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Student Sustainability Initiative Wins International Award

Student Sustainability Initiative Wins International Award

The University of Michigan's Student Sustainability Initiative (SSI) recently earned the Student Entrepreneurship Award from oikos International, a global student organization focused on sustainable economics and management.

The SSI was one of two winners of the award. The SSI won for the "Sustainable Campus" category. The second winner was INEX (International Network for Educational Exchange) in the category of "Curricula Change." Both organizations were recognized in an award ceremony in Vienna on November 26, 2009.

The SSI award specifically honors SSI student board members Greg Buzzell, Aaron James, and Merry Walker, who collaborated in connecting 50 sustainability-related student groups at U-M into one cohesive team.

More than 100 students have joined the SSI (which is administered by the Graham Sustainability Institute) and decided to focus on creating a central office of sustainability and campus green building standards.

When University of Michigan President Mary Sue Coleman announced new, campus-wide sustainability initiatives in October 2009, she specifically thanked the SSI, who had "pushed us to do more throughout the university".

Please join us in congratulating these three individuals—and the entire SSI Team—for this important award.