About Ben Datema

Ben Datema

GTS Mentor

Experience: After serving as founding president of the Kickapoo High School Environmental Club, Ben went to the University of Missouri and got involved in the non-profit student organization Sustain Mizzou.  Ben worked as the Recycled Notebook Project leader, then was elected Vice President, and finally President in the beginning of his Sophomore year.  In his role as President, Ben worked to make sustainability a campus-wide issue by engaging student government and campus administration at all levels.  After joining the Environmental Affairs & Sustainability Committee and helping to start and facilitate the two year Sustainability Task Force process, he helped to advocate for the creation of the MU Sustainability Office.  At around the same time, Ben was involved in an effort to pass a student sustainability fee.  Once the fee passed, he helped to structure the MU Student Sustainability effort, including the Student Sustainable Initiative Fund.

Ben also started Mizzou Dashboard, a real-time energy usage monitoring system for buildings on Mizzou’s campus, and helped to facilitate Mizzou’s involvement in the RMI Accelerating Campus Climate Change Initiatives effort.

Ben now works as the Student Sustainability Advisor for the MU Department of Student Life.  He is currently working to start a Bike Resource Center at Mizzou, helping to advocate for more sustainable food options, educating and informing students about environmental issues, managing and administering the student sustainability fee, and advising a number of student groups.

Skills: