The inaugural Student Sustainability Awards intend to recognize important contributions to UCI and the Orange County region for sustainable progress, advocacy, and research by students. University of California, Irvine undergraduate and graduate students of the current academic year are eligible for these awards.

Student Sustainability Award recipients will be announced at the Beyond Earth Week Banquet in April, where recipients will be invited and recognized.

How to Nominate:

Students, staff, faculty, or community members can nominate undergraduate or graduate students for any award (including students nominating themselves). Submissions will be due Friday, March 29th at 11:59PM. Submissions will be reviewed promptly, and finalists will be notified and invited to attend the Beyond Earth Week Banquet on April 25th.

Multiple submissions are welcome.

1. Outstanding Sustainability Research Contributions

This award is intended to recognize a student that has contributed greatly to sustainability research at UCI. This award celebrates the important place students have in research at UCI. The student receiving this award should have substantial contributions to a research team, individual research, or faculty research that influences sustainability in a particular field.

2. Outstanding Environmental Justice Advocacy

This award intends to recognize a student, registered campus organization, other student group, event, or project for outstanding contributions for environmental justice issues at UCI and in the surrounding community. This award celebrates direct actions and advocacy efforts that foster justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion in sustainability work.

3. Outstanding Sustainability Initiative

This award intends to recognize a student, registered campus organization, or other student group for the implementation of an event, program, project, or other that greatly enhanced sustainability at UCI or in the surrounding community. This award celebrates the student leadership needed to improve sustainability at UCI through many different initiatives.

4. Outstanding Sustainability Champion

This award intends to recognize an individual student that has contributed greatly to the improvement of sustainability at UCI. This award celebrates student leadership, innovation, and love for UCI and wanting to improve its sustainability efforts. The student receiving this award should have impacted other students, the campus, and/or the community through their efforts this year.

If you have any questions about the nomination process or awards, please reach out to sustainability-center@uci.edu.