Marla King

Credit: Gosia Sklodowska/Jon Chapman

As Building Manager for the Harvard Yard classroom buildings, Marla King oversees many water and energy use reduction measures and recycling infrastructure upgrades. Low-flow toilets and automatic on/off sinks have been installed, which has resulted in a significant drop in water usage. Marla has been instrumental in switching out T12 lighting fixtures to more energy efficient T8 fixtures, and has also had her hand in installing occupancy sensors that control lighting as well as heating and cooling in many classrooms. Marla is presently overhauling the recycling program for all six classroom buildings. In addition to installing new user-friendly recycling bins in the hallways on each floor, she is removing all small trash containers in classrooms and replacing them with signs on the inside door that grab students' attention upon leaving the classroom. These signs remind students to take their trash with them and place bottles, cans, and paper in hallway bins. This new system, which will be in place in September, aims to increase recycling rates while reducing the amount of classroom trash generated. "My goal is to help students to help us recycle," she explains. "I believe in this program because I do it at home. Hopefully in the years to come, we'll see a bigger difference." At home, Marla is careful to recycle and keeps her car well maintained because "if we're going to survive on the earth, we need to have clean air." She believes that in order for this work to be most effective, it takes a team effort. "We're here to help you, but also for you to help us as well. So we work together as a team. And if there are enough people out there willing to work with us, sky's the limit."

(For more information, see FAS Green Program, The Green Building Resource)