Going Green: Initiation of a Labs21 Global Survey of Best Sustainable Practices in Laboratories

Kath Williams, Ph.D., Kath Williams + Associates

In conjunction with her Fulbright Senior Specialist grant, Dr. Kath Williams researched examples of best practices in green laboratories as the basis for a Labs21 Global Lab Survey. During this presentation, Kath will detail two projects-Dr. Reddy's Laboratories in Hyderabad, India and Johnson & Johnson's Laboratories in Sydney, Australia. Examples of sustainable strategies and applications of Labs21 principals in site, water, energy, materials, indoor environmental quality, and human factors will be highlighted.

Findings:

Opportunities to apply and advance sustainability and Labs21 principals, particularly with strong corporate/administration leadership and commitment to stewardship. Human factors determine successes, often defined as reduced environmental impact, improved health and safety, reduced operating costs.

Biography:

Kath Williams, Ph.D., principal of Kath Williams + Associates, Bozeman, is a frequently invited author and international speaker on sustainability issues. Her firm supports sustainability projects for such clients as U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Laboratories for the 21st Century initiative, Holcim, Bechtel, National Park Service, Xanterra, and the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.

Kath recently completed seven years as vice chair of the U.S. Green Building Council. She is a LEED™ Faculty member and served as the LEED™ Accredited Professional on the LEED Platinum Green Business Centre, Hyderabad, India. She continues to serve on the USGBC Board's International Task Force and as chair of LEED for Labs committee.

Kath has represented the United States on five USAID/US-AEP exchanges to India, where she has keynoted four international conferences, teaches LEED™ workshops and continues her work with several industries there in collaboration with the Confederation of Indian Industries (CII) and the Green Business Centre.

Kath was named the first Fulbright Senior Specialist in sustainability. In the fall 2003, she was awarded a grant to Australia where she worked with two universities and the Green Building Council of Australia on sustainability education.

Dr. Williams was Assistant to the Vice President of Research at Montana State University from 1996 to 1999, and held faculty positions at Stanford, San Francisco State, and University of Dayton, where she was tenured.

Having served for six years as project chief of Montana State University's Green Building project, a research and teaching laboratory building, she was responsible for a $6 million research and development grant for sustainable technologies from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). The successes of that project included the development and demonstration of two energy efficient fume hoods, an air scrubbing system for laboratory exhaust, a prototype combined solar/thermal collector, and a Portland cement substitute.

She holds a bachelor's degree in journalism from Ohio University, a masters in public affairs reporting from The Ohio State University, and a doctorate in education from Montana State University. She presently teaches as an adjunct faculty member at MSU's School of Architecture.