On April 20, 2017, the U of A celebrated Earth Day (April 22) a little early by recognizing and thanking the individuals and groups who have members of our community who have exemplified the university’s continuing efforts to build a socially, environmentally and economically sustainable institution. Here’s a look at the honours and their achievements:
Embracing the spirit of sustainable living, participants reduced, reused, and recycled to make some fancy looking cell phone covers.
Attendees were mixing and mingling while getting crafty.
Crafting time gave participants a chance to embrace their creative side while working with reclaimed materials.
Outside the awards ceremony, Certificate in Sustainability students presented on their capstone research projects.
The Office of Sustainability’s Project Services Coordinator, Nathalie Walker, addressed the crowd during the ceremony.
The awards were presented by Trina Innes, the university’s chief sustainability officer.
Made from re-claimed wood salvaged on campus, the new trophies designed by Trades Services and the Office of Sustainability reflect the nature of the awards.
Sustain SU has made significant contributions to advancing campus sustainability through the reach of many of their programs. Over the past year, the group has demonstrated growth through development of new programs and through project delivery by student volunteers. The team includes approximately 70 student volunteers and 11 members of the leadership team under the direction of Daniel Kielback and Destyni DeLuca.
Eva Lemaire is an assistant professor at Campus Saint-Jean. Her work with Projet Afrique, a credited study abroad project in Togo, Africa provides the opportunity for students to work on local construction projects, teach, work in hospitals and health centres, and learn through play in orphanages. Dr. Lemaire’s work provides transformative learning opportunities for her students. Her work interweaves the three pillars of sustainability — social, economic, and environmental.
Eva was joined at the ceremony by Martine Pellerin (Vice-doyenne, Recherche et Innovation), Sheena Wilson (co-director of the Petrocultures Research Group) and Antoine Brégeaud (Coordonnateur Développement durable).
Frederick West and his lab accepted the award for an exemplary Green Spaces certified lab on behalf of the West Group Chemistry Laboratories.
Lilas Bielopotocky is the supervisor of Food Services at Augustana Campus. As her nominator says, “If the kitchen is the heart of every home, Lilas’ cafeteria is the heart of Augustana Campus.” Lilas has provided healthy, locally sourced and sustainable food options for the community of Augustana Campus for nearly three decades. Her work goes far beyond what is expected for her job. Lilas’ work is far-reaching and impacts individuals beyond Augustana Campus.
On behalf of the Margaret Scott Wright / Canadian Nursing Students Association Regional Conference 2016, Megan Bruce and Brittany Tyerman accepted the award for having an exemplary Green Spaces certified event.
On behalf of the The Graduate Students’ Association, Sasha van der Klein and Masoud Khademi accepted an award as an exemplary Green Spaces certified office.
Trina Innes, Andrew Sharman and Nathalie Walker celebrated with this year’s honourees.
The 2017 Campus Sustainability Leadership Awards celebrate the dedicated actions in support of sustainability that have made a real and positive impact on our community.