2020 Sustainability Award winners announced

What do you get when you combine a hydrologist who assesses and predicts changes in the global water balance, professors who lead land-based learning experiences focused on Indigenous culture, and a student club that resells apparel and donates profits to community development projects? The 2020 Sustainability Award winners, of course.

“We are really grateful to have been recognized with a Sustainability Award,” says Aubrey Hanson, assistant professor and part of the Werklund School of Education team who won this year’s Experiential Learning Project in Sustainability Award. “Getting this award meant a lot to us because our campus is validating that land-based learning and sustainability education is important for our students to know. We appreciate that our work has been held up for respect by our campus community. We are very thankful.”

This year, awards were given in eight categories. To be chosen for a Sustainability Award, each nomination underwent an evaluation process by a panel comprising student, faculty and staff leaders with relevant expertise. Finalists were selected on the basis of their project’s impact, creativity, and collaboration. Close to 100 thoughtful applications were submitted across eight award categories, reflecting the growing culture of sustainability leadership on campus and the creativity within our UCalgary community.

“The 2020 award recipients exemplify the priorities of our Academic Plan,” says Dr. Dru Marshall, provost and vice-president (academic). “They are exceptional people driving innovation in sustainability. They also highlight the enormous potential that is enabled through high-quality experiential learning in both classroom and co-curricular environments. Congratulations to all the award winners and finalists.”

Stay tuned to UCalgary News to read more about these amazing projects and the award winners. Winners will also be celebrated on UCalgary’s sustainability Facebook and Instagram pages over the coming weeks.

2020 Sustainability Award Winners and Finalists

Faculty Sustainability Research Award
Winner:
Dr. Tricia Stadnyk, associate professor (geography), Faculty of Arts
Using water isotopes to assess and predict changes in global water balance

Finalists:
Prof. Gregor Wolbring, associate professor, Community Health Sciences, Cumming School of Medicine
Improving the quality of life of disabled people and securing a sustainable future for all

Prof. Brent Hagel, Dr. Alison Macpherson, Dr. Andrew Howard, Pamela Fuselli
Creating a lasting impact on the health of children through the CHASE Project (Child Active Transportation Safety and the Environment)

Sustainability Teaching Award
Winner:
Heather Leier, assistant professor (art), Faculty of Arts
Integrating sustainability into printmaking and visual art

Finalists:
Prof. Jennifer Leason, assistant professor, Department of Anthropology and Archaeology
Utilizing Indigenous anthropology pedagogies to transform student learning and create sustainable social change

Prof. Rudiger Tscherning, assistant professor, Law
Embedding sustainability into law courses to cultivate engaged learners

Experiential Learning Project in Sustainability Award
Winner:
Werklund School of Education
Offering land-based learning experiences in Indigenous Education

Finalists:
Rylan Marianchuk
Providing high school students the opportunity to harness data analytics on sustainability and environmental issues through the STEM Fellowship’s Big Data Challenge

Prof. Joule Bergerson, associate professor, Canada Research Chair in Energy Technology Assessment: Department of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering
Providing sustainable experiential learning opportunities for students through lifecycle analysis

Undergraduate Student Sustainability Award
Winner:
Monica Uppal, BComm, Organizational Behaviour and Human Resources student
Founder of Suit Up, a club that provides affordable second-hand professional clothing to students and uses the proceeds to support community initiatives, and Operation IVY, a club that supports victims of domestic violence.

Finalists:
Tyler Warnock, Katherine Liu, Tyson Bilton, Clara Nguyen and other student leaders
Engaging the campus community in strengthening local awareness, engagement and implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Thuyh Anh (Hayley) Nguyen, Kimberley Soares and Jeffrey Lazzaratto
Addressing food insecurity for students through the Campus Community Kitchen

Emily Wang
Generating dialogue and change about sustainability and reconciliation through the Group of 4 Art Project

Graduate Student Sustainability Award
Winner:
Veronica Briseño Castrejon, PhD student (Environmental Design), School of Architecture, Planning and Landscape
Founding and leading Aula Verde A.C., a non-profit organization in Mexico that creates proposals to generate positive environmental changes through community engagement

Finalists:
Chelsea Klinke, Department of Anthropology and Archaeology
Participating as a Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) volunteer with the Peace Corps in Panama

Kylie Hornaday, Cumming School of Medicine
Leading Students on Sustainability, an initiative to bridge the gap in sustainability-focused education in the Alberta curriculum

Student Club Sustainability Award
Winner:
Light Up The World! (University of Calgary)
Bringing solar energy to communities in Guatemala and Peru

Finalists:
Eco Club
Enhancing advocacy and education toward sustainability of nature and natural resources

Suit Up!
Providing a platform for students desiring affordable professional apparel for the workplace

The Bike Root
Fostering campus sustainability by teaching people how to fix and refurbish donated bicycles

Individual Staff Sustainability Award
Winner:
Derek Kogstad, manager, Distribution Services/Supply Chain Management
Integrating sustainability into distribution services at UCalgary

Finalists:
Michele Moon, team lead, Wellbeing and WorkLife
Highlighting the intersection between mental health and sustainability on campus

Dayle Belcourt, housekeeping manager
Incorporating sustainable practices at Hotel Alma

Group Staff Sustainability Award
Winner:
MacKimmie Tower Project Team
Revitalizing the MacKimmie Tower into a net zero carbon building

Finalists:
Karen Pankraz, Adam Fehr and Shokoufeh Manouchehr, Canada Excellence in Research Chair Office Team (CERC)
Creating a sustainable Canada Excellence in Research Chair (CERC) lab and infusing sustainability into CERC initiatives

Caretaking
Integrating waste diversion and education into the front-line

• Stay tuned to UToday to read each winner’s sustainability story

The University of Calgary’s Institutional Sustainability Strategy provides a road map for continuous improvement in our pursuit of excellence and leadership in sustainability. We aim to be a Canadian post-secondary education leader in sustainability in our academic and engagement programs, administrative and operational practices and through supporting community and industry in their aims for leadership in sustainability. Learn more about UCalgary’s leadership in sustainability.