UW News

April 27, 2011

Husky Green Awards 2011: Two students, one staffer, two sustainability groups

UW News

Three individuals and two groups were honored at the UW Earth Day celebration as winners of the second annual Husky Green Award. The award, sponsored by the Environmental Stewardship Advisory Committee, recognizes those who have shown leadership, initiative and dedication to environmental stewardship and sustainability at the University.

Individual winners are:

Husky Green Award individual winners, from left: Martin Su, Alicia Halberg and Tony Guerrero.

Husky Green Award individual winners, from left: Martin Su, Alicia Halberg and Tony Guerrero.

Alicia Halberg, a senior in communications, was honored for her work at McMahon Hall, where thanks to her leadership, 1,350 pounds of waste have been diverted from the landfill. Halberg created the Compost Co-op, a cluster system for compost pick-up with each building floor. It involved educating McMahon residents, collaborating with Housing & Food Services staff there and developing communication strategies to introduce and continue the program.

“The Compost Co-op demonstrates what one individual can do here on campus to support sustainability, while serving others through education about environmental issues and creating a sense of community within the residence halls,” said AJ Duxbury, resident director at McMahon, who nominated Halberg.

The Husky Green Award, now in its second year.

The Husky Green Award, now in its second year.

Martin Su, a junior in international studies and communication, was chosen because of what his nominator, Krysta Yousofian, called his “passion for sustainability, as demonstrated through his involvement with campus groups” including Students Expressing Environmental Dedication (SEED), the UW Climate Action Plan and the Earth Day Planning Committee. He is currently the director of SEED; Yousofian is the groups director of communication.

Tony Guerrero, facilities director at UW Bothell, was recognized for his leadership of UWBs sustainability efforts. He led the Bothell staff through policies and procedures for wetlands use, energy and water conservation efforts, and he is instrumental to the campus’ ongoing goals for reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

“Tony demonstrates going beyond the call of duty and incorporates sustainable living in his professional and personal life,” said Therese Grant, a member of the UWB Administration and Planning Team, which nominated Guerrero.

Group winners:

UW’s Recycling & Solid Waste, which is part of Building Services in Finance & Facilities, has been integral to reducing the carbon footprint of the Seattle campus by diverting 56 percent of our waste from landfills. The staff continues to increase campus awareness about recycling and minimizing waste by reaching out to students and developing strong relationships with various campus partners. Their work is evident all over campus with recycling programs beyond paper, cans, and bottles.

“The UW Recycling & Solid Waste has made great strides towards creating environmental norms on campus by making it easy and providing resources for people to reduce their landfill waste,” said David Corrado, chair of the Campus Sustainability Fund, who made the nomination.

Students Expressing Environmental Dedication (SEED), has helped increase awareness about composting at the UW since 2003. They began as a five member student group, and now more than 30 student members are actively involved. “SEED has demonstrated leadership with environmental awareness on campus by collaborating with fellow students, which helps them understand the benefits of composting and participating in demonstration projects year after year,” said Duxbury, adviser to the group, who also nominated them for the award.

The award recipients were chosen from 16 nominees.