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Staff

 

Sustainability Staff

Jay Price (he/him)

Sustainability Manager

jayprice@utk.edu

865-974-3480

Contact Jay for questions about:

Jay Price has a B.A. degree in Sociology and an M.S. degree in Bioregional Planning from Utah State University, as well as an MBA from the University of Memphis. Jay began his career at UT in 2007 as the Environmental Coordinator in the Facilities Services Department and as the program grew he was promoted to Recycling Manager in 2013. With the merger of UT Recycling and the Office of Sustainability in 2019, Jay was promoted to Sustainability Manager.

Ella Dohrmann (she/they)

Compost Supervisor

edohrma1@utk.edu

Contact Ella for questions about:

  • Compost Facility tours
  • Compost Collection and Operations
  • Acceptable compost materials
  • Compost research opportunities
  • Compost drop-offs and deliveries

Ella served as an AmeriCorps member in the Compost Logistics Coordinator position at UTK for 2 years and came back to take on the Compost Supervisor role in March 2024. Ella received a Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Studies from the University of Montana. Ella worked as a Sustainable Collections Specialist for Soil Cycle in Montana prior to coming to UT, and also worked as a Compost Processing Manager and Route Driver for Green Heron Compost here in Knoxville prior to taking on the Compost Supervisor role here.

Matthew Haynes

Compost Operations Specialist

mhayne27@utk.edu 

Contact Matthew for questions about:

  • Acceptable compost materials
  • Compost drop-offs and deliveries
  • Operating equipment

Matthew was born and raised in Knoxville and spent about six years living in Montana. His hobbies include riding his motorcycle, traveling, camping, hiking, and hanging out with his dog. Matthew has a diverse work background, including sales, home remodeling, painting, and carpet cleaning. He started at UT in May 2023 as a Building Services Foreman before transitioning to the Office of Sustainability in May 2024.

Morgan Furman (she/her)

Outreach & Engagement Coordinator

mfurman3@vols.utk.edu
Contact Morgan for questions about:

  • Educational sustainability presentations, workshops, and events
  • Internship program
  • Student organization collaboration
  • Online presence

Originally from Cookeville, Tennessee, Morgan moved to Knoxville four years ago to attend the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Morgan graduated from UTK in May 2024 with a bachelor’s degree in Business Analytics and International Business.

Her previous work includes serving as a Global Ambassador for Study Abroad for 2.5 years and assisting with the Office of Access and Community Connections for 2 years. In her personal life, Morgan enjoys all things nerdy, with a particular love for arts and culture. She enjoys attending art and music events, caring for indoor plants, reading fantasy books, watching anime, and playing video games (despite claiming to be bad at them)

 

UT Recycling Staff

Brad Moats (he/him)

Recycling Supervisor

mmoats2@utk.edu

Contact Brad for questions about:

Brad Moats was born in Knoxville, TN and has lived here all but 1 year. That year was spent living abroad in Iceland working for Icelandic government researching invasive plants such as lupin. Brad holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business and a Master’s Degree in Business Administration, both from Tusculum University. Brad is a pioneer when it comes to sustainability, pairing the interactive green technology with the real-world practical applications that are on-campus. Brad is committed to making UTK the best recycling program in the United States.

Brian Robertson

Zero Waste Operations Specialist

brober59@utk.edu

Contact Brian for questions about:

  • Pallet route and collection
  • Material consulting
  • Recycling work requests
  • Assists the Zero Waste Coordinator in job duties and functions

Wyatt Miner (he/him/his)

Zero Waste Coordinator

wminer@vols.utk.edu

Contact Wyatt for questions about:

  • Race to Zero Waste
  • Zero waste events and zero waste game days
  • Sustainable event planning
  • Material consulting

Wyatt studied Geography and Sustainability at the University of Tennessee. Wyatt started out as a student worker in the department, and began working with Americorps in August 2023. His studies have centered around GIS and waste diversion, and he aims to incorporate that knowledge into his work with the Office of Sustainability. In his free time, he has developed a love for traveling after living in a variety of states: Florida, Tennessee, Wisconsin, Utah, Kentucky, and Alaska. After visiting several national parks and seeing various diverse ecosystems, Wyatt felt the need to pursue education related to the upkeep of our cities and surrounding environments.

Samantha Daulton (she/her/hers)

Grow Lab Coordinator

Contact Samantha for questions about:
  • All things related to UTK’s community garden space, the Grow Lab
  • Arbor Day and Earth Day/Week/Month events
  • Organizing stream and land clean-up events on campus
  • Experiential environmental education (K-12 and university)
Samantha graduated from Loyola University Chicago in May 2022 with a Bachelors of Arts in Environmental Policy and minors in Political Science and History. She moved to Knoxville in January 2023 to work with the Office of Sustainability and is looking forward to exploring the city and the nearby national park. In her free time, Samantha enjoys embroidering, water coloring, hiking, and hanging out with her beautiful cat, Horseshoe.

David Brown

Recycling Truck Driver

David Brown started at UT in 1968 and became the first full-time dedicated Recycling Truck Driver taking on that role in 2006. He retired from full-time service in 2014 with nearly 46 years of service. He returned as a part-time retiree shortly after retirement and continues driving the recycling truck 3 nights a week.

 

Rebecca Torres (she/her/hers)

Social Impact Coordinator – Free Store

rtorre10@utk.edu
Contact Rebecca for questions about:

  • Diverting resources destined for the landfill to people or organizations in need
  • Daily and special events through the Free Store

Rebecca graduated from the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley in May 2023 with a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science and a minor in History. Before joining our team, she completed her first AmeriCorps term in Texas, where she interpreted the Civil Rights movement’s history at a national park. Rebecca is deeply passionate about environmental education, sustainability, and environmental justice. As she settles into Knoxville, she looks forward to exploring nature and discovering all that the city has to offer.

 

Emily Amann

Zero Waste Coordinator

eamann2@utk.edu

Contact Emily for questions about:

  • Public drop-off and recycling center warehouse
  • Zero Waste Game Days

Emily holds a bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain Management from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. She began working with UT Recycling in September 2022 as a Donations Assistant at the Free Store. In August 2024, she transitioned to the role of Zero Waste Coordinator at the UT Recycling Center. Emily plays a key role in keeping the public drop-off and recycling center organized and clean. With two football seasons of Zero Waste Game Day experience, she brings valuable knowledge and leadership to these events.

 

 

Student Assistants

Grow Lab Team:

Mandy Boggs

Benvy Kelly

Data Team:

Yupapone Phetsavong

Outreach Team:

Reace Hummell

Chloe Martin

Academic Engagement Team:

Free Store Team:

Jaycie Ford

Emily Amann

Nathaniel Pfeiffer

Lila Hilizah

Katy Conner

Compost Team:

Hannah Schmidt

Casey Brewer

Owen Bales

Hannah Griffin

Recycling

Operations Team:

Katelyn Cloud

Jonah Harris

Conner Shrader

Ixy Barnes

Giselle Zarate

Kathryn Hart