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Gala honours green leaders 

By Anna Sarkissian

There’s been an explosion of actions related to sustainability on campus, said Sustainability Coordinator Jenn Davis at a cocktail party to salute students, staff, faculty and community members who are making waves at Concordia.

Vice-President Services, Michael Di Grappa passed along President Judith Woodsworth’s best wishes to the Sustainability Champions.

“Concordia’s sustainable efforts came from the bottom up,” he said, noting it was active students who convinced the university to take action. “It is often the many small gestures that end up making a difference,” he added.

Undergraduate career advisor Shelly Elsliger from the John Molson School of Business was chosen for her contributions to the John Molson Sustainable Business Group (JSG) and the David O’Brien Centre for Sustainable Business and for “always educating those around her in making small changes for a better world.”

Design and computation arts assistant professor Joanna Berzowska was one of several people to nominate pk langshaw, who has been encouraging others to reduce their environmental impact for 20 years and incorporates sustainability into her course curriculum (see Journal, Feb. 11, 2010).

Concordia alumnus Ezra Winton and media studies graduate student Svetla Turnin shared the award for their “uncompromising integrity and passion” for Cinema Politica, a worldwide network of political film screenings (see Journal, May 7, 2009 and related story this issue).

Greenhouse volunteer Jeff Riley, who was honoured last year at a Sustainable Concordia Gala, presented Greenhouse Coordinator Arlene Throness with her prize. “As you can see, she has impacted a lot of people at this school in a short time,” he said to her loudly cheering fans.

Pat Pietromonaco from Facilities Management was praised for his willingness to try new ideas. “He starts conversations with an open mind,” said consultant Sue Magor from the Office of the Vice-President, Services.

Arlene Zimmerman from mechanical and industrial engineering presented certificates to ENCS professors Bernice Goldsmith and Hugh J. McQueen who have been teaching courses on sustainability since 1971 and 1981 respectively.

“They walked the walk and talked the talk,” Zimmerman and colleague Carol Williams wrote in their nomination letter.

MBA student Rina Albala, president of the JSG, spoke highly of her fellow executive Kelly Laidlaw, who worked diligently to ensure that the MBA International Case Competition was a green event.

“She took her responsibilities beyond my wildest expectations. Kelly has become my reference for sustainability,” Albala said.

Management assistant professor Raymond Paquin (see Journal, Feb. 12, 2009) was recognized for creating a new sustainable strategy MBA course and revamping an undergraduate course in business and environment, which his students have called “the best [courses] they have taken.”

Jessica Sypher has worked hard as VP Sustainability of the Loyola International College Student Association to make the fifth floor of the AD Building greener. She started a composting facility and was a key player in the organization of the International Concordia-Siena Conference on Globalization, which takes place on March 19.

Members of the Sustainable Concordia board of directors conspired to nominate their fellow board member Cameron Stiff, who has worked with the Sierra Youth Coalition, Challenge Your World (see Journal, Nov. 12, 2009) and Greening Duluth.

“His mind goes in so many different directions. He’s a genius,” Jenn Davis said as she handed out the last award of the evening.

Paul Shrivastava wrapped up the event with a few thoughts on the university’s future.

“Concordia can be a leader,” he said. “It’s time for action. We need to become change agents and emulate the footsteps of the Sustainability Champions.”

The evening’s first recipient, acknowledged for her coordination efforts in greening University Communication Services, was the extremely surprised, and worthy, Anna Sarkissian.
-KH