Earthwise Awards
The Earthwise Awards were developed through the Campus Environmental Sustainability Team (CEST) to recognize a student, staff and faculty member who has shown an exemplary commitment to sustainability at NCSU. A winner from each of the three categories receives prize money and a recognition plaque as a thank you for their contribution to NC State’s sustainable future. Each April, the Sustainability Office accepts nominations and members of NC State's faculty, staff and student body vote on the winners.
2009│2008 │ 2007 │ 2006 │ 2005 │ 2004
Natalie Bunch - Student Winner
Natalie Bunch has been very active in sustainability initiatives since arriving on campus four years ago. Ms. Bunch is a Caldwell Fellow who serves as the student-lead for the WE Recycle program in Waste Reduction & Recycling (WRR). She also writes the Installment, a monthly newsletter filled with informative sustainable information for students and distributed by WRR.
As a Caldwell Fellow she has helped to make the meetings more sustainable by encouraging attendees to bring their own reusable utensils and plates or containers. Ms. Bunch constantly volunteers for community activities outside of the university including a non-profit organization she is helping to start that will bring arts to underprivileged children in North Carolina.
Marcus Wade Fulghum - Staff Winner
Wade, as he is commonly called, began his time at the university in the Office of Energy Management and was a key organizer of the water challenge between NC State University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Combined, the two schools saved over 11 million gallons of water with NC State saving the most. Wade also set up the first trip that NC State faculty and staff took to the Durham headquarters of CREE. This trip resulted in the university entering into talks to become the first LED University and this designation was established shortly thereafter with the Dan Allen Parking Desk LED installation. University Housing is currently undergoing the final phase of retrofitting Bragaw Residence Hall with LED lighting and they have received very positive comments from their residents who experience this 3rd generation lighting technology.
Currently, Wade is a program manager at the North Carolina Solar Center and helping to form the "Sustainable Energy and Green Technologies" economic development cluster. His work focues on building partnerships with local and foreign companies and helping to identify stimulus dollars that can benefit the Solar Center and it's partners.
Dr. H. Christopher Frey - Faculty Winner
Dr. H. Christopher Frey has been at North Carolina State University for over 15 years. During this time he has developed an internationally recognized educational and research program in the areas of air pollution control, air quality, and human exposure to air pollutants and pathogens. He is the founding advisor of the NCSU student chapter of the Air & Waste Management Association (A&WMA), which was recognized last year by the international A&WMA with a third place award for best student chapter. He is a fellow of the A&WMA and both a Fellow and Past President of the Society for Risk Analysis.
As a faculty member at NC State University, Dr. Frey has led new research efforts to measure and model the real-world implications of alternative fuels, vehicle technologies, driver behavior, and infrastructure on the activity, energy use and emissions of a wide variety of vehicles, ranging from lawnmowers to railroad locomotives. This work has demonstrated that soy-based B20 fuel leads to reductions in emissions of many air pollutants, including nitrogen oxides. Dr. Frey’s work has had significant impact on the perceived environmental acceptability of soy-based biodiesel.
Dr. Frey’s leadership in sustainability extends well beyond the campus. He has served on numerous national and international efforts to achieve more sustainable management of energy use, a reduction of emissions of pollutants and manage risks of human exposure to pollutants and pathogens. These efforts bring significant recognition to NC State University and the campus community.
2008 Winners
Elin Arnaudin – Student Winner
Elin is a Junior in Soil Science at NC State University. In her Sophomore year, Elin became actively involved in G.R.E.E.N. and helped promote sustainable behavior to other campus residents through her volunteer efforts at numerous events. She has also worked as an intern with NC State University’s Center for Environmental Farming Systems and lived in NCSU’s Eco-House. She worked on NC State’s 2008 Earth Week Planning Committee. She organized a meeting with Dining Services to collaborate in finding local, sustainable food options for the cafeterias, and she has single handedly created today’s free-range, organic pig-pickin’. University Dining is working with Elin to begin using local cage-free eggs and examine other sustainable practices. Elin’s involvement reaches far beyond her academic and professional obligations. She works as a research assistant in Entymology and plans to continue the advancement of sustainability upon graduation.
Barry Olson – Staff Winner
Barry Olson is the Associate Director of University Housing-Facilities. Barry has consistently shown a commitment to sustainability at NCSU in the following ways:
- He is an active member of the Campus Environmental Sustainability Team (CEST).
- He participated in the planning committee for the Village Green
- He also worked with Waste Reduction and Recycling to establish the Eco-House at ES King Village- an on-going project to have a “green” living facility on campus.
- Barry has also been vital to the establishment and staffing of the Pack N Go Sale, which is a joint project between University Housing and the Waste Reduction and Recycling Office to re-sell all of the students’ unwanted materials at the end of the semester. Clothes, room supplies, electronics, furniture and more are collected and sold to the campus community with the proceeds benefiting the G.R.E.E.N. (Generating Residential Environmental Education Now) program. This program has been very successful over the past 2 years
- Barry has initiated the use of sustainable building materials in residence halls, such as recycled carpet & furniture, LED lighting, and low VOC paint.
- Most recently, Barry has taken a leadership role in water conservation on campus. He is member of the Conservation Awareness Team, which strategically plans for ways to save water on campus. Barry took it upon himself to make water conservation a priority for University Housing. He oversaw the purchase and installation of low flow showerheads and sink aerators in ALL of the residence halls on campus. He is currently planning for the installation of low flow toilets.
- Last but certainly not least, Barry has made a commitment to sustainability on a personal level by conserving at home. His colleagues often hear him talking about resource conservation and teaching his children to be responsible stewards of the environment.
Barry’s commitment not only makes a difference for sustainability of this unirvesity, but sets a good example for people beyond our campus.
Rhonda Sherman – Faculty Winner
Rhonda has been an Extension Specialist for Solid Waste Management in the NC State University Biological & Agricultural Engineering Department for over 20 years. She has worked with people and organizations around the state and helped them rethink and reorganize their means of handling solid wastes. This alone has had a major impact on our community. However, the main achievement Rhonda is known for is the extension publication she wrote entitled, Worms Can Recycle Your Garbage. She is known affectionately on campus and around the world as the 'Worm Queen.'
Rhonda has served on numerous campus committees that have focused on the sustainability of our campus management. Rhonda has always been willing and eager to lend a hand to faculty who teach about sustainability. She does so by being a guest lecturer, running workshops, and working one-on-one with students to give them a hands-on experience with vermicomposting (using worms to recycled garbage). Which helps her retain the title of ‘Worm Queen.’
Rhonda's effervescent enthusiasm and her willingness to speak out on issues concerning sustainability have increased public awareness on an international-level and helped our campus move in a positive direction toward more environmentally friendly practices.
2007 Winners
Heidi Bunn – Student Winner
Heidi is a Biological Engineering senior from Pittsboro, NC, and a dedicated Environmental Educator who stimulates interest in campus environmental issues amongst her friends and neighbors. Heidi was instrumental in starting GREEN, a campus group dedicated to increasing environmental educational programming in the dorms. Recently, Heidi has worked with a group of Alexander Hall residents to explore purchasing blocks of NC Green Power to minimize their dorm floor’s ecological footprint, and to initiate a backyard-composting program. In addition to her demanding academic schedule, Heidi has volunteered with events such as Landfill on the Lawn and NC State University’s tailgate recycling program at Carter-Finley Stadium.
Jim Konowski – Staff Winner
Jim exhibits great care and concern for the campus physical environment by reducing the amount of waste going to the landfill. He has been employed at NC State University since 1999 and is held in high regard by his supervisor and co-workers for his standards of excellence and ability to maintain a safe, clean and productive work environment.
Several years ago, he initiated an effort to recycle metal encased air filters that were previously thrown into the trash dumpsters around campus and sent to the landfill. Expanding on the success of the metal encased air filter recycling, Jim initiated another effort to recycle rubber belts that are routinely replaced in mechanical systems. The belts are easily recycled as part of the scrap tire recycling stream.
Jim continually educates and encourages his co-workers and other facilities operations staff to utilize these little known recycling programs. Also, he routinely consults with Waste Reduction and Recycling (WRR) services to be sure he is aware of the recycling and waste streams used on campus and give ideas to expand on WRR operational programs.
Based on his actions, Jim exhibits a genuine concern for people and environment that are impacted by NC State University.
Traci Rose Rider – Faculty Winner
Traci came to NC State University in 2006 to obtain her Ph.D. in Design, and in her short amount of time here she has made a huge difference.
While her background is in architecture, Traci lives and breathes green in all aspects. Traci obtained a bachelor’s degree in architecture from Cincinnati University (her thesis focus: “Education, Environmental Attitudes and the Design Professions”). Between her bachelor’s and master’s degrees, Traci worked in the Houston office of HOK where she was responsible for coordinating LEED training for everyone in the office. She felt that the office was lacking involvement in the sustainability movement, and her efforts alone were what motivated 14 professionals to become LEED certified within one year.
In 2003 Traci decided there needed to be a council geared toward young professionals and students in the sustainability movement, therefore she along with others founded the Emerging Green Builders Committee as part of the United States Green Building Council. At this point Traci had already made a great impact in the world of sustainable design. She decided to come to NC State University to receive her Ph.D. studying the “relationship between sustainability and the building professions, including perception, implementation, and barriers to various green design strategies” (www.traciroserider.com).
While a student here are NCSU, Traci also taught one of the graduate level seminars on Sustainability for the architecture students in the College of Design. Had she not taught this class, there very well may have been no sustainability seminar offered during the Fall 2006 semester. Having taken her class, we can attest to her wonderful teaching skills, enthusiasm, and wealth of knowledge.
That also carries beyond the classroom. Traci has been in touch with both of us since that class and has been more than helpful in pointing us in sustainable directions and giving us green design contacts. During this class, one of the projects that she was the advisor for was the MTVu Ecomagination Challenge. She provided an abundance of guidance and support.
Outside of this class she has also been responsible for organizing the 2010 Imperative Global Teach-In for NCSU’s campus. This was very vital to our campus as many universities and colleges across the world were broadcasting this teach-in. She even organized a follow-up discussion within the College of Design wit ha panel of faculty members and professionals associated with the college. She led this meeting for students, faculty and professionals to talk about and ask questions about the 2010 Imperative and what it meant to our college. The discussion included topics such as what our college is doing about sustainable design, how we can raise awareness to get people talking in our school about the issue, and how to address it within our university. It was an excellent dialog to get the topic flowing and to raise awareness at least within the College of Design that this is an issue and needs to be addressed at our university. We have both been students in the College of Design for 5 years now and over the years we have seen more action involving sustainability in the one year that Traci has been here than we have in any other 4. For this reason, we believe that Traci Rose Rider absolutely deserves the 2007 Earthwise Award for her efforts in teaching and motivating our school to think green.
2006 Winners
Ryan Powell – Student Winner
Ryan Powell is a graduate student in Resource Economics. He is involved in a number of sustainability efforts on campus including a student position with the Office of Waste Reduction and Recycling and during his personal time he works closely with student and community organizations. He is working on projects such as using students fees to subsidize green power and is an integral member of the Raleigh Food Coop, in addition to his invaluable work for maintaining and developing Office of Waste Reduction and Recycling website. Ryan is a champion for sustainability at NCSU.
Barbara Doll – Staff Winner
Barbara Doll is a water quality extension specialist for North Carolina Sea Grant, a state/federal program that funds research outreach and education activities that promote the wise use of coastal resources. Since joining North Carolina Sea Grant in 1992, Barbara has led award-winning stream and wetland restoration projects both on campus and across the state. Barbara’s commitment to the university’s natural resources is unrivaled, and the effects of her restoration efforts are enjoyed daily by the NC State community.
Nancy Creamer – Faculty Winner
Nancy Creamer is the Director of the Center for Environmental Farming Systems in Goldsboro, NC. This a 2200-acre research and teaching facility that focuses on sustainable practices in agriculture. She runs one of the nations best organic agriculture summer internship programs there, and is known nationally and internationally for her steadfast support of sustainable thinking for all aspects of living. She is a “super star”.
2005 Winners
CC Maurer – Student Winner
Dona Stankus – Staff Winner
Will Hooker- Faculty Winner
2004 Winners
Becky Townsend – Student Winner
Becky is a Masters student and founder of the Student Organization for Sustainability (SOS).
Nessa Stone – Staff Winner
Nessa is the Operations Manager for Recycling Waste Disposal, Facility Operations, Grounds Management and Fleet Services.
Dr. Herbert M Eckerlin – Faculty Winner
Dr. Eckerlin is the Faculty Chair for the NC Solar Center