The awards were presented this past week to three faculty members, a student and an information technology team, according to an IU news release.
The awards are given to those who have made outstanding contributions to campus sustainability. They were presented in a ceremony at the University Club in the Indiana Memorial Union.
Recipients included faculty members Peter Todd, Richard Wilk and Shahzeen Attari; student Angela Babb; and the Auxiliary Information Technology Team from IU Facilities.
Todd and Wilk received the Excellence in Leadership Award for their work in creating the IU-Bloomington Food Studies Program and for their efforts in organizing the College of Arts and Sciences’ Themester, “Eat, Drink, Think.” Todd is a professor in the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences and Wilk is a professor in the Department of Anthropology, according to the ?University.
Attari received the Excellence in Teaching Award after being nominated by one of the students. Attari is a professor in the School of Public and Environmental Affairs.
Her research focuses on the psychology of resource use, according to her faculty website.
“Dr. Attari sets an outstanding example for what excellence in teaching and sustainability leadership represent,” IU Office of Sustainability Assistant Director Kristin Brethova said in the release. “While her rigorous, discussion-based course gives students hope that individual actions do have the potential to influence the health of our planet and our social and economic systems for the better, it also challenges students to reach deeper, demonstrating the psychological and structural barriers to foster widespread shifts toward sustainability.”
Babb received the Excellence in Student Leadership Award. Babb is pursuing her Ph.D. in geography and is also the food planning and implementation intern at the IU Office of Sustainability.
Throughout her time at IU, Babb has organized three food summits and the Big Red Eats Green sustainable and local food fair. She has also revitalized the efforts of the Food Working Group at IU, according to the ?University.
The Auxiliary Information Technology Team received the Excellence in Team Leadership Award largely for its implementation of the Energy Matters application. Energy Matters allows students to monitor their own energy use on campus.
Winners of the Campus Catalyst Awards are chosen based on a set of criteria established in 2011 by the Campus Sustainability Advisory Board.
Anna Hyzy
