Nominations now open for 2015 Western Sustainability Awards
The Office of Sustainability, Western's Sustainability Advisory Committee, AS Environmental & Sustainability Programs and WWU administration have opened nominations for the 2015 Western Sustainability Awards.
The awards honor the Western community's commitment to achieve sustainability and celebrates the efforts of individuals, groups, programs or projects that make important contributions to Western sustainability. Nominations will be received in the areas of academics, operations, student life and community/global engagement. The awards selection committee may also award recognitions.
Nominations will be received through Oct. 14, and nomination forms can be accessed on the Western Sustainability Awards webpage. Winners will be recognized at a campus celebration on Oct. 22.
- AMSEC Solar Project Team, receiving an Award in Academics for creating innovative work on improving the efficiency of luminescent solar concentrators, and being awarded a $970,000 grant from the National Science Foundation's SOLAR program to further this research.
- Miller Hall Renovation Team, receiving an Award in Operations for gaining Western's first LEED Gold Certification for a campus building, and creating a 30-percent drop in electricity use and a 40-percent drop in Miller Hall heating use through the project.
- Energy Savings Company Project Team, receiving an Award in Operations for creating a campus-wide energy and water conservation project spanning 28 buildings, netting a yearly savings of $230,000 rising to $370,000 annually in 10 years.
- Students for Sustainable Water, receiving an Award in Student Life for initiating an effort to address the issue of bottled water on campus and drafting an advisory student ballot initiative for the removal of bottled water from campus.
- Gary Bornzin, receiving an Award in Lifetime Achievement for being a voice for sustainability education for decades and acting as one of the first sustainability educators to emerge on campus.
The concept and practice of sustainability is part of the mission statement and strategic plan of WWU, and is exemplified in academics, student life, operations, and connection to the greater community. Western is recognized for its campus-wide efforts through national rankings such as AASHE’s Sustainability Tracking and Rating System, the Aspen Institute's Beyond Grey Pinstripes, and the EPA's Green Power Partnership.
The WWU Office of Sustainability is Western’s hub for campus sustainability and is dedicated to helping WWU achieve its strategic goal of campus sustainability by integrating sustainability into operations, academics, and research.
For more information, contact the Office of Sustainability at 360-650-2491 or sustain@wwu.edu.