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ESF Presents Feinstone Award to Community Stewards
David Gerber and Lauren Kochian to be honored
SYRACUSE, N.Y. – Oct. 16, 2024 - The SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry (ESF) will honor community stewards David Gerber, P.E. and Lauren Kochian with the 2024 Sol Feinstone Environmental Award.
The award recognizes leaders who care for the environment, encourage volunteerism and add to society’s understanding of environmental issues and their solutions.
"Sol Feinstone believed a free society thrives when individuals take initiative for the common good. In this spirit, we proudly honor David and Lauren for embodying this principle. Their dedication uplifts the community and inspires others to do the same," said ESF President Joanie Mahoney.
Gerber is senior vice president of Arcadis. With more than 36 years of engineering and construction experience, Gerber stewards Arcadis’ largest and most important environmental pursuits; and brings innovative solutions and assured outcomes to clients’ most challenging construction and contracting needs.
He is a long-time supporter of ESF and its Environmental Resources Engineering (ERE) Department, of which he is an alumnus and current adjunct assistant professor. He is an emeritus member of the ESF College Foundation Board, and a past president and ex-officio member of the ERE Advisory Council. He currently serves as Vice President of the Cazenovia Preservation Foundation.
Kochian is the president of the Milton J. Rubenstein Museum of Science & Technology (MOST), a position she’s held since 2018. Prior to her appointment as president, Kochian championed the MOST Foundation and museum operations efforts as executive vice president. Under her leadership, the museum has seen significant growth and investment, dramatic increases in attendance, and new strategic partnerships. Kochian has overseen the development of new exhibits and programming that expands access to the MOST for all Central New Yorkers. This includes the ESF Summer Science Week, a free camp for students entering ninth grade in the fall.
Kochian has more than 20 years of fund development, marketing, and public relations experience. Her previous roles include marketing and development for Arc of Onondaga and Syracuse Stage. She serves on the board of the Arts & Culture Leadership Alliance and the advisory council of Golisano Children’s Hospital.
The annual Feinstone Awards dinner takes place at 6 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 17 at the College’s Gateway Center on the ESF campus.
The Feinstone program has made more than 100 awards, honoring individuals from across the United States for their significant contributions to protecting the environment, promoting the wise use and management of our country's natural resources, and promoting the spirit of volunteerism.
Sol Feinstone, a widely known historian and author who was a graduate of ESF, established the Feinstone awards program in 1976. His goal was to reward people and organizations that exemplified his belief that the best insurance for a free society lay in people's desire and ability to voluntarily do the things that need to be done for the good of all.
About SUNY ESF
The SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry (ESF) is dedicated to the study of the environment, developing renewable technologies, and building a sustainable and resilient future through design, policy, and management of the environment and natural resources. Members of the College community share a passion for protecting the health of the planet and a deep commitment to the rigorous application of science to improve the way humans interact with the world. The College offers academic programs ranging from the associate of applied science to the Doctor of Philosophy. ESF students live, study and do research on the main campus in Syracuse, N.Y., and on 25,000 acres of field stations in a variety of ecosystems across the state.