SarahDawn Haynes

SarahDawn was an active ENVS and GEOG student from 2005-08 and a founding member of the CU Environmental Justice Committee and has been full time staff since Jan. 2009. Over the years she has worn many hats, but her current role is focused on supporting students stepping into leadership across campus and student projects, microcredentials, class assignments, senior thesis projects, and interns on a variety of sustainability topics.  

Her work includes supporting events and pathways for all students to participate in the LEEDS Business and broader Innovation & Entrepreneurship community with their ideas for sustainability products and services. 

She is the advisor for three clubs with room for two more. CU Citizens’ Climate Lobby is a chapter of a national organization that advocates for climate legislation. The Farm and Garden Club manages many on and off campus gardens and grows veggies for the Ecenters free food distributions at Graduate and Family Housing. The CU Wildlife Club does fun outings but also supports city and state wildlife agencies in peer-to-peer education for living with bears. She would love to see the Biomimicry Club restarted!  

SarahDawn supervises and supports leadership in Greek Life through Green Greeks. This is a cohort of students who lead their chapters in sustainability lifestyles, capital investments, and property management improvements that reduce energy, water, and waste.  

She has been on the Tree Campus committee for over a decade and has worked with faculty and staff on other shorter-term projects to serve campus sustainability and outreach and engagement professionals.  Her passions are focused on helping everyone find a seat at the table to work on sustainability and climate justice. She uses her experience in housing and food justice, anti-racism and indigenous rights to forward the Ecenters goals and mission.   

Outside of work, she loves training crew leaders with Wildlands Restoration Volunteers, leading restoration and trail projects; and chairs the Executive Committee of the local Sierra Club and backcountry skiing. In May of 2026, she will complete her Masters in CMDI’s Media and Public Engagement program. Her research interests include the nexus of Futures literacy through creating artifacts from the future as a media form to express hope and growing a vision for restoring our relations to each other and the planet.