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Exemplary efforts by University Community members express UB’s continuing efforts to become a sustainable institution. The University at Buffalo wishes to recognize outstanding individuals and departments who exhibit a sincere commitment to transforming our campuses into a holistically sustainable community through the kinds of leadership, innovation, and collaboration that demonstrates environmental stewardship, enhances social progress, or promotes responsible economic systems and growth.

Award recipients will be recognized in an awards ceremony that will take place in conjunction with Sustainability Month in April.

This event is sponsored by the Vice President for Finance and Administration and UB Sustainability.

Staff: David Hill, director of media relations in University Communications, who is being recognized for his work in crafting sustainability and climate action messaging and communicating the university’s progress through “stellar storytelling.” “Whether in your community, at home, or here at UB you are a true change agent who we deeply respect and consider one of our most important partners in our work to decarbonize UB,” Hubbard said.

Student: Ava Fetzner, who is being recognized for her work on the annual UBReUSE event and for piloting the new organics collection program. The nomination for Fetzner notes that her “enthusiasm for spreading awareness about circularity, and the need for greater waste management practices across campus illustrates an extraordinary level of commitment and ability to make change.” Further, Hubbard said, “The energy you bring to each project is contagious. Thank you for all you do and the ways you inspire others to make change.”

Faculty Award for Sustainability in Higher Education: Krishna Rajan, Erich Bloch Chair, SUNY Empire Innovation Professor and SUNY Distinguished Professor in the Department of Materials Design and Innovation, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences. “Krishna, you are creating new pathways for your discipline to redefine material discovery and innovation through your ‘benign by design’ approach that’s leveraging AI and informatics to accelerate solutions to complex environmental and social problems, like PFAS,” Hubbard said. “And perhaps most importantly you are breaking down silos by creating collaborations across once disparate groups of people by leveraging the best of chemistry, environmental science, toxicology, materials science, environmental rights, corporate relations, and public advocacy to advance solutions to systemic risks like climate change and pollution.”

Alumni: Meghan Fay Zahniser, executive director, Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE). “You radiate the integration of empowerment, inclusion, innovation, a dogged work ethic and, perhaps most importantly, purpose. Zahniser’s nomination form states. “There are very few people who truly embody the word Change Agent but you have cornered the market and on behalf of UB and our higher-ed colleagues across this nation we thank you.”

Team: Community Climate Leadership Program, a program in partnership with the School of Architecture and Planning and PUSH Buffalo. Laura Lubniewski, clinical assistant professor in the Department of Architecture, accepted the award on behalf of the team.

“This collaborative workforce training program brings together the School of Architecture and Planning and PUSH Buffalo to develop a curriculum to prepare trainees for stable employment in the green economy,” Hubbard said. “It also prepares UB students to be ‘citizen architects,’ advocating on behalf of their communities, now and into the future. The Community Climate Leadership Program is a model that other institutions and organizations can learn from and adapt to help our cities adapt to a changing climate.”

Climate Justice: Monica Miles, assistant professor in the Department of Engineering Education, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences. Miles was recognized for her many community programs, including a STEM summer camp in partnership with the Delavan-Grider Community Center.

“Monica, your work in the climate justice and education spaces are far reaching and impactful because they put a focus on experience, real world community-minded issues, and in many cases underserved communities of WNY,” Hubbard said, adding that Miles’ “efforts exemplify the environmental stewardship and mentorship necessary to make change and progress towards healthy and resilient communities.”

Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs A. Scott Weber closed out the event.

“What we've heard and seen this morning has been a great demonstration of the importance of the work here at UB and how our faculty, students, staff and alumni are making a difference in creating a livable climate, environment and place we want to be,” Weber said.

“A challenge of addressing climate change is meeting today’s needs without sacrificing the needs of the next generation,” he continued. “It requires both decisive action and long-term vision. That is what UB has been doing for decades, and will continue to do so as we advance our climate action goals.”

Weber encouraged the campus community to continue to be part of the solution in advancing sustainability and climate action throughout UB’s operations, in the classroom and lab, through scholarship and creative work, and across local and global communities.

Nominations for SLICE awards are accepted on a rolling basis from early May through the end of March. Nominations are awarded annually in late April. The deadline to submit nominations for 2026 consideration is March 31, 2026. Nominees must be faculty or staff members, students, alumni, or a department or cross functional team at the University at Buffalo.

The awards program is selective. Not every nomination is selected for an award. The number of awards in each category is not restricted nor is each award category filled each year. 

Each nomination will be evaluated based on how well the nominee’s actions reflect these sustainability criteria:

• Going above and beyond routine or assigned responsibilities
• Innovation
• Overall impact
• Ability to serve as a catalyst or model
• Engages multiple campus stakeholders (students, faculty, staff, community, etc)
• Incorporates multiple aspects of sustainability

Nominees must be faculty or staff members, students, alumni, or a department or cross functional team at the University at Buffalo. Candidates can be nominated for different categories, either as individuals, departments or partnerships. The categories are:

• Student Sustainability Leadership, Innovation and Collaborative Engagement Award
• Staff Sustainability Leadership, Innovation and Collaborative Engagement Award
• Faculty Sustainability Leadership, Innovation and Collaborative Engagement Award
• Alumni Sustainability Leadership, Innovation and Collaborative Engagement Award
• Team Sustainability Leadership, Innovation and Collaborative Engagement Award
• The SLICE Climate Justice Award