DURHAM, N.H. - University of New Hampshire students Jessica Daigle '13 and Bobby Lambert '10, '12G are the image and video winners, respectively, of UNH's first annual "What Sustainability Means to Me" student video and image contest. Each has won $500, and their work - along with other student submissions - is on display through April 4, 2012, at the Museum of Art at UNH.

All video entries (http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLF8805AB6699DC7EC) and image entries (http://flic.kr/s/aHsjyqgEHA) are also online. Winners were announced yesterday at the Museum of Art.

Video winner Lambert, of Portsmouth, uses home-grown animation in his video "Sustainability through Knowledge."

"The basis for a sustainable lifestyle is a sound education," he says. "From this, environmental awareness and the knowledge to act accordingly create a better world for all. Educated actions have the ability to inspire others to do the same. This collection of sustainable decisions we make can amount to something monumental." Lambert, who holds a B.S. in environmental resource economics from UNH, is pursuing a graduate certificate in sustainability politics and policy.

Of her winning image "Windmill," Daigle, from Allenstown, says, "I traveled to California and spent about a week on a conservation island. I took this shot after hiking the hills of the island. As I finished my hike, approaching the nearby ocean, I came upon this windmill and felt blessed have found such a beautiful sight." Daigle is majoring in elementary education and studio arts with a concentration in photography.

The idea for the contest was inspired by Seattle artist and activist Chris Jordan, part of whose work is on display at the Museum of Art through April 4. (Learn more at www.unh.edu/moa.) The exhibit, called "Chris Jordan: Running the Numbers," makes the statistics of contemporary American culture -- 15 million sheets of office paper used every five minutes or 106,000 aluminum cans used every 30 seconds -- come to life.

"Chris Jordan's photographs and the video competition both demonstrate the ability of art to address complex, difficult issues in a way that is direct and accessible," says Kristina Durocher, director of the Museum of Art, a co-sponsor of the video and image contest.

The three videos and three images that received the most "like's" and comments on Facebook, YouTube and Flickr made it to the final juried round. The jury, which choose the final winners, included Durocher, Sara Cleaves, associate director of the UNH Sustainability Academy, also a co-sponsor of the contest; David Kaye, professor and chair of the UNH Department of Theatre and Dance; Julee Holcombe, assistant professor of art; Jason Boucher, UNH social media coordinator; Dan Carchici, UNH Academy Technology; and Joe Tombarello, creative services writer/editor/producer for WMUR-TV.

"The entries were thought-provoking, attention-grabbing, fun. Students today know how to reach out, grab and educate people on big issues," says Cleaves. "This contest was a way to show off the talented and moving voices of UNH students, and they did not disappoint. Their inspiring sustainability videos and images demand us to stop, think and act differently."

Learn more at http://www.sustainableunh.unh.edu/contest.

The University of New Hampshire, founded in 1866, is a world-class public research university with the feel of a New England liberal arts college. A land, sea and space-grant university, UNH is the state's flagship public institution, enrolling 11,800 undergraduate and 2,400 graduate students. Home to the oldest endowed sustainability program in US higher education, UNH is an international leader in advancing sustainability across curriculum, operations, research and engagement. Learn more at www.sustainableunh.unh.edu

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Media available for download
http://flic.kr/p/bmcZeA
Caption: "Windmill" by Jessica Daigle '13 is the image winner of the University of New Hampshire's first "What Sustainability Means to Me" student video and image contest.
Credit: Jessica Daigle

/unhtoday/news/cj_nr/2012/mar/bp22moa.jpg
Caption: Jessica Daigle and Sara Cleaves, associate director of UNH Sustainability Academy.
Credit: Courtesy of UNH Sustainability Academy

http://youtu.be/eSEr-tJuG-I
Caption: "Sustainability through Knowledge" by Bobby Lambert '10, '12G of Portsmouth is the video winner of the University of New Hampshire's first "What Sustainability Means to Me" student video and image contest.
Credit: Bobby Lambert

/unhtoday/news/cj_nr/2012/mar/bp22sustain.jpg
Caption: Kristina Durocher, director of the Museum of Art at UNH; video contest winner Bobby Lambert; and Sara Cleaves, associate director of UNH Sustainability Academy.
Credit: Julee Holcombe