2019 Award Recipients
Sustainability Organization
Winner: Climate Change Action Research Group
Nominated by David Braun for the groups work to support sustainability through their impressive research projects, their projects strive to engage the campus and community in efforts to promote sustainability on campus, they welcome active groups of students each year to further their sustainability projects, and the group conducts work that is collaborative and mindful of sustainability.
Last year, the California Higher Education Sustainability Conference (CHESC) recognized the group with a best practice award in the category of Student Sustainability Leadership for their research into multiple sustainability topics. The group collaborates with several campus organizations and faculty members, often providing the leadership to move research projects ahead in a truly impressive manner. As a faculty member who has interacted with the group somewhat, Braun find their efforts energetic, professional, smart, and extremely effective.Honorable Mention: Sustainable Environments Minor
Staff Sustainability Champion
Winners: Cindy Lowe and Erin Foote
Cindy Lowe was nominated by Anastasia Nicole for her work to minimize waste at every building on campus, working with building technicians, custodial staff, and student groups to identify better ways of preventing waste from happening: sending items to surplus rather than landfill, sorting materials to maximize scrap metal and E-waste recycling, and collecting materials for donation when they cannot be reused or sent to surplus. Cindy demonstrates sustainability on campus through her daily actions in her duties as the Zero Waste Technician. Cindy seeks opportunities every day to divert waste on campus, as well as supporting new initiatives and others’ efforts to divert waste.
Erin Foote demonstrates sustainability by bringing compost/food waste disposal to the CP ASI Children's Center, Introduced sustainable farming practices to children and parents at the ASI Children's Center through the development and upkeep of the Garden Committee (true farm to table, all in house), Encourages sustainable practices in classrooms by bringing recycling and food waste disposal to the culinary lab on campus.
Student Sustainability Champion
Winner: Darin Son
For nearly two academic years, Darin has been a valuable member of the Green Campus Team serving in the role of Technical Intern. She is a dynamic, detail-oriented, and proactive young professional. During her time with the Green Campus Team, she has excelled both in technical tasks such as data processing, analysis and visualization and in outreach and student engagement-oriented projects. She took lead in developing one such innovative student engagement project in partnership with University Housing in the area of waste reduction and reuse she called Cal Poly (CP) Thrift.
At the end of every year, students moving out of their residence halls and apartments toss away useful items that they do not want to transport or store. The goal of CP Thrift was to make it just as convenient to donate items, as it was to toss them away. The first CP Thrift, executed in Spring and Fall of 2018, was wildly successful by diverting 3280 pounds of goods from the landfill, reducing over 2800 pounds of carbon which is equivalent to preventing nearly 3 barrels of oil from being consumed or from sequestering the carbon of 1.5 acres of forest in a year. In addition, CP Thrift was recognized at the annual ACPA conference for Excellence in Sustainability-Program and Innovation.Honorable Mentions: Marissa Miller, Dylan Stafforini
Faculty Sustainability Champion
Winner: Peter Schwartz
Nominated by Hunter Francis for his efforts to integrate sustainability into all coursework, and pursuing research and many extracurricular activities (including abroad) that expose students to a wide range of sustainability issues. Even in his personal life at home, Pete has made a commitment to reduce his personal footprint much more than many others do. Perhaps most important, are the vigor and enthusiasm that he brings to the sustainability conversation on campus, and which go beyond mere sustainability “checklists”. In addition to addressing technological challenges, Pete makes an effort to incorporate social dimensions, which are often lacking or difficult to tackle in many sustainability frameworks. His drive and creativity are refreshing and inspiring to many.Honorable Mentions: Norm Borin, Rebekah Oulton, Thomas Trice