Meet the 2022 NC State Sustainability Award Winners

Winners of the 2022 NC State Sustainability Awards were announced during the Celebration of NC State Sustainability on April 19, 2022. Meet this year’s honorees for outstanding sustainability achievements.

STUDENT RECIPIENT

Ann Winstead is a senior majoring in Environmental Science and Political Science, with a minor in Renewable Energy. Ann has been impacting sustainability since her freshman year as a resident in University Housing’s EcoVillage living and learning community. Since this time, she has worked with NC State Waste Reduction and Recycling as a Plastic Policy student intern and installed more than 250 compost pails to expand apartment composting within University Housing. Ann is currently serving as a Sustainability Evaluation and Planning student intern and also serves as a Student Government Senator representing the College of Natural Resources. Recently, she wrote and helped pass a Student Senate bill that promotes compost education and the elimination of single-use plastics on campus. Ann is also a College of Natural Resources Ambassador and the assistant director for the Sustainability Department of Student Government.

FACULTY RECIPIENT

Dr. Carol Seals Price is an instructor for the North Carolina Center for Marine Sciences and Technology in Morehead City in addition to also being a conservation biologist and research coordinator for the North Carolina Aquariums system. Dr. Price conducts and oversees research and field work to protect the species and habitats that call North Carolina home. Dr. Price is also inspiring and training the next generation of environmental leaders through her mentorship and instruction of students, where she showcases a commitment to equity and inclusion to ensure everyone can be involved with research at the coast.

STAFF RECIPIENT

Dennis Kinsler is the supervisor for the Zone 4 Maintenance Shop in Building Maintenance & Operations of NC State Facilities Division. In this position, he oversees a staff of 15 multi-trade technicians and is responsible for the maintenance and operations of all mechanical, HVAC, electrical, and plumbing systems for over 1.1 million square feet of buildings on campus. The preventive maintenance work that Dennis performs and manages ensures reliable and efficient operation of campus building systems. Dennis’ efforts have earned a completion rate for the Maintenance Shop of over 98.3% of the 1,500 assigned Preventive Maintenance work orders for 2021, equating to 8,100 staff hours. This dedication advances the university’s energy conservation goals, greenhouse gas reduction goals and saves the university both economic and environmental resources.

DEPARTMENT OR STUDENT ORGANIZATION RECIPIENT

The Center for Environmental Farming Systems (CEFS) is a partnership of NC State University, North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University and the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. CEFS develops and promotes just and equitable food and farming systems that conserve natural resources, strengthen communities, improve health outcomes and provide economic opportunities in North Carolina and beyond. The Business and Events Team within CEFS hosts more than 150 events annually across the state of North Carolina. The team is committed to not only creating these education and outreach events but doing so in a sustainable way through careful planning and research. These events model zero waste practices — such as choosing reusables vs. single-use items — and showcasing locally grown foods whenever possible to connect farmers with chefs and to also reduce their carbon footprint. The team’s work also provides community members with a replicable path to utilize these sustainable event practices. 

INNOVATION/IMPACT RECIPIENT

The Facilities Division Commissioning Team works to optimize mechanical systems in strategic campus buildings. In the last 7 years, their work has created a collective $10 million in utility savings for the university and reduced carbon emissions by 200 million pounds. The Commissioning Team’s work includes energy reduction measures, as well as preventative efforts that help prevent future building issues like biological growth. Often at the end of a project, a building the team worked on has a higher level of thermal comfort, a smaller carbon footprint, and saves the university money on the utility budget.

The NC State Sustainability Awards are sponsored by the University Sustainability Council. Learn more about all of the 2022 nominees and previous Sustainability Award winners at go.ncsu.edu/SustainabilityAwards.