Campus Sustainability Awards
The University of Colorado wishes to recognize outstanding efforts toward continuing the leadership and legacy of sustainability at CU 麻豆影院. Since 1997 the Annual Campus Sustainability Awards have recognized individuals, departments and offices that have made a significant contribution to reducing the ecological footprint and increasing the听resilience of campus infrastructure and听improving social cohesion and equity in campus communities. Outstanding efforts make CU's successful and challenging approaches to attaining sustainability possible. The awardees exemplify CU's continuing efforts to become a sustainable institution and set an听example for environmental stewardship and responsibility.听Some of the awardees have made groundbreaking efforts that will change the overall way CU operates, and others make an impact on the community and campus environment with their everyday actions. The awards happen every April in conjunction with the Campus Sustainability Summit.
This year, there are eight campus sustainability awardees:
- Dr. Shideh Dashti, Green Faculty
- For her leadership in establishing RISE, a research initiative focusing on climate change, disaster resilience, and sustainability, notably shedding light on the climate vulnerabilities of incarcerated populations in Colorado.
- Brigid Mark, Student Leadership
- For her instrumental work in advocating for climate equity and student representation in CU 麻豆影院鈥檚 Climate Action Plan, contributing expertise in climate justice and extensive outreach efforts to vulnerable communities.
- Micah Borkan, Student Leadership
- For his dedication and advocacy for student representation and sustainability initiatives at CU, leading legislative efforts and supporting student organizers in shaping CU 麻豆影院's climate policies.
- Professor Dale Miller, Green Faculty
- For his work as a senior instructor in the CU 麻豆影院 Department of Environmental Studies, where he has spent 25 years inspiring countless students to engage in scientific research and effectively communicate their findings.
- David Byrne, Individual Achievement
- For his meticulous planning and above-and-beyond efforts to relocate and protect approximately 200,000 bees during the 2024 Old Main preservation project, setting a new standard for pollinator protection in construction practices.
- Dave Newport, Legacy Achievement
- For his 18-year tenure at CU 麻豆影院, which has been marked by co-founding the STARS program, leading initiatives like Ralphie鈥檚 Green Stampede and prioritizing student-led sustainability efforts, and the indelible mark on campus sustainability that he has left.
- Tim Schiel, Special Recognition for Civic Achievement
- For his leadership in restoring Colorado's soils by participating in the Zero Foodprint program, inspiring other campus businesses to join this initiative.
- Creative 3D Printing, Special Recognition for Partnership for Sustainability听
- For their efforts to develop a sustainable method for 3D printing using coffee grounds, water and a few other eco-friendly ingredients.
The CU Green Labs Program recognizes five awardees:
- Alison White, Individual Achievement
- For her outstanding efforts for sustainability in the Luger Lab and JSCBB over many years
- Bimala Lama, Individual Achievement
- For her leadership efforts for helium reuse.
- Jose Escobar, Individual Achievement
- For outstanding work and leadership to keep BioCore research equipment sharing moving forward within MCDB, EBIO, and IPHY.
- John Henderson and George Carter, Partnership for Lab Sustainability
- For unwavering support and collaborative efforts for lab sustainability in the Engineering Center.
- CEAS Dean鈥檚 Office Lab Space Optimization, Leadership Achievement
- For remarkable efforts for laboratory space optimization which serves as a leadership example for campus.
- Karen Bailey, Green Faculty
- The Colorado Environmental Justice Digital Storytelling Project, Civic Achievement
- , Student Leadership
- Emily Yeh, Green Faculty
- , Outstanding Alumni
- Mountain Research Station, Departmental Achievement
- Mortenson Center in Global Engineering and Resilience, Civic Achievement
Three partnership initiatives deserve special recognition:听
- Climate Across the Curriculum Training, Special Recognition, Partnership for Sustainability
- , Special Recognition, Partnership for Sustainability
- Buffs One Read, Special Recognition, Partnership for Sustainability
The CU Green Labs Program recognizes three awardees:
- MIMIC Core Facility, Partnership for Lab Sustainability
- Department of Biochemistry Shared Equipment, Departmental Achievement听
- CHEM 1021 Green Chemistry Integration, Partnership for Lab Sustainability
Distribution Center Mail and Package Services, Departmental Achievement
The Distribution Center (DC), which includes Mail & Package Services (MPS), Materials Management, and Property Services, is always looking for ways to improve the efficiency of its operations and services.听 Whether through improved routing, centralized distribution, or upgrades to their vehicles, the DC has made numerous efforts over the years to reduce its carbon footprint.听 This award recognizes Mail and Package Services effort to target some of its highest mileage routes for the conversion to electric vehicles.听 This effort required a 鈥榞round up鈥 approach to implementation with steps to secure funds, design and fund the installation of chargers and equipment, and purchase 2 electric vehicles, all in the midst of the pandemic.听 The operational lessons and infrastructure will allow them to expand the program into the remainder of its operations and serve as a model for other trades, services, and operations within Facilities Management.
Clint Carroll, Green Faculty
Professor Clint Carroll is a leading scholar, expert, teacher and mentor on Indigenous plant relations, particularly based in his deeply ethical fieldwork with the Cherokee nation. As a faculty member, he exemplifies this achievement across his research, teaching, and service, linking traditional knowledge with environmental studies.听 Professor Carroll is a model leader for students and faculty in thinking through ethical relationships with community engagement, environmental governance, and decolonial ecologies. He is eloquent, energizing, deeply grounded, and insightful. Professor Carroll exemplifies the best of academia: deeply reflexive, student-centered, generous with his time and expertise, and engaging the big questions of our climate transition. He helps us ask: how do we improve human-nonhuman relations? And how do we improve human relations in ways that are decolonial, intergenerational, and sustainable?听听
Center for Native American and Indigenous Studies, Departmental Achievement
CNAIS hosts a number of events each year that build community on our campus and feature current work in Indigenous studies and related fields at CU 麻豆影院 and beyond. This award recognizes CNAIS鈥 involvement in the Tribal Climate Leaders Program which is a collaborative climate justice initiative housed at the North Central Climate Adaptation Science Center at CU 麻豆影院.听 Additionally, CNAIS was integral in the University鈥檚 effort to adopt and understand the importance of a systemwide land acknowledgement.听 CNAIS continues to work toward the adoption of an official CU 麻豆影院-specific Land Acknowledgement statement.听听
NEST Studio for the Arts, Departmental Achievement
Nature, Environment, Science & Technology (NEST) Studio for the Arts is part of the campus-wide Grand Challenge initiative. It aims to leverage two of CU 麻豆影院's greatest strengths鈥攊nternationally-renowned scientific research and the broad range of cutting-edge artistic practices.听 NEST is a cross-campus network of faculty, students, centers and campus units that combine artistic practice and scientific research that explores our common and disparate ways of observing, recording, experimenting and knowing. NEST is Spearheaded by co-Investigators Erin Espelie (Assistant Professor, Film Studies Program and Department of Critical Media Practices), Tara Knight (Associate Professor, Department of Critical Media Practices), and Joanne Guillery NEST Office Manager.听 NEST develops exhibitions, teaches undergraduate and graduate courses, funds graduate student鈥檚 research and creative work, runs public programs and workshops, and hosts events with the clear mission of celebrating a meaningful and empowering dialogue between the sciences and the arts. Over ten thousand individuals have attended or participated in a NEST exhibition or event in the past four years. The work of NEST projects contributes to the conversations and understanding of the issues we face today, including climate change, human rights, resource scarcity, environmental microplastics, vanishing glaciers, habitat loss, and fracking.听听
CIRES Earth Lab, Civic Achievement
CIRES'听 Earth Lab鈥檚 mission is to harness the data revolution through research, analytics, and education to accelerate understanding of global environmental change to help society better manage and adapt.听 This award recognizes Earth Lab鈥檚 response to the Marshall fire as one example of how Earth Lab specializes in data-intensive open, reproducible environmental science.听 After the Marshall Fire became the most destructive and one of the most unique wildfires in Colorado history, CU 麻豆影院 researchers from across campus鈥攎any of them personally affected by the fire鈥攑ivoted and applied their expertise to the aftermath, hoping to learn from a tragedy in their own backyard and help prepare the country for the next 鈥渃limate fire.鈥澨 In the days following the fire, interviews with Earth Lab fire experts 鈥 including Jennifer Balch, Natasha Stavros, Chelsea Nagy, Adam Mahood, and Phil Higuera 鈥 were featured in over forty media outlets. While we hope to avoid any tragedy like the Marshall Fire again, Earth Lab鈥檚 ability to provide knowledge and tools to our community and spread the word about fire resiliency on the Front Range and beyond deserves recognition.
Facilities Management Outdoor Services, Departmental Achievement
The effort to electrify handheld equipment in Outdoor Services, beginning in earnest in October of 2017, is an ongoing partnership between FM Outdoor Services (OS), Utilities & Energy Services (UES), and I&S Sustainability (I&S).听 All of the divisions w/in OS (Forestry, Grounds, Irrigation, Turf) have begun the transition to electric equipment for use in daily operations. 听 Electric equipment currently in use across OS includes:听 string trimmers, handheld & backpack blowers, push mowers, snow blowers, portable power stations, trim saws, and pole saws.听 This effort over the past four years has yielded invaluable information to the manufacturers, to the campus in the form of a true operating cost and trade-offs of electric equipment, and to our colleagues on other campuses.听 In order to continue to convert equipment over the coming years, OS will need expanded charging infrastructure.听 This demonstrated need will now be addressed as part of a broader initiative to expand charging infrastructure and EV use across campus.听听
Claudius Mundoma, Special Recognition for Individual Achievement
Claudius has led efforts that have led to increased financial support for and usage of core facilities.听 By helping the cores to become more sustainable and impactful, Claudius has helped maintain the sustainability of the research environment of CU 麻豆影院.听 Claudius has been able to give the cores a unified voice, which has led to the development of the Core Facility Grant Program and the Core Facility Voucher Program.听 As the cores support 100's of millions of research dollars every year, including hundreds of researchers and labs across campus and within the region, increased support and capabilities have directly impacted the entire scientific community.
Office of Chancellor Events and Outreach Team, Departmental Achievement
This award recognizes the efforts of Sarah Hallock Adderholt, Kylee Thomas, Jacqueline Loya and Julie Kraft.听 Events have a large impact on our campus. When students, staff,听 parents and alumni visit campus for an event like a graduation they're able to see CU's commitment to sustainability.听 The fact that the team puts the effort in to not only divert waste, but also reduce it at its source is commendable and important for such high profile events.听 The events team made tremendous effort this last year to make some of the largest events on campus zero waste. The main events the team has worked on include Buffs Welcome Back field day, Night on Norlin, 2020/21 graduate celebration, a concert series on The Hill, and graduation and commencement events.听
Physics Department Helium Facility, Partnership for Lab Sustainability
Helium has become an endangered element. 麻豆影院 a decade ago, the Physics Department had the foresight to establish a helium liquifying facility which enables re-use of this finite resource while saving research funding.听 As researchers in Physics, JILA, and LASP use liquid helium, it is captured and sent to the helium facility to be re-liquified.
Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Departmental Achievement
Since at least 2003, whenever the Chemical and Biological Engineering Department faces laboratory space constraints, the department faculty choose to conduct self-assessments of lab space utilization and re-allocation.听 Laboratories are one of the most energy-intensive and expensive campus spaces to build.听 As a result, this action for optimized use of lab space serves as a leadership example for achieving significant efficiency in scientific research.听听
JILA W. M. Keck Lab, Laboratory Achievement
The JILA Keck Lab demonstrates exemplary sharing of research equipment with scientists across campus and beyond.听 In addition to well-maintained, important fabrication and characterization equipment within the shared clean room and metrology lab, this core has established shared fume hoods.听 Sharing of fume hoods is a leadership example that can be copied in laboratory buildings across campus to reduce the need for more energy-intensive fume hoods.
Campus Transportation Electrification Initiative, Partnership for Sustainability Award
This award recognizes the campus effort to install 51 Electric Vehicle charging ports to date. 听 Parking Services and Infrastructure and Sustainability have led this partnership, with multiple individual departments contributing funds to install chargers. 听 Electrifying transportation is crucial for both Colorado and CU 麻豆影院 to attain their greenhouse gas emissions reduction goals. As campus infrastructure increases availability of EV ports, campus commuters are encouraged to purchase electric vehicles, knowing they can charge while on campus.听 Initial and ongoing expansion of CU 麻豆影院's charging network has been due in large part to effective collaboration of multiple groups on campus. This teamwork allowed the group to leverage an additional $150,000 with Charge Ahead Colorado grants. This is truly a group effort, from the first charger at Wolf law in 2010, to this milestone of more than 50 charging ports now on campus.听 With a long list of past and present contributors, special recognition goes to Clark Rider who, since 2015, has been instrumental in securing grant funds and overseeing the campus electric vehicle charging network.听听
Past and present contributors include:
- Parking Services 鈥 Tom McGann, Shauna Atkins, Tracy Humphrey, Liz Marsis
- I&S Sustainability 鈥 Clark Rider, Ed von Bleichert, David Cook
- Utility & Energy Services 鈥 Ellen Edwards
- SEEC 鈥 Emina Begovic
- Biotech 鈥 Lee Silbert
- University Libraries - Robert McDonald
- Environmental Center - Dan Baril
- University Memorial Center 鈥 Jimmie Baker
- Facilities Management 鈥 Fred Hebert
- Planning Design &Construction 鈥 Chris Sachs, Stephen Graziano, Peter Nelson, Moe Tabrizi
- Athletics - Jason Depaepe
- College of Arts and Sciences - Zack Tupper
Kirsten Rowell,听 Individual Achievement Award
- In Kirsten鈥檚 multiple positions, she consistently advocates that diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) be critical and central components of any effort.听 Her commitment to create a more just and sustainable world is infused in her work as director of the Global Sustainability Scholars (GSS) Program of Sustainability Innovation Lab at Colorado, director of RIO Research LEADERSHIP Program, and as Associate Faculty of Environmental Studies.听 Her passion for sustainability and DEI inspired her to build the GSS program which trains and supports rising young professionals听 from diverse backgrounds, disciplines, and world views to work with leading scientists on critical sustainability challenges. This effort spans cultures, borders and disciplines.听 Kirsten advocated successfully for a scholarship specifically for CU students to be part of the GSS Fellows program.听 With the RIO Faculty Fellows program, she has ensured that sustainability and inclusion excellence are a priority.听 Kirsten has been developing programs that focus on collaborative leadership, broadening participation in research to action and inclusive excellence.听 Read more
Center for Sustainable Landscapes and Communities (CSLC), Civic Achievement Award
- Since its founding in 2018, CSLC has focused on building knowledge and informing decision making about public lands in and around 麻豆影院 County.听 CSLC is an interdisciplinary effort on campus which engages with community and state partners. CSLC engages the campus and community to take a deeper look at key trends in 麻豆影院鈥檚 local ecosystems and their social, economic and health impacts to our communities. The Center has partnered extensively with CU students, staff and faculty as well as organizations, agencies, and committed residents in and around 麻豆影院 County.听 Collaborations have included:听 The Community Collaboration on Forest Health, 麻豆影院 Apple Tree Project, and Cities, Ecosystems and Climate Change.听 The award recognizes CSLC leaders who make and have made productive discourse and community engagement possible through their design, contacts, time, knowledge and efforts: Sharon Collinge, Amanda Carrrico, and Erin Fried.
COVID-19 Compostable Food Serviceware Initiative, Partnership for Sustainability Award.听听
- This award recognizes the multi-departmental effort involved with the conversion to a primarily 鈥榞rab & go鈥 approach to food services as a response to COVID-19.听 Campus Dining Services ensured that its supply chain for food serviceware would be fully compostable.听This full scale conversion was able to keep sustainability as a priority even though it was not the easiest approach. 听 This level of forethought meant CDS didn鈥檛 have to switch to recyclable plastic, non-recyclable plastic, or polystyrene products. Campus operations also needed to reinvent their approach to collecting and diverting this massive increase of material from the landfill.听 Multiple partners, including Housing Grounds, Facilities Management Recycling and Solid Waste, Housing Facilities, Residence Life, Environmental Center, supported听 the initiative with increased collections and outreach efforts.听 The recycling collections crews worked with Dining and the Housing Grounds crews to significantly increase collection capabilities by adding nearly 30 new collection bins, converting a dozen existing outdoor waste stations, and increasing daily collections.听 A combination of revised signs and in-person assistance at collection points helped to educate students and mitigate contamination.听听
Kali Ciera Dykstra, Student Leadership Award
- Ciera founded and grew a zero-waste fashion and art company, Zany Art, that has worked with student organizations and local businesses to spread awareness of fast fashion, and make sustainability more attainable for young people.听 As a first generation, and low-income student Ciera has dedicated their college years making sustainable fashion and knowledge more accessible.听 It is estimated that Zany Art has diverted over 500 pounds of clothing from landfills, and replaced more than 5,000 pieces of jewelry. Zany Art has grown a local and international community, and uses their 70,000 follower base to educate about fast fashion, and sustainable living for students. 听Also, as a student leader with CU Student Government, Ciera worked to eliminate single use plastic bottles, to start the food pantry for students in need, and further the rights of听 LGBTQ+ students. They have worked hard over the last four years to leave CU a more inclusive and sustainable campus than when they arrived.听 Ciera鈥檚 passion for intersectional sustainability was fostered at CU, and continues to drive them in their business and educational pursuits.听听
Volunteer Resource Center, Departmental Achievement Award
- This award recognizes VRC鈥檚 leadership of the Feed the Stampede Initiative.听 In order to alleviate the barriers of food insecurity, Feed the Stampede is dedicated to providing services, referrals, and education so that CU 麻豆影院 students can thrive academically.听 The food security taskforce formed in 2016 when CU staff members and students started hearing personal stories of CU 麻豆影院 students who were unable to purchase food, due to a number of various financial and life circumstances. With a desire to help these individual students with food resources, Hannah Wilks and VRC led the committee to grow and include many people from around campus and the community.听 The need for food security programs drastically increased with COVID-19. VRC stepped up with mobile Food Pantries over the summer and the opening of Buff Pantry in the fall. The program is providing access to affordable, nutritious, and culturally relevant food, to support our students to be successful.听 It is worth noting that Zero Hunger is one of the United Nations鈥 Sustainable Development Goals.听听
Hayden Dansky, Outstanding Alumni Award
- In 2009 as part of an environmental ethics class project, Hayden realized how much healthy and delicious food goes to waste.听 Research with other students showed there was enough food going to waste in 麻豆影院 County to feed every food insecure person.听 Hayden, a 2011 alumni, founded and continues to serve as the executive director.听 During the COVID-19 pandemic, the organization has stepped up even more to serve the growing needs of the 麻豆影院 County community.听 Since the non-profit鈥檚 founding, Hayden has grown the organization to a team of eight staff and 150 active volunteers, who have worked to donate 3.4 million pounds of produce to residents of the city of 麻豆影院 and the greater county.听 BFR now works with 20 local food donors to deliver food by bicycle to more than 40 麻豆影院 county recipient sites including affordable housing, pre-schools and daycares, shelters, food pantries, and community centers.听 Hayden is passionate about reducing food waste and creating more participatory and accessible food systems.听 Read more听
CU Green Labs Award Descriptions
JSCBB Autoclave Eco-Mode Project, Partnership for Lab Sustainability听听
- This award recognizes the work of a group of engaged scientists who use the autoclave equipment in the Jennie Smoley Caruthers Biotechnology building.听 This award recognizes their effort to research and implement听 a successful water saving project for the JSCBB autoclaves.听 Autoclaves are used in science to sterilize research materials and biowaste.听 Those involved are Nicole Kethley, Dave Simpson, Alison White, Steve Haemmerlein, Annette Erbse, Laura Maguire, Tom Rivas, Elizabeth Stoneham, and Abby Horn. When they learned that the building autoclaves use 6 gallons of water for every minute of drying, they began an extensive project to determine what could be done to minimize water use.听 They educated users and programmed the autoclaves with a water-savings mode option that is resulting in an ongoing savings of at least a quarter of a million gallons of water per year. 听 The implementation of the project has been done in a transparent and professional manner which has resulted in a consistent user experience.
Emerson Grey, Individual Achievement听
- As a graduate student and Eco-Leader in the Bryant Lab in the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Emerson has stepped up to not only implement sustainability initiatives in the lab where he works, but also to help with efforts within the Jennie Smoley Caruthers Biotechnology Building.听 At a time when CU Green Labs was experiencing contamination issues within its pipette box recycling collection, Emerson volunteered to routinely monitor the bins on multiple floors of the building and address contamination issues when needed.听 Additionally, he has been working to integrate information on the CU Green Labs Program into graduate student recruitment for the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering.听听
John Malecha, Individual Achievement听
- John has consistently worked on sustainability efforts throughout his entire time in graduate school at CU 麻豆影院.听 In addition to being the Eco-Leader for the Gin Lab where he implemented resources saving efforts, John has volunteered for 5 years to be the Chemistry Department Team Lead for the CU Green Labs Program. 听 In that role, John has organized green chemistry webinars, promoted solvent recycling, shared green lab efforts at new graduate student recruitment and orientation events, helped create and distribute a CU Green Labs survey measuring undergraduate student interest in green chemistry education, and assisted with fume hood sash competitions. John鈥檚 commitment has helped to grow a culture of sustainability in research on campus.
Matthew Wise, Individual Achievement听
- During the pandemic, the Chemistry teaching labs had to alter their approach to include the use of at-home lab kits supplied by a vendor. As the Director of Chemistry Instruction, Matt went above and beyond to enhance safety, minimize chemical and material use, and avoid disposal of hazardous materials down the drain. Matt determined additional steps within each experiment where reduction of materials could be realized.听 He worked with the vendor that supplied the kits to provide them feedback regarding excess chemicals included in the kits. He included these topics within the coursework of the chemistry labs and provided a "teachable moment" to students regarding proper disposition of chemicals and the issues surrounding chemical disposal. Lastly, he and his colleagues established a process for students to return unused excess chemical reagents for proper disposal through EH&S.听 These efforts demonstrate Matt鈥檚 strong commitment to sustainability and ability to teach students about connecting sustainability to science.听听听
Matthew Bedeaux & Paul Rastrelli, Student Leadership Award
- This award recognizes their work in organizing the CU Global Climate Strike events and calling on the campus community to take climate action.听 Matthew and Paul have worked tirelessly in their efforts to lead Friday climate strikes on Norlin Quad since September 20, 2019. These climate strikes have brought together students, staff, faculty, and community members in further increasing awareness about the Climate Emergency and stressing that immediate action needs to be taken.听 These efforts have brought a portion of the campus community together and made them aware that their voice is meaningful when it comes to enacting change. Strike attendees have been given numerous resources for how to get involved on campus and how to reduce their carbon footprint.
Rick George, Individual Achievement Award
- This award recognizes Rick George鈥檚 leadership in sports sustainability programs at CU Athletics Department and the PAC-12.听 When Rick George became the sixth Athletic Director to pilot CU鈥檚 sports programs in 2013, he inherited the nation鈥檚 first NCAA Division 1 sports sustainability program, Ralphies Green Stampede. RGS is a partnership between Athletics, the CU Environmental Center, Facilities Management, and an array of supporting units across campus. RGS had started a few years earlier and was already the leading collegiate sports sustainability program.听 Rick was ready to do more.听 With the construction of the Champions Center, the renovation of Dal Ward, and the new Indoor Practice Facility for football and track and field, Athletics brought forth four LEED Platinum buildings鈥攖he greenest, most high performance buildings that can be built.听
In 2015, Rick ideated and drove the creation of the Pac-12 Sustainability Conference which forged the Pac-12 Sustainability Working Group. Sports and sustainability professionals from the Pac-12鈥檚 twelve great universities now work side by side to advance sustainability across a combined 241 different varsity sports programs. In doing so, they influence the sustainability behaviors of millions of students and fans of those teams as the fans go about their lives at home, work and play.
Rick鈥檚 commitment to social equity and inclusion shows with hiring practices and strategy.听 Rick put together an Athletics Diversity and Inclusion conference that is a model for engagement and impact. Rick is committed to insuring that the benefits and actions of sustainability and climate action are spread equally across all members of society, not just the privileged.听
In 2019, as part of his commitment to phase out single-use plastics, Rick created a partnership with Ball Corporation to showcase the global rollout of the Ball Aluminum Cup for athletics beverages. Additionally, he cemented CU鈥檚 status as the global leader of college sports sustainability when he became the first US collegiate Athletic Director to commit CU to abide by the United Nations Sports for Climate Action agreement.听 Rick is now leading the rest of the US college sports category to themselves sign off on the UN commitment and step up their games. On Earth Day 2020, several other US universities will be announcing their signature of the UN commitment thanks in part to his leadership.听听
Colleen Scanlan Lyons,听 Individual Achievement Award
- Colleen Scanlan Lyons has demonstrated outstanding leadership in advancing partnerships for environmental conservation prioritizing the people who are most directly impacted by tropical forest conservation efforts. Through her work with the Governors' Climate & Forests (GCF) Task Force, and specifically through the GCF Task Force Global Committee for Indigenous Peoples & Local Communities, Colleen has mobilized connections between indigenous leaders, local community organizations, subnational governmental representatives, and the California Air Resources Board. These partnerships are enabling inclusive forest conservation efforts in GCF Task Force member states and provinces while simultaneously fostering low-emissions rural development initiatives on jurisdictional scales. Colleen's leadership on creating the Global Committee for Indigenous Peoples & Local Communities has provided a forum for members' voices to be heard by policymakers, governments, researchers, and international institutions considering carbon markets and carbon market standards which predominantly affect the indigenous peoples and local communities on-the-ground in tropical forest regions that will be the direct beneficiaries of carbon market payments.听
The engagement of indigenous peoples and local communities with governments and other stakeholders has been a direct result of Colleen's propensity to foster meaningful connections between diverse actors. Her commitment to making the voices of these often marginalized peoples heard in climate policy forums and beyond shines through her tireless efforts to engage with, connect, and empower indigenous peoples, local communities, subnational governments, and civil society partners all over the world.听 Colleen's efforts with the Global Committee and beyond have inspired students (both graduate and undergraduate, in MENV, ENVS, and other programs) to pursue research, projects, and careers in inclusive environmental conservation and sustainable development. Her power to connect students, employees, and professionals in the broader community has created enduring networks of environmentalists, economists, researchers, and others pursuing collaborative engagement with indigenous peoples and local communities around the world.听
Leaf Van Boven, Green Faculty Award
- This award recognizes Leaf van Boven鈥檚 commitment to student learning and behavior change research.听 Leaf is a Professor in the Psychology Department in the College of Arts & Sciences.听 Leaf understands that research and teaching exercises are often times of self- and world-exploration.听 Leaf has honored this through actively listening to what issues students find important, as well as encouraging respectful and open communication in the classroom setting.
Leaf has not merely settled into a successful research career, but he has sought to push the boundaries of disciplinary endeavors while he has pursued work in the areas of creative climate communications and behavior change. He is helping to establish a center for Creative Climate Communication and Behavior Change (3CBC).听 His participation in a collaborative meeting with industry leaders, policy makers, policy analysts, and social-behavioral scientists to explore behavioral responses to developing carbon dioxide removal technologies resulted in ongoing research and a manuscript conditionally accepted at Royal Society Open Access.听 He co-edited a special issue of Behavioral Public Policy on the topic of Behavioral Climate Policy.听 He worked with Citizens Climate Lobby to develop and improve training protocols for citizen lobbyists.听 He organized an invited symposium on Psychology and Climate Change, a special plenary session at the Association of Psychological Science meetings (now postponed until 2021). He organized a Colorado Climate Retreat Sept. 7-9, 2017 that brought together the collective wisdom of many local CU professors, City of 麻豆影院 Environmental Planners, and students to generate a vibrant sharing of research, ideas, and conversation.听 He also participated in the Center for the American West event on the panel of experts for "Why are we stuck on dealing with climate change and how do we get 鈥榰nstuck鈥?"
Leaf鈥檚 commitment to student and citizen growth and learning continues to deepen and he effectively works on research, teaching and service fronts together.听听
Janet Walker, Individual Achievement Award
- Janet Walker works with Planning, Design and Construction and is committed to achieve zero waste in the RL2 building.听 This award recognizes her many efforts to improve recycling infrastructure & outreach and to minimize waste generation. While many proctors make a great effort to disseminate and promote recycling info to their buildings, Janet has taken her efforts further by helping to design the waste stream coming into her building and attempting to replace many of the items with reusables, especially food service ware.听 Janet has helped to advance sustainability on campus by educating a broad array of constituents about the merits of zero waste.听 More importantly, she has designed a system to allow people to practice zero waste.
Janet initiated a program to buy reusable service ware so PD&C events, including Town Halls with the public, Lunch & learn presentations with vendors such as architects and engineers, holiday appreciation events, and staff potlucks,听 could be conducted without the use of disposables.听 Janet shares information on zero waste tools and initiatives with the building occupants as well as the broader campus sustainability professionals.听 Her actions have inspired others, both in the building and across campus.听
Facilities Management Environmental Services, Special Recognition for Departmental Achievement
- Facilities Management (FM) Environmental Services deserves recognition for their work to expand campus compost collections.听 This effort is a partnership. The background and budget work were led by FM Environmental Services. The expansion and service support was a team effort between FM Environmental Services, FM Custodial Services, and the Environmental Center Recycling outreach program.听 CU 麻豆影院 Facilities Management (FM) has been slowly adding compost service to buildings since 2011. The goal was five new locations per year and in all newly constructed buildings. The reason for the slow expansion was the cost. Compost on campus was being collected by an outside vendor at a cost for each stop. Each building, using a twice per week collection schedule, would cost over $3,500 per year to add service. With over 60 buildings to add, the projected cost to complete campus expansion was out of reach.听 FM Environmental Services figured out a way to cut cost and to speed up expansion. By internalizing collections, campus compost expansion was able to increase rapidly with 30 locations in FY20.听听
Christian DiSalvo, Special Recognition for Student Leadership
- Christian Louis DiSalvo deserves recognition for his work in advancing CUSG鈥檚 carbon emissions reduction programs.听 Christian has worked diligently with the Environmental Center and CUSG to calculate carbon emissions and offsets for both organizations. This work has included collecting data from the UMC, the Rec Center, and CUSG's cost centers, meeting with experts on campus to hone calculations, creating templates and workflows to document his work process, giving presentations to the Legislative Council of CUSG, and working alongside CUSG to develop a more robust annual carbon offset plan.听 Christian embarked on a student group volunteer project to inventory carbon and greenhouse gas emissions.听 He grew into a role of expertise and leadership that will make a lasting impact.听 The carbon inventory efforts mark an important step for the university in mitigating its scope 1, 2, and 3 carbon emissions. 听 Christian's work with CUSG has led to discussions about how the student government can decrease its emissions over time by monitoring data and setting incremental goals. Decreasing emissions is an even more important step than offsetting them, and CUSG is confident that his detailed accounting work will boost these efforts.
CU Green Labs Program
Stem Cell Research & Technology Resource Center
Partnership for Lab Sustainability Award for creating a managed, shared equipment resource and space available to researchers at CU 麻豆影院 and beyond.听
CHEMunity - Green Chemistry Scholarships
Partnership for Lab Sustainability Award for their ongoing collaboration to create an opportunity for CU 麻豆影院 students to receive green chemistry education.听
EH&S Radiation Safety Office
Departmental Achievement Award for their actions to reduce the amount of research-related radioactive waste going to low-level radiation landfills.听
Cherie Summers
Individual Achievement Award听 for her leadership and advocacy for efficient use of building space, research equipment sharing, and resource conservation in Engineering.听
Benjamin LaFavor
Individual Achievement Award for going above and beyond to divert materials from landfill at the loading dock of a large laboratory research building.听听
Mitchell Magrini
Individual Achievement Award for years of overseeing the Cristol Chemistry collections of brown lab glass and lab metal containers for recycling.听
This year, there are six campus sustainability awardees and four special recognition certificate recipients:
- Jordan Hammer, Student Leadership
- Phaedra Pezzullo, Green Faculty
- Travis Torline, Student Leadership
- Upward Bound, Departmental Achievement
- Turner Wyatt, Outstanding Alumni
- Campus Dining Services Culinary Procurement Team, Partnership for Sustainability
- Campus Dining Services Catering, special recognition for Departmental Achievement
- Housing Facilities Services Stores/Warehouse, special recognition for Departmental Achievement
- Liam Brodie, special recognition for student leadership
- Jordan Nahabetian, special recognition for student leadership
Additionally, there are six awards for the Green Labs program:
- Animal Bedding Composting, Partnership for Lab Sustainability
- Facilities Management Recycling, Departmental Achievement
- Dustin Quandt, Individual Achievement
- David Simpson, Individual Achievement
- Megan Schroeder, Special Recognition
- Cynthia Torres, Special Recognition
Campus will also recognize departments who have earned or renewed their Green Office certification in the past year:听
- Recreation Center
- Undergraduate Exploration & Advising Center
- CU Student Government
The awards will be presented by David Kang, Vice Chancellor for Infrastructure and Sustainability, and members of the awards committee.
2018听Campus Sustainability Awards
Outstanding Alumni: Tyler Huggins, Justin Whiteley
Departmental Achievement: Distribution Center, Environmental Health and Safety Hazardous Materials and Waste Management Group
Individual Achievement: J.P. Bechtel, Curt Huetson, Rayna Oliker, Ron Thompson, Darren Willett
Special Recognition: Kayla Adair, Steven Stuart, Heather Winner
2017听Campus Sustainability Awards
Individual Achievement:听Rosa Hernandez, Lisa Jetton
Partnerships for Sustainability:听Williams Village North Grey Water System, Recreation Center
Outstanding Alumni: Tandean Rustandy
Student Leadership: Monica Rowand
Special Recognition: Village Commons Dining and Community Center (VCDCC) Bio-Digester Project
2016 Campus Sustainability Awards
Civic Achievement: Vince Aquino
Departmental Achievement: Athletics Department, INVST Community Studies
Outstanding Alumni: Sarah Kauss, Amy Livingston
Special Recognition Certificates: Campus Dining Services, Partnership for Sustainability, Gina Tavenner;听Individual Achievement
2015听Campus Sustainability Awards
Civic Achievement: Dr. Carol Kearns and Dr. Diana Oliveras
Green Faculty: Rebecca Safran
Individual Achievement: Gale Day
Partnerships for Sustainability: Susan Clarke and JoAnn Silverstein
Student Leadership: Tyler Fair,听P.D. Gantert, Franky Navarette, Katie Raitz, Simon Mostafa, Michael Gilmore, Sam Kaiser, Amanda Aldridge, Austen Bernier, Surya Castillo and Liz Gangware
Special Recognition Certificates: Facilities Management Planning, Design & Construction, Departmental Achievement, Victor Hernandez, Individual Achievement, Dave Danielson, Individual Achievement
2014听Campus Sustainability AwardsGreen Faculty:听
鈥Max Boykoff
Individual Achievement: Mark Lapham, Megan McGrath, Virginia Schultz
Departmental听Achievement:听OIT Academic Technology Services
Student听Leadership: Miranda Redmond, Matt Ribarich
Civic听Achievement: Nii Armah Sowah
Special Recognition Certificates, Center for Community Garden, Partnership for Sustainability, Closed Loop Film Plastics Program, Partnership for Sustainability, Population听Conversation听Program,听Civic听Achievement, Jacqueline听Richardson,听Individual听Achievement
2013听Campus Sustainability Awards
Outstanding Alumni:听James Balog, Graham听Meriwether
Individual Achievement:听Robert Dixon, William听Franz
Departmental听Achievement: Facilities Management Custodial Services
Partnership听for听Sustainability:听Housing & Dining Services
Green听Faculty:听Paul Komor
Student听Achievement: Shimshon Rapaport
Special Recognition Certificates:听Facilities Management Meridian Implementation Team, Departmental Achievement, Trades Services, Facilities Operations,听Departmental听Achievement, Garry Street, Individual听Achievement, T. Pepper Clayton, Individual听Achievement
2012听Campus Sustainability Awards
Partnership for Sustainability: 麻豆影院 Food Rescue, Fair Food Task Force
Departmental听Achievement: National Snow and Ice Data Center
Green Faculty:Beth Osnes, David Payne
Student听Leadership: Samantha Weintraub
Special Recognition Certificates: Jonathan Akins, Individual Achievement, Carrot Mob Initiative by Gretchen Christoph, Swithin Lui, Wren Suess, Nathan Zick-Smith and Half Fast Subs, Partnership for Sustainability, Kristin Creamer, Individual Achievement, Environmental Health and Safety, Departmental Achievement, Facilities Management CAD Department, Departmental Achievement, Facilities Management Turf and Irrigation Teams, Departmental Achievement, Pieter van der Mersch, Individual Achievement, Don Seeley, Individual Achievement
2011听Campus Sustainability Awards
Notable Achievement:听Jimmie Baker and Jon Monserud, Lori Lander
Student Leadership: Christina Aalto
Individual Achievement: Jerry Greene, Individual Achievement, Shannon Horn, Kathryn Ramirez鈥怉guilar, Peter Arts
Outstanding听Alumni: Unreasonable听Institute -听Daniel听Epstein,听Teju听Ravilochan,听Vladimir听Dubovskiy,听Nikhil听Dandavati,听Tyler听Hartun; Fabian DeGarbo; Coby Gould
Departmental Achievement: Volunteer Resource Center
2010 Campus Sustainability Awards
Civic Achievement:听鈥Geoffrey Rubinstein
Honorable Mention:听Elyse Cadogan and Human Resources, Special Recognition for Green Office Innovation, Allison Hart for Individual Achievement, Deanna Lund for Individual Achievement, Curt Huetson for Individual Achievement
Individual Achievement: Kristin Epley
Inter-disciplinary Leadership:听鈥Mark McCaffrey
Partnerships for Sustainability: Kyle Baker and John McKenzie, Baker Hall
Student Achievement: Dan Omasta, Scot Woolley, Bryant Mason, John Hallett
2009听Campus Sustainability Awards
Departmental Achievement:鈥Office of Orientation
Honorable Mention:听Distribution Center, Departmental Achievement, Kelly McGregor, Energy Conservation
Individual Achievement:听鈥Lisa Lampe, Energy Conservation
Legacy Achievement:听鈥Paul Tabolt
Student Achievement:听鈥Julie Hayes, Environmental Justice and Social Equity
Sustainability Leadership:听鈥Ralphie's Green Stampede: Athletics Department, Facilities听Management, Centerplate, White Wave and Environmental Center
2008听Campus Sustainability Awards
Green Faculty:听Jim White, John Zhai, Department of Civil, Environmental and Architectural Engineering
Honorable Mention:听Larry Brand and Joe Bogetich, Outstanding Alumni, Bursar鈥檚 Office, Payroll and Benefit Services, Facilities Management, Housing, Admissions, Registrar鈥檚 Office, Wardenburg for Paper Waste Reduction, Sarah Haynes, Student Achievement
Individual Achievement:听听Jeff Darling, Green Purchasing, Brian Zublin, Recycling
Outstanding Alumni:听鈥Ethan Van Duzer
Social Equity and Environmental Justice:听鈥Computers for Youth Project
2007听Campus Sustainability Awards
Climate Leadership:听鈥Chancellor G.P. "Bud" Peterson
Departmental Achievement:听鈥Housing and Dining Services Facilities Services for Energy and Water Conservation
Green Faculty:听鈥Mike Hannigan, College of Engineering
Honorable Mention:听Amy Harris, Student Achievement, Sigma Pi Fraternity, Recycling
Individual Achievement:听Amin Gheysar, Department of Housing and Dining Servies, for Waste Reduction and Recycling
Outstanding Alumni:听鈥Paul Weissmann, State Representative
Student Achievement:听Carrie Gibadlo, Environmentally-Responsible Products
Sustainability Leadership:听鈥Moe Tabrizi, Facilities Management
2006听Campus Sustainability Awards
Departmental Achievement:听鈥Housing and Dining Services
Honorable Mention:听ROTC Department and Jon Krueger, Athletics (recycling), Steven Engel, Senior Instructor, Leeds School of Business (green faculty), Michael Hughes, Assistant Professor, College of Architecture and Planning (green faculty)
Individual Achievement:听鈥Lauren Heising
Special Recognition:听鈥University of Colorado Solar Decathalon Team
Water Conservation:听鈥Robert Burke, Pipe Trades Shop, Maintenance and Operations Division, Facilities Management
2005听Campus Sustainability Awards
Departmental Achievement:听鈥Facilities Management Turf Management Team (Alan Nelson, Ed von Bleichert, Ryan Heiland, Zach Cameron)
Green Faculty:听Tom Dean, Lisa Barlow
Honorable Mention:听Recycle-Mania campaign team (Susan Davis, Nama Illo, Marcie Cole, Molly Chappell, Rachel Cragg, Amy Kuo, Rebecca Wallach, Sarah Engel, Corey Reynolds, Jack DeBell plus another 6-10 volunteers. Plus the helpful program partners: Amin Gheysar in housing and Ed von Bleichert, Jessica Rossi and the FM collection crews.) University of Colorado LEEDS School of Business
Legacy Achievement:听Will Toor
2004听Campus Sustainability Awards
Energy Conservation:听听鈥Energy Pledge Card Campaign
Honorable Mention:听鈥Moe Tabrizi, Facilities Management
Individual Achievement:听Sue Wallace, Department of Housing,Ed von Bleichert, Facilities Management
Lifetime Achievement:听鈥Al Bartlett, Department of Physics
Recycled Products Purchasing:听鈥Colorado Daily
Student Achievement:听鈥Eugene Pearson, President of ASSG, 2nd Vice President of Legislative Council
2003听Campus Sustainability Awards
Green Building:听鈥Solar Decathalon Team
Hazardous Waste Reduction:听鈥EH&S Hazardous Materials/ Hazardous Waste Unit
Honorable Mention:听鈥Professor John Taylor
Individual Achievement:听鈥Robin Newsome-Suitts
Outstanding Alumni:听Tom Cowing, Carly Weir
Recycled Products Purchasing:听鈥Wilderness Study Group
2002听Campus Sustainability Awards
Green Building:听UMC
Green Faculty:听Bernard Amadei, the Department of Civil, Environmental, and Architectural Engineering, Judith Curry of the Department, Aerospace Engineering
Individual Achievement:听John Bruning, Facilities Management, Sam Sandoe, University Communications, Dave Smith, the Department of Computer Science
2001 Campus Sustainability Awards
Alternative Transportation:听鈥Joe Roy, Parking and Transit Services
Departmental Achievement:听鈥Transportation Services
Hazardous Waste Reduction:听鈥Scott Harvey, Facilities Management
Individual Achievement:听鈥Ginger Cassady, Student
Outstanding Alumni:听鈥Ed von Bleichert, Environmental Operations Manager, Facilities Management
Recycling:听鈥Department of Housing
Resource Conservation:听鈥University of Colorado Student Body
2000 Campus Sustainability Awards
Hazardous Waste Reduction: Mary Ann Dornfeld, Facilities Management Grounds, Department of Housing Food Services
Outstanding Alumni:听鈥Pete Grogan, Co-Founder of EcoCycle and Director of Recycling for Weyerhauser Corporation
Recycling:听鈥Facilities Management Custodial Division
Resource Conservation:听UCSU Recreation Center
Waste Reduction:听鈥Property Services
1999 Campus Sustainability Awards
Alternative Transportation:听鈥"Facilitating Transportation" Master Plan Task Force
Green Faculty:听鈥Adrienne Anderson, ENVS
Individual Achievement:听鈥Kathy Noonan, ENVS Student
Outstanding Alumni:听鈥Brian Mohr, Southwest Regional Office of the Sierra Club
Recycling:听Suzie Chambers, Solid Waste Advisory Board; Mailing Services Department; Emil Bonnes, Housing Department; Garian Vigil, student employee in the Office of the President
1998 Campus Sustainability Awards
Alternative Transportation:听鈥Office of the Vice Chancellor for Administration and Parking Services
Green Faculty:听Cathy Comstock, Farrand Academic Program, Marty Walter, Mathematics Department
Hazardous Waste Reduction:听鈥General Chemistry Lab Coordinators: Elaine Butler, Bob Meyers, Rob Palmer, and Merl Schachet
Individual Achievement:听Maureen Van Camp, Media Library, Shana Morrow Trombley, Former Student Administrator to Administration
Outstanding Alumni:听鈥Steve Kelton, Western Disposal
Recycled Products Purchasing:听鈥Larry Finch, Housing Department
Recycling:听Jimmie Baker, UMC, Athletic Department
Resource Conservation:听Pieter vander Mersch, Facilities Management, UCSU Recreation Center
Waste Reduction:听鈥Theresa Rogers, UCSU
1997 Campus Sustainability Awards
Alternative Transportation:听Bill Herbstreit, Financial and Business Svcs.,听University of Colorado Student Union
Green Faculty:听鈥Paul Wehr, Sociology
Hazardous Waste Reduction:听鈥Patty Feist, Chemistry and Biochemistry
Individual Achievement:听Ana Johnson, Parking Services, Al Bartlett, Physics, Carly Shurtleff, UCSU
Outstanding Alumni:听听Jan Hardin, State of Georgia Purchasing Div., Eric Kessler, aide to Secretary of Interior, Marianne Moulton, Southern Rockies Ecosystem Project
Recycled Products Purchasing:听Newell Fogelberg, Printing and Copying Svc., Buying and Contracting
Recycling:听听Lisa Adair, Facilities Management, Norlin Library Periodicals Room
Resource Conservation:听Tom Cowing, Facilities Management, Facilities Management, Co-Gen plant
Waste Reduction:听Alan Nelson, Fac Man Grounds Crew, Golden Panda Restaurant, UMC, Computing and Networking Services
Water Conservation:听John Madsen, Facilities Management, Facilities Management Irrigation Crew