Dr. Ivy F. Lin, an Assistant Professor in the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery (OMS) and the faculty leader of the UW School of Dentistry’s Climate Action Sustainability Team (CAST), has been recognized with a 2025 Husky Sustainability Award.
In what is now the 16th year the award has been given out by the UW Environmental Stewardship Committee, the Husky Sustainability Award recognizes individuals and groups across all UW campuses who lead the way for sustainability at the University.
As her bio on the 2025 award winners page states, Dr. Lin is passionate about climate action and is working to advance environmental sustainability within the UWSOD. On top of founding the UWSOD’s CAST, she has successfully implemented multiple initiatives to increase awareness regarding the environmental impact of dental care and how climate events impact the health of patients and communities.
“This recognition is an incredible honor, and I am especially grateful for the spotlight it puts on the importance of integrating environmental stewardship into healthcare,” said Dr. Lin. “The healthcare sector accounts for approximately 8.5% of total greenhouse gas emissions in the US, yet waste reduction and sustainable practices are often overlooked in medical fields, especially in dentistry. I hope our profession shifts towards more environmentally responsible approaches in the near future.”
Under her leadership, Dr. Lin and the rest of CAST recently performed a waste audit to quantify the usage and disposal patterns of commonly used dental products, started a monthly newsletter and events to support sustainability, and have worked to incorporate sustainability into the School of Dentistry curriculum.
“The Husky Sustainability Award serves as a powerful reminder that our efforts are seen, supported, and aligned with the broader mission of sustainability at the UW,” said Dr. Lin. “For the Climate Action and Sustainability Team, it’s both a milestone and a motivator—showing us that change is possible and encouraging us to aim even higher. I hope it will also give us a platform to engage more stakeholders, inspire peers, and build stronger collaborations across schools and disciplines within UW.”
Dr. Lin serves as the chair-elect of the American Dental Education Association’s Sustainability in Dentistry Special Interest Group and is a Climate Taskforce member with the Washington Physicians for Social Responsibility. She has also delivered numerous presentations on climate action in dentistry at institutional, regional, and national levels.
Her overarching goal is to foster greater awareness, engagement, and research within the dental community on the environmental impacts of dental practice and the importance of sustainability in oral health care.
“I am very encouraged by the work Dr. Lin is doing around environmental sustainability,” said UW School of Dentistry Dean André Ritter. “This is the first time in its history that the UW School of Dentistry has an organized group interested in analyzing the impact of our profession on the environment, and that is thanks to Dr. Lin and the CAST group she created. Her leadership is inspiring. This recognition is extremely well-deserved.”