Discover the acknowledgment and appreciation you deserve for making a positive impact on our university's sustainability journey. Your hard work and dedication are not only recognized but celebrated. Explore how we honor those who are leading the charge towards a more sustainable future.
Join us in recognizing excellence, fostering positive change, and inspiring the collective effort towards a greener, more sustainable campus and community.
Sustainability-affiliated awards:
Principal's Staff Award (Sustainability/Green Initiatives)
The Sustainability Category in the Principal's Staff Awards acknowledges teams and individuals for their significant and positive impact on UTM campus sustainability. This includes active conservation of natural resources, promoting biodiversity, raising awareness for sustainable behavior, and fostering a campus culture of sustainability.
2022-2023 Winner(s)
In 2022, the Sustainability Office launched the Sustainable Office Program, one of five key areas within the Sustainable Change Programs series, which involved self-assessment checklists designed to engage and empower students, staff, and faculty.
Upon its launch, Chapple, DeMarco, and Reale hit the ground running by signing up as co-team leads and undertaking several initiatives to move the campaign along.
To learn more about the award winners and their contributions, click here.
Sustainable Action Award
The Sustainable Action Awards cknowledge individuals and teams fostering sustainability at the University of Toronto, aligning with U of T's commitment to global sustainability. The evaluation considers measurable contributions across various dimensions of sustainability (social, economic, and environment) as per the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals.
2023-2024 Winner(s)
Kuldeep Gangireddy (Senior Manager, Caretaking & Waste Management)
Category: Employee - Individual (Runner-up)
Kuldeep Gangireddy (Senior Manager, Caretaking & Waste Management) has made significant strides in advancing UTM's waste reduction and diversion initiatives. Kuldeep collaborates closely with the Sustainability Office and caretaking team and has led many new initiatives to bring UTM closer to reaching their waste goals.
His new waste management practices included the creation of responsible disposal hubs for specialty waste—like e-waste, cartridges, and batteries—and the implementation of a coloured bagging system for waste segregation. Kuldeep utilized townhall-style presentations and Q&A sessions to ensure that the caretaking team was well-informed on these new practices.
ICUBE Team
Category: Employee - Group (Winner)
ICUBE, a business incubator, developed and executed the Sustainable Innovation Challenge at UTM. Partnering with Sobeys, the ICUBE team created a learning experience for students through a live case challenge, tackling some of the most significant sustainability challenges faced by the grocery retail industry.
To support students in their learning, ICUBE provided access to mentors, workshops, and prototyping labs. The competition directly engaged external partners in a substantial way and played a significant role in expanding sustainability knowledge on campus, fostering sustainability thinking in students from many disciplines.
Helping Our Planet Earth (HOPE)
Category: External business or partner (Winner)
HOPE is a youth-led clinician-supported non-profit organization making mental health support accessible to young people internationally. Their mission is to provide mental health education and peer support, empowering youth advocates in needy communities.
HOPE has several registered psychologists on a clinical advisory board and working to develop partnerships with educational institutions across the world.
Since 2021, HOPE has impacted over 360 individuals through their Community Education and Community Building programming. They have received the United World College Alumni Values in Action Award, the Women in Wellness Changemaker Award by Liv Media, Platinum Award for the Youth Wellness Mentor of the Year by Liv Media, and the Global Citizen Youth Leaders Award.
2022-2023 Winner(s)
Wei-Ting (UTM Environmental Health & Safety Manager), and Justin Lee (Senior Electrical Engineer)
Category: Employee Group
Wei-Ting and Justin Lee stepped up and volunteered as UTM's Team Co-lead's for their Sustainable Office program. In the short time they have been Team Leads, they have reviewed the checklist and created an action plan for the FMP office.
Some of the initiatives already underway include: removing individual waste bins from desks and office spaces, removing single-use coffee pods in the kitchen and replacing them with re-usable pods, and creating an FMP buy-and-sell page on MS Teams for staff to trade everything from books to kids' clothes.
Congratulations to all award winners! Your remarkable contributions to the university and sustainability have not gone unnoticed. Thank you for inspiring positive change. Let's continue making an impact together – students and staff alike!