UMass Amherst libraries announce winners of Undergraduate Sustainability Awards

The UMass Amherst Libraries are pleased to announce the winners of the 2021 Undergraduate Sustainability Award. 

“Goddess of Earth” by Sruthi Tanikella
“Goddess of Earth” by Sruthi Tanikella

The 2021 Undergraduate Sustainability Award is a collaboration between the UMass Amherst Libraries and Lillian Kurina ’21, a natural resource conservation major and Waste and Recycling Fellow through the Physical Plant. For her semester project, Lillian developed the concept of the award focusing on art to inspire UMass Amherst undergraduates of all backgrounds to reflect on their relationship to the environment and how they experience climate change.

The competition was open to all currently enrolled UMass Amherst undergraduates. Five winners were chosen and received $700 scholarships from the Libraries’ Sustainability Fund.

  • Jenna DiDonato ’21, for a choreographed dance to “Over the Rainbow”
  • Kelly Jankauskas ’22, for a poem, “Asking for More”
  • Jin Lee ’24, for a painting inspired by her work at the Joppa Flats MassAudubon bird banding station
  • Fatimah Rashid ’24, for a short, animated video inspired by Pixar’s “WALL-E”
  • Sruthi Tanikella ’22, for mandala art, “Goddess of Earth”

Winners will present their projects in a virtual reception on Thursday, April 29, 2021, 5:30 p.m.

gallery of all submissions is available for browsing.