While serving as an advisor and later as an affiliate faculty member in the University of South Florida Judy Genshaft Honors College, Dr. Al Blanchard was inspired by his students' creative solutions and determination to overcome the pressing sustainability issues facing our planet. Recognizing the potential impact of their ideas, he created the Blanchard Sustainability Leadership Prize (BSL Prize) to fund two students for a year as they pursued sustainability projects of their choice.
Naturally, the Honors students exceeded his expectations.
This spring, the college announced the inaugural winners of the BSL Prize: McKenzie Newbern, Brady Quinn, and Luci DiBonaventura. Originally intended to support two projects, the award was expanded to recognize three students.
Generously funded by Blanchard, the prize provides up to $5,000 in funding for projects aimed at building a more sustainable future through one or more of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. In addition to financial support, recipients receive mentorship from USF experts and the opportunity to present their work at a sustainability-focused conference of their choice.
The recipients represent a range of disciplines, from marine science and health care to cinematography. Each student is using their academic background and personal interests to pursue projects addressing sustainability challenges while building experience for future careers.
McKenzie Newbern
McKenzie Newbern, a marine science and environmental science and policy major in USF’s College of Arts and Sciences, is using the prize to expand on her work with the Oyster Brick Restoration project at the Judy Genshaft Honors College. After learning to use 3D printing technology to design habitats for endangered oyster populations in Tampa Bay, Newbern identified an opportunity to develop vertical oyster basket designs as an extension of the project.
“I talked about this idea with my mentor and director of the ORB project, Professor Tina Piracci, but because of time constraints, we weren’t able to move forward,” Newbern said. “Now, through the Blanchard Sustainability Leadership Prize, I have the freedom to work on this project independently. If it proves successful, I hope to continue collaborating with Professor Piracci to expand these efforts after I graduate.”
As part of the project, Newbern will create three basket prototypes using clay materials and install them on docks throughout Tampa Bay. She plans to partner with local homeowners and businesses willing to host the baskets on their properties.
“Since I was a kid, I’ve always been interested in marine biology. All I wanted to do was make a difference,” Newbern said.
Newbern plans to present her project at World Water Week in Stockholm, Sweden.
Brady Quinn
Brady Quinn, a mass communications major also in the USF College of Arts and Sciences, was inspired to pursue sustainability storytelling after witnessing the impact of Hurricane Milton on Florida communities. A Michigan native, Quinn said he was moved by the way local businesses and residents came together in the aftermath of the storm. The experience inspired him to begin a documentary project, “Local Roots, Global Impact,” highlighting individuals, nonprofits and organizations committed to community resilience and sustainable practices.
“Hurricane Milton was a turning point for me. After witnessing the incredible resilience of our community, I realized waiting for someone to solve climate change wasn’t an option,” said Quinn.
As the first step of his journey, Quinn pursued the United Nations Millennium Fellowship, an opportunity that allows students to pursue community service projects that advance the UN Sustainability Goals. He began his documentary as a Millennium Fellow, but soon he discovered he would need funding to bring his vision to completion.
“The Blanchard Sustainability Leadership Prize gives me the resources to create a professional-quality film that can truly inspire others and be presented on a national stage,” said Quinn. “It transforms this from a passion project into something that can create real, scalable impact.”
Quinn plans to use the funding to purchase equipment, travel for production, submit the documentary to film festivals and present the completed project at the AASHE 2026 Conference and Expo in Baltimore.
Luci DiBonaventura
A first-year student and health sciences major in the USF College of Public Health, Luci DiBonaventura initially thought the Blanchard Sustainability Leadership Prize wouldn’t apply to her, since her interests lay in health care, rather than environmental sciences. After researching the award further, she realized that the prize supports students of all majors who want to work on projects that address the UN Sustainability Goals. Because of her passion for increasing health care education to vulnerable populations, she found that the prize would be her perfect opportunity to make a difference in volunteer work she was already doing.
“Sustainability doesn’t just address the environment, it also addresses human health,” DiBonaventura said. “My project focuses on health disparities with the goal of connecting people to resources they need.”
DiBonaventura serves as vice president of USF’s student chapter of Hearts4theHomeless, a nonprofit organization that provides blood pressure screenings in low-income communities. Through her volunteer work, she noticed that many community members lacked access to primary care physicians and other essential health resources.
“A lot of health resources are available, but not accessible to people, and that’s what inspired me to create a model of accessibility,” DiBonaventura said.
Through the prize, DiBonaventura plans to develop both digital and physical resource
guides while partnering with community organizations to educate underserved populations
about low-cost or free health care, food assistance, and employment opportunities.
She also hopes to incorporate transportation support for individuals facing barriers
to accessing care.
It’s important for DiBonaventura to make sure her project lasts, long after the prize
period concludes.
“I want to contribute to a future where access to health care and basic resources
is not determined by someone’s circumstances, but treated as a fundamental right,”
DiBonaventura said. “The goal is to get people the care they need.”
DiBonaventura plans to present her project at the Florida Student Health Association
conference.
Not Just an Award – A Lasting Impact
Now that the students have the support needed to begin their projects, they will meet regularly with Blanchard and other mentors to share updates on their progress and navigate challenges. Students will also work toward presenting their projects at national and international conferences later this year.
After meeting the selected students and hearing their ideas, Judy Genshaft Endowed Honors College Dean Charles Adams reflected on the potential for the BSL Prize to position the college as a contributor to local and national sustainability efforts.
“Programs like the Blanchard Sustainability Leadership Prize demonstrate how USF students are not only thinking critically about the future, but actively creating solutions with the materials they have available to them,” Adams said. “They have the resources to shape conversations around environmental leadership.”
The Blanchard Sustainability Leadership Prize will reopen to applicants in fall 2026. Incoming and current Honors students from all majors with a passion for sustainable change are encouraged to apply.