The Office of Sustainability Initiatives supports faculty, staff and students dedicated to fostering change on campus, from reducing waste, saving energy or championing alternative transportation. This year, 18 creative proposals were awarded a total of $16,000 through the Sustainability Incentives Fund.
"This funding empowers individuals and teams to implement projects on their own, which widens the scope and breadth of sustainability throughout campus," says Emily Cumbie-Drake, Office of Sustainability Initiatives program coordinator.
The funding supports supplies, materials and publicity for research-based campus projects.
"This year's Sustainability Incentives Fund recipients represent a particularly broad array of the Emory community, including undergraduate and graduate students, Oxford College and Emory Healthcare. I think this displays the enthusiasm and commitment to sustainability throughout Emory," says Cumbie-Drake.
The following proposals received funding for 2013-14:
Expand recycling and composting in public areas of Miller Ward Alumni House. Submitted by: Alison Agnew and Missy Rodil (staff)
Organize a day-long conference related to the Atlanta Transportation Ministry, which is working with community partners to provide transportation alternatives to ambulances to and from Grady Hospital Labor and Delivery. Submitted by: Michelle Degutis (student), Carolyn Aidman (staff), Jessica Brewer (staff), Center for Black Women's Wellness (community partner)
Develop gardens to grow food for patient meals at the Emory University Orthopedics and Spine Hospital and the Emory University Hospital gardens. Submitted by: Frances Ennis, Analisa Podgorski, Sarah Smith, Aria Webber, Courtney Plush, Ivbaria Akhabue, Alissa Palladino, Adrienne Holloway (dietetic interns in Emory Hospital's Food and Nutrition Services), Michelle Gooden (staff), Mike Bacha (staff)
Conduct pilot installation of pedal-powered phone chargers around campus. Submitted by: Zelma Gist and Stephanie Chan (students)
Lead workshops for students to make environmentally friendly cleaning products for their dorm rooms. Submitted by: Green Action Living Learning Community (students)
Install one hydration station on campus and educate students about the benefits of hydration stations. Submitted by: Emory's Water Coalition led by Justin Ho, Andrea Bryant, Lisa Jin (students)
Education and signage for a zero waste TEDxEmory in spring 2014. Submitted by: Abigail Holst, Luanne Seaman, Nikhil Raghuveera (students)
Provide pop-up recycling and composting bins for sorority and fraternity events.Submitted by: Jordan Kolpas and Alison Scott (students)
Host a sustainability-themed hip-hop workshop with Soul Food Cypher. Submitted by: Jordan Kolpas (student), Alexander Acosta, Wahid Khoshravani, Mark Montgomery, Eric Lundgood (community partners)
Raise awareness and provide additional supplies and support for Emory's annual move out donation program at the end of the academic year. Submitted by: Julia Laudick, Sara Guasch, Andy Kim, Neha Kamut, Mary Gray (students)
Evaluate water savings and other environmental benefits of using diaphragm vacuum pumps instead of water aspirators in the Department of Chemistry. Submitted by: Michael McCormick (faculty) and students in Chemistry 222L
Install a hydration station in the Student Activity and Academic Center on the Clairmont Campus. Submitted by: Meaghan Novi (student)
Support a conference exploring intersections of accessibility and sustainability. Submitted by: Linda Sheldon (staff), Rosemarie Garland-Thomson (faculty), Arish Jamil (student)
Install hydration stations in the Woodruff Library. Submitted by: Amanda Welter and Brent Zern (staff)
Support addition of composting in the Modern Languages Building. Submitted by: Terez Whatley-White (staff), Hiram Maxim (faculty), Darni Bolden (staff), Julie Darby (staff)
Install shower timers in the Jolley Residential Center at Oxford College. Submitted by: Cam Williamson, Malika Shettar (students)
Assess the environmental impact of obstetrics care and the carbon footprint of pregnancy. Submitted by: Demetrius Woods (faculty)
Support installation of a bicycle fix-it station and bicycle racks near Woodruff Library. Submitted by: Joy Wasson (staff), Jacob Shreckengost (staff), Chris Brown (student)