Letter From Alison Farmer, International Institute for Sustainable Laboratories President

Dear I2SL community:

Fall is the season of change, so it’s the perfect time to talk about the recent changes at I2SL. With deep appreciation and admiration for the two previous presidents of I2SL, Phil Wirdzek and Gordon Sharp, it’s been a particular honor to step into the President role. As President, I’m committed to advancing our mission with the energy, strategy, and dedication it deserves.

I’ve been involved with I2SL for 14 years, and it has been a joy to see the community and programs strengthen and grow. One personal highlight is the Labs2Zero program, whose creation is a dream come true: I love the uniqueness and complexity of lab buildings and am thrilled that we have now created powerful tools to help each of them be its best self. And as a trusted knowledge hub and technical resource for our industry, I2SL is committed to expanding and evolving those tools to help professionals in our field stay ahead of the rapid pace of change.

Of course there are some things that never change: one of I2SL’s core assets is the community we can all count on. From the Board and our staff to our chapters, sponsors, global partners, members, and our volunteers, I2SL brings together the best in the lab world, and we are proud to provide the platform that connects and amplifies your incredible work.

It was wonderful to see so many of you (nearly 600!) at the Annual Conference in Boston. We’re already looking forward to next year’s conference in San Francisco, and there’s a lot more in the works too. Last week we released the upgraded AIM Report software with new capabilities and more energy efficiency measures, and in the coming months we will launch the Fume Hood Challenge competition and a brand new series of Lab Innovation Virtual Education (LIVE) events. If you’re looking to step up your industry involvement, we have a wide range of opportunities to serve on committees, join affinity groups, or earn a professional accreditation.

If we haven’t met yet, I hope we do soon, and I’m looking forward to working with you. Please do get in touch any time, and thank you for everything you are doing for sustainable labs.

Wishing you a happy fall season,

Alison

afarmer@i2sl.org