5 Questions With…Sustainability Director Stephanie Strong Corbett

Want to get to know individuals around campus better? So do we! That’s why The Daily is kicking off a new Q&A series with faculty, staff and students from all levels of the university, starting with the university’s new sustainability director, Stephanie Strong Corbett. A Northeast Ohio native, Corbett grew up in Wadsworth and attended Baldwin-Wallace College, where she played tennis. She previously worked for the nonprofit Entrepreneurs for Sustainability and most recently served as the sustainability manager for Cuyahoga Community College for two years. Corbett, who just started at the university after giving birth to her daughter Lucy in March, shares a few of her favorite things. The Daily: What’s on your iPod? Corbett: My recent playlist includes The Avett Brothers, The Black Keys, Krishna Das, Adele, Feist and Florence + The Machine. The Daily: What’s your favorite spot in Cleveland, and why? Corbett: It is so difficult to pick just one, so how about top three:

1. Huntington Beach because of the ice cream, amazing beach and big old trees.
2. The Cleveland Metroparks’ Rocky River Reservation because of the great trail—and it’s where my husband proposed.
3. Driving toward downtown and seeing the wind turbine by the Great Lakes Science Center because I love how many people see it every day. Hopefully reminds them that renewable energy is not only possible but here now!

The Daily: If you could only take three books with you to a deserted island, what would you take? Corbett: I was an English major in college, so limiting me to three books seems cruel. But if I had to pick today, I would take The House of Spirits by Isabel Allende, Caught Inside by Daniel Duane and Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert. The Daily: What one word would you use to describe yourself, and what one word would your friends use to describe you? Corbett: I’d say “optimistic;” my friends would probably say “zealous.” The Daily: What’s your favorite thing about Case Western Reserve University? Corbett: The location. University Circle has such amazing institutions and unique architecture, and I love how Case is woven into the neighborhood. But my new favorite thing about the university is how passionate everyone is about their own area of expertise—students, faculty, staff—I really appreciate being surrounded by individuals who take their work seriously and are proud to share it. Want to be our next Q&A, or know someone interesting we should spotlight? Send an email to case-daily@case.edu with your suggestions.