In recognition of campuswide Sustainability Month activities, Cornell will present its first "Partners in Sustainability Award" to a state agency with a long record of support for energy innovation and conservation. President David Skorton's Sustainable Campus Committee will honor the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) at a special ceremony at 3 p.m. Wednesday, April 21, in the atrium of Weill Hall.

"Cornell is proud to recognize NYSERDA's ongoing support for energy-related innovation in New York state," said Kyu-Jung Whang, vice president for facilities services. "Together Cornell and NYSERDA have shown how partnerships between government and higher education can provide businesses with technological breakthroughs, inform decision makers with reliable science and enable the public to implement home-based renewable energy and energy conservation."

The annual Cornell Partners in Sustainability Award will be given to one or more recipients who have made significant contributions to sustainable development in New York through collaboration with Cornell. Award winners will be evaluated in four categories: research, regional stewardship, education and public engagement.

The award ceremony is one of several events marking the second annual Sustainability Month on campus. The theme this year is "Climate Action and U," which builds on Skorton's commitment that Cornell will be climate neutral by 2050.