Growing up on a farm in northeast Ohio helped shape Kate Bartter’s character and environmental passion.
Now, after 18 years as one of Ohio State’s most ardent sustainability champions, the Sustainability Institute Executive Director is closing this chapter of her career, and in a way, returning to her childhood roots.
“For many years, I have told everyone that I intend to become a lavender farmer when I retired from Ohio State,” Bartter said. “So, now I’ll have an opportunity to make that a reality, with a dear friend who has started a lavender farm and product business.”
Founding the Sustainability Institute at Ohio State
Bartter, along with Distinguished University Professor Elena Irwin, founded the Sustainability Institute at Ohio State in 2019, and has served as the Institute’s Executive Director since then.
“Nurturing the Institute’s growth in programming and personnel has been a wonderful career achievement,” recounted Bartter. “It is wonderful to see our staff help students, faculty and staff from across the university take on sustainability challenges and find innovative solutions.”
Under the co-leadership of Elena Irwin and Bartter, the Institute has grown to over 350 affiliated faculty. SI staff have helped bring in over a billion dollars in external research funding and supported almost 100 living lab sustainability projects.
"Kate is exceptional in every way—as a leader, public servant, and most of all, my work partner," Irwin noted. "It’s been an honor and privilege to be side-by-side with her for these last six years, and I have learned so much from her. Thanks to Kate’s leadership and many partnerships, we’ve been able to accomplish a tremendous amount in a short period of time. It’s impossible to imagine sustainability at Ohio State without Kate, but I do look forward to sipping wine with her overlooking those fields of lavender."
Prior to forming the Sustainability Institute, Bartter led Ohio State’s Office of Energy and Environment and chaired the President and Provost’s Council on Sustainability, which were both instrumental in developing the university’s current suite of sustainability goals that reflect the university’s academic mission and campus operations.
“Kate has been an outstanding leader and collaborator on all aspects of Ohio State’s sustainability efforts,” said Trevor Brown, Dean of the John Glenn College of Public Affairs and Chair of SI’s Executive Steering Committee. “From establishing the university’s goals, to identifying resources to accomplish projects, to developing student and faculty partnerships with operational staff, Kate’s influence upon Ohio State has been tremendous.”
Career in Environmental Public Policy
Bartter brought a wealth of issue expertise to Ohio State from a career in public service, where she often identified public policy solutions to environmental challenges. Whether it was her time as Legislative Aide to a member of the Ohio Senate’s Environment and Natural Resources Committee, Deputy Director of the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency, or Chief Policy Advisor to Ohio Governor Bob Taft, Bartter was at the center of environmental policy development in Ohio for nearly two decades.
“Ohio is so much better off today thanks to Kate’s remarkable service,” said Governor Taft. “She took the lead in helping negotiate the Great Lakes Interstate Compact and a related international agreement that, together, will protect the Lakes in perpetuity.”
These historic agreements govern water withdrawal from the Great Lakes, balancing water use and ensuring a sustainable quantity of water for generations to come.
“I was blessed to have Kate as a leader on my team,” Taft continued, “but as an Ohio citizen, I am even more grateful for all she has accomplished to better our state, by creating good public policy and expanding sustainability education at Ohio State.”
Opening a New Chapter of Life
Bartter will close the Ohio State chapter of her career on June 30, 2025.
“I am so proud of how the people of Ohio State have advanced sustainability during my time here,” Bartter noted. “I’ve had the opportunity to work with so many dedicated, passionate and smart people across the university, who have all sought different ways to improve our world, and the communities we serve. I’m looking forward to watching what comes next.”
“I will certainly miss seeing students bloom into professionals and learning about the latest research innovations from our faculty,” said Bartter. “But I am really looking forward to having more time in life to stop and smell the lavender.”