Accolades: University, Accounting Student Receive Recognition

Accolades is an occasional News Center feature that highlights recent accomplishments of UT Dallas, its faculty and students. To submit items for consideration, contact your school’s communication manager.

UT Dallas Earns EDGE Award for LEED-Certified Buildings

The University of Texas at Dallas has been recognized by the city of Richardson and the Richardson Chamber of Commerce with a 2018 EDGE Environmental Award for the number of LEED-certified buildings on campus.

The award is given to a business or organization for effective sustainable and green initiatives. The awards were presented during a Nov. 13 luncheon. UT Dallas, one of nine recipients honored this year, has built six LEED-certified buildings since 2010.

“UT Dallas is committed to building a campus that is sensitive to the environment,” said Dr. Calvin Jamison, vice president for facilities and economic development. “Everything we do, including planting 6,500 trees on campus, expanding our composting and recycling programs, and building LEED-certified buildings, focuses on creating a greener campus. This recognition highlights our commitment to generations of Comets to come and to being a strategic neighbor in the community.”

LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) is a designation from the U.S. Green Building Council that recognizes “green” design and construction features. LEED projects are reviewed for their commitment to sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection, indoor environmental quality and cutting-edge design.

Among the University’s LEED buildings is the Student Services Building, which was awarded LEED Platinum status in 2010, the highest certification level a building can achieve. It was the first academic structure — and the 11th statewide — to achieve the designation. It also was the first LEED Platinum facility in The University of Texas System.

UT Dallas also has two LEED Gold buildings: The Davidson-Gundy Alumni Center and the Bioengineering and Sciences Building. The Edith O’Donnell Arts and Technology Building, Naveen Jindal School of Management Addition and the complex composed of Residence Hall West, Dining Hall West and Recreation Center West have earned Silver certifications.

Kelly Kinnard, director of physical plant services, said the University also is working to get LEED certification for its newest buildings, the Engineering and Computer Science West building, which opened this fall, and the Science Building, which is still under construction.

EDGE is the Economic Development, Growth and Expansion initiative of the Richardson Economic Development Partnership (REDP), developed by the city of Richardson and the Richardson Chamber of Commerce. The awards are given by the REDP in partnership with the Chamber of Commerce and Richardson Rotary Clubs to recognize companies and organizations that have made a significant contribution to the community.

Jindal School Student Awarded Ascend Scholarship

Naveen Jindal School of Management senior Rachel McKenna, a fast-track Master of Science in accounting student who also is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in finance, has earned a $5,000 scholarship from Ascend, a 60,000-member Pan-Asian professional organization.

McKenna’s prize, the American Institute of CPAs (AICPA) Scholarship, was one of 11 offered this year by the Ascend Foundation for scholastic excellence and community contributions and distributed in partnership with the AICPA.

“This award affirms the fact that I chose the right profession,” she said. “It means a lot that the AICPA is investing in my future.”

A member of the Jindal School’s Professional Program in Accounting, McKenna plans to sit for her CPA exam upon graduation and pursue a career as an external auditor.

She has been a leader in Ascend’s UT Dallas chapter, an ambassador for JSOM’s Career Management Center, an office assistant at the Institute for Excellence in Corporate Governance and a supplemental instruction leader at the UT Dallas Student Success Center.