The Pacific Northwest Just Futures Institute for Racial and Climate Justice, part of the UO’s Environment Initiative, has received a national award from the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education.
The Just Futures Institute is the second winner of the association’s Racial Equity and Sustainability Collaborations Award. It selected for successfully integrating racial equity and social justice with sustainability and by fostering community-based collaborations that advance racial equity and social justice.
During the virtual international awards ceremony in December, the institute was acknowledged as a seedbed for applied, publicly engaged research that addresses the intertwined issues of racial inequality and climate crisis in innovative ways.
UO professors Alai Reyes-Santos and John Arroyo were present to accept the award. They acknowledged the Kalapuya lands, the institute team and the Mellon Foundation for sustaining their work. They thanked the faculty members, staff, students and community partners across eight core themes at UO, noting that the institute is a partnership between the UO, Whitman College, University of Idaho and Heritage University.
“Our team’s strength in teaching and community initiatives is essential for sustainable futures,” Reyes-Santos said.
Full article on Around the O can be found here.