Paul Matney, a recent Operations Research (OR) graduate and NC State Dining’s Business Officer has received the Staff Sustainability Award for his exceptional dedication to sustainability initiatives. Matney’s efforts were celebrated at the 2024 Celebration of Sustainability, where he was recognized for integrating sustainability into NC State Dining’s operations.
Matney’s journey towards sustainability began with a deep-rooted inspiration from his mother’s engagement with nature and environmentalism. Reflecting on his undergraduate years at Appalachian State University, Matney recalls how their culture of sustainability ignited his interest in renewable energy and environmental issues. “Sustainability is a huge part of the culture at App,” Matney shared, “and after learning about all the possibilities of renewable energy in a technology class I took my first year, my interest really started to take off.”
After arriving at NC State, Matney’s sustainability journey took some time to develop. “When I first started in my current position at NC State, I wasn’t really doing much in terms of sustainability,” Matney explained. “However, through time, I started to notice more and more opportunities to get involved and make an impact.”
Today, he leads the Dining Sustainability Committee and manages student interns dedicated to sustainability projects. He shared, “I have two student interns working on sustainability projects and am the president of the Dining Sustainability Committee.” These interns have played a vital role in improving NC State Dining’s sustainable purchasing and marketing efforts. Matney’s guidance and mentorship have empowered these students to contribute significantly to the advancement of sustainability initiatives within NC State Dining. “The work of these two interns represents the bulk of the involvement that I had with sustainability this past year; however, I also founded a Dining Sustainability Committee to act as a governing body on all sustainability-related decision-making,” Matney added. “This was crucial as our efforts were robust, but at times also very disjointed.”
Another notable aspect of Matney’s sustainability efforts has been his focus on local purchasing within NC State Dining. Recognizing the challenge of tracking purchases from multiple farms, Matney started the Campus as a Classroom project. “As part of the Campus as a Classroom initiative through the Sustainability office, I hired a student intern to audit, organize, and visualize our purchasing data.”
Matney’s sustainability efforts extend beyond NC State Dining. His collaboration with NC State’s Waste Reduction and Recycling has furthered waste reduction efforts on campus, garnering recognition from the City of Raleigh. Matney’s work on food purchasing was acknowledged with the Community Action Award at the annual Raleigh Earth Day event in 2024, highlighting the tangible impact of his contributions to sustainability beyond the university.
Reflecting on his journey, Matney acknowledges the importance of his interdisciplinary education. Receiving the first graduate degree from the OR online program while working at NC State Dining has provided him with valuable insights and skills that have directly contributed to the success of his sustainability endeavors. “The interdisciplinary type of work that was involved in the data audit and analysis was the exact type of thing that the OR program has prepared me to tackle,” Matney remarked. This acknowledgment underscores the significance of interdisciplinary education in addressing real-world sustainability challenges effectively. It also shows how impactful a degree in OR is. Maria Mayorga, the Goodnight Distinguished Chair in Operations Research, emphasizes the significance of students like Matney in the OR Program. “This shows that our students are involved in a broad range of activities and leaders in many spaces.”
Matney’s dedication has improved NC State Dining’s sustainability practices and fostered student engagement and community awareness. In reflecting on receiving the award, Matney expresses profound gratitude, highlighting the validation of his work and its tangible impact on creating a positive change. He remarked, “This meant so much to me. I have been trying to get more and more involved with sustainability for years and have only felt like I really made an impact in the last year.” Matney’s recognition emphasizes the importance of individual contributions in advancing sustainability and serves as a testament to the value of the interdisciplinary studies that OR offers its students.