Carsey School of Public Policy Students, Faculty, and Alums Receive Top 2022 UNH Sustainability Awards

Five Carsey School of Public Policy students, faculty, and alumni have been awarded University of New Hampshire Sustainability Awards, celebrating their contributions to sustainable practices on campus and beyond.

Students Lindsey Hajduk (Master in Community Development) and Christina Dubin (Master in Public Policy) received platinum and bronze awards, respectively, in the Graduate Campus Culture, Operations, and Engagement category.

In the Faculty Research category, Kenneth Johnson-Carsey Senior Demographer, Professor of Sociology in the College of Liberal Arts, and an Andrew Carnegie Fellow-earned a silver award, and Catherine Ashcraft-Assistant Professor of Natural Resources and the Environment in the College of Life Sciences and Agriculture and Carsey author-earned a bronze award.

Deqa Dhalac, mayor of South Portland, Maine and a 2013 graduate of the Master in Community Development program, received a Graduates of the Last Decade award in the Alumni category.

Additionally, Analena Bruce-Assistant Professor of Agriculture, Nutrition, and Food Systems in the College of Life Sciences and Agriculture and Carsey author-was nominated as a Sustainability Champion.

In fall 2021, UNH achieved a renewed STARS Platinum rating from the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education, one of only nine schools in the nation to achieve this highest level of sustainability performance among colleges and universities. To reward contributions to that success, the UNH Sustainability Awards recognize and encourage innovations in sustainability research, education, and implementation. The awards are given categorically to UNH alumni, faculty, staff, and students, offering everyone on campus the opportunity to champion the UNH commitment to human dignity and ecological integrity. With the integral role of policy in sustainable practices, Carsey students, faculty, and alumni have excelled in both their contributions and recognition throughout the years. This year was no different.

Sustainability is central to our mission. It's a real joy to see that recognized. Especially when you can draw a line from our faculty's research, to current students' studies, to how that commitment carries on for alumni long after graduation.

"Sustainability is central to our mission," said Michael Ettlinger, Carsey School Director. "It's a real joy to see that recognized. Especially when you can draw a line from our faculty's research, to current students' studies, to how that commitment carries on for alumni long after graduation."

The Carsey School prioritizes the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, which account not only for sustainable environmental practices that maintain a healthy climate, but also for societal practices that secure access to basic human needs and rights. The six Carsey School recipients of the UNH Sustainability awards this year, and the twelve past Carsey School winners, all exemplify these goals.

More about the Carsey School Awardees

Lindsey Hajduk '22G
Master in Community Development, Carsey School of Public Policy; Director of Community Engagement at NeighborWorks Alaska

Lindsey Hajduk's work focuses on supporting resident-led initiatives and leadership development through efforts around civic engagement, neighborhood improvements, creative placemaking, and environmental justice. Lindsey's capstone project centers on the question of how residents can effectively mobilize and shape housing solutions in Anchorage; this effort is part of a larger initiative to make sure every resident has a safe, stable home and community in which they belong.

Christina Dubin '22G
Master in Public Policy, Carsey School of Public Policy

As a sustainability peer educator with the UNH Sustainability Institute helping to support the Sustainability Task Force, Christina Dubin has been a thoughtful contributor to sustainability planning at UNH this year. In addition, she has worked to develop a sustainability dashboard that will be an invaluable tool for community member engagement in support of continued sustainability leadership at UNH. She has also been one of the leaders of a grassroots effort beyond campus, launched this spring, called the Ten Towns, Ten Actions Toolkit. This has involved working with volunteer community leaders from across New Hampshire to promote tangible immediate action for reducing plastic waste.

Kenneth Johnson
Senior Demographer, Carsey School of Public Policy; Professor of Sociology, College of Liberal Arts; Andrew Carnegie Fellow

Professor Johnson has made significant contributions to UNH's commitment to sustainability with high quality research and scholarship that informs policymaking at the nexus of the human-environmental interface. His research on the interaction between human and natural systems resonates with sustainability's focuses on inequality and healthy communities.

Catherine Ashcraft
Assistant Professor, Natural Resources and the Environment, College of Life Sciences and Agriculture; Author, Carsey School of Public Policy

Dr. Ashcraft is an internationally respected sustainability leader and researcher who approaches her research with a collaborative, interdisciplinary, and creative approach, while simultaneously engaging students in applied policy analysis, negotiation, and conflict resolution. Her approach to sustainability research has always been inclusive with a strong interest in diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Deqa Dhalac '13G
Mayor of South Portland, Maine; Family Engagement and Cultural Responsiveness Specialist, Maine Department of Education

Deqa Dhalac is the first Somali American mayor in the United States and in this role has committed to advancing the city's sustainability goals. Mayor Dhalac's work with Maine's immigrant and refugee communities led to her founding, or leading, multiple nonprofits in the state including the Somali Community Center of Maine, Maine Immigrant Rights Coalition, and Immigrant Women's Health.

Analena Bruce
Assistant Professor, Agriculture, Nutrition, and Food Systems, College of Life Sciences and Agriculture; Author, Carsey School of Public Policy

Dr. Bruce has a strong commitment to researching the ways inequitable systems and structures impact our food system and how increasing participation and engagement in local food value chains will benefit all of us and contribute to a stronger, more resilient regional food system. As part of the CORE IWG project, Food and Climate Research Network, Dr. Bruce's Sustainable Food Systems lab will examine the ways that we can strengthen our local and regional food supply chains by increasing consumer participation in and access to local markets, especially among underrepresented and marginalized populations.

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