Penn has over 676 labs in over 30 buildings. Labs are one of the largest consumers of energy on campus and present a significant opportunity to reduce Penn's carbon footprint. Join us for a conversation with Alisha Watson, Penn’s new Sustainable Labs Manager. Alisha will share about resources available to labs at Penn through the Green Labs program to lower their environmental impact including the Ultra-low temperature freezer rebate program, the Penn Labs Freezer Challenge, the green labs guide and more.
Alisha Watson
Sustainable Labs Manager
Penn Sustainability and Environmental Health & Radiation Safety
As the Sustainable Labs Manager at Penn, Alisha leads the implementation of Green Labs initiatives across all Penn labs to prioritize energy efficiency, and waste minimization best practices in labs through education and collaboration with Penn lab supervisors. Previously, as Penn’s Gene Therapy Program Quality Assurance Associate, Alisha has professional experience ensuring both the facility and lab processes follow explicit guidelines and regulations. Alisha has experience developing reports, conducting audits and working with lab staff to meet the requisite practices. As a Lab Resources Manager, Alisha has written and reviewed SOPs for freezers, biosafety cabinets and other lab equipment. Alisha has managed training and documentation for lab staff and has extensive experience maintaining lab inventories. Alisha is also completing her Masters of Environmental Studies in Environmental Biology at Penn this semester and brings a strong knowledge base for sustainability as well as a passion for sustainability in lab spaces.
Matina Granieri (moderator)
Sustainability Coordinator
Penn Sustainability
Matina is the Sustainability Coordinator at Penn. In her role, Matina manages a number of engagement initiatives aimed at supporting the Penn community to advance the University's climate goals. Previous to her role at Penn, Matina worked in various climate-focused roles, supporting climate mitigation and adaptation in the public sector. At CDP, she managed an accelerator program for municipal sustainability staff across the U.S. and Canada to develop and finance urgently needed climate-related infrastructure projects. Before working at CDP, Matina was the City of Philadelphia Office of Sustainability’s first Program Manager for Place-based Initiatives. In this role, her main areas of focus were fostering cross-sector relationships and elevating community leadership to implement strategic initiatives to support resilience and environmental justice in Philadelphia’s most climate impacted neighborhoods.