In 2017, Emory honored seven individuals on campus who have played an integral role in helping take Emory’s sustainability initiatives to the next level. The Robert S. Hascall Sustainability Innovator Awards were selected through their affiliation with Emory as an employee, faculty member, student, sustainability representative and alum.
Student Innovators
Cassidy Schwartz and Olivia Morgan – two enthusiastic undergraduates that have shown consistent leadership in ensuring that Emory’s practices reflect the highest standards in sustainability.
Olivia has been very involved on campus, as a student ambassador leading tours on campus, an Orientation Leader welcoming new students to campus, and an active part of many Campus Life divisions. She worked with our staff to more thoughtfully integrate sustainability practices and information into these important campus programs. Olivia worked with our office this past summer as the Farmers Market intern – a role which led her to create and lead fun, educational programming pertaining to seasonal produce and to helping to launch the reusable bag incentives program, which started this year. Olivia also has been an active member of Greeks Go Green, working to engage Sororities and Fraternities in sustainability initiatives on campus. Olivia is co-president of Campus Kitchen Emory, and has built new campus and community partnerships to grow, collect, and repurpose more food to give to area shelters and food pantries.
As a College Council legislator, Cassidy has constantly been searching for ways to support Emory’s sustainability goals by identifying areas for energy use reduction, for more clean energy use, and for campus engagement. Cassidy has used her knowledge of student government to propose bills that encourage students to plan sustainable events and is now looking to propose a bill that would instate a student green fee. The fee would collect funds for campus sustainability efforts that are more student-driven. Cassidy has contributed to the Emory Climate and Solutions Team (ECAST), providing background research and data collection for a solar installation on campus and for 2025 Sustainability Vision goal of a carbon neutral degree program. Cassidy also serves as an Emory representative to the Atlanta Sustainability Council, which works with the City of Atlanta’s Office of Resilience to foster inter-campus collaboration.
We congratulate Cassidy and Olivia, and we thank them for their commitment to sustainability at Emory.
Staff Innovators
Maya Meeks and Oana Tudorancea – consistent champions of sustainability efforts in their departments.
Maya is a Veterinary Technician in the School of Medicine’s Division of Animal Resources. For several years, Maya has driven innovative landfill diversion programs in the Division of Animal Resources animal care facility in Whitehead. She first volunteered the Taylor lab to pilot OSI’s very first Green Labs at Emory program, experimenting with the program and providing essential feedback on its efficacy. She followed up by applying for Incentives Fund Grants for multiple years to support landfill diversion in the animal care facility in Whitehead, which she used to provide equipment and innovative signage that educate on how to divert almost all waste from landfills in those spaces. She has facilitated meetings with key stakeholders both within and outside of the department, and acted as a spokesperson for sustainability and facilitated energy conservation measure such as Consider the Stairs signage and motion-sensor lighting throughout the department.
Oana is an Institutional Research Analyst in the Office of the Provost. Oana has provided support for the data collection and analysis necessary for OSI to report on Emory’s sustainability work for national rating and ranking programs such as the AASHE STARS report (from which we are celebrating another Gold rating!), Princeton Review’s Green Schools List, and Sierra Magazine’s “Cool Schools” rating. Oana expertly crafted surveys and collected information from multiple departments on campus in an admirably professional, timely, and accurate way. We entrust Oana completely with our sustainability data, knowing that it is of the highest quality and integrity.
We congratulate Maya and Oana, and we thank them for their commitment to sustainability at Emory.
Faculty Innovators
Hiram Maxim and Justin Burton – two faculty members with a long-standing history of sustainable leadership over many years at Emory.
Hiram Maxim is a Professor and Chair of German Studies in Emory College. He has served as a consistent leader in sustainability efforts for many years, as a faculty representative to Emory’s Climate Action Plan Committee, on the Sustainability Faculty Advisory Council, and as Chair of the Committee on the Environment for the University Senate. Hiram’s wise and steady leadership in these roles has led to the successful adoption of the 2011 Climate Action Plan and other notable accomplishments. When we need a faculty member to volunteer to help in an effort, Hiram is very often the first person to raise his hand to help. He has led his department, German Studies, and more generally, Modern Languages, in modeling a culture of conservation. His leadership in cultivating positive partnerships on sustainability issues makes our campus stronger and our initiatives more effective.
Justin Burton is an Assistant Professor of Physics in Emory College. He has been an outstanding sustainability leader for several years. Justin serves as the Director of Undergraduate Studies for the Sustainability Minor in the College, and as one of the leaders of Climate@Emory, an inter-disciplinary collaborative to advance climate change scholarship and engagement.
For their generous service to Emory’s Sustainability Initiatives, we thank and honor Hiram and Justn.
Outstanding Sustainability Representative
Alison Agnew is the recipient of the 2017 Outstanding Sustainability Representative. A long-time sustainability representative for the Miller-Ward Alumni House, Alison has advanced sustainability at this most-public-facing facility that serves the important function of communicating Emory’s sustainability commitment to its alumni. Alison has taken the time to submit grant applications for Sustainability Incentives Funds, and has been awarded funding to enhance and improve recycling and composting equipment, signage, and labeling; install motion sensors in restrooms in the Miller-Ward alumni house, and install a hydration station in the building to encourage the use of reusable cups. Alison also frequently volunteers to help at events, conduct outreach, and serve on committees.
We are grateful for Alison’s years of service and dedication as a Sustainability Representative, and her strong commitment to sustainability that leads her to take the responsibilities of that role to the highest level.