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It’s been a busy month celebrating sustainability at UB. More than 30 events throughout April, which is Sustainability Month at UB, have engaged the entire campus community, touching every academic and administrative unit, as well as students, faculty and staff.

Highlights included a career readiness event offered through UB Sustainability and the Career Design Center on April 11; “Climate Connections,” a speed networking event with local sustainability professionals on April 15; a webinar April 17 with Katharine Hayhoe, chief scientist at The Nature Conservancy; a “Climate Café Chat” on April 18 that gave participants an opportunity to process their emotions around environmental destruction, biodiversity loss and the destabilization of the planet’s essential systems; and a robust conference exploring the intersection of business and sustainability hosted by the School of Management.

Also this month, UB announced two major sustainability initiatives: the opening of the largest electric vehicle fleet charging lot across colleges and universities in New York, and UB becoming the first SUNY campus to further reduce greenhouse gas emissions by purchasing high-quality carbon credits as part of its comprehensive climate neutrality strategy.

UB’s signature Sustainability Month event took place on Earth Day at center court of Alumni Arena, where members of the campus community got together for an update on the university’s climate action plan (CAP), as well as inspiration from national experts, faculty and students. The event opened with a about the CAP. Megan Fay Zanhiser, executive director for the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) and a UB alumna, delivered the keynote speech.

Next, a panel of UB faculty members — Elizabeth Thomas (Department of Earth Sciences), Mishuana Goeman (Department of Indigenous Studies), John Atkinson (School of Engineering and Applied Sciences) and Kristine Stiphany (School of Architecture and Planning) — provided their perspectives on creating the next generation of change agents through experiential learning in the climate action space.

MBA student Matthew Mullens, founder of Empasta, a vegan cheese sauce that redefines perceptions of plant-based cheeses, discussed advancing low-carbon food through entrepreneurship.

As part of the CAP Earth Day event, UB also announced the winners of its 11th annual Sustainability Leadership, Innovation and Collaborative Engagement (SLICE) Awards recognizing exemplary efforts by university community members to help UB become a sustainable institution.

“Each year, we are in awe of all that is done, both on and off the campus, to improve our planet and humankind, and this year is no different,” Laura Hubbard, vice president for finance and administration, said before handing out the awards, composed of reclaimed concrete from the Baker Chilled Water Plant, which has started its decarbonization transformation to become the backbone of UB’s North Campus clean energy strategy.

This year’s recipients:

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 Western New York,” Hubbard said, adding that Miles’ “efforts exemplify the environmental stewardship and mentorship necessary to make change and progress toward healthy and resilient communities.”

A. Scott Weber, provost and executive vice president for academic affairs, 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.