Who We Are

The Sustainability Office at UTM is responsible for promoting and maintaining a broad range of sustainability initiatives through the engagement of the UTM community. Whether your particular interests fall under the broad categories of transportation, academics & curriculum, research, energy and climate change, waste and recycling, biodiversity and conservation, or community engagement, there are plenty of ways to get involved in sustainability initiatives on campus. 

Ahmed Azhari, Managing Director - Operations, Sustainability and Asset Management

Ahmed is an accomplished and goal-driven facilities operations leader with over 15 years of experience in effectively managing facilities, critical plant operations, project management, and sustainability in both public and private sectors. Ahmed leads operations, sustainability and asset management teams at the department of Facilities Management & Planning at the University of Toronto Mississauga, where he manages and oversees critical infrastructure and support services to advance the university’s academic and research mission. As a leader, Ahmed strives to foster a harmonious workplace culture to deliver high quality and professional services by instilling shared values and embracing equity, diversity and inclusion. He holds an undergraduate degree in Mechanical Engineering and currently registered with Professional Engineers Ontario as a Professional Engineer (P.Eng.), with Canada Green Building Council as a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Accredited Professional (LEED AP), and with Association of Energy Engineers as a Certified Energy Manager (CEM). 

Beverley Ayeni, Senior Manager, Sustainability and Energy Management 

Beverley is responsible for promoting and maintaining a broad range of sustainability initiatives through the engagement of the UTM community. More specifically, Beverley is passionate about embedding sustainability into UTM’s academic programming & curriculum, research, energy and the built environment, waste and recycling programs, while also promoting community engagement on campus. More recently, Beverley was instrumental in the creation of UTM’s first-ever Sustainability Strategic Plan. Beverley holds a degree in chemical and biochemical engineering from the University of Western Ontario, and a Master’s in Business Administration from York University’s Schulich School of Business. 

Samantha DiIorio, Sustainability Coordinator 

Samantha is responsible for coordinating the Sustainability Office’s programs and initiatives, supporting the implementation of UTM’s Sustainability Strategic Plan, and reporting to the Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System (STARS). She brings valuable experience from her roles at the City of Mississauga, developing and implementing the City’s Climate Change Action Plan, and Urban Agriculture Strategy. Additionally, she sits on the Board of Directors for a Hamilton not-for-profit, Green Venture. Samantha is a graduate of UTM’s Master of Science in Sustainability Management (MScSM) program and holds an Honours Bachelor of Science degree from McMaster University. Samantha deeply cares about the planet and strongly believes we all have a responsibility to take care of it.  

Arash Ghorayshi, Sr. Energy Engineer

Arash is responsible for energy management and energy savings initiatives on the Mississauga campus. With over 20 years of industry experience in sustainability, measurement and verification and facility operations he brings the expertise required to deliver climate positive energy solutions to the campus. Arash started his career in Winnipeg collaborating on demand side management plans for the likes of Manitoba Hydro, SaskPower and BC Hydro. Prior to joining UTM, Arash obtained diverse experience working as a sustainability consultant, energy audit engineer and a measurement and verification specialist for more than a decade. Arash also brings experience from his previous role as a Senior Operations Manager with CF. He holds an undergraduate degree in Electrical Engineering and is currently registered with Professional Engineers Ontario as a Professional Engineer (P.Eng.) and with the Association of Energy Engineers as a Certified Measurement and Verification Professional (CMVP). 

Minali Giani, Sustainability Intern

Diljot Badesha, BikeShare and Recycling Coordinator 

Tala Al-Ghazali, Waste and Material Recovery Coordinator  

Sofya Kolabukhova, Social Media and Marketing Coordinator 

Kaitlyn D'Lima, Sustainability Intern (Spring-Summer 2022)

Kaitlyn is in her second year of the Master of Science in Sustainability Management (MScSM) program at the University of Toronto Mississauga (UTM) and is a sustainability enthusiast at heart. She supports the Sustainability Office as the summer intern, working on projects that empower the UTM community to get involved in sustainable initiatives. Some of the projects include supporting the implementation of UTM’s Sustainability Strategic Plan, bringing the Sustainable Change program to life, and creating a communications plan to increase student, staff, and faculty engagement on campus. Prior to joining the MScSM program, Kaitlyn spent the past four years working in the telecommunications sector as a project manager. With an ever-growing interest in the sustainability field, Kaitlyn is excited to bring her two worlds of business and sustainability together to change the narrative around climate change for current and future generations.