Contact: Carolyn Anthon
support@aessonline.org
Office: (202) 503-4638
June 20, 2024
For immediate release
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Association for Environmental Studies and Sciences (AESS) has selected the four recipients of the 2024 AESS Awards to be recognized at a virtual ceremony during the AESS Annual Conference, June 20-21, 2024. Since 2010, these awards have recognized faculty, scholars and students in Environmental Studies and Sciences at all career stages who exemplify the highest standards of teaching, scholarship and service to the AESS community.
The Association for Environmental Studies and Sciences is a scholarly and professional organization that promotes interdisciplinary research, teaching and service for faculty and students in the more than 1,000 Environmental academic programs nationwide and beyond.
2024 Award Recipients
Dr. Stephanie Kaza has been awarded the William R. Freudenburg Lifetime Achievement Award. Named for an AESS founder, Dr. William R. Freudenburg, this Award seeks to recognize and advance the spirit of AESS co-founder, the late Professor William R. Freudenburg, who spawned a new generation of environmental professionals and academics who have pursued interdisciplinary research to address some of the most pressing issues of our time. Through this award, AESS honors members of the profession who have also devoted their lives to strengthening our field by mentoring the next generation of environmental scientists and activists. Dr. Stephanie Kaza is Professor Emeritus in the Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources at the University of Vermont (UVM). She is a writer, a practicing Soto Zen Buddhist and tireless advocate for interdisciplinary studies. For many years, she served as the Director of the Environmental Program at UVM and on the U.S. Council of Environmental Deans and Directors. Dr. Kaza has been a leader in the interdisciplinary field of environmental studies for most of her career.
Dr. Kaza’s scholarly contributions reflect a commitment to integrative environmental scholarship. Her publications underscore the significance of humanities in interdisciplinary environmental studies. Notably, her last three books, published by the Buddhist press Shambala Publications, delve into the intersection of spirituality and ecology. Equally significant is Dr. Kaza’s impact as an educator. Throughout her extensive career, she has excelled in teaching and lecturing on various topics. In 2011, she received the UVM George V. Kidder Outstanding Faculty Award, a testament to her excellence in teaching. Dr. Stephanie Kaza has a lifetime of commitment to interdisciplinary environmental studies and sciences. AESS is delighted to recognize her long-standing contributions to the organization as one of the founding members and to the field overall.
Dr. Laurence Delina has been awarded the AESS Early Career Award. This Award recognizes outstanding accomplishments and promising future potential for teaching, research, policy, or activism in any field of environmental science and studies. Through this award, AESS honors individuals who are early in their careers, but have made significant contributions to knowledge, community and diversity in environmental studies and science, and have a career plan and trajectory that promise to continue and bolster such contributions. Dr. Delina’s research is primarily focused on climate, energy and resilience with a specific emphasis on vulnerable populations in Southeast Asia, his home region. The committee noted accomplishments as a scholar as well as dedication in the field – particularly the collaborative and consistent support of students and more junior researchers via the Delina Research Group. Dr. Delina exemplifies the spirit of AESS in terms of scholarly and participatory approaches to ESS.
