Sustainability Awards

Yanarella Levine Legacy Award

This award, named for retired political science professor Ernie Yanarella, and retired college of design faculty member Richard Levine—both pioneers and life-long champions and scholars of sustainability—is intended recognize members of the UK Community who have contributed a tremendous body of work supporting a legacy of sustainability at the University of Kentucky and beyond.

The namesakes of the award were both founding members of the University's President's Sustainability Advisory Committee, co-authors of the University's first sustainability-related policy, and championed the creation of the UK Office of Sustainability and the hiring of its first Sustainability Coordinator.

Richard Levine

Professor Emeritus, School of Architecture

Richard Levine is a retired Professor of Architecture and an award-winning architect of buildings and sustainable cities. For several decades, he served as the co-director of the UK Center for Sustainable Cities. Experts have said that his continuing contributions in passive theory and practice have significantly enlarged the way we think about the context of solar architecture and sustainability at both the building and community scale. Levine has written more than 200 publications on solar energy and urban sustainability. He is widely recognized for his achievements in environmental and passive solar architecture, solar energy and sustainability.

Ernest J. Yanarella

Professor Emeritus, Political Science

Dr. Yanarella is a retired Professor in the Political Science Department. For several decades, he served as the Associate Director of the Center for Sustainable Cities and was selected by the Dean on faulty recommendation as Director of Environmental Studies Program in the College of Arts & Sciences for two terms totaling 10 years of service. Dr. Yanarella's teaching and research interests aligned well with the mission of the program, and his experience as an administrator provided valuable guidance to the program. He served as Director of Undergraduate Studies and Director of Graduate studies for several stints, from 2011-2017, and he also served as Chair of the Department of Political Science for six years before a year sabbatical and retirement in July 2019. He was president of the Alpha Chapter of Phi Beta Kappa at the University of Kentucky for seven years. A faculty leader at the university level, he was elected to serve as chair of the Senate Council and as the presiding officer of the University Senate, and subsequently elected by his peers as a faculty trustee of the UK Board of Trustees.

Leadership

UKULELE

Student Sustainability Council

Sustainability Challenge Grants

Student Interns