Sustainability Awards


In its 9th year, the Pitt Sustainability Awards recognizes Pitt faculty, staff, and students who are making an extraordinary impact on campus sustainability. These individuals or groups could have demonstrated their impact in any of the 3 categories of the Pitt Sustainability Plan (Stewardship, Exploration, and/or Community and Culture) via ideas, talents, and passions that contribute to a thriving culture of sustainability at Pitt.

Specifically, we seek nominations in 3 categories:

  1. Pitt Sustainability Awards
  2. Erika Ninos Student Sustainability Award
  3. Student Sustainability Champions

Learn more about the different award types.

Congratulations to the 2023 Pitt Sustainability Award winners and Student Sustainability Champions! Read more about the recipients.

2023 AWARD WINNERS & CHAMPIONS

Faculty Category: Maya Ragavan, MD, MPH, MS., Pediatrics
Staff Category: Brandi Belleau, Academic Records, and Nelson Castilho Coelho, Computational and Systems Biology
Student Category: Claire Kemick, Environmental Science, and Gal Yovel, Neuroscience
Group Category: University Movers and Drivers, Parking, Transportation, and Services

Erika Ninos Student Leadership Award: Cameron Chase, Environmental Studies

Undergraduate Student Champions:

 

2022 AWARD WINNERS & CHAMPIONS

Faculty Category: Dr. Danielle Andrews-Brown, Geology and Environmental Science, and Dr. Cassie Quigley, School of Education
Staff Category: Mei Yu-Kephalogianis, Facilities Management
Student Category: Brandon Brewster, Environmental Science, Aaron Carr, Environmental Science, and Felicity Shafer, Environmental Studies

Undergraduate Student Champions:

Graduate Student Champions:

2021 CHAMPIONS

Undergraduate Students:

Graduate Students:

Faculty:

Staff:

2020 AWARD WINNERS

Faculty Category: Dr. Danielle Andrews-Brown, Geology and Environmental Science, and Dr. Shanti Gamper-Rabindran, Graduate School of Public and International Affairs
Staff Category: Liza Allison, 
Industrial Engineering, and Tiara Arnold, Housing, Housekeeping
Student Category: Ellie Cadden,
Environmental Studies, ’20, and Sarah Hart, Undergraduate, Environmental Studies
Group Category: Pitt Business Staff Leadership Collaboration
led by Chris Driscoll, Information Technology, Greg Guzewicz, Facilities Management, and Karri Rogers, Dean’s Office
Student Group Category: Zero Waste Period Initiative
led by Pitt Planned Parenthood and the Student Office of Sustainability 

2019 AWARD WINNERS

Faculty Category: Emily Elliott, Geology and Environmental Science
Staff Category: Corey Flynn,
Sports Medicine and Nutrition, and Melissa Warthen, Student Life
Student Category: Forest Goebel,
College of Business Administration, and Isabelle Ouyang, English Writing
Student Group Category: Real Food Challenge 

2018 AWARD WINNERS

Faculty Category: David Sanchez, Civil and Environmental Engineering
Student Category: Sarah Grguras,
Undergraduate, Geology and Environmental Sciences 
Staff Category: Gina Gowins, Parking and Transportation, and Andrew Moran, Facilities Management
Group Category: Pitt Pantry
Student Group Category: Fossil Free Pitt Coalition

2017 AWARD WINNERS

Faculty Category: Dan Bain, Geology and Environmental Science
Student Category: Alyssa Martinec
, Political Science 
Staff Category: Rich Heller
, Facilities Management, and Nick Goodfellow, Dining
Group Category: Food Recovery Heroes

2016 AWARD WINNERS

Faculty Category: Ward Allebach, Geology and Environmental Science, and Jacob Bethem, Adjunct Faculty at Pitt Greensburg
Student Category: Naomi Anderson, Civil and Environmental Engineering, and Anna Greenberg, Environmental Studies 
Group Category: Surplus Property 
Student Group Category: University of Thriftsburgh

2015 AWARD WINNERS

Faculty Category: Walter Carson, Biological Sciences
Staff Category: Elizabeth Tiedemann, Student Services at Pitt Greensburg
Student Category: Troy Salvatore, Civil and Environmental Engineering, and Sage Lincoln, Urban Studies and Environmental Geology
Group Category: Student Computing Services Team, Computing Services and Systems Development

2020 Awards Committee

Emily Elliott, Professor, Department of Geology and Environmental Science
Gena Kovalcik, Co-Director, Mascaro Center for Sustainable Innovation
Isabelle Ouyang, Undergraduate Student, English Writing
Aurora Sharrard, Pitt Director of Sustainability

2019 Awards Committee

Ward Allebach, Instructor, Department of Geology and Environmental Science
Sarah Grguras, Undergraduate Student, Environmental Studies and Ecology, Student Office of Sustainability Program Assistant
Gena Kovalcik, Co-Director, Mascaro Center for Sustainable Innovation
Erika Ninos, Pitt Serves Sustainability Program Coordinator
Aurora Sharrard, Pitt Director of Sustainability


2018 Awards Committee

Ward Allebach, Instructor, Department of Geology and Environmental Science
Nick Goodfellow, Sustainability Coordinator, Pitt Dining Services by Sodexo
Rich Heller, Senior Electrical Engineer, Facilities Management
Gena Kovalcik, Co-Director, Mascaro Center for Sustainable Innovation
Alyssa Martinec, undergraduate student, Political Science 


2015-2017 Awards Committee

Melissa Bilec, Associate Professor of Civil & Environmental Engineering & Deputy Director, MCSI
Gena Kovalcik, Co-Director, Mascaro Center for Sustainable Innovation
Erika Ninos, Sustainability Program Coordinator, Office of Student Affairs
Troy Salvatore, Student Intern, Student Office of Sustainability (2016-2017 Awards Committee)
Joe Streets, Student Intern, Student Office of Sustainability (2015-2016 Awards Committee)
Laura Zullo, Senior Manager, Utilities and Sustainability

MASCARO CENTER

Mascaro Center for Sustainable Innovation
University of Pittsburgh
Swanson School of Engineering
153 Benedum Hall
Pittsburgh, PA 15261

mcsi@pitt.edu

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