2025 Sustainability Showcase celebrates campus changemakers

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Oct. 22, 2025) — The annual Sustainability Showcase, recently presented by the Office of Sustainability, the Tracy Farmer Institute for Sustainability and the Environment and the Office of Undergraduate Research, was a celebration of the incredible sustainability work happening across the University of Kentucky campus. From research and student initiatives to operations and community engagement, the awards recognize passionate students, faculty, staff and community members who are helping to shape a more sustainable future at UK.

“I have never believed more deeply in the promise of this university because of its people than I do right now,” said Shane Tedder, director of facilities services in UK Facilities Management. “I’ve never been prouder of the collective accomplishments of those gathered at the showcase or more committed to doing everything I can to channel support and resources to sustainability.”

Five teams of UK faculty and staff were selected to receive Sustainability Challenge Grants totaling more than $150,000. The Sustainability Challenge Grant program is designed to engage multidisciplinary teams from the university community in the creation and implementation of ideas that will promote sustainability on campus and in the local community. This year’s recipients are:

• Digital Stormwater Learning Lab: An Innovative Framework for Stormwater Monitoring, Management, and Education
  • James Shelley, research communications specialist, Kentucky Water Research Institute
  • Steve Evans, associate director, Kentucky Water Research Institute
  • Lindell Ormsbee, Ph.D., professor, Department of Civil Engineering, Stanley and Karen Pigman College of Engineering
  • Lee Moser, extension associate senior, UK Cooperative Extension Service, Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment
  • Sahar Alameh, Ph.D., assistant professor, Department of STEM Education, College of Education
  • Diana Byrne, Ph.D., assistant professor, Department of Civil Engineering, Stanley and Karen Pigman College of Engineering
  • Kevin Lewis, water quality compliance manager, Environmental Quality Management
  • Kenton Sena, Ph.D., senior lecturer, Lewis Honors College
  • Tracey Miller, Ph.D., assistant professor, Department of Landscape Architecture, Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment
  • Alan Fryar, Ph.D., professor, Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, College of Arts and Sciences
  • Tiffany Messer, Ph.D., associate professor, Department of Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering, Stanley and Karen Pigman College of Engineering
     
• Healthy Futures Through Heritage: Adaptive Reuse for Rural Kentucky Clinics
  • Emily Bergeron, Ph.D., associate professor, Department of Historic Preservation, College of Design
  • Travis Rose, senior lecturer, Department of Historic Preservation, College of Design
  • Joe Brewer, director of technology and facilities, College of Design
  • Lindsey Fay, associate professor, School of Interiors, College of Design
     
• Living Materials, Moving Spaces
  • Hannah Dewhirst, assistant professor, School of Interiors, College of Design
  • Ingrid Schmidt, assistant professor, School of Interiors, College of Design
  • Jordan Hines, senior lecturer, School of Architecture, College of Design
  • Susie Thiel, associate professor and chair, Department of Theatre and Dance, College of Fine Arts
  • Laura Neese, lecturer, Department of Theatre and Dance, College of Fine Arts
  • Jeremiah Kearns, assistant professor, Department of Theatre and Dance, College of Fine Arts
     
• SOS (Save Our Seeds): An Appalachian Heritage Seed Project
  • Cindy Finneseth, Ph.D., assistant professor, Department of Horticulture, Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment
  • Shawn Wright, Ph.D., extension associate senior, Department of Horticulture, Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment
  • Kenton Sena, Ph.D., senior lecturer, Lewis Honors College
  • Rebekah Radtke, associate professor, School of Interiors, College of Design 
  • Matt Strandmark, education archivist and Appalachian studies academic liaison, UK Libraries
     
• Ugly Produce Project: A Living Lab to Reduce Food Waste and Advance Sustainability Education
  • Yeonjung Kang, Ph.D., assistant professor, Department of Retailing and Tourism Management, Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment
  • Muzhen Li, Ph.D., assistant professor, Department of Retailing and Tourism Management, Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment
  • David Johnson, Ph.D., assistant professor, Department of Dietetics and Human Nutrition, Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment
  • Sara Maksi, Ph.D., assistant professor, Department of Dietetics and Human Nutrition, Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment
  • Helen Turner, associate professor and director, School of Interiors, College of Design 
  • Krista Jacobsen, Ph.D., associate professor, Department of Horticulture, and faculty director, Sustainable Agriculture and Community Food Systems, Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment

The Yanarella Levine Legacy Award, named for retired political science professor Ernie Yanarella, Ph.D., and retired College of Design faculty member Richard Levine, recognizes members of the UK community who have contributed a tremendous body of work supporting a legacy of sustainability at the university and beyond. The 2025 award was presented to Ibrahim Jawahir, Ph.D., professor in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering and director of the Institute of Sustainable Manufacturing in the College of Engineering.

“For more than three decades at the University of Kentucky, Professor I.S. Jawahir has built a far-reaching legacy in sustainable manufacturing — one that advances UK’s mission on campus and resonates across academia and industry worldwide,” wrote Jawahir’s nominator Fazleena Badurdeen, Ph.D., professor in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering.

Students from all majors had the opportunity to submit their sustainability-focused research to the annual Sustainability Research Poster Competition, hosted by the Office of Undergraduate Research. Six winners were announced at the event:

• Undergraduate Poster Competition
  • 1st place: Katelyn Straw, chemical engineering junior
  • 2nd place: Nikhil Kumar, biochemistry and mathematics sophomore in the Lewis Honors College
  • People’s choice: Katherine Neglia, human health sciences sophomore in the Lewis Honors College
     
• Graduate Poster Competition
  • 1st place: Odianosen Ewah, first year graduate student in veterinary science
  • 2nd place: Rosbelly Rios, graduate Ph.D. candidate in chemical engineering
  • People’s choice: Seth Thompson, second year graduate student geological sciences

The University of Kentucky also awarded its inaugural Distinguished Partner Award to Coca-Cola. The award honors a partner from the private sector who has made significant contributions to the university’s sustainability efforts. Since 2017, as part of their pouring rights contract with UK, Coca-Cola has provided $25,000 annually in support of sustainability through their Student Influence Program. Projects that have received support through this partnership include:

• Installation of 10 solar umbrellas across campus
• Design and construction of a pocket park
• Provided thousands of recycling kits to fans tailgating at Kroger Field
• Establishment of the Campus Woods Urban Sawmill project

“Congratulations to all of our award winners and deep gratitude to all the legacy builders who joined us for the event,” Tedder said. “The sustainability work that is being done is more important now than ever before, and I applaud all who are taking on the challenge to make a difference.”

The fall Sustainability Office Certification Program awardees were also honored. Learn more about the program and winners at sustainability.uky.edu/community-engagement/sustainable-office-certification-program. 

Learn more about UK Sustainability and its initiatives at sustainability.uky.edu.