Here at the Office of Sustainability, we love the start of a new semester because that means we get to meet totally cool new NYU students who are interested in sustainability! We’d like to personally introduce you to one of our eco-minded students on campus.
Harrison Kennedy, Tisch ’22, quite literally dove right into environmental films. Growing up in south Florida, Harrison is a passionate free diver– always with a lens on hand. On a single breath, he can dive 30 feet to come lens to face with a 16 foot tiger shark. But his environmental career path started last summer right in New York City at the Paul Nicklen Gallery on West Broadway. Harrison met Rachel Miller who was in search of a media coordinator to work on her sustainable sailboat for the Rozalia Project. One thing led to another and Harrison found himself on a tiny dingy in Maine documenting seals entangled in plastic with the U.S. Oceans and Wildlife Campaign Manager at World Animal Protection, Elizabeth Hogan. Shortly after, Harrison was invited back to Maine to document the extraction of a 3 ton mass of ghost fishing gear using cranes and dive teams. He recalls that growing up in the Florida Keys instilled in him an early foundation of sustainability and respect for resources. Harrison’s love for the ocean stems from discovering propeller damage on Carysfort Reef and only catching what he could eat. However, we think what drives him back is a 16 foot tiger shark named Emma. Harrison had a bit of a summer romance with Emma– he describes her as “absolutely beautiful” and so far his “favorite thing to document.” With his mentor, John Garza, Harrison also traveled to Mexico to photograph whale sharks this July. While his crush is back in the warm waters of the Bahamas, Harrison is excited to enhance his entirely self-taught film skills this fall at NYU.
Case closed. Our news students are finding socially conscious and sustainable ways to live their lives and do what they love to do. Please don’t be shy – the Office of Sustainability wants to hear from you! No matter what you study, tell us about your sustainability goals right here at NYU!