The presentation on campus sustainability updates and of the awards can be found at this link.
The photos from the 2024 Environmental Leadership Awards ceremony can be found at this link.
The event began with a brief recap of campus sustainability highlights from the year by CCE co-chair Jay Price. Highlights include:
- Projects funded by the Student Environmental Initiatives Fund: New pilot project for building energy analytics; student pollinator gardens on campus; student organization events; upgrade to the Kitchen Garden at UT Gardens; and a tree health measurement device.
- This year’s engagement initiatives: Sustainable procurement initiatives; the Sustainability Symposium; SEIC fund accruing $1 million annually; continuation of the Bicycle Advisory Committee; compost research opportunities; and recognizing our volunteers this year!
- New sustainable operational equipment: UT’s first F-150 Lightning; New Compost Truck with 4x capacity; 750 out of 869 events on campus were Zero Waste; Reusable to-go containers for food halls (30,000+ in 2023); and 68 new bike hoops under existing cover.
- Reporting on social sustainability initiatives: Our Free Store welcomed 1,882 visitors in Fall 2023; we now have a dedicated Grow Lab Coordinator; new Pocket Pantries for Food4Vols distribution; Big Orange Pantry and Smokey’s Closet have a combined location at the Student Union; and Food4Vols provided 57,000 meals for students in 2023.
- A look ahead at future of campus sustainability: Adding all-electric and hybrid campus buses; a Green Roof will be installed on the new Agriculture and Natural Resources Building; adding full-time staff to Recycling and Compost; new stormwater pond at Andy Holt and 20th Street; a Fleet Electric Vehicle Transition Plan; and Transportation Demand Management.
2024 Environmental Leadership Award Winners
The Student Organization Award for Environmental Leadership went to the Sustainable Business Organization. SBO has be a monumental force in promoting sustainable action on campus while also being a key promoter of collaboration through group action between different environmental organizations. Their research includes the feasibility of implementing more EV chargers on campus; the electrical output of buildings and how to make these electrical readings more efficient; and the promotion of sustainability in various Vol dining locations. SBO also managed to set up a trial run of the Canadian company Tersano’s ozone-based cleaning on campus. SBO also has had various collaborative events and meetings with many different groups on and off campus. Some of these groups include UT’s Compost Coalition, Plastic-Free UT, Smokey’s Cleanup, Unilever, Reuzzi, UT System Procurement, and many others.
The Student Academic Award for Environmental Leadership went to senior Mary Grace Graddy, who is majoring in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, with a minor in Social Entrepreneurship. She conducts independent research in an animal sickness behavior laboratory. Her research in other areas studies biodiversity and its susceptibility to climate change. For the past 3 years, Mary Grace has been a research assistant in a fungal systemics lab, contributing to co-authorships in two publications. In conjunction with this work, she conducts independent research in an animal sickness behavior laboratory, and she also collects and identifies bryophytes for a PhD candidate’s study on parent-offspring conflict in mosses. Recognizing the pressing issue of automobile pollutants in Knox County, she undertook a comprehensive analysis as part of her Principles of Sustainability course, culminating in a 24-page paper on enhancing public transportation services in Knoxville.
Click here to see all of the nominees
The Student Engagement Award for Environmental Leadership went to Julia Craven, a College Scholars senior who is the co-founder of Plastic Free UT and is the president of the Compost Coalition, and an active member of the Sustainable Business Organization. She has worked with campus leadership to drive changes on campus, including launching composting in new areas and reducing plastics in dining and concessions. Julia has been a regular volunteer on campus sustainability projects, including Zero Waste Game Days, Zero Waste Softball games, and creek cleanups. She also volunteers at Food4VOLS. She has represented UT in sustainability conferences across the US, has participated in nationwide sustainability competitions, and has shared and learned from others how to create sustainable change in the university/business fields.
Click here to see all of the nominees
The Faculty Award for Environmental Leadership went to Dr. Sharon Jean-Phillipe who developed and directs the Urban Forestry concentration in the undergraduate Forestry program. he promotes the importance of urban forests and green infrastructure through her teaching program that involves students in experiential learning and research through her classes and the Multicultural Scholars Program in Forestry. Dr. Jean-Philippe has built a network that connects UTK students with community non-profit groups and professionals across the state through initiatives such as the Community Riparian Restoration Program. Her extension program connects with hundreds of K-12 students across the state to increase awareness of urban green spaces.
Click here to see all of the nominees
The Staff Award for Environmental Leadership was awarded to Garrett Ferry. Garrett was hired in 2015 as the Stormwater Coordinator at Facilities Services. In 2023, Garrett was seriously concerned about shoreline erosion in the Holston Unit, a part of the ag campus. He put together a grant application, won the grant, and restored 1000 linear feet of shoreline. Rather than use rocks and other materials to curtail the shoreline loss, Garrett used compost from our compost facility and cuttings from black willow, silky dogwood, buttonbush, and other native species to create what he called “plant mattresses.” These cuttings bloomed and not only saved and restored the shoreline, but also made it a significantly more beautiful space, all while reintroducing native species to these areas. UTK owns about 12 miles of shoreline, and the method that Garrett created will be used to restore them all. Garrett has implemented stormwater re-use systems across the university for laundry, toilets, and irrigation, which greatly conserves our water resources.
Click here to see all of the nominees
The Community Award for Environmental Leadership was awarded to Kasey Krouse, the Urban Forester for the City of Knoxville. During the past year he has led a steering committee and a 75-member advisory group of community members to carry out the Knoxville Urban Forest Master Plan. This is a community-driven master plan with project partnership between many organizations, including the City of Knoxville, non-profit organizations, the University of Tennessee, KUB, and the State of Tennessee Department of Agriculture. The UFMP will guide the City and County to maintain, preserve, and expand the urban forest and tree canopy. Kasey has received a large grant from the Inflation Reduction Act. This grant will provide funding and staff, including workforce development, as well as tree plantings, education and outreach in underserved communities in Knoxville.
Click here to see all of the nominees
The John Nolt Lifetime Achievement Award is presented to a faculty or staff member who has demonstrated environmental leadership throughout their tenure at UT and will leave a lasting impact on the university after they retire. This year, we have two Lifetime Achievement Winners tonight, and both are truly deserving of this award.
The first recipient is David Brown. David has been a tireless employee with the University of Tennessee for over 55 years. Since 2006, David has been the primary recycling collections driver on campus. Due to compliance requirements brought about by recent changes, David has had to sort out more of the paper in order to make it as clean and high-quality as possible. He goes above and beyond to make people happy and to provide excellent customer service. Just before David officially retired from the university, UT Recycles got a new recycling truck that required a CDL in order to drive it. He studied, he trained, and he was rewarded for his efforts with his Commercial Driver’s License. Because David was willing to do this, the recycling operation was able to become significantly more efficient.
The second recipient is Dr. Melissa Hinten. Dr. Hinten is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Geography and Sustainability, and the Chair of the Sustainability BA program since 2017. She was instrumental in UTK’s application to lift the Sustainability Program from an Interdisciplinary Program to its own BA degree. Dr. Hinten has built much of the curriculum and has made it into one of the most popular majors and minors in the college. Dr. Hinten also created a “Lunch and Learn” initiative that allows students to learn about career opportunities in sustainability and the environment. . For all her efforts in these areas, Dr. Hinten received a Chancellor’s Honors Award for Excellence in 2019. She also organizes other events on campus related to Sustainability. Earth Day and Geography Awareness Day are just two examples of her efforts in this area.