Emboldened by a passion to create sustainable solutions to reduce waste, promote health and give back to the London community, three Western students and a Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry professor are the recipients of the 2025 Western Climate and Sustainability Awards.
Formerly the Green Awards, the Western Climate and Sustainability Awards recognize an individual or team that initiates or supports an activity with positive sustainability outcomes.
Enya Law and Peter Dani (centre) received a Western Climate and Sustainability Award for organizing a successful campus food and fashion drive. Pictured above with president Alan Shepard (left) and acting deputy provost Jeffrey Hutter. (Brandon Watson/Western Sustainability)
The individuals received their awards March 19, during Western's Sustainability Impact Showcase, organized by Western Sustainability.
"Our office takes great pride knowing so many members of our campus community - including students, staff and faculty - are actively contributing to these important efforts," said Heather Hyde, director of sustainability. "This community's dedication plays a crucial role in fostering a culture where sustainability is embedded in everything we do at Western."
The showcase also celebrated campus-led initiatives such as the Campus as a Living Lab program and the Western Sustainable Impact Fund, before celebrating the following award recipients.
Kashish Dhanoa
Kashish Dhanoa is the co-founder and president of GreenSort Western. This student-led club focuses on reducing waste and promoting sustainable living within campus and residence communities.
"The idea for GreenSort started as a hackathon solution run by a student group," said Dhanoa, a second-year civil and environmental engineering student. "We all had witnessed the challenges students faced translating intention into impact while supporting campus waste initiatives."
Along with her co-founder, third-year biology student Krishna Patel, Dhanoa was inspired to address this challenge, by recruiting like-minded individuals to form GreenSort as a functional club.
By educating and assisting students unsure of how to sort their food waste, GreenSort's mission is "to reduce the negative environmental impact of waste on campus by promoting sustainable practices" through residence events and at sustainability fairs throughout the year.
The GreenSort team also promotes sustainability practices on its Instagram channel and is developing digital tools, like a waste sorting module, to make waste management education more accessible.
GreenSort is one of many student-facing clubs and groups that are part of the Western Environment and Sustainability Network.
Dr. Anna Gunz
Dr. Anna Gunz is a professor in the department of paediatrics at the Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry and a paediatric intensive care physician at Children's Hospital at London Health Sciences Centre (LHSC).
As clinical lead for planetary health and sustainability at LHSC, Gunz advocates for greener hospital practices and sustainability in healthcare.
She is also the founding medical director of the Children's Environmental Health Clinic Ontario, a unique program in Canada addressing the impact of environmental exposures on children's health by integrating clinical care, research, advocacy and education.
A recognized leader in environmental health, Gunz serves as the president of the Child Environmental Health section of the Canadian Paediatric Society and the pediatric green' section lead for the Ontario Medical Association.
She is also the policy and clinical lead for the Climate Change and Health Collaborative.
A passionate proponent of nature-based solutions, Gunz directs the Land-based Healing/Nature for Healing Program, which enhances patient and family health through increased exposure to nature at London Children's Hospital. This initiative supports holistic health through nature prescriptions and developing naturalized hospital spaces.
Gunz's commitment to planetary health also extends to public engagement, including recent appearances on CTV's The Social, where she discussed the impact of climate change on youth mental health.
Enya Law and Peter Dani, leaders of Fashion and Food Drive team
The Fashion and Food Drive project was created to reduce student waste, while promoting sustainability, social responsibility and a spirit of generosity.
Spearheaded by residence don and second-year health sciences student Enya Law through The Purple Project and supported by residence advisor and fourth-year medical sciences student Peter Dani through his vice-president role within the West London Lions Club, the Fashion and Food Drive engaged students across Western's 13 residence buildings, by collecting gently used items and recycling unused donations to benefit those in need.
The collaborative effort with housing and ancillary services resulted in the collection of more than 700 pounds of clothing, 150 pounds of food, 200 bedding items and more than 1,000 cooking utensils. These items were repurposed and donated to local organizations, such as Anova, which supports individuals affected by violence, and the London Food Bank.
Law credits her experience in The Founders Program at the Morrissette Institute for Entrepreneurship for providing mentorship to bring the idea to life.
"With an entrepreneurial mindset, we looked beyond the problem and focused on creating a meaningful solution to potential student waste, that not only provided donations but also brought people together for a shared cause," Law said.
"The response from the drive was incredible. Seeing students, staff and community members come together, driven by generosity and kindness, really showcased the strength of the Western community."
