The University of Rochester’s Dining Services has won the Gold Award in the category of Procurement Practices in the National Association of College and University Food Services (NACUFS) 2018 Sustainability Awards contest. The University was recognized during the awards luncheon at the national conference in Providence, Rhode Island, on July 14.
The NACUFS Sustainability Awards annually recognize and honor member institutions that have demonstrated outstanding leadership in the promotion and implementation of environmental sustainability, specifically as it relates to campus dining operations. The awards support the globally accepted triple bottom line philosophy, also known as “people, planet, profit.” This philosophy is a method of evaluating operational performance by measuring financial success as well as environmental sustainability and social responsibility.
With the creation of these awards, NACUFS leads the foodservice industry in recognizing the pivotal role that dining services play in the overall sustainability goals of a campus. Dining services staff in particular face daunting challenges in satisfying customers and generating revenue while simultaneously minimizing environmental impact.
The annual awards contest recognizes excellence in sustainable campus dining with a gold, silver, and bronze award in each of five operational categories:
- Procurement Practices
- Energy and Water Conservation
- Waste Management
- Materials and Resources
- Outreach and Education
The University’s award-winning entry was prepared by Patricia Hanna ’19, an undergraduate student in the College and the manager for Dining Services’ Team Green.
