This past October saw the completion of Western's 3rd Annual Sustainability Week. Lauren Squires, the commencement speaker for the December 2011 graduating class and former Coordinator for the AS Environmental and Sustainability Programs Office, organized the week's events, speakers, and volunteers. Some of these events were focused on local food, farmers, and regional concerns, others on the history of sustainability at Western and in the campus curriculum. The year's Sustainability Week concluded with something a little different than its predecessors, and something uniquely special, the 1st Annual Sustainability Awards. The awards categories included Academics, Operations, Student Life, and Community Partnership. Ballots for nominating award candidates were circulated throughout academic departments, student clubs and organizations, and among individual students and staff. Those who received sustainability awards were chosen according to their achievements in innovation, leadership, community engagement, and metrics. Once the ballots were submitted, a selection committee came together to choose one overall accomplishment in each category.
"The committee received numerous excellent applications" said Office of Sustainability Coordinator Seth Vidana, "Not only did they receive excellent applications for individuals, but groups as well. While we recognize that many applicants have provided long-standing support for sustainability at Western, the committee focused on submissions that demonstrated significant advancements over the past year." Award presentations were made by prominent university administrators, including Vice Presidents Steve Swan and Rich Van Den Hul, Vice Provost Steve Vanderstaay, and the Associated Students President Anna Ellemeier. "The simple fact that these people took time out of their busy schedules to be here speaks a lot about the importance of this topic to our University," Vidana said.
In the category of Academics, the Award recipient was Dr. Victor Nolet for his recent work crafting environmental and sustainability education standards for Washington State. In the category of Operations, the Award recipient was Academic Custodial Services for their advancement in Green Cleaning practices, primarily through incorporating Activeion Cleaning Solutions, a technology that uses electrical charges to temporarily alter tap water into a powerful cleaner. In the category of Student Life, the Award recipient was "Students for Sustainable Food" for their efforts in researching Western's local food purchases, working with Administration to adopt the Real Food Challenge, and securing funds to create the Viking Field where Western can grow their own produce. In the category of Community Partnership, the Award recipient was "Urban Transitions Studio: A Community Partnership in Sustainable Development." The Studio has been central in helping students to participate in shaping Bellingham's commercial development as well as connecting Western's faculty in the process of integrating transdisciplinary curriculum.
Some honorable mentions in the Awards Ceremony included Alexis Tahiri for waste reduction measures in the Journalism Department, Scott Stilts for metals recycling efforts at Facilities Management, Tim Wynn for his administrative support of campus-wide sustainability initiatives, Neil Baunsgard for his work on the Green Fee Project and other green designs on campus, Rich Brown for challenging students to walk or bike to school, "Students for Renewable Energy" for awareness raising sustainability events, Daniel Espinoza-Gonzalez for his work with the Teaching/Learning Academy, and The Hybrid Bus Project Team for designing and developing an alternatively fueled, lightweight, modular hybrid buses in the Greater Puget Sound region. Many other excellent groups and individuals made the list. Our thanks go out to every one for continuing to move Western toward a sustainable
future.
