U Illinois Chicago Approves Student Sustainability Fee
The University of Illinois at Chicago has approved a refundable $4.00 per semester sustainability fee for students. The fee was proposed by students to assist the university in aligning its operations and academics with the principles of sustainability. A student-led committee, supported by faculty and staff, will decide which student-driven initiatives receive funding through the initiative.
U Washington Seattle Announces Sustainability Fund Awards
The University of Washington, Seattle has announced the latest round of Campus Sustainability Fund project winners. Collected through a quarterly $118 student fee, the $180,227 will be split between five projects including a new sustainability service learning coordinator student liaison, on-campus composting facility, parking lot bioswale, green wall and feasibility study for a student biodiesel campus cooperative.
Portland State U Announces 2012 Campus-Community Project Grants
Portland State University's (OR) Institute for Sustainable Solutions has launched the 2012 Solutions Generator, offering student awards to carry out a physical installation, event, solutions-focused research paper, new program or recommendation to make the campus and community more sustainable. Each student involved in a selected proposal will receive up to a $1,000 Leadership Service Award and in addition, selected proposals will be awarded up to $1,500 toward budgeted project expenses.
U Manitoba Receives $3 M to Study Green Ag Practices
As part of a partnership among the Government of Canada, Canadian universities and industry to boost producer profitability through green agriculture technologies, the University of Manitoba has received $3 million to the to study cost-effective greenhouse gas mitigation practices for the cattle sector. Funded through the Agricultural Greenhouse Gases Program, a five-year, $27-million initiative that focuses on the development of on-farm greenhouse gas mitigation technologies, the university's research will lead to the development of new beneficial management practices toward reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the cattle sector.
U Minnesota Morris GreenCorps Prgm Receives Funding to Continue
The University of Minnesota, Morris has received funding to continue Minnesota GreenCorps, an environmentally focused AmeriCorps program administered by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, on its campus. The program is funded through a grant from the Corporation for National and Community Service with additional support from ServeMinnesota. The university's Morris Center for Small Towns, a community outreach program that serves as a point-of-entry to the resources of the university, is partnering to match five university students with community partners and projects this year.
Clarkson U Receives Grant for Energy-Efficient Food Facility
Clarkson University (NY) has received a $40,000 Educational Partnership grant from the Dominion Foundation to support the university’s Local Energy Efficient Food Facility. The grant will be used to integrate a pilot greenhouse that will grow plants year-round utilizing a biomass-solar thermal heating system and an anaerobic digester. Real-time data generated for analysis and system monitoring will be used in classrooms across campus.
Cornell U Named Winner of New NYC Science School
Named as a top contender during the year-long international competition, Cornell University (NY) has been chosen by New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg to partner with Technion-Israel Institute of Technology to create a new high-tech graduate science school. Cornell's proposed campus includes 2.1 million square feet of building space and a range of sustainable features including a heavy use of solar energy and geothermal wells. With the plan to make New York City a world leader in computer engineering and transform the city’s economy, Bloomberg announced that the $2 billion plan will include a $150 million venture capital fund for start-up companies that agree to remain in the city for three years, as well as math and science education support for 10,000 city children. With plans to complete 300,000 square feet of space on Roosevelt Island by 2017 and more than 2 million square feet by 2037, the campus is estimated to create 20,000 construction jobs and spin off 600 new businesses over the next generation.
Fanshawe College Receives Donation for Renewable Energy Program
Fanshawe College (ON) has received $95,000 from the Alma College Foundation and $405,000 from the Dorothy Palmer estate to create a renewable energies technician program. Renovations to the college’s old theater area and the equipment needed to sustain the program are to be funded entirely by the two donations. The program is expected to launch in fall 2012.
Mass College of Liberal Arts Awarded Co-Gen Feasibility Grant
Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts has been awarded $120,000 to determine what it will take to renovate its power plant with a co-generation unit and update its boilers to provide additional steam to heat the campus. The feasibility study, which will determine the savings derived from the biomass project, is the result of a previous energy study by the state's Division of Capital Asset Management that looked at what renewable energy sources that college might use.
Danville Area CC Receives $416K for Hybrid Wind Training
Danville Area Community College (IL) has received a $416,404 grant to develop a hybrid wind energy technician program in partnership with Highland Community College (IL). The funding is part of a $19.4 million grant from the U.S. Department of Labor Trade Adjustment Assistance Community College and Career Training Initiative, distributed among 17 Illinois Green Energy Network hub colleges that will work cooperatively to develop certificate and degree programs for green economy workforce training.
College of William & Mary Selects Green Fee Projects
The College of William & Mary’s (VA) Committee on Sustainability has announced the recipients of the fall 2011 Green Fee awards. Including water bottle refill stations and a community garden, the 12 winning proposals were awarded a total of $64,380. The committee also invested $40,000 of this year’s Green Fee revenue to the college's green endowment.
DOE Awards Funding to St. Joseph’s U for Green Roof Installation
Saint Joseph’s University (PA) has received funding from the U.S. Department of Energy to install a green roof and host homeowners' workshops for the public. Through a series of mini-workshops, participants will have the opportunity to tour the university’s green roof system and learn about stormwater management techniques including rain gardens, rain barrels and meadows.
U Utah Awarded Federal Grant for Electric Transit Bus System
As part of $100 million in grants to promote innovative and clean-fuel transit projects, U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood has announced a $2.7 million grant to the University of Utah and Utah Transit Authority to implement a campus electric transit bus system. Based on technology developed by the university's Energy Dynamics Laboratory, the future fleet of electric shuttles will wirelessly recharge through underground electric pads as they wait for passengers.
Yale U Receives $5.5 M for Reforestation Program
Yale University's (CT) Environmental Leadership & Training Initiative (ELTI) for Biodiversity Conservation in Tropical Forest Regions has received a six-year, $5.5 million grant by the Arcadia Fund to continue its work in Latin America and Southeast Asia. Aiming to restore tropical forests and the livelihoods that depend on them, the program trains environmental managers and local decision-makers to support conservation efforts where forests have been cleared and exploited.
College of Marin Receives Grant to Expand Organic Farm
The California Community College chancellor’s office has awarded a $233,000 grant to the College of Marin (CA) to expand the regional teaching organic farm laboratory into a self-sustaining, expanded farm production operation. With the help of more than $200,000 in matching grants, students will have access to expanded core curriculum and a new certificate program.
San Francisco State U Awarded $1.1 M from Department of Energy
San Francisco State University (CA) has received a new five-year grant from the U.S. Department of Energy totaling $1.1 million for the continuation of the School of Engineering's Industrial Assessment Center. The center provides students with training to improve the energy efficiency of manufacturing plants with a focus on reducing carbon footprints, conserving energy and cutting costs.
Western Michigan U Receives $700K for Solar Panels
Western Michigan University has received a $700,000 grant from the Department of Energy to install solar panels on campus. The energy generated will be used for electric car charging stations and additional energy will be fed back into the university’s electrical grid.
Brandeis U Sustainability Fund Receives $25K Gift
Brandeis University (MA) has received a $25,000 Gift of Inspiration for Education from National Office Furniture. The gift will boost the university's Student Sustainability Fund, enabling the Sustainability Fund Committee to implement larger investment projects and allow students greater opportunities to further campus sustainability initiatives.
Penn State U Awarded $2.3 M for Organic Agriculture Research
Pennsylvania State University has received a $2.3 million grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to investigate how certain cover crops and rotations can improve the production of organic commodities. The study’s goal is to determine whether diverse cover crop mixtures can enhance ecosystem functions. The university’s project is one of 23 in 18 states chosen for funding.
Stanford U Receives $150 M Gift to Tackle Global Poverty
Stanford University (CA) has received a $150 million donation from an MBA alum and his wife to establish an institute aimed at alleviating global poverty, reports a recent article in The Chronicle of Higher Education. Known as SEED, the Stanford Institute on Innovation in Developing Economies will work to develop innovations that improve the lives of people in developing countries and support entrepreneurs as they expand their businesses to solve problems in areas such as transportation, health care and mobile communications.
U Idaho Announces Student Sustainability Project Grants
The University of Idaho's Sustainability Center has awarded grants totaling $7,500 to three student-led sustainability projects. The selected projects include the installation and maintenance of a major sub-irrigation system to increase water use efficiency in the university’s nursery; research on the effects of adding biochar, a soil amendment, to compostable wastes; and the purchase and installation of headlights and taillights for student bicycles. The projects will be completed by May 2012.
U Kentucky to Debut 'Systems Thinking for Sustainability' Program
The University of Kentucky has received $200,000 from the National Science Foundation to implement a three-year curriculum project, "Systems Thinking for Sustainability." As members of collaborative teams, undergraduate students will develop solutions on a variety of scales that tackle challenges involving complex systems where economic, social and technical factors interact.
Utah State U Opens Green Fee to Student Projects
Utah State University has announced that it will allot about $30,000 toward its new Blue Goes Green Grant Program, designed to fund student proposals for sustainability projects on campus. The funding will be collected from the university's Blue Goes Green Fee, a student-approved fee of $3 per student. The fee is expected to generate $94,000 for the entire academic year.
Louisiana Tech Wins $1.1 M Grant for Green Technology Center
Louisiana Technical University has been awarded a $1.1 million grant from the Economic Development Administration to create a Proof of Concept Center for green technologies. The new program, LA_i6, will foster relationships with regional businesses and help expedite the introduction of green technology innovations into regional and national markets. LA_i6 will also work to amplify and promote the social, environmental and economic benefits of green technologies produced through its center.
North Carolina CCs Receive Greenforce Initiative Grants
The Greenforce Initiative has awarded grants of $3,000 to five projects organized by community colleges in North Carolina to promote green career pathways while advancing campus sustainability. Haywood Community College will restore and enhance the native plant communities and hydrology of its campus. Nash Community College will construct and house a mobile solar thermal hot water heater for class use. Southeastern Community College will introduce an area on campus to serve as a learning laboratory, emphasizing native plants and water retention methods. Stanly Community College’s Project Green Up-Reach Up effort will support a group of lower-income students to prepare for the national Building Analyst certification. Wake Technical Community College will hire a researcher to identify a local business willing to partner on the development of green technology classes.
NSF Awards Lansing CC $727K for Green Building Training
In response to Michigan's expanding green building industry, the National Science Foundation has awarded Lansing Community College (MI) a grant of $727,000 to launch a new program to develop education and training in integrated building science. The program will identify career pathways for building science-related fields, develop curricula with input from industry partners, and increase the number of secondary and post-secondary students receiving education in building science.
U South Florida Announces Student Green Fee Projects
The University of South Florida's Student Green Energy Fund council has allotted $277,000 toward four projects this semester. The projects include a solar installation that will save $4,000 annually; energy-efficient lighting upgrades that will save $1,500 annually; the addition of solar umbrellas to covered picnic table benches that include solar docking stations and USB ports; and an update of a campus electric vehicle charging facility.
Georgia Tech Awarded $3 M for New Energy Science Ph.D.
Georgia Institute of Technology has been awarded a five-year, $3 million grant from the National Science Foundation to establish an interdisciplinary Ph.D. program in energy science, technology and policy. The program will focus on the development of new, more efficient materials to address energy challenges during the next several decades.
Mercyhurst College Passes Student Green Energy Fee
After collecting 1,000 student signatures, Mercyhurst College (PA) has passed a Student Green Energy Fee that will collect $5 from every student each term to finance sustainable initiatives on campus. Project proposals will be accepted from students, staff and faculty members.
CA State University System Receives Energy Efficiency Grant
The California State University system has received $400,000 from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to initiate energy efficiency projects on campuses that were nearly cancelled after state funding cuts. Through the Energy Technology Assistance Program, campuses at Dominguez Hills, Fullerton, Long Beach, Pomona, San Diego and San Francisco will implement energy-efficient measures including smart lighting for parking lots and wireless air conditioning controls. The system expects to save more than $200,000 in annual utility costs.
Colo State U Receives $44.5 Mil Grant for EcoCAR 2 Competition
To aid its progress in the three-year national hybrid/electric vehicle design competition EcoCAR 2, Colorado State University has received $44.5 million worth of in-kind software from Siemens AG. Designed to teach students to manage large, complex projects, the software will steer a 40-student team that is working to build a fuel-cell vehicle for the competition.
Institutions Invest $65 Mil for Green Revolving Fund Challenge
The AASHE Bulletin has learned that a total of $65 million has been committed to campus green revolving funds as part of the Sustainable Endowments Institute's (SEI) Billion Dollar Green Challenge. The announcement will be made during the challenge's official launch on the main stage of the AASHE 2011 conference today. Harvard University (MA), Stanford University (CA) and Arizona State University are among 33 institutions that joined the challenge's Founding Circle. In collaboration with AASHE and the American College & University Presidents' Climate Commitment, the challenge encourages colleges and universities to invest a combined total of $1 billion in self-managed green revolving funds to finance energy efficiency improvements and provide an ongoing source for future conservation upgrades.
Iowa State U Receives $25 Mil Grant for Biofuels Program
Iowa State University has received $25 million in federal grants to develop a regional biomass production system for advanced transportation fuels derived from native perennial grasses. The comprehensive study will look at the effort’s broader economic and environmental impact. The university will work with the University of Washington, Washington State University, Louisiana State University and the University of Tennessee on the five-year project.
Fed Officials Announce $500 Mil for CC Job Training
To help dislocated workers shift to new careers, the U.S. Department of Education and U.S. Department of Labor have announced that 32 community colleges and consortia will share $500 million for job training and workforce development. The grants are designed to work in tandem to increase opportunities for the unemployed with the president's recently proposed American Jobs Act, which would provide $5 billion to renovate community colleges.
Dickinson College Receives $1 Mil Gift for Greenhouse Project
Dickinson College (PA) has received a $1 million gift to fund a new research greenhouse on campus. The 1,400-square-foot facility will include three isolated research zones, a general use greenhouse area, a preparation potting area and climate-controlled laboratories. The greenhouse is expected to have a transformative effect on sustainability education, interdisciplinary learning and the college’s science curriculum.
U Nevada Las Vegas Receives $500K for Renewable Energy Programs
The University of Nevada, Las Vegas has received a $500,000 gift from NV Energy to enhance its renewable energy educational programs. The gift will fund four $26,000 graduate-level renewable energy assistantships and support a new graduate certificate program in renewable energy. Funding will also go toward existing renewable energy graduate programs and student outreach activities.
Yale U Receives $25 Mil to Open Energy Sciences Institute
Yale University (CT) has received $25 million from the Farallon Capital Management LLC founder and his wife to help open an Energy Sciences Institute. The university will hire new faculty members to conduct research on renewable fuel sources in 40,000 square feet of laboratory space at its West Campus.
NSF Awards $20 Mil to Oregon Green Chemistry Center
The Center for Sustainable Materials, a collaboration between Oregon State University and the University of Oregon, has received a $20 million grant from the National Science Foundation to develop greener chemical processes. The grant will be used largely to fund graduate student work through the center and expand the development of water-based processes that are of interest in electronics and renewable energy materials manufacturing. The center joins the National Science Foundation’s Centers of Chemical Innovation program, which aims to support a new, greener chemical industry in the U.S. through university research.
Obama Proposes $5 Billion for Community College Renovations
Among President Barack Obama's proposals to revive a stalling economy during his speech to a joint session of Congress this month is $5 billion to bolster the infrastructure at community colleges, reports a recent Chronicle of Higher Education article. The money would go toward renovation and upgrades to make use of new technologies and to become more energy-efficient. The president's proposed American Jobs Act would cost more than $400 billion total, to be paid for through spending cuts identified by the bipartisan deficit-reduction committee.
Madison Area Technical College Receives Green Grant
Madison Area Technical College (WI) has received a $10,000 Thermo Fisher Scientific INSPIRE Grant to support student participation in its "Renewable Energy for International Development" course. The coursework examines energy and economics in developing countries with special consideration toward renewable sources. With eight weeks of online instruction and 10 days of hands-on work in Costa Rica, students design and implement renewable energy systems that can be applied to developing countries. The grant will provide six $1,500 scholarships and a $1,000 stipend.
Unity College Receives $10 Mil Toward Sustainability Efforts
Unity College (ME) has received a $10 million gift from an anonymous donor toward its environmental and sustainable living mission, tripling the size of its endowment. "Climate change is probably the biggest challenge that...we'll be facing in the 21st century and beyond," says Robert Constantine, vice president for college advancement, who adds that the gift will allow the school to add more sustainability science student and faculty resources including field trip opportunities.
U North Carolina to Use Reserve Funds Toward Sustainability
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill has announced plans to spend $500,000 from a reserve fund to improve sustainability and enhance energy conservation on campus. The university will focus on improving aging campus facilities to be more energy efficient. The funds can go toward any energy conservation projects, and university officials are currently working on project proposals.
Northern Arizona U Receives $1.5 Mil for Enviro Science Chair
Northern Arizona University has received a $1.5 million endowment gift to create a chair of environmental science and policy for the Southwest. Tom Sisk, professor of ecology and founder of the university's Lab of Landscape Ecology and Conservation Biology, is the first appointment to the position. The Charles Olajos and Ted Goslow Chair, a gift from alumna Marcey Olajos, supports interdisciplinary work linking scientific research and public policy.
U Vermont Receives $30K for Renewable Energy Study
The University of Vermont has announced that it will receive a proposed $30,000 grant from Central Vermont Public Service (CVPS) to fund a study to improve the energy production of manure-based methane. Methane is the energy source for the CVPS Cow Power initiative. The study will analyze microbes that produce methane in an effort to improve the cost-effectiveness of farm methane energy systems.
Yale U Awards Microloans to 3 Campus Sustainability Projects
Yale University (CT) has chosen three campus projects to be supported by the Yale Sustainability Microloan Fund in the coming year. The fund promotes creative ideas that make the university a more environmentally and financially sustainable place by providing small loans for projects with short payback periods. Thin-film photovoltaic arrays, consumer-level smart grid technology and high-efficiency lighting installations are features of the three winning projects.
U California Creates $157 Mil with 'Working Smarter' Initiative
The University of California has created $157 million in system-wide administrative efficiencies over the past year through its Working Smarter initiative, which is on track to achieve $500 million in positive fiscal impact over five years. The initiative was launched last July as part of a strategy for coping with ongoing declines in state financial support. It aims to improve and streamline UC's administrative operations, while also producing $500 million in savings, revenue generation and other positive fiscal impacts. The $157 million figure reflects cost savings and new revenue produced during the 2010-2011 fiscal year. Some highlights include its risk management program, which saved more than $82 million, and the university's Statewide Energy Partnership program, which resulted in $25 million in savings last year.
NSF Solicits CC Feedback about Grant Application Challenges
To broaden its impact among two-year colleges, the National Science Foundation (NSF) recently asked community college educators to explain the challenges they face when applying for grants and to suggest emerging issues that NSF should consider funding. NSF convened a meeting in June of about 300 community college educators in partnership with the American Association of Community Colleges. Connecting community college technician education programs with university transfer programs and improving students' college readiness were among the key science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) issues that participants suggested for additional NSF support.
Southern Illinois U Carbondale Selects Green Fund Projects
Southern Illinois University Carbondale has selected 10 projects to receive a total of $59,201 from its Green Fund this summer. The fund is a student-led initiative that assesses students a $10 green fee each semester toward projects that promote energy efficiency, the use of renewable energy and campus sustainability. The projects selected include installing recycling bins and rechargeable door openers, enhancing sustainability research and outreach efforts, and encouraging the use of locally grown foods.
Central Carolina CC Receives Grant for Renewable Energy Programs
Central Carolina Community College (NC) has been awarded a $30,000 grant for its green building and renewable energy programs. The Progress Energy Foundation grant will be used to support the establishment of two laboratories in the college’s Sustainable Technologies Lab Building. The lab will include workstations in solar photovoltaic and solar thermal technologies, as well as weatherization stations and green building materials demonstrations. It is designed to feature a mock home shell to demonstrate advanced framing techniques, envelope design and required thermal and air barriers. Students will have the opportunity to work on photovoltaic and solar thermal systems, testing equipment and monitoring system efficiencies.
