This year’s winners researched pollinators, groundwater issues and women prisoners. — Congratulations to 2023’s Festival of Undergraduate Research and Creative Activities(FURCA) Outstanding Sustainability Research Awards winners: Hannah Kastelic Bees may be the quintessential pollinator, but they are far from the only insect helping plants reproduce. Wasps, butterflies and even mosquitoes can transfer pollen from one plant to another.

The awards program recognized the university’s efforts to fund sustainability projects, reduce waste and grow food sustainably. — For the 15th year in a row Canada’s Greenest Employers has placed the University of Alberta on its list of organizations that are national leaders for environmental sustainability. The competition awards the Greenest Employer designation to organizations that create a culture of environmental awareness, have exceptional sustainability initiatives and attract…

Learn what got us so excited about these six campus sustainability leaders — Congratulations to these talented, innovative sustainability leaders: Aimal Mir Aimal Mir is a third-year biology major, a Certificate in Sustainability student, and a book lover. She’s working on a project that doubles as a university student group and a community outreach program. In its first phase, “Spread the Word” will bring together…

Talking about climate change policy in a time of crisis, war and rapidly-evolving technology — By Carolina Neri Mercado Kathryn Harrison’s and Andrew Leach’s Feb. 6 talk on climate change policy provided an insightful kick-off to International Week (I-Week). Harrison is a Political Science professor from the University of British Columbia. With a background in Chemical Engineering, she worked in the oil industry prior to…

Catching up with some of 2022’s Sustainability Scholars — Each summer, University of Alberta graduate students in the Sustainability Scholars program help Alberta municipalities, businesses and non-profit organizations become more sustainable. These budding experts contribute knowledge they’ve acquired in their studies while gaining real-world work and research experience that can lead to careers in sustainability. …

DishZero, a reusable takeout container service, launches Jan. 16 at two university restaurants — It’s about to get easier for UAlberta students, faculty, staff and food vendors to cut waste from disposable takeout containers. DishZero, a reusable takeout container program, will launch on Jan. 16 at two restaurants in the Students Union Building (SUB): Filistix and The Daily Grind. A student-led initiative, DishZero has…

Webb Dussome describes the philosophy behind social marketing and discusses his course “MARK 455: Sustainability and Responsible Marketing.” — The same marketing strategies that motivate us to buy phones, deodorant and Justin Trudeau-scented candles can also be used to persuade us to change our behaviours, says Webb Dussome, an instructor in the Alberta School of Business. One of Dussome’s courses, MARK 455 — Sustainability and Responsible Marketing, covers the…

Rural communities are overlooked in research on soaring housing prices, but they’re suffering too, says human geography master’s student Erika Cizek. — By Riley Tjosvold The housing market in Erika Cizek’s hometown of Kaslo, B.C. has become hostile for people who have spent their lives in the community. In 2016, the average home in the 1,000-person village was valued at $266,568. By 2021, average home values jumped to $414,000.

The updated space will make Campus Food Bank operations more efficient and give clients more food options — Students using the Campus Food Bank (CFB) now have greater control over the types of food they receive. That’s because the CFB has switched from a food hamper model, in which students were given a pre-packaged food hamper with limited options to swap out items, to a grocery store model…