Sustainability Scholarship Winners
Find out about our 2024 Sustainability Scholarship winners and their work
Al-Bara Al-Sakkaf is a software engineering student whose studies have focused on the role of technology—particularly software and artificial intelligence—in advancing sustainable systems. Learning about algorithmic approaches to ensure that clean energy is used and stored more efficiently sparked a strong interest in using software for environmental impact and he is now working towards developing a project that uses data and AI to optimise power usage in small community settings. He is also actively involved in sustainability efforts on campus such as community garden work and rubbish clean-ups, and serves as the Vice-President of the Palmerston North Multicultural Youth Council, where he coordinates and leads community-driven events that celebrate diversity while promoting environmental responsibility.
Emily Hall is an architecture student who has dedicated herself to driving positive environmental and societal change within our built environment. Her Master’s thesis, Living Whare: a sustainable approach for building home in Aotearoa, explores how sustainable, circular economy principles can be applied to modular prefabrication to transform residential architecture in New Zealand. Her work was awarded the 2024 BIA (Building Institute Aotearoa) Next Gen Award and she advocates for the need for broader uptake of sustainability in the building industry through collaborative projects, a Summer Research Scholarship, and webinars.
Holly Dixon studies Ecology, Biology, and Environmental Science, and has been a passionate advocate of sustainable actions since she was young, including as Environmental Co-Leader at her high school. She has volunteered for Forest and Bird, helping with the Tanera Gully Restoration Project, with Piki Toitū, and Growing our Future. She is now the Kumutoto Restoration Project Co-Lead for the Society of Conservation Biology, organising and promoting regular working bees to weed and trap pests in the area.
Hugh Acton initially studied Environmental Science but switched to Politics after it became clear to him that while the science is settled on climate change, governments lack the political will to act. He co-founded the Climate Action and Resistance Club at VUW in 2024 which facilitates direct action and advocacy around the climate crisis. Hugh was the 2024 VUWSA Campaigns Officer and is the 2025 Sustainability Officer, organising sustainability events and campaigning for more sustainability action and awareness on campus.
Katherine Fenton is a PhD student and marine educator whose research focuses on understanding different climate-induced stressors to blackfoot pāua. Through her work as an educator she has developed and trialled tools to support schools and various coastal communities to engage with their marine environment and collect data in order to effectively campaign for the improved management of local ecosystems. Her PhD work explores how historical sustainable harvest of kaimoana species has been affected by climate change and coastal development, and how we can future-proof our coastlines for sustainable harvest of pāua under increasingly intense climate-change induced weather events.
Lara Teodorescu is an architecture student who is passionate about transforming projects into real-world, impactful solutions through design and environmental advocacy. She is currently working on a co-housing project for young professionals who wish to implement more sustainable practices in their lives, such as communal gardens, recycling schemes, and encouragement of zero carbon transport methods. Her volunteer work has included organising micro events such as making toys from repurposed materials for the SPCA and preparing seedlings for Conservation Volunteers Wellington, and she also volunteers with KaiCycle.
Ronan Melville is committed to action rooted in climate justice, civic responsibility, and inclusive community-building. He founded the Otago Boy’s High School first-ever recycling and waste separation system, and co-led the Kaitiaki Dunedin Town Belt programme, collaborating with Enviroschools on trapping, weeding, and planting days. He is co-founder and President of the Students for a Wellbeing Economy club, which provides a platform for reimagining our economic systems to serve both people and planet.
Scarlett Tully is a Development Studies student who works as a part of the Ngaio Climate Crew, which aims to make Ngaio/Crofton Downs the first carbon neutral suburb in New Zealand—and the world. She has also worked for Climate Club Aotearoa developing an event series promoting high climate-impact lifestyle changes for Aucklanders, and believes that a whole lot of people doing imperfect climate action is incredibly impactful. She is also a member of the Society for Conservation Biology and is interested in practical application of climate finance, healthy cities, climate adaptation and mitigation strategies, and just transitions.
Tran My La is a Landscape Architecture student whose studio projects have often required responding to environmental challenges such as water management, biodiversity, and climate adaptation. Tran uses recycled material for physical assignments, not only to reduce waste but to develop creative thinking with limited resources. Tran has volunteered with various community programmes such as Green Impact and the Red Cross, and plans to run a University-wide design competition focused on sustainable landscape solutions for urban environments.
Tyler Florance is a landscape architecture student whose research-through-design project seeks to reimagine pastoral agricultural landscapes through the lens of freshwater whaitua (catchment) restoration. This work addresses the critical ecological degradation caused by over a century of pastoral intensification, and is conducted with a holistic design framework ground in te ao Māori principles. He also volunteers with Te Māra a Tāne (Zealandia ecosanctuary), supporting ecological monitoring and hands-on restoration, and through his thesis aims to further develop participatory strategies that empower local communications to co-design sustainable interventions across the rural landscape.
Yasmine Alani has participated in the Green Impact programme, achieving the 2025 Ruru Award for her awareness campaigns regarding waste minimisation and energy savings, where she developed communication materials and workshops to promote behavioural change at the department level. She also helps organise climate strikes in Wellington to demand better climate policy and ensure the youth voice is heard in legislative spaces, and plans to create a zero-waste toolkit for student flats.