SLICE Awards

Exemplary efforts by University Community members express UB’s continuing efforts to become a sustainable institution. The University at Buffalo wishes to recognize outstanding individuals and departments who exhibit a sincere commitment to transforming our campuses into a holistically sustainable community through the kinds of leadership, innovation, and collaboration that demonstrates environmental stewardship, enhances social progress, or promotes responsible economic systems and growth.

Award recipients will be recognized in an awards ceremony that will take place in conjunction with Sustainability Month in April.

This event is sponsored by the Vice President for Finance and Administration and UB Sustainability.

On Earth Day, winners of the 12th annual Sustainability Leadership, Innovation and Collaborative Engagement (SLICE) Awards were announced at Broadview Arena, Center Court. Laura Hubbard, VP for Finance and Administration, presented each recipient with a custom award crafted from reclaimed wood that represents nature-based climate solutions UB is investing in and commemorates the planting of UB's new microforest.

Tyler’s impactful work in change management and organizational behavior across the university truly reflects what it means to be a change agent. His insight and leadership have helped introduce and advance numerous new initiatives here at UB, including our current work of overhauling our zero-waste infrastructure across our enterprise.

Genevieve has a knack for illustrating the power of communications, connection, and storytelling in climate work. Great sustainability communication makes complex topics easy to understand, relatable, and worth paying attention to. By using storytelling, humor, and creativity, Genevieve uplifts important climate information in engaging, shareable, and accessible ways for a wide audience within the higher education community and beyond. 

Dorothy works to leverage UB's faculty and local and global communities to not only provide experiential opportunities to students but also advance sustainability beyond the academy. This work demonstrates innovation, a commitment to transforming our campuses, collaborative engagement, and going above and beyond standard responsibilities.

The Project Coordination Office has played a key role in advancing Executive Order 22—this New York State regulation is a sustainability directive requiring state agencies and authorities to "lead by example" in decarbonization. It mandates green purchasing, waste reduction, and transitioning state fleets to 100% zero-emission.

Alexa works to advance equity‑centered climate and environmental justice education. Through her leadership with the New York State Climate and Resilience Education Task Force and its youth steering committee, Alexa has been a consistent advocate for statewide climate education policy. Her efforts contributed to the New York Board of Regents’ approval of climate education as a graduation requirement, strengthening climate learning for K–12 students across the state.

Jason played an instrumental role in the development of the University’s Clean Energy Master Plan, creating a comprehensive roadmap to how UB will transition to an electrified heating system that will greatly reduce the university’s carbon emissions, decrease energy use by 30%, and realize substantial savings on energy costs.  

Nominations for SLICE awards are accepted year-round. Nominations are awarded annually in late April. The deadline to submit nominations for 2027 consideration is March 31, 2027. Nominees must be faculty or staff members, students, alumni, or a department or cross-functional team at the University at Buffalo.

The awards program is selective. Not every nomination is selected for an award. The number of awards in each category is not restricted nor is each award category filled each year. 

Each nomination will be evaluated based on how well the nominee’s actions reflect these sustainability criteria:

• Going above and beyond routine or assigned responsibilities
• Innovation
• Overall impact
• Ability to serve as a catalyst or model
• Engages multiple campus stakeholders (students, faculty, staff, community, etc)
• Incorporates multiple aspects of sustainability

Nominees must be faculty or staff members, students, alumni, or a department or cross functional team at the University at Buffalo. Candidates can be nominated for different categories, either as individuals, departments or partnerships. The categories are:

• Student Sustainability Leadership, Innovation and Collaborative Engagement Award
• Staff Sustainability Leadership, Innovation and Collaborative Engagement Award
• Faculty Sustainability Leadership, Innovation and Collaborative Engagement Award
• Alumni Sustainability Leadership, Innovation and Collaborative Engagement Award
• Team Sustainability Leadership, Innovation and Collaborative Engagement Award
• The SLICE Climate Justice Award