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24 | I nsIgh t • J u n e 2 0 14 w w w . i n s i g h t o n b u s i n e s s . c o m and professor of environmental engineering technology at the university. e university employs one full-time staff member and 30 part-time students to operate and conduct research on the biodigesters. "Our students have the ability to get right in there and get to work," Kleinheinz says. "It's a wonderful learning experience for them. ey not only have a job, which helps them pay for school, they are also getting great on-the-job experience." e biodigesters provide research tools for the university, with faculty and students researching which biomaterials are most effective gas producers, for example. "Primarily, it's private companies who have biodigesters and they aren't out there sharing what they've learned," Kleinheinz says. "We're looking forward to publishing what we've learned." the biodigesters also exemplify other concepts that have been integral to Wells' leadership at UW-Oshkosh: collaboration and community outreach. For example, the university works with the City of Oshkosh to collect yard waste for use in creating energy at the on-campus biodigester. members – can feel a part of our sustainability initiative. It's how we live, it's how we recycle, it's how we build our buildings," Wells says. While UW-Oshkosh's sustainability efforts are impressive, they're just one initiative Wells will be remembered for when he retires in August aer 14 years leading the university. Planning for the future W ells carved out a strategic plan for the university from the start, identifying several areas where the school could make improvements. "We really needed to talk about where we wanted to be and then figure out how to get there," he says. Johnson Controls conducted a comprehensive carbon footprint study for the university and outlined a plan for the campus to become carbon neutral by 2025. For UW-Oshkosh, sustainability is an all-encompassing range of efforts, including exploring ways to produce energy, construct "green" buildings and develop academic programs. "We've looked at how to make our curriculum greener and then beyond that, how can we help our region become greener?" Wells says. notably, UW-Oshkosh has become a regional leader in the use of biodigesters. In a biodigester, microorganisms break down biodegradable materials such as food scraps, yard waste or corn stalks, turning it eventually into energy. e university owns and operates a biodigester on campus and one at a small nearby dairy farm. It also co-owns and co- operates a third biodigester with Rosendale Dairy in Fond du Lac County, the state's largest dairy. e campus biodigester, which began production in 2011, is the first commercial-scale dry fermentation anaerobic biodigester in north America. UW-Oshkosh partnered with the Viessmann group of germany to build the biodigester, which not only provides the campus with energy, but also serves as a living laboratory and provides students with on- the-job experience, says greg Kleinheinz, associate dean richard Wells » Current position: uW-oshkosh chancellor since 2000. retiring aug. 31, 2014. » Previous academic leadership positions: Provost and vice president of academic affairs at Indiana state university; West Chester university dean of the College of arts and sciences; and department chair of sociology and anthropology at the university of south alabama. » education: bachelor's degree from William Penn College; master's degree from the university of arkansas; and doctorate in sociology from texas a&m university. » Local organization involvement: In addition to participating in several national education organizations, Wells served on the boards of affinity health system, the oshkosh Chamber of Commerce, the northeast Wisconsin educational resource alliance (neW era), new north Inc., oshkosh Convention and Visitor's bureau, ChamCo and the oshkosh area united Way. In 2011, UW-Oshkosh built the first commercial-scale dry fermentation anaerobic biodigester in the Western Hemisphere. e university's green initiatives have brought national recognition, with Sierra Magazine and e Princeton Review naming the school one of the greenest colleges in the nation.