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Sustainability Awards

The Virginia Tech Sustainability Awards were designed to recognize individuals, teams, and departments who are making a significant impact on Virginia Tech and the surrounding community through their work in sustainability. This program is under the purview of the Energy and Sustainability Committee and any questions may be directed to sustainability@vt.edu with the subject line: Virginia Tech Sustainability Awards. 

Applications will open in mid-January and close at 4:00 PM on Monday, February 28, 2022. Completed applications should be sent to sustainability@vt.edu with the subject line: Virginia Tech Sustainability Awards. 

Selected recipients will be notified in March and invited to participate in a ceremony in April during Earth Week (April 17-23).

Each nomination will be evaluated based on how well the nominee’s actions fulfill the spirit of the category for which they are applying, as well as the following criteria:  

  • Going above and beyond routine or assigned responsibilities

  • Innovation and creativity 

  • Overall impact and stakeholder engagement 

  • Incorporating multiple aspects of sustainability (human equity, environmental quality, and economic well-being)

Nominees must be faculty or staff members (either as individuals, teams, or departments), undergraduate or graduate students, or community members with ties to Virginia Tech. Candidates can be nominated for different categories. Self-nominations are permitted. The award categories are as follows: 

  • Emerging Leader in Sustainability - Recognizes individuals, teams, or departments who are making efforts to learn more about sustainability and get more involved in practicing sustainability

  • Undergraduate Student Sustainability Champion - Recognizes students who have made significant impacts towards human equity, environmental quality, and/or economic well-being at Virginia Tech

  • Graduate Student Sustainability Champion - Recognizes students who have made significant impacts towards human equity, environmental quality, and/or economic well-being at Virginia Tech

  • Excellence in Sustainability Teaching - Recognizes faculty who have developed curriculum that reinforce and advance principles of sustainability through course design and instruction

  • Staff Leader in Sustainability - Recognizes staff who integrate sustainability into their daily work, above and beyond what is required of them 

  • Sustainability Research - Recognizes a Virginia Tech researcher whose research has made significant contributions to our knowledge related to sustainability

  • Service in Sustainability - Recognizes individuals who have practiced Virginia Tech’s motto of Ut Prosim, That I May Serve, with an emphasis on human equity, environmental quality, and/or economic well-being at Virginia Tech or in the surrounding community 

  • Community Partnership for Sustainability - Recognizes community members and organizations working in partnership with Virginia Tech to promote sustainability  

Selection of nominees to receive awards is at the discretion of the Energy and Sustainability Committee’s selection team. The number of awards in each category is not restricted nor is each award category filled each year. 

Questions and/or completed applications can be submitted to sustainability@vt.edu with the subject line: Virginia Tech Sustainability Awards. 

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