Jane Stewart Earns STARS Data Quality Certification W&L’s director of sustainability was one of 30 professionals to complete the certification process this fall.

By Brian Laubscher
February 16, 2026

Jane Stewart, director of sustainability at Washington and Lee University, is one of 30 college and university professionals to earn STARS data quality certification through the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) as part of the fall 2025 cohort.

The Sustainability Tracking, Assessment and Rating System (STARS) is a transparent, self-reporting framework for colleges and universities to measure their sustainability performance. Certified professionals are trained to ensure high-quality, accurate STARS reporting and must earn certification before serving as a reviewer or data provider on a STARS report.

Developed in 2006, the STARS report is recognized as the preeminent measurement tool for sustainability performance in academics, engagement, operations and administration in higher education. Nearly 700 colleges and universities worldwide participate in STARS reporting. The comprehensive report tracks data in 18 categories and 116 subcategories, covering topics as varied as sustainability-related academic research, pay equity, greenhouse gas emissions and investment policy. Institutions self-report with guidance from the 300-page technical manual, and AASHE staff review submissions to verify entries and assign rating levels.

Stewart is a member of the third cohort to earn STARS data quality certification and one of 147 certified STARS professionals. W&L submitted its first STARS report in 2011, and data collection is underway now for its fifth report, to be submitted in March 2027. The university currently holds a Silver rating and has twice been featured in the AASHE Sustainable Campus Index for outstanding work in energy education and for its partnership with Indigenous-led nonprofit NDPonics in the creation of the Kihkǫspé:hla Living Lab.

Stewart joined W&L in 2006 and has held several roles, including assistant director of corporate and foundation relations and director of parent giving. She became one of the university’s inaugural energy specialists in 2011 and was promoted to director of sustainability in 2022. Stewart was instrumental in updating the university’s Climate Action Plan in 2019, identifying interim goals for the following decade to help keep the university on track to reach carbon neutrality by 2050. As co-chair of the University Sustainability Committee, a position she has held since 2019, she has raised awareness of sustainability issues among hundreds of students and employees.

A trained energy auditor, Stewart earned a bachelor’s degree in comparative literature from Columbia University and completed the certificate program in energy innovation and emerging technologies, with an emphasis on solar cell technology, through Stanford University’s Center for Professional Development.

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