The 10 Best Green Schools in America 2018

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10 Green Schools

in America

Dedicated to Conservation and Preserving Creation for Generations to Come

Editorial Trust, Hope and Belief.

The three emotional entities which pretty much sums up the humanity’s ‘Need to Pray’ Why do we Worship? Because we Trust the divine. Because it gives us Hope. Because we Believe that it will help. As far as the time can go back in the history, human race has always moved to the places which helped them realise these emotional satisfactions. Such places have been given different names suiting different religious beliefs but the basic elixir remains unchanged.

The Sacred Sanctums of Green Ideologies

What about the places which naturally do not select themselves in the categories of Sacredness but they do invoke these emotions every single time they are talked upon. They possibly are as sacred as one could be.

Shouldn’t they be? Here, we are talking about the 21st Century Green Schools; the harbingers of sustainable thoughts, the homes to young & bright minds and the habitats for any environmentalist’s virtues. The questions and deliberations over topics like Sustainable Development & Climate Change used to lack substances some 4-5 decades back. But as we stepped into the current century, their relevance started coming into realisation with utmost clarity.

The Climate Change became real, and we needed to acknowledge that. The Sustainable Development became need of the hour, and we desperately needed to address that.When our civilization went all-out, looking for possible awakening measures, the concept of Green Schools came to our rescue. At the times when the world at large went searching for light, these institutions served as the symbol of illuminance.

Educating people over the issues concerning environment helped creating a generation which shares the concerns related to our environment. This would not have been possible if the Environmental Courses were not included in our mainstream education system. We, as human beings, tend to ‘do what we see’. Besides teaching the virtues of environmentalism through their enriched curricula, such schools and colleges have served as rolemodels by practicing what they preach. Green Schools work to catalyse and support ‘green-actions’ of their students. They create ‘green-spaces’, ‘green-buildings’ and promote the sustainable development measures on their campuses quite aggressively. Positive results have already started surfacing Rome was not built in a day. These are still the early days and we have long journey to cover on the Roads to cent percent sustainability. But at least now we know the directions to make moves. Green Schools have showed us the light. They have provided us the ray of Hope. They have inculcated the sense of Trust & Belief in our thoughts. They indeed are the Sacred Sanctums where Education is the way to worship.

It’s Not Over, until It’s Actually Over. It’s all up to us. After all, the choices we make today determine our tomorrow. Isn’t it? T R

Nupur

Nupur

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Pooja M. Bansal MANAGING EDITOR Rajarshi Chatterjee EXECUTIVE EDITOR Nupur ASSISTANT EDITORS Ashwini Deshmukh, Ananda Das VISUALISER David King ART & DESIGN DIRECTOR Amol Kamble CO-DESIGNER Alex Noel PICTURE EDITOR Sapana, Vanshika ART EDITOR Shweta Shinde BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER Phill Miller MARKETING MANAGER Steven Smith BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT EXECUTIVES John, Akansha, Amanda, Frank RESEARCH ANALYST Chidiebere Moses CIRCULATION MANAGER Robert DATABASE MANAGEMENT Stella Andrew TECHNICAL HEAD Swapnil Patil TECHNOLOGY CONSULTANT Vivek Bangade TECHNICAL SPECIALISTS Amar, Pratiksha DIGITAL MARKETING MANAGER Marry D’Souza ONLINE MARKETING STRATEGISTS Alina Sege, Shubham Mahadik, Vaibhav K SME-SMO EXECUTIVES Prashant Chevale, Uma Dhenge, Gemson, Irfan

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Contents

COVER STORY

Belmont University INTERVIEW

ARTICLE

Dedicated to Conservation and Preserving Creation for Generations to Come

8 Awareness Talk 34

Endangered Species: They “Belong” Here as Much as We Do!

Editor’s Choice 26 Disaster, Its Management and Everything in Between

28

40

18

John Elkington: Entrepreneur at Work, Environmentalist at Heart

CXO Standpoint “An Activist's Journal” Maude Barlow

Educator’s viewpoint College Students Are Critical to Tackling Climate Change

22

24

Northland College:

Fort Lewis College:

A Pioneering Educational Institute Driving the World towards a Greener Future

Harbinger of Environmental Education

32

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Onondaga Community College

Quinnipiac University Offering Innovative Programs and Unique Learning Experiences

Expanding Remarkable Educational Opportunities across the World

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Southwestern University

Unity College:

A place of Picturesque Past, Perfect Present and Promising Future!

A Leader in SustainabilityEducation Preparing Students with Real -World Experience

50 Western Colorado University An Abode of Arts & Education for the Talents of Tomorrow

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Green School, Redening Educational System with Environment Focused Academic Curricula “The earth does not belong to us; we belong to the earth.”- Marlee Matlin, a renowned American Actress, Author, and Activist. The sooner we understand this sentence quoted by this famous personality, the better it is for us. It seems that what was the “Wow”-factor yesterday is a matter of shame today. In the early days of the industrial revolution, seeing the smoky chimney of the country roads of Manchester City was something that people called “Development” then, but today, that same thing has turned out to be “What a polluting factor.”

Things change with time, situations change with duration and so must we. After all, as we all know, evolution and adaptation to change are the keys to survival. As time is passing by, things are changing and so are the definitions of various substances. We have already used up almost everything of earth that we could, and now it is time to give it back. Mother earth feeds us, but we must realize that if we do not take the stand now, our mother would not have anything to offer to our future generations. So, it is better late than never.

It is good that we have realized it now and decided to take the stand and fight for our mother earth before all its resources get drained up, and earth becomes a smoky-dingy place to die for. However, many of us do not know where to start and how to begin. Some wise and intellectual educators have already realized the importance of the environment and introduced numerous educational courses to create awareness among people from the young age and prepare them to help cure mother earth. Moreover, to bring forward such institutions which are educating pupils to be environmental leaders of tomorrow and help them protect the earth, we have come up with our special edition on “The 10 Best Green Schools in America 2018.”

On the cover of the edition, we have Belmont University, a student-centered community providing an academically challenging education that empowers men and women of diverse backgrounds to engage and transform the world with disciplined intelligence, compassion and faith.

Along with such an interesting Cover Story, we have enlisted various other institutions, which are creating major influence in the world of education. Among them, a few are Fort Lewis College: Harbinger of Environmental Education; Northland College: A Pioneering Educational Institute Driving the World towards a Greener Future; Onondaga Community College: Expanding Remarkable Educational Opportunities across the World; Quinnipiac University: Offering Innovative Programs and Unique Learning Experiences; Southwestern University: A place of Picturesque Past, Perfect Present and Promising Future!; Unity College: A Hub of Environmental Education Preparing Students with Hand-on Experience; Western Colorado University: An Abode of Arts & Education for the Talents of Tomorrow.

To spark of the interest of the reader, we have also included interview with, John Elkington, an environmentalist who has given some insightful answers on his life journey. And further we have included an expert article contributed by Maude Barlow under the title “An Activist’s Journal” And to further keep the lamp ignited, our in-house editors have crafted some masterly written article on Disaster, “Its Management and Everything in Between”; Endangered Species: “They “Belong” Here as Much as We Do!”.

It’s time to flip the pages and enjoy an edu-informational experience with a feeling of reading pleasure. T R

Belmont Dedicated to Conservation and Preserving Creation for Generations to Come

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To empower men and women of diverse backgrounds to engage and transform the world

The Outset, the Journey and the Road Ahead.

Sheer numbers don’t define one’s age; it is defined by one’s wisdom and intellectual standpoint. A few things throughout our society become more valuable with age, including educational institutions. Deeply rooted in the soil with its prestigious educational curriculum and inspirational heritage is Belmont University, located in Nashville, Tennessee. It was founded in 1890 by Susan L. Heron and Ida B. Hood as Belmont College for Young Women and years later, it transformed into a full-fledged university.

Having seen multiple generations of young minds nurtured in its own backyard, Belmont is now ranked No.5 in the Regional Universities South Category, and has been named as a ‘Most Innovative’ University by

the U.S. News & World Report.

At present, the university consists of more than 8,000 students coming from every state of the US and more than 36 other countries. Belmont offers 90 areas of undergraduate study, more than 25 master’s programs and five doctoral degrees in a variety of areas, providing opportunities for students to study within their diverse passions.

Specifically, Belmont is home to successful programs in music business, nursing, entrepreneurship, music performance and more.

Conserving Today for a Better Tomorrow

Committed to being a leader among teaching universities, Belmont brings together the best of liberal arts and professional education in a Christian community of learning and service.

The University's purpose is to help students explore their passions and develop their talents to meet the world's needs. With such an enormous number of educational programs

Belmont’s culture emphasizes a belief that taking care of God’s Creation is more than just a cause, as they believe it to be a ‘charge,’ instead. Imbibing principles from the Bible and understanding the responsibility to preserve the earth for generations to come, Belmont University serves as an arboretum to preserve more than 100 species of trees and shrubs and

available, there is no limit to the ways in which Belmont University can expand an individual’s horizon.

Institutionally, their mission, as a student-centred Christian community, is to provide an academically challenging education that empowers men and women of diverse backgrounds to engage and transform the world with disciplined compassion, courage and faith.

Cover Story

carefully manages water usage for irrigation, as well. The university is home to many green roofs, and new buildings are constructed within LEED certified standards.

Further, for the heating and cooling of the campus, geothermal and other sustainable forms of energies are often used instead of the conventional/exhaustible sources.

Among the countless initiatives that illustrate Belmont’s contributions and commitments towards a sustainable environment, include: · The University earned Platinum LEED certification for the Janet Ayers Academic Center, making Belmont the first University in Tennessee and the first LEED for New Construction project in Nashville to achieve that level, the highest in the LEED ratings system

· Gold LEED certification for both the Baskin and Johnson Centers · Multiple green roofs across campus provide hands-on learning labs for students, while serving the environment through better building insulation · Removing plastic water bottles across dining locations on campus · Providing free BLINK charging stations in parking garages, bike racks across campus and a campus-wide car sharing program that encourages more energy efficient modes of transportation · A composting system that converts food and cardboard waste into enriched soil additives through large dehydrators, reducing overall waste from food operations · A geothermal heating and cooling system that uses the Earth’s natural temperature to regulate interior climate · Designations as both a Nashville Tree Foundation Arboretum and USA

Tree Campus (for multiple years in a row) · A University partnership with Metro Transit Authority (MTA) for students, faculty and staff to use public transportation to and from Belmont for free · Receipt of the Governor’s Environmental Stewardship Award for two years in a row · The installation of meters in residence halls across campus that track electricity usage · An innovative and interactive irrigation system that collects run-off rainwater in underground tanks and utilizes current weather data to dictate the need for water The philosophy underlining the vision of Belmont University can be laid out as their Conservation Covenant which states, “To take good care of that which takes such good care of us”.

Moreover, apart from the commendable environmental processes throughout campus, the University is also active within the community, furthering its sustainability efforts.

Belmont has a public-private partnership with Rose Park, a local facility that enables both the community and Belmont students to use green space including a track and soccer, baseball and softball fields. Belmont is responsible for the consistent upkeep and management of the Rose Park Complex. Additionally, the University recently sent students throughout South Nashville neighbourhoods to provide shade and better air quality to local residents during its annual ReLeafing Day by planting more than 300 trees.

Sustainability: A Practice & a Priority Belmont University has a cross-disciplinary Sustainability Team, led by the Vice President of Spiritual Development.

Additionally, the University has a student organization solely focused on environmental issues that is represented

on the larger campus-wide sustainability team.

Multiple sustainable issues are properly covered in curriculum activities through courses provided across campus.

Belmont constantly seeks ways of increasing its efforts all while educating students, faculty and staff. This is done through their sustainability committee and environmental club, as well as work done through the university’s environmental/biology department including volunteer work, research in local wooded areas and streams, planting trees and more. As all of these efforts continue to educate students and the community, Belmont is constantly striving to find new ways to engage their sustainability commitment throughout the campus.

Go Green Elexir: Reduce, Reuse & Recycle At Belmont, it is appreciated to believe that ‘We don’t throw

Words of Trust : Words of Trust: Hear from the Ones who belong there “My time at Belmont has been filled with so many opportunities to join clubs on campus, speak with prospective students and participate in internships that have allowed me to immerse myself in Nashville’s career scene. The Belmont community is so unique in how everyone works to lifteach other up and help them be the best they can. The people I have met have made a long-lasting impact on me, and in just three years, they have contributed to making me the person I am and want to be.” ~ Claire Anderson, Public Relations Major ‘19 “It’s hard to narrow down how Belmont has impacted my life in a few words. Simply put, Belmont has provided me opportunities and guidance on pursuing my belief that capital and music can positively change the world. More specifically, my experience with Enactus, a student organization focused on using entrepreneurial action to transform lives, has allowed me to use my knowledge of business to create positive social change in Nashville” ~ Nick Chakinis, Finance & Songwriting Major ‘19 “Belmont has significantly impacted my life by showing me how to excel in a competitive field without compromising my personal or professional integrity. Staff across campus lead by example, making it so easy for students to follow suit.” ~ Joseph North, College of Law Student ‘20

it away, as it can be used in some other way!’

The Belmont University community has engaged themselves in multiple recycle principles. Sodexo, the University’s dining services contractor, utilizes sustainable practices in the acquisition of locally grown food, waste management and water conservation, whenever possible.

They are also required to pay a living wage to all front line employees.

RC Matthews, Belmont’s general contractor, recycles construction debris and build according to Green Building Standards. Moreover, all purchases of equipment associated with energy and water are assessed from a total cost of ownership. Additionally, appliances purchased for oncampus apartments are energy star rated ensuring the optimum level of energy conservation. At Belmont, it is further ensured that all electronic hardware must meet or exceed EPEAT criteria for energy efficiency, and all

hardware disposals must comply with Nashville and Tennessee laws for disposal and recycling of electronic waste.

Complimenting all of the above, Belmont University uses LED lighting, natural flooring materials, energy efficient mechanical systems and hydration stations in conjunction with water fountains. Even for the irrigation purposes, only recycled grey water is used. Additionally, whenever bidding is performed at the University, prospective bidders are asked to provide pricing on green seal products and for a description of sustainability initiatives.

Belmont’s solid waste has been reduced by at least 2% thanks to the university’s recycling initiatives. In October 2017, Metro Nashville conducted an audit of Belmont’s recycling materials by capturing one week of recyclables which totalled 1.5 tons. With those results in mind, Belmont staff worked extensively to ensure recyclables were

captured in appropriate containers. In February 2018, Metro returned to capture another week and gauge Belmont’s progress. This audit produced 2.1 tons, an increase of more than 35%. This increase in recycling tonnage is verification that at least 2% of material was diverted from landfills.

Impacts of Belmont: At Home, Over the Seas & Beyond Outside of the classroom, Belmont’s community commitments undergird the institution’s policies and inform expectations of all community members. A commitment to understanding one’s impact on the surrounding community is exhibited in many of these behavioural expectations including personal integrity, critical thinking, self-control and community responsibility. Additionally, these ideals are carried throughout Belmont’s international education programming, including the university’s numerous study abroad and mission trip offerings. Beyond these commitments, Belmont students are provided with countless opportunities to participate in community service both domestically and abroad.

Additionally, 700 Belmont students are participating in Maymester or Summer Study Abroad experiences this year (2018), providing meaningful opportunities to expand the classroom beyond the traditional experience.

Dr. Bob Fisher: The Watchful Eyes overseeing Belmont’s nurturing.

Current Belmont President Dr. Bob Fisher has been at Belmont since April 2000 and prior to his appointment, Fisher served as vice president for academic affairs at Arkansas State University. Under Fisher’s leadership, Belmont’s enrolment has more than doubled from 2,970 to over 8,000 for Fall 2018. New undergraduate majors have been added in motion pictures, music therapy, publishing, social entrepreneurship, song writing, worship leadership and public relations as well as doctoral programs in pharmacy and law.

In 2008, Belmont hosted the Town Hall Presidential Debate, and in the same year, Fisher was named “Tennessean of the Year.” In 2010, he was named “Nashvillian of the Year,” and in March of this year, Fisher was named “CEO of the Year” by the Nashville Post. Additionally, under his leadership, though Belmont’s enrolment has more than doubled in 15 years, the university’s energy efficient and sustainable approach has resulted in an energy cost increase of only 30%, despite a campus square footage increase of more than 70%. T R

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Name of the Institution

URL

Belmont University

www.belmont.edu

Nashville, USA

California College of the Arts

www.cca.edu

5212 Broadway, Oakland, CA 94618, USA

Coe College

www.coe.edu

5008, 1220 1st Ave NE, Cedar Rapids, IA 52402, United States

Fort Lewis College

www.fortlewis.edu

Durango, Colorado

Northland College

www.northland.edu

1411 Ellis Avenue, Ashland, WI 54806

Onondaga Community College

www.sunyocc.edu

New York, United States

Quinnipiac University

www.qu.edu

Hamden, Connecticut, adjacent to Sleeping Giant State Park

Southwestern University

www.southwestern.edu

Georgetown, Texas, United States

Unity College

www.unity.edu

90 Quaker Hill Road, Unity, Maine 04988

Western Colorado University

www.western.edu

Gunnison, Colorado

Location of the Institution

JOHN

ELKINGTON Entrepreneur at Work, Environmentalist at Heart 18

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Interview

An interview with the Knowledge review, John Ellington an environmentalist has given some insightful answers on his life journey.

A celebrated author, advisor and serial entrepreneur, John Elkington is often known for coining interesting terms including environmental excellence, green growth, green consumer, the triple bottom line and People, Planet & Profit.

1. Tell us about yourself in brief, your journey since the beginning of your career.

I am 69, I have been an environmentalist since I was 11 (when I raised money for the World Wildlife Fund in its first year, 1961), have founded four companies since 1978 (all still exist), written 19 books (one, The Green Consumer Guide, sold around a million copies), coined terms like green consumer and the triple bottom line, founded the company Sustainability in 1987 when the word was hardly used, have sat on over 70 boards and advisory boards, have spoken at some 1,500 conferences worldwide—and am still trying to work out what I will do when I grow up.

2. Describe yourself in about oneword or one-sentence.

A work in progress.

3. Tell us about that one thing that motivates you every morning. What inspired you to join this sector?

Am motivated every morning to stay in bed. I am something of a reptile, having a very low heart rate indeed.

Which means that climbing high mountains is a problem. But somehow the interest of the day tends to bring me around. And I have been driven by the environmental and sustainability agendas from a very early age. I was pitched into the environmental space very early. We travelled a lot when we were children, including stints in Northern Ireland and Cyprus.

While in Northern Ireland, where my father was in the British Royal Air Force (he was a Battle of Britain fighter pilot back in the day, and in the 1950s was flying fallout monitoring missions around atomic bomb bursts in the Pacific), we lived on a farm. And it was very run down, which meant there was a huge amount of wildlife. And one dark night I found myself, alone, in the middle of a field across which tens of thousands of eels were slithering. When I reached down and felt them in the dark, I had a moment of utter shock – and then a moment, aged around 7, of complete connection with Nature. It really was very strange – and yet very powerful. And from that moment, without really knowing what had happened to me, I became an environmentalist. Some of the relevant stories can be found on my personal website: www.johnelkington.com. I was fascinated by the environmental campaigning groups like Greenpeace and Friends of the Earth, indeed grew up with a fair number of those folk.

But over time I became more interested in business and in technology.

To begin with, in the early 1970s, I worked with a small London-based environmental consultancy, on early environmental impact projects in places like Egypt and Singapore, working for clients like the UN and World Bank. But some of that work drove me to write, particularly for New Scientist magazine. And that, in turn, led to my being asked to co-found a new environmental publishing house, Environmental Data Services (ENDS), in 1978. At a time when no-one else was much interested in understanding how business thought about the

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environment, we were. Later, in 1983, I founded my own consultancy, John Elkington Associates, and that then led to our co-founding SustainAbility in 1987. One of the big projects we did there was the launch of the Green Consumer movement in 1988, with a series of books published around the world. Somewhat to our surprise, rather than businesses turning their back on us they were fascinated to know what we thought about their products and related issues – so the business really took off.

Then, ten years ago in 2008, I stepped back from SustainAbility after 21 years, and co-founded Volans. We have served an A-to-Z of clients, ranging from Aviva Investors through to Zouk Capital. And we are proud both to have been the first UK B Corporation and to have incubated B Lab UK in our offices.

Our first book as Volans—The Power of Unreasonable People—went into the hands of every attendee at the 2008 WEF Annual Summit in Davos.

I co-authored it with the late Pamela Hartigan, who had previously run the Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship, and it powerfully shaped the debate about impact. In 2012, we began work on ‘Breakthrough Innovation’, kicking off with a TED-style Breakthrough Capitalism Forum in London. The Breakthrough Challenge, co-authored by myself and Jochen Zeitz, then Chairman and CEO of PUMA, followed two years later. Our Breakthrough work evolved into Project Breakthrough in 2015, a joint initiative between Volans and the UN Global Compact. Check out the videos and analysis on www.projectbreakthrough.io Moving into 2019, and taking the market bull by the horns, we are conducting the first-ever product recall of a management concept, the Triple Bottom Line. This project was

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launched with an article on the Harvard Business Review website.

We are going wider, deeper, higher and longer to find ways to unlock tomorrow—to help leaders lead and create the necessary types and scale of impact and value. Exploring tomorrow’s capitalism.

4. Mention any quote that describes you and your organization.

A Greenpeace Director once described my team as “Greenpeace in the Boardroom”. Someone else once described me as “grit in the corporate oyster”. I have also been labeled either the “father of the Triple Bottom Line or the “godfather of sustainability.”

5. Being a leader in promoting the idea of environmentalism, express your views on the current environment causes and the possible measures that can be taken to overcome those issues.

Our challenges will take generations to solve, if we ever manage the trick. The reason why I think it is going to be so tough is that with the world population pushing towards 10 billion people and all of these additional global citizens aspiring to high-end western lifestyles, we are actually headed in the wrong direction. Think of the extraordinary extinction of species now sometimes called the Sixth Great Extinction event.

This time we are doing it. Think of plastic in the ocean, where it is now forecast that there will be more plastic than fish in the oceans by 2050. And think, if you dare, about where climate change is now taking us. It doesn’t matter if people deny such problems – they represent the reality that today’s children will grow up in.

6. Express your views on Sustainability, E-waste management, Rising Urban Population, Increasing Air, Water and Land Pollution, Recycling of biodegradable waste, Management of non-biodegradable waste, and other rising environmental causes.

They’re all interlinked. They’re all absolutely critical. And they’re all badly underappreciated by most political and business leaders. On the upside there are a growing number of platforms that spotlight those championing new ways of doing things, among them Project Drawdown and Sustainia.

7. How can we bridge “Sustainability” and “Greenpeace”?

They are intimately linked. Greenpeace and activist groups like them spotlight where things are going wrong, and sometimes flag up workable solutions.

The sustainability agenda looks at systems, economic, social, environmental and political. They are different aspects of the same thing. You could say Greenpeace was part of Sustainability’s Navy.

8. What are the most prospering career options in the environmental sciences? Enlighten us on the scopes of entrepreneurship in this sector.

Where to begin? When I started in the 1960s, there were very few jobs or roles in this space, except various forms of conservation officers. Now there are hundreds, even thousands, of different roles. And now there are headhunters specializing in this space.

Many of the positions are in the spirit of sustainability, but increasingly don’t mention the fact. The agenda is going from being seen to be impossible to being seen to be inevitable, required.

9. What would you advise to the students and the budding entrepreneurs?

Make it up for yourself. For over 40 years now, I have worked at the leading edge of the environment and of sustainability. And yet I have never really had a career as such. I have made it up as I go along. In fact it’s only now that I am beginning to get some sense of what it is I'm meant to be doing on this small planet of ours.

A bit late in the day, but better late than never? T R

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Fort Lewis College: Harbinger of Environmental Education “We provide an integrated and formative liberal arts and professional education to a diverse student population, preparing global citizens to work in and contribute to a complex world.”

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Located in the Four Corners region of the American Southwest, Durango, Colorado, is a crossroads of red rock deserts, canyon lands, and towering mountains. Perched on the rim above town sits Fort Lewis College, an environmentally-conscious, higher-learning institution offering cutting-edge opportunities for students driven to change the world for the better.

With a front row seat in the classroom of the great outdoors, students at Fort Lewis College get right in the action through hands-on courses and field studies focused on modern-day issues, like local farming, water conservation, natural resource management, energy production, public policy, urban planning, tribal land uses, and more.

Scientific Programs Ignite Students’ Minds Scientific inquiry has long been a hallmark of Fort Lewis College’s academic programming. From studying the basic building blocks of life to discovering sustainable solutions to the planet’s most pressing problems, the students hone the real-world skills they need to find successful careers and, ultimately, make a powerful difference in their communities.

Environmental Programs With campus opening to rivers, canyons, 14,000-foot peaks, and some of the darkest night skies in the country, Fort Lewis College provides students with unparalleled opportunities to study snow science, wildfire impacts, geosciences, hydrology, biodiversity, and climate change issues. Whether students want to better understand their role in humanity’s impact on the natural world or how to harvest renewable energy, FLC’s degrees in Environmental Studies and Environmental Science help lay the groundwork for successful careers in one of the country’s fastest growing industries.

Biology For students in pursuit of careers in medicine, environmental health, or other biology-related fields, the FLC Biology Department guides

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students through undergraduate research opportunities led by an invested faculty. Students also enjoy access to new state-of-the-art laboratory facilities on campus and experience working with rural, tribal, and other unique populations in neighboring regions.

Chemistry The FLC Chemistry Department prepares students for groundbreaking careers in environmental analysis, biotechnology, drug design, teaching, medicine, pollution control, engineering, and more. At FLC, students have opportunities to earn certification from the American Chemical Society and participate in supportive diversity programs, like the American Indian Science & Engineering Society (AISES) and Women in Science.

Environmental Initiatives Going green is more than a trendy phase at Fort Lewis College; it’s a way of life. From on-campus gardens and bee hives managed by FLC’s Environmental Center to LEED Gold certified buildings and a commitment to be carbon neutral by 2080, FLC seeks to find a more sustainable way of higher education and invites students, faculty, staff, and visitors to join in the quest. As a charter signatory of the American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment, FLC has devoted resources to its Sustainability Action Plan since 2007.

From adding local foods and composting to dining services around campus to prioritizing purchasing recycled products and upgrading irrigation efficiency, FLC’s initiatives are making waves big and small, reminding all that it’s the little things that will make a big difference in the long run.

Scholarship Opportunities “FLC knows the road to college isn’t an easy one, especially when it comes

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to navigating financial obstacles.”

Considering this, the college works hard to keep tuition affordable and encourage all students to investigate financial aid and merit-based scholarship opportunities such as the following: Ÿ Institutional scholarships & grants: for undergraduate students; awards offered by the Office of Admission or a Program Coordinator Ÿ Foundation & Departmental scholarships: for first-time undergraduate students seeking a bachelor’s degree; awards offered by private donor funding or specific major departments Ÿ Alumni Scholarships: for first-time, degree-seeking undergraduate students who are either a child or grandchild of an alumnus/alumna from private donor funding Ÿ Native American scholarships: for undergraduate Native American students; grants available from the Native American Center or via the Native American Tuition Waiver Career Opportunities At Fort Lewis College, Career Services experts help students prepare for the transition from college to finding success in their chosen profession.

Thanks to Career Services, from their first year until graduation, students have access to the tools they'll need for intelligent, productive career exploration.

From professional skill-building and leadership workshops and events, like resume and cover letter assistance, practice interviews and presentations, FLC’s Career Services not only connects students with prospective employers but also ensures students understand job and internship search strategies, networking opportunities, the Strong Interest Inventory assessment, and more.

Word of Trust “I am part of the Real Food Challenge

FROM THE PRESIDENT’S DESK While talking about the college’s initiatives towards a greener world, Tom Stritikus, President of Fort Lewis College, states, “At Fort Lewis College, we teach the importance of building an environmentallysustainable world through academic programs, like our new Environmental Science degree, but we also practice what we teach. The college has invested millions of dollars into making the campus a more sustainable place, from LEED Gold facilities to solar arrays to high-efficiency utilities.

I believe that teaching students something is good but leading by example is even better.”

team, which is working to shift 20% of the food purchasing dollars on campus towards real foods, which are humane, local, ecologically sound, and fair, and do all that by 2020.”

Kaidee Akullo, Public Health ‘20 “Fort Lewis College is an ideal place to study geology because of where we’re located. We’re on the flanks of the San Juan Mountains, we’re in one of the only exposed pre-Cambrian terrains in the Southwest, and we’re not so far from the Colorado Plateau either, most of which can be accessed either out of our backdoor or via a 30-minute van ride.” Kyle Lewis, Geology, ‘15 T R

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Northland College A Pioneering Educational Institute Driving the World towards a Greener Future The institute integrates liberal arts studies with an environmental emphasis, enabling those it serves to address the challenges of the future

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With a vision to be the nation’s preeminent liberal arts college focused on the environment, preparing students and other stakeholders to lead the world toward a more sustainable, just, and prosperous future, emerged Northland College, a 126 year old Liberal Arts College Located on the shore of Lake Superior.

Founded in 1892 as a way to bring higher education to the north woods of Wisconsin, Northland serves with the mission of inclusiveness, justice, and the environment. In 1972, the college opened the Sigurd Olson Environmental Institute that focuses on citizen science and stewardship. Northland College promotes sustainability by incorporating them in the campus experience.

Another interesting factor about the college is that 99% of its students receive some form of financial aid.

Interestingly, at Northland College, students are fed organic, local food (46 percent of its campus dining food budget is spent on purchasing food within 100 miles), and they grow some of their own through their campus garden program. Their food waste is composted and returned to the soil. The institute has a bike shop, reuse center, vending machines that serve up local sodas in glass bottles. And, it has campus gardens, and recently became an affiliate of Bee Campus USA. Northland’s contribution towards a greener world has earned it a membership of EcoLeague, a consortium of six colleges and universities that share missions based on environmental responsibility and social change. Recently, it has earned a STARS Gold rating in recognition of its sustainability achievements from the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE). It was even ranked as one of the top-10 undergraduate institutions in the world for overall sustainability, rating second in the academic category, focused on the curriculum and research.

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An Amazing Location that Motivates the Students of Northland Northland College is located next to Lake Superior, the largest freshwater lake in the world. Lake Superior holds 10 percent of the world’s freshwater.

And Northland College makes it their responsibility to monitor, protect, and create a deeper understanding of the issues that face the Great Lakes. And, to achieve that goal, the College has created the Mary Griggs Burke Center for Freshwater Innovation. Faculty, staff, and student researchers conduct research, perform beach quality monitoring, and field surveys on inland lakes. Veteran reporter Peter Annin directs the Center and is focused on scientific communication and public understanding of Great Lakes issues.

He is the author of The Great Lakes Water Wars and specializes in water diversion issues.

Creating Centers of Excellence Northland College has created centers of excellence to dig deeper in the issues that the community faces and its foundational centers are the Burke Center for Freshwater Innovation, the Hulings Rice Food Center, the Center for Rural Communities, and the Sigurd Olson Environmental Institute.

To encourage the students’ interests in sustainability Northland has created numerous academic programs like sustainable community development, water science, sociology and social justice, outdoor education, climate science, meteorology, environmental humanities, and sustainable entrepreneurship. And surprisingly, the chemistry program intrigues students in researching the synthesis and chemical recycling of plastics. Most interestingly, many of its alumni pursue leadership in sustainability—leading change in the wine industry, fashion, energy, social justice, design, and community development.

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A Note from the Sustainability Leader about Northland Aaron Schreiber Stainthorp, a 2005 graduate, who is the sustainability specialist at Jackson Family Wines, shared a note with college recently.

The note says, “Northland was the best place I could have gone to college. The skills and experience I gained there helped me take a holistic ecosystem approach to understanding how complex systems interact. Both in and out of the classroom I was exposed to so many ideas that helped me understand both how the world worked and the possibilities for building better systems. Lastly, Northland embodies hands on learning in a way that both taught me so much but also empowered me to realize how much impact you can have with a few simple actions.”

Trustee Chad Dayton, who led the presidential search committee praised Marvin and said, “Marvin is one of those rare individuals whose achievements grant him access to most any endeavor anywhere in the world.”

He further added, “We are fortunate that he will apply his skills and energy to shaping the next step in Northland College’s growth.”

To Look Out For At Northland, the student volunteers first launched the campus composting program in 1993. And still today, the compost program is lead entirely by work-study students who manage every aspect, including daily food scrap collection, monitoring the biological process, and final distribution. The finished compost is used in campus gardens and sold to local farmers and the community. This initiative has kept hundreds of thousands of pounds of food waste out of the landfill. T R

ABOUT THE LEADER OF THE COLLEGE An international business leader, philanthropist and educator Marvin J. Suomi, of Los Angeles, California, joined Northland College July 1, 2018, as its 14th President. He is committed to the environmental mission of the College. Prior to joining Northland, Marvin has led Kajima International as its President and CEO for 37 years of extraordinary growth. For his extraordinary contributions, he has been awarded with multiple awards in his career.

To name a few, the Council of Independent Colleges awarded Suomi the Philanthropist of the Year in 2007 for his distinguished service and generosity, the Republic of Finland conferred the honor of Knight, First Class to Suomi for recognizing his work in advancing educational opportunities in the US and abroad.

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Disaster, Its Management and Everything in Between

‘A known devil is much better than an unknown angel.’

A cliché that we often come across. True in some sense, not in all.

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f someone or something is known to us then, to a certain extent, we are ‘aware’ of how it may behave or react in the future. Only to a certain extent. The cent-percent surety is always a long-shot. Preparedness is the formula to soak-in the complexities of unforeseen reactions. One can be prepared for the eventualities only if one has the required awareness of what’s hidden in the laps of future. It should be acknowledged that even with the ultra-modern scientific developments that we have along our sides; the future cannot be predicted.

There is always an element of surprise for us to tackle. We should be prepared to take that into our stride. Nine out of Ten times, surprises bring the sensation

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of denial. Denials have traits of delaying our crucial natural responsetime. Our preparedness should be up to the extent which makes us capable of effectively countering the surprises.

Though the surprises are mostly shocking in every walk of life, the value & importance of preparedness gets increased by several notches if the surprise circumvents something of the magnitude of a Disaster.

Disaster is a fact, a phenomenon, a circumstance or, a happening with elements of destruction hidden underneath. United Nations defines disaster as a serious disruption of functioning of a society or a community. It results into catastrophic

impacts over human, material, economy and environment. In all likelihood, such impacts exceed the capability of the affected community or society to cope-up on its own.

There is no country which is completely immune from disaster, though their vulnerability to disaster does vary. It can be categorised in two main types – Natural Disasters & Man-made Disasters.

Natural Disasters comprises of earthquakes, droughts, floods, landslides, forest-fires, and avalanches among many others. We have a little or no control on the occurrence of these types of disasters. On the other hand,

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as the name suggests, human actions and activities are solely responsible for the Man-made Disasters., for example, industrial fire and accidents, explosions, oil spills, mass-transport accidents, etc.

Controlling the Uncontrollable Disaster management can be defined as the management and organisation of roles, responsibilities and resources for responding to multiple aspects of emergencies. In particular, it deals with the preparedness, recovery, and response in order to dampen the impact of disasters.

Mitigation comprises of the efforts that are taken to reduce the loss of life and property by dampening the impact of disasters. Be it a natural or man-made, a disaster can strike at any time. In general, the response to any disaster is in form of rescue and relief operations – ‘after the event’. However, if we are adequately prepared, it’s quite possible to significantly reduce the impact of any disaster. The impact can be reduced through a good understanding of preventive actions, as well as having the knowledge of certain life-saving tools and techniques. Such vital information when used at the occurrence of the disaster controls the cumulative damage to life and properties.

Preparedness is the Key/Prevention is always Better than Cure The man-made disasters can be prevented and averted in most of the

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cases. All we need to have is proper framework in place and strict adherence to rules and regulations. For example, the industries need to ensure compliance to relevant fire and safety standards, mass transportation systems need to be engineered while keeping utmost priority to the passenger safety; proper vigilance needs to be maintained for stopping hazards like oil spillage and other similar incidences.. Above all, proper rescue, relief and evacuation methodology shall be maintained wherever high risk to human lives and properties are involved.

On the ‘Acts of nature’ we don’t have any control at all. The Earthquakes will happen whenever there is a tectonic movement below the earth’s crust. The natural depression in the climatic atmosphere, whenever it happens, will lead to Cyclones and Tornadoes. The cases of Volcanoes, Tsunamis and Floods are no different. But that doesn’t mean we will relax and consider it as our fate while being hopeless and helpless. By taking necessary and conscious steps, not only we can reduce our vulnerability towards Natural Disasters but also reduce their impact on human lives and properties as and when they occur.

Afforestation, planned growth proliferation and properly engineered constructions are some crucial steps in direction of vulnerability reduction.

Weapons of Awareness If ponder on the methods we can be

implemented for reduction of the impacts of Disasters, we finally zero-in on the key panacea i.e., The Awareness.

Greater the awareness about the causes, effects and responses to the Disasters, lesser will be the impact of disasters on population at large. In several countries, we have already moved forward in this direction by including Disaster Management courses in the mainstream education system.

Several thousand years ago, our planet was ruled by gigantic dinosaurs. They got wiped out, all of sudden. Among many theories behind the reason of their extinction, one points towards the mass-scale simultaneous Disasters on the planet Earth. And, as the renowned biologist Charles Darwin’s theory said, “Survival of the Fittest”. Since the inception of human life on this planet, we have seen and mitigated many such disasters. The reason is we human beings don’t have the tendency to dip our head in sand like an ostrich on the occurrence of storm. We have basic instinct to fight for our survival. This instinct has made mankind survive the high tides of time in the past. This instinct will definitely help us to go through the Surprises of Future as well. The sole message is – Be Ready, Be Prepared, Be Vigilant and Never Shut Your Eyes just for the sake of short-lived pleasure.

Ignorance is bliss? Not all the time!

The key to survival is wisdom along with Awareness and Education. T R

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CXO Standpoint

About the Author Maude Barlow is the Honorary Chairperson of the Council of Canadians and chairs the board of Washington-based Food and Water Watch. She serves on the executive of the Global Alliance for the Rights of Nature and is a Councillor with the Hamburgbased World Future Council.

Maude is the recipient of fourteen honorary doctorates as well as many awards, including the 2005 Right Livelihood Award (known as the “Alternative Nobel”), the 2005 Lannan Foundation Cultural Freedom Fellowship Award, the Citation of Lifetime Achievement at the 2008 Canadian Environment Awards,

"An Activist's Journal"

the 2009 Earth Day Canada Outstanding Environmental Achievement Award, the 2009 Planet in Focus Eco Hero Award, and the 2011 EarthCare Award, the highest international honour of the Sierra Club (US).

In 2008/2009, she served as Senior Advisor on Water to the 63rd President of the United Nations General Assembly and was a leader in the campaign to have water recognized as a human right by the UN. She is also the author of dozens of reports, as well as 18 books, including her latest, Blue Future: Protecting Water For People And The Planet Forever and Boiling Point, Government Neglect, Corporate Abuse and Canada’s Water Crisis.

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Maude Barlow Chairperson

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I

am an activist first and foremost, a social justice and environmental activist. I came out of the women’s and human right’s movements and founded a large Canadian social and environmental advocacy group called the Council of Canadians over 30 years ago to address how economic globalization is affecting both human rights and the environment.

I personally zeroed in on the global water crisis and how the economic model of unlimited growth and unfettered free trade many of our governments supported were impacting the endangered water resources of the planet. I was stunned to learn, for instance, that in all modern free trade agreements such as NAFTA, water is considered a “tradable good” and “investment,” setting the stage for private control of water. This worried me as I believe water must be considered a “public trust” in order to protect ecosystems and the common good.

I discovered that the planet is running out of accessible clean water and that by 2030, the global demand for water will outstrip supply by 40%. I also learned that at least 2 billion people drink contaminated water every day because they cannot affair to buy clean water and that 2.5 billion have no access to sanitation. Within 50 years, as many as 7 billion people will be living in areas of severe water stress!

I came to strongly believe that the environmental protection of water and the promotion of its just distribution - in other words, the right of all humans to clean, safe water - were inextricably linked. That led to a global campaign to get the United Nations to recognize the human rights to water and sanitation, which it did formally on July 28, 2010. I was there that day up in the balcony of the Great Hall of the UN General Assembly and so proud and happy I thought I might burst!

Another major campaign of mine both here at home with the Council of Canadians and around the world is to fight bottled water. We humans drink an enormous amount of bottled water; the bottled water industry now produces close to 465 billion - yes billion - single use bottles of water every year, mostly using plastic. As you can imagine, this plastic adds to the climate impact of the fossil fuel industry as it takes a lot of energy to produce, and it is polluting our lakes, rivers and oceans at a terrible rate.

Where it is understandable that people who live in countries and communities without clean tap water, most of us in North America have very clean, safe and regularly tested

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tap water and can easily carry this water around in reusable metal bottles. Many schools, universities and cities across North America have pledged to do their part in dealing with the plastics crisis by limiting or banning bottled water sales on their premises.

My activism takes many forms. I chair the board of the Council of Canadians, which has a staff both in our national office in the Canadian capital city Ottawa, and across the country. We also have dozens of activist chapters across the country and they work 1 on areas of water protection, climate justice and protection of local wetlands and forests.

We organize local, national, and international groups to protect water and promote better laws. I travel to faraway places, especially areas of the world where the poor have no access to water or sanitation, and I bring their story to others. Education is terribly important and so I have written many reports, books, articles and newspaper editorials to inform the general public and our political leaders. I work with other organizations outside my country. I am proud to sit on the board of Washington-based Food and Water Watch. I also am a “Councilor” with the Hamburg-based World Future Council, which works to promote “best practices” for the environment and human rights and good government policies around the world.

I also serve on the international excretive of the Global Alliance on the Rights of Nature, which seeks to change laws and practices in a way that recognizes that water, forests, soil, air and other living beings also need legal protection in their own right.

I have been honored with many awards, including the Stockholm-based Right Livelihood Award, called the “Alternative Nobel,” and many honorary doctorates.

Usually I do not talk about these but it is important to know that more and more, those who give their lives to fighting for social and environmental justice are being recognized for their work.

I would say to you that no matter what area of work you choose, we need you to have a consciousness of the earth and of our responsibility to protect it. Whether you go into teaching, health care, business, arts, urban planning, just to name a few, there is a place for you to care about and express your deep commitment to protecting nature. We humans have taken the natural world for granted, seeing it as a resource for us. But really, we are as dependent on nature as all living things, and we must start seeing ourselves as stewards of the earth. T R

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Onondaga Community College Expanding Remarkable Educational Opportunities across the World “We strongly focus on environmental-related learning opportunities”

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Located on a 280-acre campus in Syracuse, New York, Onondaga Community College, offers over 40 associate degrees and one-year certificate programs which can lead to employment and four-year college transfer opportunities. The college is proud to be Central New York’s partner in education for success. OCC operates under the State University of New York (SUNY) system and is locally sponsored by Onondaga County.

The campus has 11 main buildings, including the SRC Arena and Events Center, an athletics complex, and four residence halls featuring several new and renovated facilities. Popular options for students interested in transferring to a four-year institution include Business, Criminal Justice and Humanities & Social Sciences.

Students interested in going directly into the workforce after earning their associate degrees have outstanding options to choose from including Mechanical Technology, Electrical Technology and Nuclear Technology. Bachelor’s, masters and doctoral degrees are also available on campus through the Regional Higher Education Center. OCC is an “Achieving the Dream College” and has been named a “Military-Friendly” school by a reputed media publication for its service to the student veterans.

Eco-Friendly Initiatives Onondaga Community College has made a concerted effort to use campus infrastructure to engage students. In 2015, the main campus quad, built in the early 1970s, was entirely demolished and rebuilt utilizing green principles. The quad was designed to slope to one side where rain gardens capture storm water runoff. Water from surrounding pavement and grass flow into the gardens and infiltrate the soil. This process cleans the water and prevents excessive amounts of storm water from flowing directly into Furnace Brook which bisects the campus.

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A 21.16 kWp solar array was installed on the roof of the Whitney Applied Technology Center. The panels produce renewable energy, reduce the College’s greenhouse gas emissions and are used for students’ education and hands-on learning. The solar array project is linked to sustainabilityrelated curriculum in the Architectural Technology program.

Nursing students have made annual service learning trips to Guatemala where they have delivered medical supplies and held community health presentations on a variety of topics including: oral hygiene for children, the importance of vaccinations, breastfeeding, prenatal care and the importance of good nutrition while pregnant and breastfeeding.

The college strongly promotes ecofriendly activities and encourages students to take part in various events.

Its chapter of international honor society Phi Theta Kappa held “The Truth About Recycling,” a free educational event for the entire campus community. The event included an Environmental Education Fair during which attendees learned simple ways to make a positive impact on the environment. Environmentally-focused groups participating included OCC’s Whole Earth Club, Onondaga County Resource Recovery Agency, OCC’s Architecture Club, Onondaga County’s “Save the Rain” program and OCC’s Politics Club. In a recent event, they welcomed Lois Gibbs to the campus for a lecture session. Gibbs is an environmental activist who forced the government into action when she learned 20,000 tons of chemical waste was buried under her neighborhood, Love Canal.

Students took part in activities to build fuel-efficient stoves to improve air quality in the homes of Guatemalans who previously used more traditional cooking methods. Thanks to the College’s Career Services office, it provides students with a variety of employment related services year round including resume and cover letter review, job searching and interview preparation, career exploration, job shadowing and internship opportunities. The Career Services office has an online job portal which connects students with employment opportunities year round.

Expanding Future Opportunities Interestingly, 85 to 90 percent of the students at Onondaga receive financial assistance through the traditional state and federal funding sources. Onondaga Community College students enjoy studying abroad opportunities in historic and culturally rich locations such as India, Peru and Mexico.

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Words of Trust “OCC built my path to success. The staff here was always available to help me and professors helped me improve my skills.” Adnan earned his degree in May 2018 and now attends Syracuse University.

-Adnan Aljuboori Major: Engineering Science “Starting at OCC was a very good option for me. The study skills I learned here really helped. I got to stay close to home and I saved a lot of money.”

- Ifrah Hassan Mathematics & Science with an Honor minor T R

ABOUT THE PRESIDENT Dr. Casey Crabill, President of Onondaga Community College, is a lifelong community college educator. She has served in various prestigious roles at numerous educational institutes including Raritan Valley Community College in New Jersey; Redwoods in Eureka, California; Quinebaug Valley Community College in Danielson, Connecticut; Dundalk Community College in Dundalk, Maryland. One of the signature achievements during her tenure on the OCC campus is the complete renovation of library building which had not undergone any significant change since it opened in 1973.

The library now includes more computers, study rooms, technology and seating than its predecessor. New additions include a café and charging lockers for students’ mobile devices. The improvements have resulted in a 25% increase in student use.

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Endangered

Species 34

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Awareness Talk

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They “Belong” Here as Much as We Do!

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nimals should not require our permission to live on earth.

They were given the right to be here long before we arrived.”

Life on earth is connected to form a healthy, balanced ecosystem and all species are dependent on each other in some way or another. Global diversity is important for a healthy planet, yet many species are facing extinction.

Over the last year, NGOs and business community began hosting a series of meeting to discuss future species listing and recovery decisions under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). Less than one percent of the 2,000 species listed as endangered have gone extinct- while influencing many land management decisions that affect threatened populations.

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Threat to Habitat: Menace to Survival Species are endangering because of loss of habitat and genetic variation.

A loss of habitat can happen either naturally or because of human activities. Climatic change is making the protection of endangered species increasingly challenging. Change in the climatic condition not only affects plant and animals directly- through changes in temperature and precipitation for instance—but can worsen the impact on endangered species of traditional threats, such as invasive species, wildfires, and diseases. For instance, Dinosaurs lost their habitat about millions of years ago. The hot, dry climate changed very quickly, reducing the amount of heat and light that reached Earth’s surface. The Dinosaurs were unable to adapt to this new, cooler habitat. Dinosaurs became endangered and then became extinct.

Human activity also contributes to loss of habitat.

Development of housing, industry, and agriculture reduces the habitat of native organisms. To protect and conserve our biodiversity a treaty known as The Convention on Biological Diversity is signed to protect and sustain the diversity of life on Earth. It aims at conserving the species, attaining sustainability and sharing the genetic research and resources. The Convention on Biological Diversity has adopted the IUCN Red List of endangered species in order to monitor and research species’ population and habitats.

A step toward protecting them News and stories about threatened and endangered animals are quite common these days. Species go extinct every year and extinction is large because of human activities. As the human population is growing more and more plant and species are becoming endangered, it is high time and important for students at this level to become aware of the situation and its consequences. It’s time students should take efforts to protect our vital global ecosystem and get along with the groups, associations, and institutions that are conducting them. · Learning about endangered species: Teaching students about the wonderful wildlife, birds, fish and plants that live near us and how interesting and important they are in the first step towards protecting them. · Recycling and buying sustainable products: students should be taught to buy recycled paper, sustainable products

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like bamboo and Forest Stewardship Council wood products to protect forest species. Minimizing the use of palm oil because forests, where tigers live, are being cut down to plant palm plantations. · Harassing wildlife is illegal and cruel: Shooting or forcing an endangered animal into captivity is also illegal and can lead to their extinction. Teaching them not to participate in this activity is the first step towards protecting them. · Protecting wildlife habitat: Perhaps the greatest threat that faces many species is the widespread destruction of habitat. Protecting their special places where they live is the best way to protect them. Wildlife must have places to find food, and shelter to live. Over-grazing and logging, all result in habitat destruction. Endangered species habitat should be protected.

By protecting habitat, entire communities of animals and plants can be protected together. Open space also provides us with great places to visit and enjoy.

Planning Ahead Despite the apprehensions elaborated above, it is not the end of the road in fact, it should never be. Mankind has survived the high tides of time since ages and there is no reason at all, why it shouldn’t continue to blossom if the requisite balance is maintained among various factions of Mother Nature. Today, not only we know the problem at hand, the causes behind it & the consequences, but also the possible corrective and preventive measures to avert the undesired too. Just a simple wave of awareness and the concern towards the life and importance of these species in danger will have a magnanimous effect at large.

Implementation of courses in our mainstream education system over the plight of Endangered Species can very likely prove to be a small yet a significant step in this regard. A chain is as strong as its weakest link. To strengthen the Chain of Life on Planet Earth, it’s time to focus on the link which is getting weak. Let us join our hands in helping them and in return helping the existence of life-forms on earth. Yes, the phenomenon of Need drives a human effort to miles. And today – They Need Us, as much as we Need Them! T R

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Quinnipiac University Offering Innovative Programs and Unique Learning Experiences If you’re passionate about affecting positive change and wish to thrive in a learning environment that fosters collaboration and excellence, Quinnipiac invites you to take a closer look.

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Quinnipiac is a private, coeducational university enrolling 7,300 undergraduate and 3,000 graduate students in business, engineering, communications, liberal arts and sciences, health sciences, nursing, education, social work, law and medicine.

Located in suburban Hamden, CT—midway between New York City and Boston—Quinnipiac offers students a wide range of opportunities, including access to state-of-the-art facilities, a multitude of student clubs and activities, counseling and academic support services, small classes, individual attention from professors, career development, study away, and Division I athletics.

Three promises worth keeping What can you expect from Quinnipiac University? Three promises, expressed in our mission statement: outstanding academic programs, a student-oriented environment, and a strong sense of community.

Quinnipiac provides an educational experience that combines the closeness of a small college with the opportunities of a larger university—all on a picturesque, suburban campus.

U.S. News & World Report’s 2018 edition of “America’s Best Colleges” places Quinnipiac among the best regional universities in the northern region and The Princeton Review (2019) recognizes QU as one of its “Best 384 Colleges” in the United States.

The Value of a Quinnipiac Education With a curriculum that blends a career focus with a globally oriented liberal arts foundation, graduates are well-prepared for 21st century careers or graduate studies. The institution delivers a set of markettested learning outcomes – specific skill sets that are highly desired by employers in today’s competitive job market.

In addition to traditional four-year baccalaureate degree programs, Quinnipiac offers innovative programs that combine baccalaureate

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and graduate degrees, including: a 3+1 BS/MBA in Business, 3+1 BS/MS in Accounting; 3+1 BS in Biology/MS in Molecular Cell Biology; 3+1 BA/MS in Communications; and 3+3 BA or BS/JD in Law. These programs enable students to accelerate degree completion, enter the workforce ahead of their peers, and realize significant time and cost savings.

Distinctive Learning Opportunities Every year, Quinnipiac helps students from all academic disciplines secure internship experiences and clinical placements at thousands of globally recognized companies, organizations and firms. Students develop their leadership skills and technological expertise at innovative organizations, while health professions students work alongside doctors, nurses, and other healthcare professionals. Many Quinnipiac students have been offered full time employment as the result of their impressive performance and superior capabilities demonstrated during their internship/clinical experiences.

At Quinnipiac, learning will take students to some of the most intriguing and inspiring places, from around the corner to around the world through its extensive study abroad program, alternative spring break service trips or its Quinnipiac in Los Angeles semester-long study/intern away program. Internships, clinical work, service-learning courses, student organizations, guided research and multidisciplinary projects all help to prepare students for their chosen professions, solidify their communication and critical thinking skills and become responsible, engaged global citizens.

Quinnipiac believes that differences enrich every aspect of university life and lead to a heightened sense of community. Life outside the classroom plays an important role in the student T H E

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experience, as well as personal and intellectual development. Top-tier athletics, intramural activities, cultural and ethnic groups, Greek life, leadership opportunities, community service and student life activities enable QU students to gain more from their college experience.

Eco-Friendly Initiatives that Make a Difference Quinnipiac obtains some of its electric power from renewable resources.

Quinnipiac’s York Hill campus features 25 vertical-axis silent wind turbines designed to generate 33,000 kilowatt-hours of renewable electricity annually, as well as 750 photovoltaic solar panels that produce approximately 250,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity each year. The campus also features a cogeneration micro turbine with which waste steam is used to heat on-site buildings, as well as 50 geo-thermal wells, providing heating and cooling to one of the newest residence halls.

Campus buildings are constructed of environmentally friendly materials, including low VOC paint, sealants and construction materials. Low-flow and motion activated plumbing fixtures help conserve water and a bio-retention pond cleanses storm water runoff to minimize site erosion. Quinnipiac was recognized by the prestigious Connecticut Real Estate Exchange Blue Ribbon Award for Best Sustainable Design for its York Hill Campus.

The university offers single-stream recycling with recycle bins located across all three campuses, while hydration stations encourage the usage of reusable plastic containers on the campus. The university has retrofitted existing light fixtures with highefficiency LEDs and CFLs to reduce energy consumption. T R

FROM THE LEADER’S DESK Mark A. Thompson serves as the Executive Vice President and Provost at Quinnipiac University. While talking about the university, he states, “Students come to Quinnipiac University eager to develop the knowledge, skills, and mindsets that lead to meaningful, satisfying career success.

Recognizing the ongoing changes in the world around us, Quinnipiac supports and broadens these individual aspirations through a rigorous educational experience.

Students acquire important skills valued by employers, along with the aptitudes to creatively and responsibly solve problems and use technologies, including those not yet known or invented. We expect our students to become intentional learners who embody confidence and integrity, and who will emerge as informed leaders in their professions, in the communities where they live, and in their roles as global citizens in the 21st century”.

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Educator’s viewpoint

COLLEGE STUDENTS ARE CRITICAL TO TACKLING

CLIMATE CHANGE About the Author Dr. Michael E. Mann is Distinguished Professor of Atmospheric Science at Penn State University, with joint appointments in the Department of Geosciences and the Earth and Environmental Systems Institute (EESI). He is also director of the Penn State Earth System Science Center (ESSC). Dr. Mann received his undergraduate degrees in Physics and Applied Math from the University of California at Berkeley, an M.S. degree in Physics from Yale University, and a Ph.D. in Geology & Geophysics from Yale University.

His research involves the use of theoretical models and observational data to better understand Earth’s climate system. He is the recipient of numerous awards and accolades including the Hans Oeschger Medal of the EGU, the National Conservation Achievement Award of the National Wildlife Foundation, the Friend of the Planet Award from the NCSE, and the Stephen H. Schneider Award for Outstanding Climate Science Communication. He made Bloomberg News’ list of fifty most influential people in 2013. He has authored more than 200 publications, and four books including Dire Predictions, The Hockey Stick and the Climate Wars, The Madhouse Effect, and The Tantrum that Saved the World.

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n 1984, I headed off to Berkeley – a hot bed of activism. Not to demonstrate or protest, but to study applied math and physics among some of the world’s leading experts.

Ironically that path turned out to be the one that led me to become a combatant in a fierce political fight.

I went on to study physics in graduate school and then into climate research.

My path of discovery led me to publish the now iconic “Hockey Stick” graph two decades ago, on Apr 22 (“Earth Day”) 1998.

The “Hockey Stick” tells a visual story that the current warming spike is unprecedented as far back as we can go. Our continued burning of fossil fuels is the culprit. Fossil fuel interests

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who find this message inconvenient, along with front groups and politicians doing their bidding, attacked it—and me.

I was initially reluctant to be at the center of the fractious public debate over human-caused climate change.

But I ultimately came to embrace that role. I've become convinced there’s no more noble pursuit than seeking to ensure that policy is informed by an objective assessment of scientific evidence. So, while I continue to do scientific research, I spend much of my time these days communicating the reality and threat of climate change to the public and to our policymakers.

Unfortunately, my efforts and those of other scientists and communicators have not been sufficient. This past summer we saw the true face of climate change, as unprecedented extreme weather events made worse by climate change—floods, droughts, heat waves and wildfires—wreaked havoc across the Northern Hemisphere. We witnessed, in real time, the devastation wrought by heat waves in Europe and the U.S., record flooding in Japan. In California, heat and drought combined to yield unprecedented wildfire.

Climate scientists like myself predicted decades ago that this is what we would see if we didn’t act. And now our predictions are coming true because politicians have NOT acted to the extent necessary. Too often our politicians do the bidding of powerful vested interests rather than what is in our interest.

As a result, we are still continuing to pollute the atmosphere with billions of tons of carbon pollution every year from the burning of fossil fuels—oil, coal, natural gas. Yet we can still prevent the worst impacts of climate change if we act now. We must rapidly transition away from fossil fuels toward renewable energy if we are to avert truly catastrophic climate change.

We need policymakers who will

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supports measures to incentivize clean energy and put a price on the emission of carbon pollution.

So what can college students do today?

I think back to my first semester at UC Berkeley in Fall 1984. I was not politically active in high school. And my choice to go to UC Berkeley had nothing to do with its legacy as a fount of political activism, that is, the key role it played in the protests of McCarthyism in the ‘40s/’50s, the civil rights and free speech movements in the ‘60s, and the Vietnam War protests in the late ‘60s and early ‘70s. It had much more to do with the 11 Nobel Prize-winning science faculty the institution boasted, and the knowledge that I had an opportunity to learn from some of the world’s leading scientists.

The mid 1980s marked the “Reagan Revolution”. In Fall 1984 I witnessed the Berkeley College Republicans march triumphantly across campus the night that Ronald Reagan was elected to his second term as president.

Complacency had replaced activism even at Berkeley.

But college activism wasn't dead. It was simply dormant. A nascent movement-- the Anti-Apartheid movement opposing the South African apartheid system discriminating against non-whites—was brewing and soon bubbled over in 1985. Students demanded that their universities divest of holdings in companies doing business with the discriminatory government of South Africa. In July of 1986, the UC Regents voted to divest $3.1 billion from companies doing business with the apartheid government, the largest university divestment in the country.

Students at Berkeley—and all across the nation—had not only found their voice again but used it—to change the world. We are seeing a reawakening of student involvement and activism not unlike that I witnessed back in my days at UC Berkeley. Today’s students, too,

are finding their voice and changing the world—in a positive way.

The fossil fuel divestment movement asks colleges, universities and other institutions to divest of holdings in fossil fuel companies who, like Tobacco companies in the past, have used their immense wealth and power to poison the public dialogue when it comes to the problems created by their product—in this case, fossil fuels and dangerous planetary warming.

Spearheaded by Bill McKibben’s organization 350.org, the divestment campaign has spread across college campuses. More than $6 Trillion dollars in holdings have been pulled out by nearly a thousand institutions and more than 50,000 people.

Students are making their voices heard.

And there are many other ways to make your voice heard: writing about the climate crisis, talking with your friends and family, supporting organizations focused on climate action. And then there is voting.

My first semester at UC Berkeley was the first election I was able to vote in.

My preferred presidential candidate did not win, but it was empowering nonetheless. I felt the agency of directly participating in the political process. You all have the same opportunity this Fall.

If you do not like the direction that we are headed, with a president and congress that is seeking to overturn a half century of environmental protections and scuttle international cooperation in acting on climate change, then you can communicate your dissatisfaction with your vote. It is not an exaggeration to say that the mid-term election this November may determine the future course of climate action.

You have an opportunity to, as my friend Bill Nye says, change the world.

Do it, my friends! T R AUGUST | 2018

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Southwestern University: A place of Picturesque Past, Perfect Present and Promising Future!

Southwestern University, the first university in Texas, has seen multiple generations grow and get nurtured in its backyard. With the foundation stones dating way back to the 1840s, it has seen the tides of changing times in all aspects.

Not only does the University have a magnificent history associated with it, but it also has continually evolved to meet the changing needs of ever-flowing time.

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Today, with a sprawling campus at Georgetown, Texas, just 25 miles north of Austin, Southwestern University stands tall, with its every corner preaching emphatic tales of a glorious past.

The Knowledge Streams at the University Southwestern University was the first institution of higher education in Texas and is one of the state’s top liberal arts and sciences colleges. Their curriculum incorporates the humanities, fine arts, social sciences, and natural sciences. The University’s 26 academic departments range from biochemistry and business to foreign languages and computer science. In addition, SU also offers seven pre-professional pathways, including pre-engineering, pre-law, and pre-medicine, with acceptance rates into graduate programs three times the national average. With as many as forty bachelor’s degrees in arts, music, fine arts, and science on offer, Southwestern University also serves as a bastion of numerous sustainable practices both in letter and spirit.

In the 21st century, it is a well-accepted fact that students are required to advance the frontiers of knowledge through original thought and innovative creative work. Combining their breakthrough curriculum with real-world opportunities, the University equips students with the skills required to create new ideas, adapt, collaborate, and solve problems from multiple perspectives. SU is the only school in Texas that is included on the list of “Best Schools for Making an Impact,” ranking third nationally. This further marks the validation of an impactful methodology for all-round development at Southwestern University.

Splendid Sprouts of Life and Career SU students participate in multiple transformative experiences, such as study abroad, community-engaged learning, internships, and faculty-mentored research projects. The majority of SU students live on campus and are actively involved in one or more of its numerous

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student organizations. Students are civic-minded and have volunteered more than 22,000 service hours in the community in the 2016–17 academic years. Athletically, the Pirates compete in 20 different varsity sports at the NCAA Division III level, with many more involved in a club or intramural sports. 97 percent of SU students receive financial aid from the University. In the fall of 2017, Southwestern University awarded over $31 million in merit scholarships and need-based grants and over $2.5 million in federal and state grants.

Southwestern’s Career Services ranks #1 in Texas and ranks #7 nationally, as recognized by The Princeton Review.

The university has a staggering placement statistic of about 91%.

Moreover, their alumni have gone on to become scientists, U.S. senators, members of Congress, actors, federal judges, attorney generals, mayors, philanthropists, social activists, championship athletes, and university presidents among many other prestigious roles.

Among the bright stars from Southwestern, John Tower ‘48 (BA, political science) was the first Republican US Senator from Texas since Reconstruction. He led the Tower Commission, which investigated the Iran-Contra Affair during the Reagan administration, and was nominated by President George H. W. Bush for secretary of defense.

An Unwavering Commitment to the Environment Southwestern is committed to sustainable practices with student-led initiatives, grant-funded projects, and the participation of the entire SU community. The University transitioned to 100% wind power in 2010, leading the way for the city of Georgetown to become the largest city in the nation to be powered entirely by renewable energy in 2017. In 2017–18,

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the EPA recognized SU as a Green Power Champion for using more green power than any other school in the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference. SU has switched to lowflow toilets and shower heads, installed solar panels on its rehearsal hall, and uses water-bottle refill stations and rainwater-collection barrels.

In 1999, a student group from the University, called Students for Environmental Activation and Knowledge (SEAK), successfully lobbied for the Environmental Studies Program. In 2011, a student’s research mapping the solar radiation potential of SU’s campus buildings was used by the city of Georgetown to optimize its own solar collection. The Environmental Studies Program’s 2014 capstone projects focused on furthering sustainability on campus. Since 2014, the 25-acre Ecolab has conducted soil and water sampling as well as wildlife monitoring. By digitizing historic photos of the land, Ecolab students have studied the area’s ecological history and how its landscape has changed over time.

Words of Trust “I love Southwestern because it’s very personal, it’s amazing, and it’s inspiring. It makes me feel like I’m in the real world, working with a very tight-knit group of people who specialize but who are also interdisciplinary. Southwestern has prepared me to really put my best foot forward and explore what the world has for me.” - Brandon Baker, Theatre and Dance “Southwestern’s Paideia is an interdisciplinary program for critical and creative thinkers. It can connect you to other disciplines that you’ve never anticipated caring about or being engaged in. You see the world as more connected, but it also gives you confidence that you will have a place within that world.” - Alexandra Detmar, Biology and German T R

THE ARCHITECT OF UNIVERSITY’S ROADMAP An able leader always determines the perfect path for the flock. Southwestern University is blessed to have the impeccable guidance of President Edward Burger. In 1997, Edward Burger (Ph.D., mathematics, the University of Texas at Austin) became one of the first individuals to make instructional mathematics videos accessible to a broader audience.

Between 1997 and 2013, he created more than 4,000 such videos, which are watched by millions around the globe.

He was among Huffington Post’s “Game Changers” in 2010—a group of 100 thought leaders in 12 categories who are changing the way we look at and live in the world. The publication highlighted one of Burger’s innovative approaches to teaching: encouraging and rewarding effective failure as a means toward greater creativity and deeper understanding. Dr. Burger has received a number of national awards for teaching, and in 2013, he was inducted as one of the first fellows of the American Mathematical Society.

Burger has authored or co-authored more than 35 research articles and 12 books.

His most recent book, The 5 Elements of Effective Thinking, co-authored with Dr. Michael Starbird (UT Austin), has been translated into 15+ languages and has led to speaking invitations from organizations such as the World Bank, International Monetary Fund, and U.S. Department of the Interior. Burger has delivered more than 400 lectures worldwide and has appeared on more than 40 radio and TV programs, including an episode of NBC’s 2010 Science of the Winter Olympics series, which earned him a Telly Award, too. Burger also served for three years as mathematics advisor for a series of educational programs that accompanied the popular CBS television series NUMB3RS.

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Unity College: A Leader in Sustainability Education Preparing Students with Real -World Experience Educating responsible, optimistic individuals committed to solving the world’s most pressing environmental problems through sustainability science

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Many talk about taking an initiative, making a change, and bringing a transformation, but not everyone can make that a reality in the practical world. Unity College is making real-life change with a curriculum centered around real-world experiences. The College was the first institution of higher education to divest its investment portfolios from fossil fuels, and it continues to pursue sustainability initiatives through experiential education and an innovative enterprise approach. The College’s flagship campus is located at 90 Quaker Hill Road in Unity, Maine, which gives students easy access to Maine’s farms, woods, and water.

Recent Initiatives in Dining and Organics Unity College is at the forefront of sustainability initiatives, with the College’s Dining Services often leading the way. Unity College’s Dining Services was awarded Gold in Waste Management by the National Association of Colleges & University Food Services, as well as the overall Sustainability Grand Prize in 2017. Dining Services initiatives helped the College earn those honors included a program that diverts 100 percent of food service organics. Between August 2016 and March 2017, Dining Services diverted 26.6 tons of organic waste from landfills in only a span of eight months, and raised the overall campus diversion rate 10 percent, from 37 percent to 47 percent. The College has also aligned purchasing guidelines with the Real Food Challenge, which helps guide dining decisions to encourage a sustainable, local, fair, and humane food system.

Unity College’s Sustainability Office, Residence Life, and Facilities helped launch a pilot organics collection in one residence hall in 2017, which was declared a success and received the green light to expand to all residence halls.

Programs that Educate Sustainability Ambassadors of the Future Through experiential and collaborative learning, Unity College graduates emerge as responsible citizens, environmental stewards, and visionary leaders. To make this a reality, the College offers numerous courses at the undergraduate and graduate levels. For bachelor degrees, Unity College offers majors in Adventure-Based Environmental Education; Adventure Therapy; Art and Environment; Biology; Captive Wildlife Care and

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Education; Conservation Law Enforcement; Earth and Environmental Science; Environmental Policy, Law and Society; Environmental Writing and Media Studies; Marine Biology; Parks and Forest Resources; Sustainable Agriculture; Sustainable Business Enterprise; Sustainable Energy Management; Wildlife Biology; and Wildlife and Fisheries Management.

It even offers numerous online graduate programs including masters programs in Sustainable Natural Resource Management, Environmental GIScience, Environmental Science and Sustainability, and Conservation Law Enforcement. Unity College believes in learning through experience, and offers students a unique chance to actually practice within the field where other schools study models within a classroom.

Some of the sites that enable Unity College to do this include: · Unity College: Sky Lodge, a historic sporting lodge located on more than 150 acres in the Moose River Valley, Maine. · McKay Farm and Research Station in Thorndike, Maine, where students can get hands-on training in running a greenhouse. · Unity College Center for the Arts, where students can study ceramics, painting, photography, film, sculpting, and new media right next to the Leonard Craig Gallery, where established artists showcase their work.

Another recent development for the College to reach new audiences is its online degree completion program, allowing adults interested in finishing their bachelor’s degree to do so.

Events Tailored for Experiential Education Unity College organizes several events to help give students hands-on learning, including the Unity College Herpetology Club's “Big Night” to raise awareness of amphibians crossing the road during breeding season. The College also works with The American Chestnut Foundation

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every year to help plant chestnut trees in new locations to see where they grow best, after the tree had become functionally extinct. They also work alongside the foundation to help create new cross-breeds that are more resistant to blight. Marine Biology students visit Curacao for research, and all entering students participate in a Nova trip, which fosters significant student growth and makes for a smooth transition for students into life at Unity College.

Financial Aid and Grants Scholarships that can help students achieve their dreams at Unity College include: the George E. Constable Scholarship, for Maine residents majoring in Forestry or Wildlife; the Grace B. Simmons Scholarship for students who demonstrate a superior ability in mathematics; the Penobscot County Conservation Association, for students majoring in Wildlife Management or Conservation Law Enforcement and pursuing a career in Wildlife Management or CLE, and the Allison M. Hall Scholarship, for a junior or senior who demonstrates perseverance in overcoming adversity in pursuit of his or her education at Unity College, among many others.

Words of Trust “I came to Unity College as a quiet student. With the opportunities, experience, and people that Unity College has given me, I have gone from a quiet student stuck in my room to a student who is very involved on campus.

I confidently feel that Unity has given me the tools to be successful after I graduate.” · Den Suehiro (’19), Sustainable Agriculture major “At Unity College, I’ve had the chance to be involved with several facets of student leadership that would be difficult to achieve at larger universities. My experiences here will be the crucible of my career in marine conservation.” · Jordan Baker (’20), Marine Biology major T R

ABOUT THE PRESIDENT OF UNITY COLLEGE Dr. Melik Peter Khoury, President of Unity College, leads the College to create an extraordinary experience in sustainability education for its students. He fosters experiential education and the creation of realworld enterprises as manifestations of the Unity College curriculum in order to provide educational experience as well as to supplement revenue in order to keep tuition more manageable for students.

“At Unity College, we are proud of creating an education that is made in Maine. Not only do we ensure students see all that Maine has to offer through various Nova orientation trips when they first arrive, we also now have sites in the Moose River Valley, as well as McKay Farm and Research Station in Thorndike, and Unity, of course and we’re continuing to grow,” said Dr. Khoury. “The traditional college education is changing and we are meeting students where they are through residential, online, and hybrid experiences. They get hands-on experience, as well as a high-quality liberal arts education, and we are continuing to look at every way we can give students the transformational learning experiences they expect and deserve to reach new audiences interested in becoming a student at Unity College.”

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Western Colorado University An Abode of Arts & Education for the Talents of Tomorrow The institute delivers a full liberal arts curriculum and career preparation to 2,900 intellectually adventurous students, deep in the heart of the Rocky Mountains

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With more than 100 years of glorious past, Western State Colorado University blends the age-old educational values with modern day educational developments with utmost ease and perfection.

Western State Colorado University is a public liberal arts college offering more than 90 areas of study, including programs in Biology, Environment & Sustainability and Recreation & Outdoor Education, along with several graduate programs including a Master in Environmental Management. Located in the magnificent Gunnison Valley, the University uses its natural surroundings as a unique learning laboratory. With an average class size of just 18 students, professors know their students by name and often involve them in research opportunities that are usually not seen until graduate school.

Pursuit of Sustainability Western State Colorado University is continuously in pursuit of solutions to complex sustainability issues. They have even committed to making campus zero waste. Students are a significant force in this pursuit. Multiple departments and student-centric organizations have been put on the university campus to make this feasible. Sustainability Coordinators, Sustainability Coalition, Organics Guild, are to name a few.

Sustainability Coordinators are the work-study positions in which students increase sustainability awareness and inspire behavior change through leadership, education, and action. On the similar lines, the Sustainability Coalition is a student-led group that promotes sustainability on campus by providing others with direction and resources and educating the community. Adding on to that, the Organics Guild is a student-run organization that maintains Chipeta Garden and Pinnacles Greenhouse on campus.

The University has 4 Gold and 3 Silver LEED-certified buildings on campus. Advancements have been made for the installation of a

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“Rocket Composter” outside the University Center that is estimated to divert up to 95 percent of food waste from the dining halls.

Conviction to make Change Western’s Sustainability Fund Committee supports each of the student projects that support the use of more sustainable and renewable energy; reduce unnecessary consumption of goods; increase reuse of usable goods and recycling of materials; and promote the ethical stewardship of all resources and land on Western’s campus.

Their School of Environment & Sustainability and Sustainable Western programs have created a productive environment for sustainability ideas, initiatives, and activities. Whether it be RecycleMania, the Headwaters Conference, Colorado Water Workshop or dropping by High Country News’ satellite office in Kelly Hall, students have opportunities aplenty to get involved and make a difference at local, national and even international levels.

A Door to Endless Opportunities The processes and activities inculcated at Western State Colorado University are worth much appreciation because these are well supplemented with highflying career option for its students.

The Office of Career Services supports students in the pursuit of meaningful careers and graduate studies through individual and group advising; campus programming; and engagement among students, employers, and alumni. In doing so, Career Services fosters a campus culture around preparing for life after college.

Career Services also brings companies to campus for workshops, recruiting events and information sessions—providing students with opportunities to expand their

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professional connections and network with potential employers.

Resources offered by Career Services include career and internship fairs, career and internship support, mock interviews, professional development programming, resume and cover letter reviews. Moreover, the Office of Career Services also acts as a source of guidance for the novices ready to explore the world of opportunities.

Outshining Outcomes Western’s alumni go on to be leaders in sustainability. The budding Master in Environmental Management (MEM) program has already seen tremendous success with its graduates. For example, Ayodeji Oluwalana ‘17, who emigrated with his family from Nigeria to study in the program, is now the Recycling and Special Events Coordinator at Iowa State University and Cassidy Tawse-Garcia ‘16 is the Southwest Organizer for the National Young Farmer’s Coalition.

The education inculcated in the young minds of students has lasting effects on their lives. Western State Colorado University has attained landmark achievement in this perspective.

Words of Trust “I am working on campus sustainability initiatives and creating real change in resource-use issues. It is great that Western is a ‘living laboratory’ for this type of work.”

- Cara Leaply | Major: Environment & Sustainability (Student Sustainability Coordinator and Freecycle Manager) “I am involved in tons of group activities. My days are full of opportunities to grow and gain skills for my career.”

- Christopher Gooderham | Major: Biology (Student Sustainability Coordinator and active Gunnison SageGrouse researcher) T R

AN IMPECCABLE LEADERSHIP A leader with long-term vision is always the most vital constituent of any organization’s success. In the past four years, President Greg Salsbury, Ph.D., has led Western State Colorado University to an enrolment increase of 20.5 percent—more than any other public four-year school in the state.

Western has also shown a massive increase in retention rates, graduation rates, average GPA, and diversity.

Moreover, all of this was done with lower student debt than the national average and a student loan default rate some 50 percent lower than the national average.

Under the leadership of President Greg Salsbury, the institute not only focuses on the quality of education but it also prides itself on the availability of financial aid for its students. Onehundred percent of students are considered for merit aid, and 80 percent of student receives aid, whether be it through scholarships, grants or tuition discount programs.

It is also teeming with opportunities for students to land work-study positions—whether be it in admissions, financial aid, an academic department or the library.

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