This is the first installment of a two-part article examining the use of electric and hybrid vehicles on campus. While the Department of Public Safety just received the university’s first mild hybrid vehicle, other departments are going green with a vehicle known as a GEM (Global Electric Motorcar). The GEM is powered by a 72-volt absorbed glass mat battery pack, has a built-in charger and only requires an extension cord and a 110-volt outlet. There are currently eight GEMs on the Kent Campus. Tom Euclide , associate vice president for facilities planning and operations and Sustainability Task...
If you’re a faculty or staff member at the Kent Campus and you’re interested in saving money, saving the earth and/or saving your good health, you’ll want to consider participating in the second annual Fuel-Less Friday: Bike/Hike/Bus to Work Day on Friday, Aug. 21. The event is intended to encourage Kent Campus employees to find alternative means of traveling to and from work, including walking, riding a bike, carpooling or using the free, local bus service provided by the Portage Area Regional Transportation Authority (PARTA) to all employees with a valid ÐÔ¸£ÎåÔÂÌì ID card. To make Fuel-Less...
ÐÔ¸£ÎåÔÂÌì is continuing its efforts to become a leader in sustainability on its campuses and in its curriculum. During the spring semester, the College of Technology offered the special topics course Sustainability, and will offer two sustainabilityrelated classes in the fall semester. Dr. Michael Salkind, instructor, says the class served as a broad interdisciplinary course that emphasized the global economic and social context in which sustainable technologies can solve the world’s most pressing problems of poverty, preserving and improving the world ecosystem, reversing global warming and ...
Campus Environment and Operations planted a very significant tree April 22 to jointly celebrate Arbor Day and Earth Day. The new addition to the Kent Campus landscape was planted between Stopher, Johnson and Olson residence halls.At the tree planting ceremony, the Tree Campus USA award was formally presented to ÐÔ¸£ÎåÔÂÌì. Gregg S. Floyd, vice president for finance and administration, accepted the award on behalf of the university. This ceremony was the formal presentation for the Kent Campus' national recognition as a Tree Campus USA honoree. The Kent Campus is the only college or university ...
Sustainability Initiative Takes Shape; E-Inside; March 16, 2009The Sustainability Task Force, a group charged by ÐÔ¸£ÎåÔÂÌì President Lester A. Lefton to organize and oversee the university's sustainability initiatives, is moving along steadily. The task force assembled a steering team, which has met twice to map a plan for gathering input and implementing sustainability efforts across ÐÔ¸£ÎåÔÂÌì's eight-campus system. The steering team is composed of leaders from the faculty, staff, student body and the city of Kent. The steering team is currently dividing its membership and interested volunt...
ÐÔ¸£ÎåÔÂÌì Honored by Arbor Day Foundation as Ohio's First Tree Campus USA; E-Inside; March 2, 2009The Arbor Day Foundation has honored ÐÔ¸£ÎåÔÂÌì University's Kent Campus as Ohio's first Tree Campus USA university for its dedication to campus forestry management and environmental stewardship. Tree Campus USA, a new national program launched by the Arbor Day Foundation, honors college and universities and the leaders of the campus and surrounding communities for promoting healthy urban forest management and engaging the campus community in environmental stewardship. To earn the distinction, th...
From an individual’s perspective, important issues such as the economy or climate change can seem pretty overwhelming. It can be difficult to imagine that the actions of one person can really have an effect on such daunting global challenges. But the reality is there are small but significant steps that every one of us can take that, when combined, have a real impact on reducing expenses and increasing environmental responsibility at ÐÔ¸£ÎåÔÂÌì. We can all play a role in promoting good energy-saving habits among our fellow faculty, staff and students. For example, when thinking about your own ...
Sustainability Task Force Seeks Volunteers; E-Inside; October 20, 2008In his State of the University Address, President Lester A. Lefton announced the formation of a Sustainability Task Force. The goal of this task force — which will be co-chaired by Thomas Euclide, executive director of facilities planning and operations, and Dr. Verna Fitzsimmons, interim dean of the College of Technology — is to identify opportunities to make ÐÔ¸£ÎåÔÂÌì a leader in sustainability in a variety of areas, including operations, conservation and education. Additional nominations currently are being accepted for ...
The Excellence Agenda State of the University Address \Lester A. Lefton, President ÐÔ¸£ÎåÔÂÌì University September 25, 2008 Thank you, Chairman Mullin. ÐÔ¸£ÎåÔÂÌì is proud to claim you as an alumnus and as a trustee. Over the years, I’ve seen many boards up close and personal. I am not exaggerating when I say that I’ve never seen a university board demonstrate more diligence, more vision — or care more deeply about students, scholarship and service — than the trustees serving ÐÔ¸£ÎåÔÂÌì in 2008. Actually, that doesn’t surprise me. My tenure at ÐÔ¸£ÎåÔÂÌì has now pa...