Press Release

Gillibrand Hails NYS Pollution Prevention Institute Director as Environmental Champion

Mar 28, 2012

Rochester, NY – Today, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, a member of the Environmental and Public Works Committee, congratulated the Director of the New York State Pollution Prevention Institute (NYS P2I), Dr. Anahita Williamson, for winning the 2012 Environmental Quality Award for her leadership and significant contributions to greening New York State.  Senator Gillibrand nominated Dr. Williamson this past February. 

“I congratulate Dr. Williamson for her dedication to securing a cleaner New York,” said Senator Gillibrand. “From improving the region’s quality of life to successfully reducing our carbon footprint, Dr. Williamson will help lead the way towards a green energy future for our state and our country.”

“We are thrilled to see Anahita receive this important recognition for her efforts to help companies reduce their environmental footprint while at the same time helping them to lower their costs and improve their bottom line,” said Dr. Nabil Nasr, Assistant Provost and Director, Golisano Institute of Sustainability. “She has provided exceptional leadership for the NYS Pollution Prevention Institute in the Golisano Institute for Sustainability at RIT and is an outstanding engineer as well as an important role model.   I am proud to have her as a colleague.  We are very grateful to Senator Gillibrand for nominating Anahita for this prestigious award.” 

As Director of the NYS Pollution Prevention Institute (NYS P2I), a statewide research and technology transfer center funded by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, Dr. Williamson has extensive experience in the field of environmental engineering. Prior to joining NYS P2I, she served as a senior engineer at Xerox Corporation where she assisted in implementing companywide sustainability and pollution prevention processes. Dr. Williamson has a B.S. in chemical engineering and a MS and Ph.D. in civil and environmental engineering from Clarkson University and is a Lean Six Sigma certified Greenbelt.   

The Rochester Institute of Technology and its partner universities, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Clarkson University, and the University of Buffalo, along with the state’s ten regional technology development centers (RTDC) together comprise the NYSP2I, helping businesses across the state successfully reduce their carbon footprint.  The vision for the NYSP2I is to foster the growth of New York’s sustainable businesses and organizations and to make New York a leader in environmental stewardship.  

Awards, which recognize individuals and organizations that have improved the environment and public health in EPA Region 2 (New York, New Jersey, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands and seven federally-recognized Indian Nations), will be formally presented to New York organizations in a ceremony on Friday, April 27th at the EPA Regional Headquarters in New York City.