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May 17, 2023

College of Built Environments Faculty and Student receive Husky Sustainability Awards 2023

The Husky Sustainability Awards recognize individuals and groups across all University of Washington campuses who lead the way for sustainability at the University of Washington. This is the 14th year awards have been given by the UW Environmental Stewardship Committee.

The Husky Sustainability Awards are given to students, faculty and staff from the Seattle, Bothell and Tacoma campuses who show impact, initiative, leadership and dedication around sustainability.

Congratulations to the recipients from the College of Built Environments, who are listed below. See all awardees here.

Heather Burpee, faculty, Department of Architecture

The co-director of the UW’s Integrated Design Lab (IDL), Heather Burpee has advanced sustainability at the University of Washington with lasting impact across all aspects of UW’s interconnected missions of research, teaching, and service. A nationally-recognized expert in hospital energy efficiency and decarbonization, Burpee has worked with project design teams at UW to help create some of the most energy efficient buildings on campus. She also serves on the UW Green Buildings Standards Committee and the Energy Transformation Taskforce, as well as contributing to the College of Built Environments’ Climate Solutions Community of Practice. Her research has also influenced healthcare facilities nationally, and she is the primary author of an upcoming “Decarbonizing Hospital Buildings Guide.”

Radha Iyer, student, Department of Architecture

Throughout her time at UW, Radha Iyer has been a driving force behind student sustainability efforts. A senior, she has been an integral part of UW Solar, a student-run RSO focused on designing, and implementing climate solutions on campus, throughout her undergraduate career. She is the Architectural Design Lead for a Solar Greenhouse project at the UW Farm, which will expand the UW Farm’s ability to grow produce throughout the year, and also involved in a design-build course at the farm. Iyer is currently working as the Building Materials Research Intern for UW Sustainability. She has skillfully synthesized her degrees in Architecture and Mathematics to create connections across campus, incite change, and lead sustainability efforts.

Legacy award: Jan Whittington, faculty, Urban Design & Planning

Jan Whittington is an associate professor of the Department of Urban Design and Planning in the College of Built Environments and director of the Urban Infrastructure Lab, which brings together students and faculty with a shared interest in the planning, governance, finance, design, development, economics, and environmental effects of infrastructure. She has also led the UW Solar student group since its inception, providing students with professional and academic support in proposing and designing new solar panel installations across campus.

Whittington’s work has made a significant impact on the infrastructure of the Seattle campus, as UW Solar is directly responsible for almost all of the UW’s current solar power installations. The group has worked with UW Facilities and other stakeholders to assess all campus buildings for solar feasibility and created a Solar Energy Plan. They are also working with UW Transportation to create solar installations in parking facilities to help facilitate electric vehicle charging and the electrification of the UW’s fleet. Whittington encourages students to address their projects from many lenses and angles, allowing all members to play a part. For example, students need to evaluate physical infrastructure, ease of installation, future research potential, and policy change. Through her impact, UW Solar acts as a de-facto alternative energy consulting firm on campus.

As the co-chair of the Faculty Council on Campus Planning and Stewardship and a member of the UW Sustainability Action Plan Executive Committee and Environmental Stewardship Committee, Whittington has advocated for the UW to take urgent action to address the climate crisis and prioritize sustainability. She has been an active participant in these groups’ discussions on how to accelerate the UW’s sustainability response and enhancing collaboration between the academic and operational sides of the university.

Whittington’s research around cities and climate change has also help create resources on climate-smart Capital Investment Planning which have been introduced to cities and other governmental agencies in 23 countries.

Read more in the College of Built Environments news story here.