University of Utah, Salt Lake City – March, 2015: Alta Ski Area is and the University of Utah (U) partnered to sponsor and honor the first recipients of the annual Alta Sustainability Leadership Awards.
- Campus as a Living Lab Award was granted to Youcan Feng a Civil and Environmental Engineering graduate research assistant who completed a guide for green roof configuration, an initiative that has expanded beyond the U in the sustainable building field.
- Sustainability Community Partnership Award recognized Robert Kent a doctoral student who models the U’s commitment to sustainability leadership through his community outreach work in bringing greater efficiency for long-term participant engagement to Salt Lake City’s Clear the Air Challenge.
- Sustainability Integration Award honored Professor Julia Corbett from the Department of Communication and her work in successfully integrating sustainability education into all of her courses ranging from Public Relations Campaigns to Quantitative Research for the past twenty years.
- Sustainability Research Award acknowledged Professor Barbara Brown and her distinguished research in Family and Consumer Studies for the past thirty years that addresses the interdisciplinary needs of sustainability through neighborhood revitalization, healthy communities, and public transit.
Each recipient demonstrates an “excellence in fostering leadership and commitment to the health of our community and planet through” a comprehensive understanding and action for sustainability (UofU). Co-hosted by the Environmental & Sustainability Studies program and the Global Change & Sustainability Centerthe esteemed awardees were recognized at an award ceremony on March 6th at the U where they each received $2500 as a congratulations to their efforts.
“Knowing sustainability is not just a singular avenue, we are happy to work with the U in bringing forward a variety of awards that help recognize this fact and promote continued hard work in all walks of life and studies” says Maura Olivos, Sustainability Coordinator for Alta Ski Area’s Environmental Center.
To learn more about the Alta Environmental Center and the ski area’s sustainability efforts please visit altaence.com. For more information on the Alta Sustainability Leadership Awards, please contact Karren Nichols at karren.nichols@utah.edu or visit sustainability.utah.edu/awards.php.