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2024 Eco Award

David Tonjes. Photo by Tania Thomas

Stony Brook University Research Associate Professor David Tonjes of Huntington received the 2024 Eco Award from Westchester County’s Department of Environmental Facilities at its fifth annual Eco Awards ceremony on April 18. 

The Eco Award recognizes outstanding contributions to the environment and sustainability made by residents, students, schools, municipalities, businesses, and organizations.

“I appreciate this award. I couldn’t have done this without my hard-working, dedicated team,” Professor Tonjes said. “The most satisfaction, however, comes from knowing that we may be finding ways to encourage better ways of recycling to help our planet.” 

Selected for his research designed to improve the management of solid waste in New York State, Tonjes has worked on solid waste issues in New York State for thirty years. Related to his research, Tonjes has led teams of students, supervisors and faculty to categorize 43 different types of waste each summer, sorting through 50 tons of waste to-date. In addition, in 2021, Professor Tonjes was key in the entering of a Memorandum of Understanding between Stony Brook University’s Waste Data and Analysis Center and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, awarding $4.25 million to characterize solid waste and improve its recycling. 

“His leadership in Stony Brook’s research on improving solid waste management across New York State was a key factor in his selection. His work serves as an inspiration for residents and aligns perfectly with Stony Brook’s commitment to sustainability,” said Firman Firmansyah, PhD, a research supervisor and sampling specialist in the Waste Data and Analysis Center at Stony Brook University.

Tonjes has been a professor in the Department of Technology and Society for 18 years. He received his PhD in coastal oceanography at the School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences at Stony Brook University.