About Us

Over thirty years ago in 1987, the United Nations Brundtland Commission defined sustainability as “meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs." We at Skidmore endeavor to enact environmentally responsible practices, grounded in economic and social equity, and through our actions to have a positive impact on our community and our planet.

Meet Our Team

TARAH ROWSE

Director of Sustainability Programs and Assessment

Tarah Rowse (she/her) is an energy and sustainability professional that has worked across public, private, and nonprofit sectors as a researcher, professor, and manager. Tarah holds a Ph.D. in natural resources, with a focus on energy governance, from the University of Vermont, a M.S. (public policy and management) from Carnegie Mellon University, and a B.S. (natural resource management) from Cornell University. She has been a Peace Corps volunteer, a political campaign manager, and an associate with the Nature Conservancy, with previous campus sustainability experience at the University of Vermont and Hobart and William Smith Colleges. Tarah was the past Board Chair of the Agricultural Stewardship Association, a regional land trust conserving farm and forest land. Tarah, along with her husband and two daughters, returned to the area and built a net-zero energy home on the family farm.

Celia Darling

Sustainability Coordinator

Celia Darling (she/her) grew up working on a family Christmas Tree Farm outside of Rochester, NY, which fostered her passion for sustainability. She earned an M.S. in Environmental Policy and a B.S. in Political Science from Clarkson University where her graduate work focused on community engagement in Lake Placid’s LEED Community recertification process. At Clarkson, she organized their compost program through an internship with their Institute for a Sustainable Environment, founded their Peace Action Chapter, and served as president of their Sustainability Club. Celia has a background in youth climate organizing. In high school, she worked with the New York Youth Climate Leaders to divest NY's public pension fund and worked with the Rochester Youth Climate Leaders to establish a county-wide Climate Action Plan. She has also interned with the Alaska Center's Alaska Youth for Environmental Action program supporting youth environmental advocacy work, did trail maintenance in the Adirondacks with Champlain Area Trails, and studied aquatic connectivity in the Adirondacks through Clarkson’s Adirondack Semester.

Kurt Smemo

Faculty Director of Sustainability
Chair, Environmental Studies and Sciences Department

Kurt Smemo (he/him) is an Associate Professor of Environmental Science and ecosystem scientist and biogeochemist. His research focuses on forest, soil, and wetland ecology, with a specific focus on how soil microbial processes regulate ecosystem function. He holds a Ph.D. (Natural Resources) from Cornell University, an M.S. (Environmental Science) from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and a B.S. (Forestry) from the University of Montana. Beyond research and teaching, he has experience in public education and land management, with longstanding interests in sustainable solutions to environmental problems, particularly climate change. He has served on several local non-profit boards and he is an avid cyclist and skier, which he enjoys with his wife and two daughters.