10/16/23 UPDATE: The focus group sessions have been completed. No volunteers are needed at this time.

Supply Chain Management Strategic Sourcing Manager Dean Shehu is calling for principal investigators and lab managers to volunteer one hour of their time to participate in a focus group to assist the UCSF Ultra-Low Temperature (ULT) Freezer Replacement Program. Participants will receive a $20 gift card.

What is the ULT Freezer Replacement Program?  

UCSF operates more than 1,250 -80°C freezers, with over two-thirds of those being older, non-energy-efficient models that use three times as much energy as ENERGY-STAR Certified -80°C freezers. Completely transitioning UCSF to energy-efficient ULT freezers will help meet our annual energy-use reduction target of two percent and save UCSF more than $1.3 million dollars per year in energy costs.  

The Office of Research, in partnership with Office of Sustainability, Supply Chain Management and Facilities are creating a strategy to accelerate UCSF’s transition to 100 percent ENERGY-STAR units.  

We are seeking input from the research community regarding how to implement this program optimally. Focus groups will be held on the following days and times:  

• May 24, noon to 1 p.m. 
• May 26, 8 am. to 9 a.m. 
• May 26, noon to 1 p.m. 
• May 26, 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. 

Please respond with your availability by inputting your name in this SmartSheet: ULT Focus Group Sign-ups for all options that would work. We will send you an invite after we create the roster for each session. We aim to have no more than 12 people per session.  

For questions please contact Dean Shehu.