Submitted by Grainne Kennedy on Fri, 2017-09-29 15:45
We are very happy to welcome Jaspyr Geddes-Rainbow into the Environment and Energy team. The role of Student Engagement Coordinator is a new one which we hope will greatly improve interaction between the University’s students and the work that the University is doing to improvement its environmental performance.
We have asked Jaspyr a few questions to find out what inspires her and to hear her plans for the role.
1. Name:
Jaspyr Geddes-Rainbow
2. Position:
Student Engagement Coordinator (5-month placement)
3. What does this position entail?
Working on a strategy to continue, improve and increase engagement between the University’s Environment and Energy section, and the University’s students.
4. What is your (education/qualifications) background and how did you get here?
I studied Modern and Medieval Languages at Clare College, graduating in 2016. I tried the real world, didn’t like it, and decided to come back to work at the University via the Ambitious Futures graduate scheme, aimed at educating future leaders in the higher education sector. I was “randomly” assigned my first placement in the Environment and Energy section, which suits me perfectly since preserving our planet is one of my greatest personal interests (which makes sense really, given that I have to live here), and my professional background is in marketing, social media and communications.
5. What were you doing before joining the Environment and Energy section?
Taking care of marketing and communications in an independent publishing house.
6. What is your proudest professional achievement?
It may sound trivial, but being Clare College’s highest-ever fundraiser on their annual telephone campaign is still such a source of pride for me. I hope nobody has broken the record yet, or I will have to rethink that…
7. What are you most looking forward to getting your teeth into in the coming year?
I’m really keen to hear from students about how they feel the Environment and Energy section can help them in their sustainability efforts around the University.
8. What gets you out of bed (and into work) in the morning?
The thought of the cycle to Greenwich House! By cycling to work, you can work out and travel at the same time; what’s not to love?
9. What is your environment related pet hate?
Token gestures are my pet hate. Organisations who say “we are so green!” because they planted a few trees one time or have given some money to an environmental charity, but still fail to consider long-term ways of reducing their resource consumption or waste and pollution emissions.
10. What is your favourite green gadget?
It’s not a gadget, but a product: Huel. It is a “nutritionally complete, convenient, affordable food, with minimum impact on the environment and animals”.
11. What do you think is the biggest environmental challenge?
Overcoming the perceived “need” for animal agriculture. It takes 1000 litres of water to produce 1 litre of cow’s milk; livestock (including growing feed) takes up almost 50% of the earth’s landmass, we could see fishless oceans by 2050 – and it is all totally unnecessary when humans can thrive perfectly well by eating plants.
12. Tell us one little known fact about yourself.
I am a qualified fitness instructor and soon-to-be-qualified personal trainer.
13. Who is your inspirational figure (real or fictional)?
Lisa Simpson – an icon for all intelligent, feminist, musically-inclined plant-eaters who find it hard to fit in. Plus, of course, the plethora of vegan athletes (Hulda B Waage, Tim Shieff, the Williams sisters and David Haye to name just a few!) competing at the top of their games right now.
14. Do you have any hobbies?
If I’m anywhere, it’s probably the gym. Or pretty much anywhere in Cambridge or indeed the whole country playing gigs with my band; we have come a really long way since being students!
15. First impressions of Cambridge?
I was born here, so my first impressions of Cambridge were pretty bright and warm from inside an incubator at the Rosie Hospital at Addenbrooke’s!
If you would like to contact Jaspyr about student involvement in sustainability initiatives, you can send her an email at jaspyr.geddes-rainbow@admin.cam.ac.uk