The UGA Office of Sustainability, as part of Athens-Clarke County Greenfest, awarded the 2014 Sustainable UGA Awards to outstanding students, faculty and staff. The Franklin College is proud to be the home of the Sustainable Outstanding Faculty Award winner and the Outstanding Student Award:

Landon Bubb, a senior anthropology major from Lilburn, Georgia, is being honored with the 2014 Outstanding Undergraduate Student Award.  As a leader of Students for Environmental Action, member of Speak Out for Species, intern at the Athens Farmers Market and other roles in the community, Landon demonstrates exceptional commitment to environmental issues and improving quality of life.  According one nominator, “He has a holistic vision of sustainability for improving the quality of life, including health, socioeconomics, and minority rights…. Landon is a wonderful embodiment of what we aspire for sustainable community: enthusiastic, committed, and engaged.”

Dr. Ron Balthazor, senior academic professional and professor of English in the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences, is being honored with the 2014 Outstanding Faculty Award.  Ron is a scholar of Thoreau, expert in Environmental Literature and Eco-criticism, avid gardener, and committed leader in the Sustainability Across Curriculum movement at UGA devoting his time and creativity to planning faculty workshops, leading the Sustainability Faculty Learning Community and advancing the interdisciplinary certificate in sustainability.  According to one nominator, “He continually works to bring together faculty from diverse disciplines towards a common goal, inspiring others through anecdotes, literature and poetry…  He is an inspiration to his colleagues and collaborators.”

Congratulations on this recognition and thanks to Balthazor and Bubb for their commitments to sustainability. Our best ideas come from each other and it is in the spirit of improving the quality of life in our community that these best practices gain momentum.

Image: French identification sign for a cycle route, via wikimedia commons.