Phipps President and CEO Honored with University of Connecticut Award
For Immediate Release: Tues., May 14
Contact: Joe Reed | Director of Marketing and Communications
412-622-6915, ext. 3801 | jreed@phipps.conservatory.org
Phipps President and CEO Honored with University of Connecticut Award
Richard V. Piacentini Recognized for Career Achievements Among University of Connecticut Alumni
Piacentini (second from left) pictured at the award ceremony, along with his advisor, Dr. Gregory Anderson, on the left, and Drs. Shareen Hertel and Davis Chacon Hurtado
Mansfield, CT – On Wed., April 30, Phipps Conservatory President and CEO Richard V. Piacentini was honored alongside six fellow alumni at the inaugural College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (CLAS) Distinguished Alumni Awards at the University of Connecticut. This event was created to recognize alumni who are leaders in their fields and demonstrate the college’s core values of community, creativity, dedication, diversity, empowerment and integrity throughout their work.
Recognized as the distinguished alumni for Life Science in the Life and Physical Sciences category, Richard holds a Master of Science in Botany from the UConn along with a Master of Business Administration from Virginia Commonwealth University and a Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy from the University of Rhode Island. Since 1994 he has led Phipps from public to private management and is responsible for its green transformation including: the Center for Sustainable Landscapes, one of the greenest buildings in the world, a net-zero energy and water building and the only building to meet seven of the highest green certifications: the Living Building Challenge, LEED Platinum, WELL Building Platinum, SITES Platinum, Fitwel 3 Star, Zero Energy Certification and BREEAM Outstanding In-Use.
The sustainability efforts Richard initiated at Phipps are based on recognizing the vital connections between human and environmental health and adopting a regenerative approach to organizational development. In recent years, Richard has sought to help fellow institutions develop their sustainable capacities by creating The Climate Toolkit, a network of resources to help museums, gardens, zoos and other institutions to address climate change.
More information about the CLAS Distinguished Alumni Awards can be found at https://today.uconn.edu/2025/05/alumni-honored-at-inaugural-clas-awards-ceremony/.
###
About Phipps: Founded in 1893, Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens in Pittsburgh, PA is a globally recognized green leader with a mission to inspire and educate all with the beauty and importance of plants; to advance sustainability and promote human and environmental well-being through action and research; and to celebrate its historic glasshouse. Encompassing 15 acres including a historic 14-room glasshouse, 23 distinct indoor and outdoor gardens and industry-leading sustainable architecture and operations, Phipps attracts more than half a million visitors annually from around the world. Learn more at phipps.conservatory.org.
Watch TEDx: What We Can Learn From an Old Glasshouse: A look at the evolving way we connect people to nature at Phipps, demonstrate how human and environmental health are inextricably connected, and show that to age gracefully, we must continually reinvent ourselves to evolve with the rest of the world.
