Christine O’Connell, a second-year Ph.D. student at MSRC, was recently awarded the 2005 Liblit Scholarship. Christine was selected from among several highly qualified applicants based on her academic record, research developing the Long Island Garbage Index, proposed Ph.D. research focusing on marine zoning, and extensive volunteer experience with environmental public outreach efforts. On behalf of the Evan R. Liblit Memorial Fund Committee, Dennis Lynch – the Fund’s founder and chair – presented Christine with the $2500 award at the 8th Annual Liblit Memorial Breakfast celebrating “America Recycles Day.”
The Hon. Arthur “Jerry” Kremer was this year’s guest speaker at the breakfast held on November 15 at the New York Institute of Technology’s Culinary Arts Center in Central Islip. Kremer, a former state lawmaker from Long Beach and political analyst for News Channel 12, addressed several pressing environmental issues for Long Islanders such as the preservation of open space, energy availability, and the management of Long Island’s solid waste stream. He concluded by paying tribute to Evan Liblit who had “passion for a better quality of life on Long Island” and to the scholarship in Liblit’s honor that encourages forward thinking on these issues.
Dennis Lynch also presented several additional environmental awards. MSRC’s Frank Roethel, who conducts research on waste-to-energy technologies and combustion ash, received an Environmental Stewardship Award for his innovations and outstanding creativity in furthering recycling and diverting a significant amount of material from the solid waste stream. Awards were also presented to Jerry Kremer, Verizon, Covanta Energy, and Richard Ronan, and a Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to Harold Berger – former regional director of the New York State Department of Conservation – for his work and commitment to Long Island’s environment.
The Evan R. Liblit Memorial Fund, established in 1997, commemorates the life and works of Evan Liblit – a pioneer in recycling and waste management. MSRC Dean and Director David Conover commended the Liblit Committee and supporters for playing an important role in providing financial assistance to graduate students through this fund. This year’s major sponsors include: the Association of Long Island Recycling Officials, Covanta Energy, Cleatview Consultants Inc., Dvirka & Bartilucci Estee Lauder, the Glass Family, the Liblit Family, Long Island Power Authority, Long Island Compost, and the New York State Association for Reuse, Reduction and Recycling.
