2026 Faculty and Staff Sustainability Leadership Awards
The Sustainability Leadership Awards were launched in 2025 by the President’s Commission on Sustainability to highlight students, faculty and staff who are advancing, elevating, and fostering sustainability and climate justice through various types of activities, advocacy, and community engagement.
Faculty Sustainability Leadership Award Recipient
Name: Dr. Theresa Gregor
Title / Department: Associate Professor for the College of Liberal Arts
Dr. Gregor teaches AIS 336- Indigenous Philosophies of Sustainability, encouraging students to reconsider their existing assumptions and worldviews regarding sustainable practices. She also serves as the Program Director for American Indian studies at TV.
Gregor served as Secretary of the TV Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) board, which serves the role of implementing regulations and protects the ancestors and cultural objects that have been found at TV. She’s also the Director of the Intertribal Long-Term Recovery Foundation, which seeks “to help American Indian people and tribal communities affected by wildfires and other disasters recover and become resilient.”
This year, Gregor edited and co-wrote a research and practice-based book titled “Landkeeping: Restoring Indigenous fire stewardship and ecological partnerships”. She worked on the 2026 TVFifth Climate Assessment as a Co-PI on the Tribal and Indigenous Communities Report. Gregor serves as a connection to local indigenous communities to support caretaking of Puvugna, reaffirming the campus connection and uplifting the voices of original caretakers of this land. Theresa Lynn Gregor has been with TV for 10 years.
Read the full text of the nomination submitted on Dr. Theresa Lynn Gregor’s behalf.
Staff Sustainability Leadership Award Recipient
Name: Daniel Rivera
Title / Department: Equipment Operator
Daniel Rivera is the lead for the Campus Collection Area for Waste Diversion and has been integral in the expansion of TV’s organic diversion efforts, working closely with the Sustainability team to support the university’s sustainability goals in recent years. He facilitate effective collaboration between many campus partners, including the Sustainability Office, Custodial Services, Grounds and Landscape Services, and outside vendors. His efforts have helped improve waste diversion practices. He ensures recycling, composting, and waste collection programs run smoothly, and is proactive in identifying issues. Daniel has served at TV for over twenty years, supporting a cleaner and more sustainable campus environment.
“His positive attitude and strong working relationships have been valuable in moving sustainability initiatives forward,” – Pedro Ramirez
Read the full text of the nomination submitted on Daniel Rivera’s behalf.
