The United States Green Building Council (USGBC) has named sustainability consultant Heather Joy Rosenberg as its 2014-2015 Mark Ginsberg Sustainability Fellow.

Rosenberg will study best practices around issues of social equity and the built environment.

“This fellowship reflects USGBC’s interest in digging deep into the issues around social equity,” Rosenberg says. “It builds on the great work already being done around health and on the inspiring work being done by previous fellows.”

Rosenberg is trained in ecology and community development. She has worked on policy and community outreach at a local, state, national and international level in the areas of urban agriculture, transportation services and affordable housing. She previously worked with the USGBC in the development of impact categories and analytical weighting used in LEED v4.

“Heather’s work continues to bring to the fore crucial questions about how inclusion, community and human health are intertwined in the green building movement,” says Rick Fedrizzi, president, CEO and founding chair of the USGBC.

Rosenberg recently co-authored a white paper entitled, Social Equity in the Built Environment: an Initial Framework and Project Examples with former LEED Steering Committee Chair Joel Ann Todd. The paper discusses the scarcity of green buildings that address social equity issues. Rosenberg’s work on the topic will continue into her fellowship.

The fellowship honours Mark Ginsberg, who worked at the U.S Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. Ginsberg was a supporter of the LEED rating system when the system was in its infancy.