Nominations open for 2026 UK sustainability awards
Nominations are now open for two University of Kentucky sustainability awards: the Sustainability Champion Award and the Yanarella Levine Legacy Award.
The Sustainability Champion Award recognises individuals who have made significant contributions to sustainability at the University of Kentucky within the last three years. Last year, five recipients received the award:
- Dr. Kenton Sena, lecturer at the Lewis Honors College
- Dr. Ashton Potter, executive director of The Food Connection and extension specialist for Local Food Systems
- Ryan Lark, zero-waste specialist for UK Recycling
- Dr. Lauren Cagle, associate professor in the Department of Writing, Rhetoric, and Digital Studies (WRD) in the College of Arts and Sciences, and the director of the Tracy Farmer Institute for Sustainability and the Environment
- William Varney III, (former) manager of Wildcat Wheels
The Yanarella Levine Legacy Award recognises individuals who have left a legacy at the University of Kentucky through their significant contributions to sustainability. The recipient of last year’s award was Dr. Ibrahim Jawahir, professor of Mechanical Engineering and director of the Institute for Sustainable Materials (ISM) in the College of Engineering.
Nominees must be a current or former UK staff or faculty member. Submit nominations for awards here. Submissions close on Friday, Oct. 2, 2026.
Awards will be presented on Wednesday, Oct. 14, 2026, at the Annual Sustainability Showcase.
Please send questions to Shane Tedder, director of sustainability and assistant director of the Tracy Farmer Institute for Sustainability and the Environment, at shane.tedder@uky.edu.
Good luck to all nominees!
