The movers and shakers of UConn’s first-ever Environmental Metanoia and new Environmental Literacy General Education requirement swept the 2017-2018 UConn Environmental Leadership Awards (ELAs).

Co-Winners in the Faculty Category, Jack Clausen, Scott Wallace (accepting for Dave Wagner) and Carol Atkinson- Palombo, receive their ELA trophies from Rich Miller and Greg Anderson

Hosted on April, 4^th at the UConn Foundation, the 6^th biennial award ceremony recognized a variety of prominent environmental achievements led by faculty, staff, students, and external partners. Most notably was the successful student-faculty led push for the establishment of an Environmental Literacy GenEd requirement—which was approved by the University and will be in place for the fall 2019 semester requiring that all students take at least one course with an environmental focus. It also highlighted UConn’s first-ever Metanoia on the Environment, which featured 44 events held throughout the 2018 spring semester. While these initiatives involved dozens of individuals and groups, a handful of standout students and faculty helped lead these charges into fruition. Amongst these include several ELA award winners.

2017 – 2018 ELA Winners

Dr. John (Jack) Clausen

Winner, Faculty Category
Professor, Department of Natural Resources & the Environment
Co-Chair, Metanoia on the Environment
Co-Chair, Environmental Literacy Workgroup

Dr. David L. Wagner

Winner, Faculty Category
Director, Center for Conservation and Biodiversity and Professor, Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology
Co-Chair, Metanoia on the Environment
Co-Chair Environmental Literacy Workgroup

Dr. Carol Atkinson-Palombo

Winner, Faculty Category
Associate Professor, Geography & Director, Environmental Studies Program
Chair, General Education Environmental Literacy Task Force for UConn Senate
Funding Sub-Committee Chair, Environmental Metanoia

Benjamin Breslau

Winner, Undergraduate Student Category
Class of 2018, B.S. Ecology & Evolutionary Biology
Student Co-Chair for the Environmental Metanoia
Student Chair, Environmental Literacy Workgroup and Environmental Metanoia
SURF Award Recipient
Undergraduate Researcher in the Rittenhouse Lab
Office of Sustainability Intern (2015-2018)
UConn@COP22 Fellow
VP, ECOalition
Project Lead, HEEP Signage & Trail Dedication Ceremony

Dr. John Volin

Special Recognition
Vice Provost for Academic Affairs
Founded the Natural Resources Conservation Academy (NRCA), as NRE Department Head
Instrumental leader and champion among UConn’s senior administrators for the Environmental Metanoia, Environmental Literacy Gen Ed, and creation of the new UConn Institute for the Environment

Georgia Hernandez-Corrales

Winner, Graduate Student Category
Class of 2019, M.S. Ecology & Evolutionary Biology
Conducts research on plant physiology and global warming
Communicates research to rural communities in Costa Rica
Awarded NSF-Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation – Research Fellowships
Founder of Brenesii – a Social Enterprise, focused on activities that combine science communication and outreach for individuals in marginalized communities

Len Oser

Winner, Staff Category
Instrumental in launching EcoCoin program at the Bookstore
12,000 bags have been avoided and $600 was raised for various charities
Host to the annual Eversource Energy Efficiency Outreach Event and LED Desklamp Promotion during Move In/Week of Welcome at the UConn Bookstore
Expanded to regional campuses in March 2019

EcoHusky Student Group

Winner, UConn Group Category
Leads student sustainability engagement & outreach
Volunteered at Green Game Days, campus clean-ups, HEEP trail clearing, Celebrate Mansfield Festival, and the Hartford Marathon each year
Hosts campus environmental film screenings
Oversees Recycling Patrol, Stop the Drop, and plastic film/bags collection initiatives

Quantum Biopower

Winner, External Group Category
Partnership with UConn to send all the food waste from the dining halls, diverting thousands of pounds of food each week
Biogas created by the anaerobic digestion converted to electricity
Participates in education outreach with the community