2023 Pitt Sustainability Awards
Join us in celebrating the 2023 winners of the Pitt Sustainability Awards! These To students, faculty, staff, and group are leading the way in sustainability. Read some highlights of their inspiring achievements in balancing equity, environment, and economics at the University of Pittsburgh below.
Erika Ninos Student Leadership Award
Cameron Chase, Environmental Studies
Since 2021, Cameron Chase has worked as the Managing Student Director of the Student Office of Sustainability (SOOS), helping oversee the SOOS student team and lead various sustainability programs and projects around campus. Cameron Chase is graduating with a B.A in Environmental Studies, minor in Economics, and certificate in Sustainability. She is incredibly grateful to have had the opportunity to work with so many talented and passionate students and staff. During her first semester at Pitt, Cameron participated in Green Team, which led her to pursue involvement in campus sustainability as an EcoRep and eventually other leadership roles.
Pitt Sustainability Awards
FACULTY
Dr. Maya Ragavan, Pediatrics
Dr. Maya Ragavan, MD, MPH, MS is a community-partnered research and general pediatrician in the University of PIttsburgh’s Department of Pediatrics.
She is a climate advocate and part of the UPMC Clinicians for Climate Action leadership team. She is also a co-founder of American Academy of Pediatrics’ Pennsylvania Chapter’s Climate and Environmental Health Committee.
STUDENTS
Claire Kemick, Environmental Science
Claire Kemick is a senior student graduating with a bachelor’s degree Environmental Science and minor in Architecture. Claire has worked as the SOOS Student Associate for Affiliated Organizations and Member Outreach since 2021. During that time, she started an alumni database project. Outside of the SOOS, Claire is a longtime member of Epsilon Eta and she studies river surface reflectance data in comparison to gross primary productivity in riverine systems.
Gal Yovel, Neuroscience
Gal Yovel is a sophomore Nordenberg Scholar majoring in Neuroscience on the pre-med track. He is the president of Food Recovery Heroes, an student organization that fights food waste and hunger at Pitt and the Pittsburgh community.
STAFF
Brandi Belleau, Academic Records
Brandi Liskey Belleau, the Director of Academic Records in the School of Computing and Information (SCI), has redesigned SCI Academic Records’ interactions with students, staff, and faculty into a paperless experience. Belleau is a beacon of sustainability stewardship in SCI and a champion of campus-wide collaboration, making a paper free University a realistic goal.
Nelson Castilho Coelho, Computational & Systems Biology
Nelson Castilho Coelho is Senior Research Specialist in The Carvunis Lab in Computational & Systems Biology, which he leads in their participation as a Pitt Green Laboratory (Spout Level!).
Born in Portugal, Nelson has a bachelor’s in Biochemistry and a Master’s in Biotechnology, both from University of Algarve. He worked as research technician at the Institute for Molecular and Cell Biology (IBMC) and as lab manager/research technician at the Centre of Marine Sciences (CCMAR) in Portugal and at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, USA. Before joining the Carvunis Lab he was working as research assistant at the Institute of Genetics and Development of Rennes (IGDR) in France. Nelson likes to dedicate his free time to photography, running and baking.
GROUP
University Movers & Drivers, Parking, Transportation, and Services
The University of Pittsburgh’s Movers and Drivers are on the front lines of sustainability here at Pitt . They handle pickups and deliveries for Surplus Property, which is Pitt’s reuse hub for furniture, equipment, and more.
They also transport recycling streams such as electronics, textiles, cardboard, batteries, scrap metal, and toner cartridges.
As a result, the Movers & Drivers literally drive a circular economy — and increase the number of items recycled by the university daily. They provide logistical support for events including Clutter for a Cause, Welcome Week, Most Wanted Food Drive, Thriftsburgh’s annual move-in sale, and the Holiday Toy Drive.
The Movers & Drivers also transport donations to community partners including Construction Junction, Goodwill, Salvation Army, and Free Store Wilkinsburg.
Without this group, more items would be landfilled and fewer assets would be given a second chance at life. HUGE THANKS to the Movers & Drivers for keeping sustainability moving here at the University of Pittsburgh.
STUDENT SUSTAINABILITY CHAMPIONS
Starting in 2021, Pitt started recognizing graduating students who made signficant contributions to sustainability both on- and off-campus during their time at Pitt. This year’s Student Sustainability Champions are:
Dahlia Edwards, English Literature
Dahlia Edwards is a graduating Environmental Studies major with an English Literature minor. She works in the Student Office of Sustainability as the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Program Associate. In her time at Pitt, Dahlia has helped create a DEIJ internship, an Environmental Justice class, an educational zine that is distributed around campus, and a resource fund for Environmental Studies students. Intersecting environmental justice with academics, she has worked with faculty and Epsilon Eta to lead DEIJ-sustainability education.
Grace Fanning, Environmental Studies
Grace Fanning is a graduating student pursuing both an Environmental Studies and Urban Studies major; they are also achieving the Sustainability Certificate. Grace is also an MCSI Sustainability Intern, as well as a part-time Natural History Interpreter at Carnegie Museum of Natural History. Grace is co-captain of the Pitt Rugby Team and volunteers with the Plant2Plate garden on campus.
Elaina Geiger, Environmental Engineering
Elaina Geiger is a graduating Environmental Engineering student with a certificate in Sustainability; she is passionate about being involved with the sustainability scene at Pitt. Elaina is the Sustainability Committee Chair in Epsilon Eta, Delta Chapter for the second semester in a row; she is also an MCSI Sustainability intern. Elaina will be attending graduate school at the University of Pennsylvania for Sustainable Urban Planning to continue pursuing her passion for sustainability.
Daniel Petros Huffman, Environmental Engineering
Danny Huffman is a graduating Environmental Engineering student and undergraduate researcher in the Gilbertson group. As a board member of student organizations Free the Planet and Engineers for a Sustainable World, Danny helps to lead projects centered around environmental and climate justice.
Drew Kallinicos, Environmental Studies
Drew Kallinicos is graduating with a degree in Environmental Studies and certificates in GIS and Sustainability. During his time at Pitt, he was both director and a Project Liaison for Pitt Green Fund, Business Manager for Free The Planet, and Risk Management lead in Epsilon Eta Delta. Drew also TA’ed GEOL 1333: Sustainability for four semesters and worked in the Capo/Stewart Geochemistry Lab.
Amanda Latowsky, Anthropology
Amanda Latowsky is a graduating senior double majoring in Environmental Studies and Anthropology. For the last four semesters, she served as a TA for Ward Allebach’s Sustainability class, where she guided students through envisioning campus sustainability initiatives and assisted with Sustainability Symposium planning each semester. Amanda is also President of Free the Planet, the oldest environmental advocacy/justice club at Pitt.
Sophia Lex, Environmental Engineering
Sophia Lex is a graduating Environmental Engineering major with certificates in Sustainability and Engineering for Humanity. Sophia interns for ScholarCHEF (a joint initiative of the Mascaro Center for Sustainable Innovation and the Frederick Honor’s College joint organization) which works to connect and educate people on their food community and systems. Sophia hopes to work in the water sector to provide and protect clean water systems as an engineer.
Nori Schalles, Environmental Science
Nori Schalles is graduating with a degree in Environmental Science. During her time at Pitt, she worked as a research assistant with the Richards-Zawacki lab investigating nonnative invasive plant species’ impacts on native plant communities. Nori also worked at the Center for Creativity where she enjoyed incorporating sustainable practices into art by using upcycled and reworked materials. She is also Vice President of Epsilon Eta, Pitt’s Environmental Honors Fraternity.
