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Massimo Ruzzene, senior vice chancellor for research and innovation and dean of the institutes at the ɫ��Ƶ����, has appointed Jane Zelikova to lead ɫ��Ƶ����’s Sustainability Research Initiative (SRI).��

Jane Zelikova

As executive director of the SRI, Zelikova will work closely with Vice Chancellor for Sustainability Andrew Mayock and engage with ɫ��Ƶ����’s vibrant sustainability community��to guide the nascent initiative’s strategic direction to align with the university's overall sustainability research objectives. This includes cultivating key internal and external partnerships and securing external funding from government, industry, and philanthropic sources to support the development of innovative solutions through research, commercialization and deployment.��

“Jane is well-qualified to help unlock the full potential of sustainability at ɫ��Ƶ����,” said Ruzzene. “ɫ��Ƶ���� has a longstanding legacy of pioneering sustainability advancements and technologies. Jane’s proven leadership and experience will help translate that world-class activity into new research and innovation opportunities for our researchers and students, new synergies across campus and with industry and academia, and a future in sustainability even more impactful than our past.”

Sustainability is at the heart of countless��research and innovation��efforts that span the campus. Researchers and students in virtually every department and in��ɫ��Ƶ����’s 12 research institutes—from the arts to engineering to physics—tackle the world’s most pressing problems through innovative research, scholarship and creative works.��Grounded in earth, environmental and ecosystem sciences, sustainability research draws from the natural, social, and engineering sciences, public health and humanities, as well as from policy, business and law.

By focusing on strengthening, integrating and expanding sustainability efforts across campus, as well as with external partners, ɫ��Ƶ���� is uniquely positioned to be a global leader in sustainability research and innovation, workforce, climate action, energy transition, environmental resilience and values-based leadership. The launch of the SRI and appointment of its inaugural executive director mark key steps toward realizing ɫ��Ƶ����’s broader sustainability vision.

“I am truly honored to join CU and work with researchers and the broader community to increase the impact of the world-class sustainability research already underway here,” said��Zelikova. "Sustainability science and practice are more important now than ever and are key priorities for ɫ��Ƶ���� and the state of Colorado.”

Zelikova joins ɫ��Ƶ���� from Colorado State University, where she served as executive director of the Soil Carbon Solutions Center (SCSC) for three years. While leading SCSC, Zelikova established an interdisciplinary center to enhance the impact of soil and climate science, and fostered collaboration among experts from various departments and institutes at CSU, driving innovative research and engagement activities.

Prior to joining CSU, Zelikova spent four years as chief scientist at Carbon180, a nonprofit focused on carbon removal science and policy, where she helped launch the New Carbon Economy Consortium, developed the agricultural carbon removal program, and initiated an Entrepreneur in Residence fellowship. Zelikova also co-founded 500 Women Scientists, a global nonprofit dedicated to making science open, inclusive, and accessible.

Zelikova earned a PhD from the ɫ��Ƶ���� Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and a B.S from the University of Georgia, Athens, Institute of Ecology.

About the Sustainability Research Initiative

�ճ����Sustainability Research Initiative (SRI)��supports the university’s sustainability goals by fostering and coordinating research through a comprehensive, interdisciplinary approach that brings to bear knowledge from diverse academic departments, centers and institutes. The SRI is nested within the Research & Innovation Office.��