Staff

Biography, Education and Training

Elida Erickson joined the University of California Santa Cruz campus in 2005, and the Sustainability Office in 2011. Over the years, she has collaborated with the local Santa Cruz community, students, faculty and staff to center diversity and inclusion within sustainability initiatives as well as advance operational improvements, including the complex effort of successfully reducing the campus' water usage by 25% at the height of the California statewide drought in 2014-15. She is honored to have helped UCSC climb in recognition over time to rank as the #3 Green College in Princeton Review in 2022.

As a 2005 graduate from Indiana University's Higher Education & Student Affairs Administration Master's degree program, Elida continues to be a strong advocate for student engagement and professional growth within higher education. As a proud co-founder of UCSC’s award-winning People of Color Sustainability Collective, she is also passionate about focusing on community-centered, multiculturally relevant interpretations of how to care for the environment.

In 2022, UCSC Chancellor Cindy Larive pushed the campus to make major headway in two primary areas: incorporating sustainability & climate change as key topics within the new Campus Strategic Plan, and decarbonization planning to overhaul the campus’ electrical infrastructure and become fossil free. As of Fall 2023, Elida is excited to serve in the role of Assistant Vice Chancellor for Strategic Initiatives & Sustainability to provide broad leadership in advancing these challenging new sustainability projects, and more -- including constructing sustainable and affordable housing, and partnering with AVC colleagues to implement effective process improvements across the division of Finance, Operations, and Administration.

When not working, Elida can usually be found somewhere outdoors - hiking mountains with family, friends, and dogs; growing food; and playing music.