Southern Polytechnic State University

Building a sustainable campus

Meeting notes:  23 March 2007

 

About 60 people attended, including 6 colleagues from Life University.

 

Discussion included the overview of what it means to become an environmentally responsible campus.  We identified resources that exist among faculty, staff, students, alumni, Foundation board members, and friends of SPSU.

 

Ideas for areas of emphasis:

·        Sustainable construction (courses, buildings) [Dr. Siddiqi, Mench, Makarechi]

·        Sustainable architecture (courses, buildings, student projects) [Profs. Uddin, Tango]

·        LEED certification (courses, campus buildings) [Prof. Mench]

·        Student scholarships (example:  Udall Scholarships)  [Dr. Julie Newell]

·        Solar energy (technology development and assessment, demonstration site) [Prof. Thacker]

·        Recycling (ink cartridges, paper, plastic, glass) [Dr. Newell and others]

·        “Green chemistry” (microscale chemistry) [Dr. Szafran]

·        AIA 2030 Challenge for carbon neutrality in new buildings [Prof. Tango]

 

Volunteers for Sustainability Steering Committee (in no particular order):

Dr. Julie Newell, Chair, Social & International Studies

Mr. Ron Skopitz, Director of IT Operations

Prof. Scott Tippins, Electrical & Computer Engineering Technology

Prof. Robert Thacker, Management

Prof. Kathryn Beddette, Architecture

Prof. Bob Tango, Architecture

Prof. John Mench, Construction Management

Dr. Yar Makarechi, Construction Management

Dr. Alan Gabrielli, Dean, Arts and Sciences

Prof. Russ Hunt, Chair, Industrial Engineering Technology

Dr. Bernice Nuhfer-Halter, Social & International Studies

Mr. Jeff Bernard, Environmental Health and Safety

Mr. Jim Cooper, Recruiting, Marketing, and Alumni Relations

Mr. Patrick McCord, Vice President for Business & Finance

Dr. Zvi Szafran, Vice President for Academic Affairs

 

Next steps:

  1. Schedule meeting of the Steering Committee (done;  25 April 2007)
  2. Plan and schedule joint PR with Life University (done:  8 April 2007)
  3. Schedule meeting with Bruce Curtis of DTSolar (POC: Robert Thacker);  participants to include Thacker, Rossbacher, Szafran, Caudill, Tippins, and possible PR representative from Turner organization (if so, then Watson to be included from SPSU) (done:  23 April 2007)

 

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