2011 Green Campus Awards

Student Award to Lyndsi Sheusler, a Senior Sculpture Student.

 Lyndsi was one of our first Green Navigators. Now in its third year, the program has grown from 6 students to nearly 50 students.

Lyndsi has contributed to the growth of the program through campus center tabling, leadership of activities like campus clean ups, and the designing of promotional materials for events.

One of her main interests is raising awareness of food interests on campus. It's an issue that she became interested in while studying sculpture abroad in Italy in spring 2009. Lyndsi has worked to raise awareness of food issues on campus, such as the Real Food Challenge, forming alliances with other student groups, and petitioning to get the campus to spend more on organic food.

The sustainability initiative is grateful for her mentoring of younger students and for her cheerful and continual commitment to the Green Navigators.

Faculty award to Political Science Professor Rob Darst

 Rob is the Associate Director of Political Science and the Director of the Honors Program.

One of the founders of the sustainability minor , Professor Darst is a specialist in international relations, environmental politics, and human rights. He is author of the book Smokestack Diplomacy: Cooperation and Conflict in East-West Environmental Politics (MIT Press).

He's contributed to the topics in sustainability course and has also developed classes such as "The Politics of Everyday Things" which examines the resource chains associated with many of the goods we buy.

Rob's classes contributed a great deal to the campus sustainability assessment and he co-chaired the academics chapter of the assessment.

The sustainability initiative is grateful to Rob for his strategic guidance and his many contributions to committee work and to students, despite his heavy schedule.

The Department award goes to Purchasing

 The Purchasing Department is recognized for its development of UMass Dartmouth's comprehensive Green Purchasing policy, which gives preference to Environmentally Preferable Products (EPP), for the campus's computers, office supplies, janitorial equipment, building materials, food, lighting, and other goods and services.

The green purchasing policy is the first in the UMass system.

Other initiatives beginning with the Purchasing Department include a paper reduction campaign and the optimizing of print services and office equipment through acquiring more multi-function, energy efficient machines.

The purchasing department also worked with the Office of Sustainability to develop local and organic food targets for the new catering contract.

Mike Lagrassa, director of the department, brought a firm commitment to sustainability to his job and has been a key supporter and driver of the initiatives that have saved the university thousands of dollars over the past few years.

We are grateful for his leadership and drive.

The Staff award is being given to Elizabeth Bender, Space Planner for Facilities, Planning, Design, and Construction

 Liz has her BS from the University of Wisconsin in Architecture and Urban Planning.

In her work for the university she is always looking out for environmentally-friendly fabric and finishes, as well as 'green' furniture and carpets and so is helping all of us fulfill the university's commitment to sustainability on an operational level.

She is a terrific collaborator and has worked with teams of students on several projects, including the water chapter water chapter of the campus sustainability assessment.

Most recently, she has worked with David Chapman's students on design work related to the "Living Classroom."

The sustainability initiative is appreciative of Liz's collaborative contribution to many of the projects that we have worked on over the past several years, including campus gardens, design projects, and space planning.

The Southcoast Community award goes to Jennifer Marshall Grantham, Director of the Southeastern Environmental Education Alliance (SEEAL)

 Jen has a BS in Natural Resource Management from Cornell University and is completing her MBA in Managing for Sustainability from Marlboro College.

Launched in 1997, SEEAL is a non-profit partnership of environmental groups, local government officials, activists, businesses, and educators aimed at providing education, awareness, activities, and stewardship to the region.

Jen became associated with SEEAL in 2007 and has helped it to become an important force for sustainability in the South Coast.

Most prominently, Jen is the prime mover behind the South Coast Energy Challenge, a collaborative venture of several area non-profits, including UMass Dartmouth, whose goal is to reduce the carbon footprint of South Coast businesses and homes.

SEEAL, under Jen's leadership, has also created a conservation corps.

SEEAL's ventures have provided important internship and service opportunities for UMass Dartmouth's undergraduate and graduate students.

We are grateful for Jen's big thinking and her big heartedness and we look forward to our continued work together.

See the Green Campus awards for 2010 or 2009.