Washington University will continue its search for a new director of sustainability after a committee charged with the task of replacing Matt Malten did not find a qualified applicant.

Malten resigned from his position last summer.

The director of sustainability is responsible for advocating for the integration of sustainable principles and practices into campus operations, procedures and activities.

The University’s sustainability initiatives are well known. They include the cessation of the sale of plastic water bottles on campus and Campus Sustainability Day, which was held on Oct. 20, 2010.

Will Fischer, a member of class of 2010 and a current employee in the Office of Sustainability is not surprised that the committee has not found a replacement.

“There is a high bar, and we are looking for someone with past experience and higher education ability. They [the search committee] are going to make sure they’re hiring someone with the experience that they feel is necessary to do what they need to do, and as of yet, they have not found that person. We have an interim director of sustainability, and she’s been doing a good job. I think we have a series of great programs this semester that set a very high bar,” Fischer said.

The Office of Sustainability is continuing to carry out its duties. Deborah Howard, a higher education attorney who worked in the office of Hank Webber, executive vice chancellor for administration, has been serving as interim director since September.

The office will institute three programs this semester.

The first, a sustainability pledge, begins next week. It is an online poll with a series of pledge items aimed at reducing environmental costs.

The second program is called “Recycle-mania.” In February and March, students will compete to recycle more than other colleges and universities.

The inaugural Green Cup competition will also take place from March 21 to April 22. For this event, the South 40 residential colleges and the fraternities will compete against each other to conserve energy. The fraternities will compete for a $500 prize, and the residential colleges will compete for a cookout.

The results of the Green Cup will be published online, and students will be able to see how their actions make a real environmental impact.

While the Office of Sustainability continues to operate, Assistant Vice Chancellor of Operations Steve Hoffner is leading the search.

“We are continuing the search nationally and looking [for] the best possible candidate,” Hoffner said.

The committee hopes to find a replacement by the end of this semester.