Of the handful of Spirit of Sustainability Awards that Auburn gives each year, the College of Human Sciences received three: Hollen Terry in the student category, Young-A Lee in the faculty category, and the Hunger Solutions Institute in the group category.
The awards honor motivation and commitment to sustainability, the impact of sustainability work, and the degree to which awardees engage and involve others in their efforts.
Hollen Terry | Student
Hollen Terry is a Global Studies in Human Sciences junior pursuing minors in Environmental Design, Sustainability Studies, International Human Sciences, and Rural Community Development. Her work as an undergraduate research fellow in the Hunger Solutions Institute supports the organization’s food security initiatives and broadens Auburn University’s engagement with sustainability practices. Recently, she penned the Auburn University and United Nations Sustainable Development Goals Report.
Terry said that report, which became the primary responsibility in her role as sustainability coordinator in the Hunger Solutions Institute, should be the focus of the honor. She hopes the report is used across campus to increase understanding and engagement in sustainability practices.
“The way I see it, the Auburn University and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals report won the Spirit of Sustainability award, not me. And because the report is a description of the University’s activities, the University itself is really the recipient of the Spirit of Sustainability Award. The report is so much bigger than me as an individual,” Terry said. “We have so much to celebrate about our engagement with and support of the UN SDGs, and this report is just the beginning of AU’s sustainability story. I am honored to have been part of that story, but I am still only a small part of a larger movement happening here at Auburn.”
Read more about Hollen Terry here .
Young-A Lee | Faculty
Young-A Lee, associate professor and graduate program officer in the Consumer and Design Sciences department in the College of Human Sciences, is an expert on sustainable apparel. Lee has studied leading-edge technology application to sustainable product design, eco-friendly leather alternates in the footwear industry, green burial practices, and environmentally-friendly sportswear, to name a few within her extensive body of research. In class, Lee instructs students on sustainability theory and applications throughout their apparel education.
Lee said this award inspires her to continue her own research on sustainability practices in apparel and motivate the next generation of designers to elevate sustainability in their future endeavors.
“I am so thrilled to be one of the recipients of the Spirit of Sustainability Award this year. This award further motivates me to continue my unflagging enthusiasm, passion, and collaborative effort for creating the closest human built environment, clothing, that protect and enhance the integrity of the planet, human being, and society,” Lee said. “I would like to be an inspirational player as a change agent who lives what one teaches and does research, and has a significant impact on the values and lifestyles of one’s students, influencing how the next generation of apparel leaders will act for the betterment of people, prosperity, and the planet. Sustainability is all about you, others around you, and the place we live in.”
Read more about Young-A Lee here.
Hunger Solutions Institute | Group
The Hunger Solutions Institute, or HSI, leverages multi-sector partnerships at the state, national, and global levels to solve hunger. Its initiatives include End Child Hunger in Alabama, Presidents United to Solve Hunger, and Universities Fighting World Hunger – movements that work to end hunger in our state, unite university presidents in the fight against food insecurity, and mobilize grassroots efforts in higher education institutions to spread awareness and inspire activism.
Recent HSI projects include authoring the Auburn University and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals report and Healthy Food Hotspots, a project in which HSI student assistants will connect senior citizens and families with young children with technology to access online grocery shopping and delivery, as well as co-leading a nationwide Zero Hunger Pathways Project in partnership with the Sustainable Development Solutions Network-USA.
Alicia Powers, managing director of the Hunger Solutions Institute, said it is with campus, local, state, and nationwide efforts that HSI demonstrates motivation and commitment to sustainability.
“Not only was HSI established using a sustainability framework, HSI utilizes the Sustainability Compass as a tool to prioritize strategies and monitor progress,” Powers said. “The Hunger Solutions Institute is honored to be recognized as a 2021 recipient of the Auburn University Spirit of Sustainability Award.”
Read more about HSI here.
Terry, Lee, and HSI representatives were honored at an awards ceremony on April 21 at the Kreher Preserve and Nature Center. Read more about the Auburn Spirit of Sustainability Awards .