and she serves on the board of Earth Day Austin. She is Co-Director of the Dumpster Project, and co-founded Building Green Justice at HT.

Karen Marin-Hines started at Texas Tech University in the Office of Energy Management as an Energy Analyst in 2018 and has served as the Campus Sustainability Officer since June 2023. Karen leads reporting and outreach efforts for the Office of Sustainability and coordinates with campus and external stakeholders to promote sustainability efforts. In conjunction with the Office of Energy Management, she provides statistical and billing information to aid Auxiliary customers in monitoring their building energy efficiency. She chairs the Campus Sustainability Advisory Committee and is responsible for preparing the Sustainability Tracking, Assessment, & Rating System (STARS) report. Karen has a Bachelor’s in Geography/Environmental Studies from UCLA and a Master’s in Environmental Sustainability and Natural Resource Management from Texas Tech University.

Jim Morris is the Associate Vice President for University Operations at St. Edward’s University in Austin, Texas. This includes oversight of campus safety, university police, master planning & construction, facilities management, energy management, and sustainability. Prior to his time at St. Edward’s, Jim was the Assistant Director for Facilities (Environmental and Energy Management) with Virginia Beach City Public Schools. He has an M.S. in Environmental Health from Old Dominion University and a B.S. in Biology from the College of William and Mary. 

Rebecca Ornelas has served as the program coordinator for the Office of Sustainability since March 2022. Her job responsibilities include managing the bike shop and supervising student workers who support the shop. She also manages the BeakCycle program, social media, Sustainability Tracking Assessment and Rating System (STARS) reporting and executing monthly engagement events. Rebecca also assists with current UTSA awarded grants: the Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ) Improvement Program and the Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP). Ms. Ornelas holds an Associate of Science degree from Dallas College, and a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science from UTSA.

Emma Parsley is currently the Sustainability Coordinator for Texas State University. Emma received both of her degrees from Texas State University and earned a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Engineering Technology and her Masters of Science in Sustainability Studies. Emma is passionate about environmental conservation and the relationship between human health and environmental health. With 5 years of experience in sustainable development within higher education institutions, Emma has directed TXST Office in Sustainability into achieving the new Silver STARS rating and developed programs to not only educate the Bobcat community on sustainability, but also assists the university in waste diversion and enhancing equitable resources here at TXST. In her spare time, you can find Emma exploring the beautiful San Marcos river or taking a weekend camping trip to escape the hustle and bustle of urban life.

As UT Arlington’s first Chief Sustainability Officer, Meghna works collaboratively to foster partnerships among academic, research, and operational departments at UT Arlington, and to address opportunities to promote sustainability in several areas such as energy efficiency, waste management, transportation, education, outreach, community engagement, and interdisciplinary and sustainability-focused curriculum. She has spearheaded launching a Regional Center of Expertise for Education in Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in North Texas, a program of the United Nations University, and the North Texas Food Policy Alliance. She serves and represents UTA on several Advisory Boards including the National Academy of Science Board on Higher Education and Workforce Development—Policy and Global Affairs, Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE), and on the Board of Directors for International Council for Local Environmental Initiative (ICLEI USA). She graduated with an MBA in Sustainable Management, MS in Environmental Science, and MS in Chemistry.