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Sustainability News

May 12, 2009

ASU’s School of Sustainability and its faculty members were widely recognized for achievements, educational contributions, and research advances in 2008-2009. Among the accolades:

ASU’s School of Sustainability received both a Crescordia Award in the category of environmental education/communication and the overall President’s Award for 2008 from Arizona’s Valley Forward Association for outstanding environmental achievement of the year.

Decision Center for a Desert City (DCDC) co-directors Patricia Gober, Ph.D., and Charles Redman, Ph.D., accepted the Prince Sultan Bin Abdulaziz International Prize for Water in a November ceremony in Saudi Arabia. DCDC, which is a unit of the Global Institute of Sustainability, will split the $133,000 award with one other institution. Gober and Redman are both School of Sustainability faculty.

FACULTY MEMBERS

Patricia Gober, Ph.D., was elected fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the world’s largest general scientific society, in the Geology and Geography Division. In addition, Dr. Gober received the ASU Faculty Achievement Research Award sponsored by the ASU Alumni Association for her role in advancing the issues of water management and environmental change in metropolitan Phoenix. She also serves on the faculty of the School of Geographical Sciences.

George Maracas, Ph.D., was honored by the Phoenix Business Journal with its Green Pioneers Award, which is given to businesses, governments, and individuals that take steps to become more eco-friendly. He also serves on the faculty of the Department of Electrical Engineering and is CEO of ASU’s Solar Power Laboratory.

Douglas Webster, Ph.D., was awarded the 2008 Phoenix Global Power Player award by the Phoenix Business Journal. He also serves on the faculty of the School of Government, Politics & Global Studies.

Jianguo Wu, Ph.D., was chosen as one of 19 Leopold Leadership Program Fellows based on scientific excellence, leadership qualities, and desire to expand communication and outreach skills beyond traditional scientific circles. He also serves on the faculty of the School of Life Sciences.

AFFILIATED FACULTY MEMBERS

Braden Allenby, Ph.D., was named a 2008 U.S. Professor of the Year by both the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and the Council for Advancement and Support of Education. He is also the Director, Center for Earth Systems Engineering and Management, and serves on the faculty of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering.

Nan Ellin, Ph.D., received Valley Forward’s Environmental Excellence Award of Merit in the Environmental Education category for “Making Sustainable Communities Happen.” She is also director of the Urban & Metropolitan Studies Program in the School of Public Affairs, College of Public Programs.

Stuart Fisher, Ph.D., won the Ecological Society of America’s Eugene P. Odum Award for Excellence in Environmental Education. He also serves on the faculty of the School of Life Sciences.

Nancy Grimm, Ph.D., was elected fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the world’s largest general scientific society, for her work in the area of urban ecology & sustainability. She also serves as co-director of the Central Arizona-Phoenix Long-Term Ecological Research Project and is a faculty member of the School of Life Sciences.

Mark Henderson, Ph.D., won the Creasman Award for Excellence from the ASU Alumni Association for his work as director of GlobalResolve, an interdisciplinary social-entrepreneurship initiative at Arizona State University that involves ASU students, faculty, staff, alumni, and international partners in projects that improve the lives of underprivileged people around the world. He also serves on the faculty of the ASU Polytechnic Department of Engineering.

Margaret Nelson, Ph.D., was named a President’s Professor in 2008, an award that recognizes tenured faculty who have made outstanding contributions to undergraduate education at Arizona State University. She is also Associate Dean, Barrett, The Honors College and serves on the faculty of the School of Human Evolution and Social Change.

David Pijawka, Ph.D., received the 2009 Outstanding Leadership in Education award from the NAACP, Maricopa Branch. He also serves on the faculty of the School of Geographical Sciences and Urban Planning.

Bruce E. Rittmann, Ph.D., NAE, FAAAS, won the Simon W. Freese Environmental Engineering Award and Lecture from the American Society of Civil Engineers. He is also director of the Center for Environmental Biotechnology in the Biodesign Institute. Rittmann was just named a Regent’s Professor, the highest faculty honor bestowed by the University.

Everett Shock, Ph.D., was named 2009 Geochemistry Fellow by the Geochemical Society and The European Association for Geochemistry, an honor that is bestowed upon outstanding scientists who have, over some years, made a major contribution to the field of geochemistry. He also serves on the faculty of the School of Earth and Space Exploration.