Asper School of Business PhD candidate Nazanin Khaksari studies consumer behavior, with a focus on sustainability. Originally from the massive city of Tehran, Iran, she comes from a Marketing background with a lifelong interest in psychology.

Lately, she’s been researching the gender gap in veganism.

While it may differ from country to country, an overwhelming majority of vegans tend to be women.

“There’s a lot of literature about how guys see their masculinity by eating more meat and steak and burgers and all of those things” she says.

“A buddy comes and says, ‘I’m vegan’ – they make fun of him.”

Veganism, and by extension, sustainability, is often associated with feminine traits.

“Sustainability is all about caring. Caring, it’s traditionally a feminine characteristic – as a mother, as a woman, you should care and be nurturing and kind and empathetic” says Khaksari.

Changing the Gendered Narrative on Veganism

All the thinking that Khaksari has done about this topic is part of her PhD thesis that explores how marketers can help overcome this gender gap in the vegan space.

Khaksari doesn’t propose a full move to veganism overnight, but rather small steps that both men and women can take that result in big long-term differences.

“My study was about just trying a vegan restaurant – not going and being vegan. Just trying it,” she says.

Khaksari also shares that her research goes beyond the absolutes of traits and associated behaviours embodied by all men and all women. The issue isn’t that simple.

Instead, she looks at “how people represent their gender in society and the effects of that in their choices of consumption.”

There’s a difference between the “tough guy who drives an F-150,” and a man with a softer, more feminine side. The same goes for women who display varying degrees of feminine and masculine traits, and buy different things depending on these traits.

Khaksari found that in the case of men who display highly masculine traits, there is a “gender identity threat” that serves as a barrier to sustainable tendencies.

In the world of consumer behavior, an “identity threat” stops people from buying things that don’t align with who they see themselves as or want others to see them as. Brands that understand what consumers perceive as threatening, can reverse-engineer their marketing mix to effectively target this audience.

As it applies to veganism, marketers must ask what exactly is threatening about it to men that embody highly masculine traits.

“Some brands can be masculine, some brands can be feminine. So, it’s about different elements of the brand, like the fonts, the colors, all the ways they use their tools to communicate,” Khaksari says. “I try to figure out which way is best.”

Her PhD supervisor, Professor and F. Ross Johnson Fellow Dr. Namita Bhatnagar, says that Khaksari is innovating in marketing research: “Nazanin’s thesis expands on the work linking gender and sustainability, suggesting that softer feminine traits embodied by both women and men relate to eco-friendly outcomes.”

As the research is in progress, Khaksari can’t share all of her results yet. But we can’t wait.

How to be Sustainable in your Everyday Life

October is sustainability month, a great time to pick up habits that will benefit the planet for everyone. Khaksari emphasizes that sustainable habits can be genuinely fun.

Example #1: Thrifting

Thrifting is all upside. It saves money, saves the environment by recycling old clothes, and not to mention, it’s very fashionable.

“You buy brand new clothes, there is nothing to brag about. But when you find something from the 90s or 80s, it’s unique, and not everybody has that.”

She says that when you spend a lot of time looking and find something to show your style, “it gives you the feeling of treasure hunting.”

Example #2: Different modes of transportation

Khaksari encourages walking and biking whenever possible, which benefits the environment but also boosts your health and mood.

Taking public transport like buses is also a great way to be sustainable. But she says that the social stigma of using public transportation needs to change. “There are some memes on the internet that say, I saw a cute guy on the bus, but he’s also on the bus.”

“We can change the idea that being attractive and successful is not just being resourceful, but also how considerate a person is, for example,” Khaksari says.

Example #3: Try a vegan meal

To the skeptical guys out there—Khaksari wants you to know about this article she just read.

“It was about how women see and perceive men that are vegan or who adopt those sustainable behaviours. So women, they find those guys really attractive.”

“Part of it is about self-control. When you see that self-control or discipline in a man, it sends a good signal. It’s like a green flag,” she says.

“He’s not a cheater. You know he’s a kind and empathetic person.”

—

Celebrate Sustainability Month with the Asper School of Business

Sustainability Management: Lessons from Research to Practice
Guest researchers and practitioners will lead a sustainability-focused presentation highlighting both local and global perspectives.

Friday October 17, 2025
10:30AM – 12:00PM
Room 106 Drake Centre

UM Campus Commute Survey Lounge
How do you commute to campus? Share feedback, exchange ideas and complete the commuter survey.

Monday October 20, 2025
11AM – 1PM
Student Commons Area, Drake Centre

Asper Green Team Book Exchange
Bring new life to old reads! Discover something new to read, learn about sustainable resources, enjoy snacks and take part in a free book exchange that celebrates reuse and connection. Book donations can be dropped off in the Asper Dean’s Office, 3rd floor Drake Centre, between Oct 1-29.

Thursday October 30, 2025
2PM – 4PM
Student Commons Area, Drake Centre

This sustainability month, learn more about the Asper School of Business commitment to sustainability initiatives in our academic programs, research, community and beyond.

“Coming in as a new employee, and walking into the lunch space where there is composting happening, and knowing that there is a safe place for bike parking, knowing that somebody has already thought of these things, sustainability choices are easier for me to make,” says Nekola, who bikes to work. “I get the sense that this is a priority for a lot of people.”  

The Centre for the Advancement of Teaching and Learning has a history of nurturing a sustainability culture, says Mona Maxwell, an educational developer. When she started in 2017, there already was a Green Office Rep (GO-Rep), bringing a sustainability mindset to day-to-day practices. Inspired, she became one too.  

The GO-Rep program from the Office of Sustainability offers a guide for offices to incorporate green practices into operations while directly contributing to UM’s sustainability goals. 

“Individual action is important, but collective action is where we really get things done,” says Maxwell. She and Nekola, along with Bran Adams, who joined the university in May, are all GO-Reps.  

Nekola and Adams joined Maxwell at their first GO-Rep meeting a couple of weeks ago and were happy to explore solutions to some of the challenges encountered in offices across the university.  

“There were lot of different departments and they all have things they are looking at – whether it’s new bike cages at Bannatyne or laundry services for cloth dishtowels in some lunchrooms – what are all the situations for everybody and how can they green their offices,” says Adams, a program coordinator. 

Maxwell says the diverse representatives from different units is refreshing. “Where can I get a diversity of representative perspectives – from a facilities perspective to pedagogical aspects to perspectives from a dean’s point of view and those who work directly with our student sustainability groups in one place?” she asks. The answer: “A one-hour GO rep meeting four times a year.” 

Motivated by the belief that small changes add up, the group at the Centre for the Advancement of Teaching and Learning have undertaken a number of initiatives in their office, including composting, events and biking. 

Waste streams 

“We’ve focused on our waste stream the most, both in terms of action and in mindset shift,” says Maxwell. 

The centre has been composting for years, and when the Office of Sustainability formalized a program for office composting, they signed up. The Office of Sustainability provides compostable bags and composting bins that staff members take turns emptying in a central location. It has become part of the culture and is seen as a collective commitment. Staff even transport the bins to the different workshops and events they organize for the broader university community.  

“A milestone was reached this summer when the centre reached our 300th eight-litre bag of compost! As we searched for ways to communicate our impact in more imaginable terms, we figured that we had diverted at least 293 kg of food waste – the equivalent of 100 days of electricity use from one household,” says Maxwell. She notes there are a lot of assumptions in the calculation and they look at  waste calculators to try to accurately communicate the impact of their actions.  

Events 

Adams has a love for sustainable actions that comes from his previous experience as an educator at the Assiniboine Park Zoo and at the Leaf. “Now here, as a program coordinator, I get to see all the workshops that are being organized at the Centre for the Advancement of Teaching and Learning and I can encourage people to green their event or workshop,” he says.  

“We have the Better Together entrepreneurship workshop coming up in the November Reading Week, and part of making the event green is looking at the catering, getting compostable cups and making sure that we’re not printing things so that we can make it green and sustainable.” 

He also encourages people to look towards Green Event Certification – a program through the Office of Sustainability – when it makes sense for their event.  “That involves going through the Sustainability department, completing a checklist and getting a certification level,” says Adams.  

Biking

When Maxwell started seven years ago, she says there were about three people who biked to work on a regular basis, and that has now grown to eight.  “The tricks, tips, and biking-to-work adventures we share are not only hilarious, but provide a very supportive culture that sustains us through the challenges of keeping this habit that is healthy for us and also is a step toward addressing the greenhouse gas problem,” says Maxwell.  “The more people bike, the more barriers to biking are addressed.” 

Cycling infrastructure continues to expand, with secure bike cages at the University Parkade and Active Living Centre on Fort Garry campus, and on Bannatyne, adjacent to the Brodie Atrium.  

Small choices add up 

“There are ways the centre has already turned sustainability into a culture,” says Nekola, who is continuing to find ways to be more sustainable with the Office of Sustainability’s Green Office checklist.  “I’m hoping to be able to find additional things that we can add to existing practices.” 

“It feels like we’re talking about small things in a way, either composting, or greening an event. They might seem insignificant, but they’re not,” says Nekola. “You have to start somewhere, and it’s the additive effect of a lot of small choices that will make a difference.” 

“That’s what’s exciting to see as a GO-Rep… I can help encourage others to make a small choice in the course of their day, but that it’s meaningful in aggregate.” 

Do you have a passion for sustainability? You can become a GO-Rep by contacting the Office of Sustainability. 

Then, at the end of the Winter Term, there is a mass exodus of students, and a lot of items get left behind, says Jessica Dearborn, acting associate director of Residence Life and Residence Student Support Coordinator.

“When students are graduating, whether they’re international students or they are moving off campus, they don’t know what to do with this stuff that doesn’t fit in their suitcases or they won’t need anymore, like twin size bedding, pots and pans, or dorm specific stuff,” she says.

A lot of things were being discarded and ending up at the landfill, or in diabetes donation bins.

Dearborn says they thought there must be a better way of dealing with all these gently used items, adding that they noticed a lot of students were also buying items at thrift stores to help keep costs down.

After consulting with the Office of Sustainability, Residence Life developed a plan, says Dearborn. “What we were really trying to do, with their guidance, was get to zero waste. Basically, we’re not throwing anything in the garbage; we’re keeping as much as we can or we’re donating as much as we can.”

In the winter 2024 term, they launched the “Give and Go” program in residence. Spearheaded by Carly Duffield, associate director of Residence Life, who is currently on leave, the program’s main goal was to work to drastically reduce waste from students moving out of residence at the end of the academic term and redirect gently used items towards new students moving into residence in the fall. 

Dearborn says they collected approximately 1,000 items from outgoing students, including household items like dishes, cutlery, small kitchen appliances, bedding, decor, and even textbooks.  “We were overwhelmed with stuff,” says Dearborn. “We bought these really big bins and around the end of April we were up to our eyeballs in donations.”

Over the summer the staff at Residence Life sorted, cleaned and disinfected items that were in good condition and discarded items that weren’t salvageable.

In September, at the beginning of Fall Term, Residence Life hosted a Give and Go pop-up shop, where current residence students could buy items for pocket change or by bringing a tin for the bin. All proceeds were donated to the campus foodbank. 

“It was really rewarding to see all of our hard work during the summer, pay off during this event,” says Dearborn. “We ended up raising around $600 and we had a big wagon of food that went to the foodbank.”

Get involved

Interested in doing something similar in your department?

“Just be creative, think outside the box,” says Dearborn. “This was a problem that we’ve been dealing with for a long time, and we didn’t know what to do. It took one person to think outside the box and to think about how we can use this stuff going into the garbage. And now, students are thriving with lightly used, reclaimed stuff.”

If you have an idea to reduce waste in your department, contact the Office of Sustainability for their perspective, as well. They have lots of resources and tips for sustainable actions you can take on campus.

October is Sustainability Month. All month long we are raising awareness and highlighting ways you can get involved in sustainability initiatives on campus.

UM’s Climate Action Plan focuses on overarching actions related to energy, transportation, waste and land. There are also ways for each of us to get involved on a daily basis.

To make it easier for faculty and staff to find the information they need to be sustainable in their work routines, the Office of Sustainability has launched an intranet page with helpful tips and resources. All you need is your @umanitoba.ca email address to sign in to the intranet and learn more about sustainability actions.

Here are the top four things you will find on the site.

Training and resources

The Sustainability intranet site has some great tips and resources to help faculty and staff join in the effort to reach our sustainability goals.

Take the Sustainability Course. This free, self-guided resource gives participants an introduction to climate action, waste and food choice, along with an overview of resources and options available on UM campuses.

Become a Green Office Representative and help initiate changes in your office space to support healthy lifestyle choices, make our campus more sustainable and provide an outstanding working environment.

Plus, check out the green office plant guide and learn about the benefits of greening your indoor space.

Planning an event? Go for green event certification. Make your next department meeting, conference or workshop a sustainable one with tips and resources for creating a greener event.

Waste reduction tips

Did you know that by using the appropriate waste disposal method on campus, we can reduce contamination in waste streams and ensure waste is handled responsibly?

Find all that you need to know about the office composting program, how to dispose of batteries and ink cartridges, electronic waste, lab equipment and more.

Using energy and water efficiently in the office

Managing buildings and utilities, such as electricity and water use, is something all departments, colleges and units play an important role in.

In addition to simple things like turning out the lights when you leave a room or dressing for the temperature of the office instead of using space heaters, you can find other tips to reduce energy consumption that are specific to working in an office or lab environment.

Green your commute with transportation tips

The second largest source of emissions at UM is transportation. UM is investing in electrifying our fleet vehicles and identifying opportunities to reduce business and research travel, but there are also things each of us can do to reduce our transportation emissions.

Reduce your emissions on your way to work by carpooling, taking a bus or cycling. UM offers carpool parking, cycling facilities on campus, and information on bus routes to Fort Garry, Bannatyne and William Norrie campuses.

Need to travel between the Fort Garry and Bannatyne campuses? Hop on the No. 36 Northwest Super Express route and leave your parking worries behind.

Looking for more information and inspiration? Follow the Office of Sustainability on Instagram or YouTube and sign up for the Sustainability newsletter to learn more ways to be sustainable.

October is Sustainability Month. All month long we are raising awareness and highlighting ways you can get involved in sustainability initiatives on campus.

Raman Dhaliwal, associate vice-president (administration), discusses UM’s transition to zero-emission vehicles and provides insights into UM’s vision for a cleaner, eco-friendly campus.

1. The Office of Sustainability is born! (2013)

Sustainability is a key strategic priority for UM and it is embedded in all of our operations. In 2011, the Board of Governors formally approved the University of Manitoba Sustainability Policy, which led to the creation of UM’s first Sustainability Committee. This committee led the development of the University’s first Sustainability Strategy and established the Office of Sustainability in 2013.

2. UM wins a Manitoba Excellence Award in Sustainability (2014)

Just a year into the Office of Sustainability’s existence, UM won a Manitoba Excellence Award in Sustainability for action on climate change, air quality and energy efficiency. UM was recognized for reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to six per cent below 1990 levels.

3. Green Office Program pilot launches (2014)

Initially launched as a pilot program in 2014, the Green Office Program supports units to assess current practices and incorporate green changes into their day-to-day operations. Green Office Representatives lead change within their units and meet quarterly to share successful strategies and overcome challenges. There are currently 36 units represented within the program across both Fort Garry and Bannatyne campuses.

4. UM earns a STARS Silver rating for sustainability efforts (2015)

STARS (Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating SYSTEM) is a self-reporting framework for post-secondary institutions to measure their sustainability performance on an international scale. UM submitted its first report to received a Silver rating in 2015, setting an benchmark for future improvement. That improvement came in 2019, with a 26 per cent performance increase and UM’s first STARS Gold rating, followed by a second Gold in 2022.

5. UM’s first Sustainable Transportation Strategy is launched (2017)

With transportation as a key pillar of the UM Climate Action plan, the Sustainable Transportation Strategy, was announced in 2017. The first of its kind for UM, this strategy outlined a five-year plan for building on options for active transportation, carpooling, transit and park and ride services. This included the addition of 16 brand new bike lockers at the Fort Garry campus and more commuting options for students, faculty, and staff. The Strategy provided significant cycling infrastructure support that wouldn’t have been possible without the Office of Sustainability.

6. Sustainability Ambassador program launches (2016)

Since 2016, UM students have been invited to volunteer as Sustainability Ambassadors. Geared toward students who are interested in promoting sustainability at UM, the program offers a chance to lead and inspire the campus community through education, research and action. Projects include bike parking audits, vegetable gardening, waste sorting education, event tabling, community cleanups and independent research projects.

7. Sustainability Night debuts (2018)

Held every March, Sustainability Night is an evening of speakers, presentations and awards that aim to inspire attendees to take action for the UN Sustainable Development Goals and, since 2023, for the UM Climate Action Plan. The Sustainability Awards offer an opportunity to recognize and celebrate the collaborative efforts of students, staff and faculty to advance our campus commitment to excellence and leadership in sustainability.

8. Organics pilot launched (2018)

Since 2018, UM’s Office of Sustainability has partnered with student organizations and staff across three campuses to support a variety of organics diversion programs—from countertop office collection to permanent hallway infrastructure. To date, UM has composted 94.67 tonnes of organic waste, diverting it from the landfill where decomposing organics emit methane, a greenhouse gas 25 times more potent than carbon dioxide.

9. First EV charging stations installed at Fort Garry Campus (2021)

As another part of the Climate Action Plan’s transportation focus, UM’s goal is to transition most or all of our fleet vehicles to electric (EV) by 2050. In laying the foundation for this endeavour, while providing more options for UM students, staff, faculty and visitors, the first EV charging stations were installed at the Fort Garry campus in 2021, with six more appearing in 2022.

10. Climate Action Plan takes shape (2023)

In 2020, UM signed the Global University and Colleges Climate Letter, acknowledging that the planet and climate are in a state of emergency and pledging to reach net-zero GHG emissions by 2050.

This led to the creation of the UM Climate Action Plan (CAP), which was released in 2023 and lays out the pathway to cut our GHG emissions in half by 2030 as we aim for our 2050 goal.

With numerous climate goals set for 2030, there is much more on the horizon for the Office of Sustainability over the next 10 years.

To find out more about how you can get involved in UM’s sustainability and climate action initiatives, visit the Office of Sustainability website.