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Penn State Harrisburg commemorates building's LEED certification

2/4/13

Penn State Harrisburg is leading the way for sustainable student housing statewide with its new residence hall named Building 10,000. On Feb. 6, a dedication ceremony will be held for Penn State Harrisburg's Building 10,000's LEED silver level certification, an industry benchmark for energy efficiency and high performance green design.

Untitled

Selling green wine: Not just for Dr. Seuss

1/28/13

Penn State students Michael Fasano, Melissa Jones, and George Riccardo, along with fellow students, visited the winery in the hills above the Tiber Valley on Friday on a field trip for their course, The Business of Food in Italy.

The course focuses on the business of producing and exporting wine and is part of the Umbra Institute's interdisciplinary Food Studies Program.

Penn State Housing takes big steps toward 'zero waste' goals

1/9/13

A year ago, Penn State Housing, with help from the Office of Physical Plant and Residence Life, embarked on a seemingly impossible quest. Its goal was to change habits, raise awareness and increase options in an effort to make the residence halls zero waste.

A daunting task indeed. But starting with North Halls last spring and now in several East Halls buildings, on-campus students have proven they are not afraid to take on the zero waste challenge.

"They're on board here," said Jan Mason, East Halls Housing manager. "It took some time to adjust and some education, but now we have the buy-in we're looking for, and we're ready to move forward."

Untitled

Berks' unique Gaige Building wins two more national awards

11/26/12

The Gaige Technology and Business Innovation Building on Penn State's Berks campus recently won two new awards for its unique design and construction. The Construction Owners Association of America (COAA) granted a Silver Award from its Project Leadership Award Program at its national conference in Orlando, Fla. Within weeks, the Construction Management Association of America (CMAA) granted a Project Achievement Award at its 2012 national conference in Chicago. Both the COAA and the CMAA recognized the steady leadership and detailed scheduling that led to this building's completion three months ahead of schedule and under budget.

Untitled

Penn State hotels awarded for environmental initiatives

11/19/12

Environmentally charged programs at the Penn State hotels caught the attention of a statewide organization, which recognized the two facilities for their continued commitment to the environment and instilling sustainable practices into their day-to-day operations.

The Nittany Lion Inn and Penn Stater Conference Center Hotel won the Pennsylvania Waste Watchers Award. The designation identifies businesses and schools that overachieve in their commitment to recycling, waste reduction, reuse and composting.

Untitled

New entrance highlights campus construction projects

11/6/12

With the days getting shorter and temperatures getting lower, the construction season is winding down at Penn State New Kensington. For the past seven months, a series of renovation projects were underway on the campus. Capital improvements include redesigned parking lots, upgrades of chemistry labs and refurbishing the entrance to the Athletics Center.

"The primary intent was to improve the safety and accessibility while using the opportunity to improve the image of the campus exterior," said Jason Bush, director of business and finance. "I think the last time the upper parking lot was reconstructed was over 20 years ago."

Immersive Experience with Sustainability Challenges course launched

8/24/12

A new course, Immersive Experience with Sustainability Challenges, is now being offered in Fall 2012. A donation from PSU alumnus Earl Harbaugh will allow the new Environmental Resource Management course to be offered. ERM497a will integrate sustainability and business topics for students in all majors.

Beaver Valley Alumni Chapter aids Independence Conservancy

5/18/12

On Saturday, May 19, the Beaver Valley Area Chapter of the Penn State Alumni Association assisted with a tire collection conducted by the Independence Conservancy. Alumni chapter members and friends volunteered their morning to help with this ongoing project in a continuing effort to aid "green" efforts in the community. The project, which was held in Baden, was organized by Victoria E. Michaels, executive director of the Independence Conservancy. For more information about the event or the Beaver Valley Alumni Chapter, contact Board member Michael Boser at mwboser@me.com or Chapter president Keith Poleti at krp151@yahoo.com. For information about the Independence Conservancy, visit www.independenceconservancy.org.

Campus sponsors sustainability week activities

4/4/12

Continuing its efforts for a "green" campus, Penn State New Kensington will sponsor a week of sustainable activities, April 9-13, to highlight reusable materials and campus' ecological footprints.
"Sustainability Week" features daily activities during common hour --noon-1 p.m., Monday, Wednesday and Friday; and 1:45 to 3 p.m., Tuesday and Thursday -- including "Recycled Arts and Crafts," creating projects out of the reusable items, and "Ecological Footprint Tests," that estimate see how much of the world's resources a person uses. In addition to the two daily activities, a campus-wide clean-up is scheduled for Wednesday, April 11. The Campus Activities Board will dish out free ice cream in Cafe 780 during Wednesday's common hour.

Untitled

Electric aircraft team wins a record $1.35-million NASA prize

10/6/11

A Penn State Engineering team led by Jack W. Langelaan, assistant professor of aerospace engineering, took home first place and $1.35 million in prize money in the Comparative Aircraft Flight Efficiency (CAFE) Foundation Green Flight Challenge held on Oct. 4. This is the largest prize ever awarded in aviation history, according to the agency.

The contest, held in Santa Rosa, Calif., challenges teams to design and build an electric aircraft capable of flying at an average speed of at least 100 mph over a 200-mile course while achieving a fuel efficiency greater than 200 passenger miles per gallon equivalent.

Penn State faculty, staff to present at sustainability conference

10/5/11

Penn State will be well represented at the 2011 Conference and Expo of the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE). Taking place Oct. 9-12 at the Daniel L. Lawrence Convention Center in Pittsburgh, AASHE's annual gathering is North America's largest conference focused on sustainability in higher education. The event is expected to draw more than 2,500 participants from all 50 states and more than 10 countries.

Solar energy leader to speak on economics of solar industry

9/26/11

Christopher Cook, solar energy leader and former SunEdison partner, will visit Penn State to present "Solar Energy Economics" at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 29, in 309 Walker Building on Penn State's University Park campus. This lecture is free and open to the public.

Sustainability strategic plan town hall meeting scheduled at York

9/21/11

Penn State's University Sustainability Council is drafting the University's first strategic plan for sustainability and is seeking public input during the drafting process. A town hall session is set for Friday, Sept. 23 from 9:30 a.m. -12 p.m. at Penn State York, 1031 Edgecomb, Ave., York, Pa., and Penn State York students, faculty, staff and the local community are invited to attend the meeting in the Community Room of the Joe and Rosie Ruhl Student Community Center.

In Penn State's 2009-2014 University-wide strategic plan, Priorities for Excellence, University leaders noted that one key to Penn State's continuing success will be "creating a sustainable university, not just in conventional environmental terms, but in a wide array of resource dimensions, including fiscal sustainability. ... [I]ncreasing pressures on global resources and environmental conditions make it imperative that Penn State embrace sustainability in its many dimensions in ways that would position the University as a leader nationally and internationally."

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Untitled

Penn State Harrisburg commemorates building's LEED certification

2/4/13

Penn State Harrisburg is leading the way for sustainable student housing statewide with its new residence hall named Building 10,000. On Feb. 6, a dedication ceremony will be held for Penn State Harrisburg's Building 10,000's LEED silver level certification, an industry benchmark for energy efficiency and high performance green design.

Untitled

Selling green wine: Not just for Dr. Seuss

1/28/13

Penn State students Michael Fasano, Melissa Jones, and George Riccardo, along with fellow students, visited the winery in the hills above the Tiber Valley on Friday on a field trip for their course, The Business of Food in Italy.

The course focuses on the business of producing and exporting wine and is part of the Umbra Institute's interdisciplinary Food Studies Program.

Penn State Housing takes big steps toward 'zero waste' goals

1/9/13

A year ago, Penn State Housing, with help from the Office of Physical Plant and Residence Life, embarked on a seemingly impossible quest. Its goal was to change habits, raise awareness and increase options in an effort to make the residence halls zero waste.

A daunting task indeed. But starting with North Halls last spring and now in several East Halls buildings, on-campus students have proven they are not afraid to take on the zero waste challenge.

"They're on board here," said Jan Mason, East Halls Housing manager. "It took some time to adjust and some education, but now we have the buy-in we're looking for, and we're ready to move forward."

Untitled

Berks' unique Gaige Building wins two more national awards

11/26/12

The Gaige Technology and Business Innovation Building on Penn State's Berks campus recently won two new awards for its unique design and construction. The Construction Owners Association of America (COAA) granted a Silver Award from its Project Leadership Award Program at its national conference in Orlando, Fla. Within weeks, the Construction Management Association of America (CMAA) granted a Project Achievement Award at its 2012 national conference in Chicago. Both the COAA and the CMAA recognized the steady leadership and detailed scheduling that led to this building's completion three months ahead of schedule and under budget.

Untitled

Penn State hotels awarded for environmental initiatives

11/19/12

Environmentally charged programs at the Penn State hotels caught the attention of a statewide organization, which recognized the two facilities for their continued commitment to the environment and instilling sustainable practices into their day-to-day operations.

The Nittany Lion Inn and Penn Stater Conference Center Hotel won the Pennsylvania Waste Watchers Award. The designation identifies businesses and schools that overachieve in their commitment to recycling, waste reduction, reuse and composting.

Untitled

New entrance highlights campus construction projects

11/6/12

With the days getting shorter and temperatures getting lower, the construction season is winding down at Penn State New Kensington. For the past seven months, a series of renovation projects were underway on the campus. Capital improvements include redesigned parking lots, upgrades of chemistry labs and refurbishing the entrance to the Athletics Center.

"The primary intent was to improve the safety and accessibility while using the opportunity to improve the image of the campus exterior," said Jason Bush, director of business and finance. "I think the last time the upper parking lot was reconstructed was over 20 years ago."

Immersive Experience with Sustainability Challenges course launched

8/24/12

A new course, Immersive Experience with Sustainability Challenges, is now being offered in Fall 2012. A donation from PSU alumnus Earl Harbaugh will allow the new Environmental Resource Management course to be offered. ERM497a will integrate sustainability and business topics for students in all majors.

Beaver Valley Alumni Chapter aids Independence Conservancy

5/18/12

On Saturday, May 19, the Beaver Valley Area Chapter of the Penn State Alumni Association assisted with a tire collection conducted by the Independence Conservancy. Alumni chapter members and friends volunteered their morning to help with this ongoing project in a continuing effort to aid "green" efforts in the community. The project, which was held in Baden, was organized by Victoria E. Michaels, executive director of the Independence Conservancy. For more information about the event or the Beaver Valley Alumni Chapter, contact Board member Michael Boser at mwboser@me.com or Chapter president Keith Poleti at krp151@yahoo.com. For information about the Independence Conservancy, visit www.independenceconservancy.org.

Campus sponsors sustainability week activities

4/4/12

Continuing its efforts for a "green" campus, Penn State New Kensington will sponsor a week of sustainable activities, April 9-13, to highlight reusable materials and campus' ecological footprints.
"Sustainability Week" features daily activities during common hour --noon-1 p.m., Monday, Wednesday and Friday; and 1:45 to 3 p.m., Tuesday and Thursday -- including "Recycled Arts and Crafts," creating projects out of the reusable items, and "Ecological Footprint Tests," that estimate see how much of the world's resources a person uses. In addition to the two daily activities, a campus-wide clean-up is scheduled for Wednesday, April 11. The Campus Activities Board will dish out free ice cream in Cafe 780 during Wednesday's common hour.

Untitled

Electric aircraft team wins a record $1.35-million NASA prize

10/6/11

A Penn State Engineering team led by Jack W. Langelaan, assistant professor of aerospace engineering, took home first place and $1.35 million in prize money in the Comparative Aircraft Flight Efficiency (CAFE) Foundation Green Flight Challenge held on Oct. 4. This is the largest prize ever awarded in aviation history, according to the agency.

The contest, held in Santa Rosa, Calif., challenges teams to design and build an electric aircraft capable of flying at an average speed of at least 100 mph over a 200-mile course while achieving a fuel efficiency greater than 200 passenger miles per gallon equivalent.

Penn State faculty, staff to present at sustainability conference

10/5/11

Penn State will be well represented at the 2011 Conference and Expo of the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE). Taking place Oct. 9-12 at the Daniel L. Lawrence Convention Center in Pittsburgh, AASHE's annual gathering is North America's largest conference focused on sustainability in higher education. The event is expected to draw more than 2,500 participants from all 50 states and more than 10 countries.

Solar energy leader to speak on economics of solar industry

9/26/11

Christopher Cook, solar energy leader and former SunEdison partner, will visit Penn State to present "Solar Energy Economics" at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 29, in 309 Walker Building on Penn State's University Park campus. This lecture is free and open to the public.

Sustainability strategic plan town hall meeting scheduled at York

9/21/11

Penn State's University Sustainability Council is drafting the University's first strategic plan for sustainability and is seeking public input during the drafting process. A town hall session is set for Friday, Sept. 23 from 9:30 a.m. -12 p.m. at Penn State York, 1031 Edgecomb, Ave., York, Pa., and Penn State York students, faculty, staff and the local community are invited to attend the meeting in the Community Room of the Joe and Rosie Ruhl Student Community Center.

In Penn State's 2009-2014 University-wide strategic plan, Priorities for Excellence, University leaders noted that one key to Penn State's continuing success will be "creating a sustainable university, not just in conventional environmental terms, but in a wide array of resource dimensions, including fiscal sustainability. ... [I]ncreasing pressures on global resources and environmental conditions make it imperative that Penn State embrace sustainability in its many dimensions in ways that would position the University as a leader nationally and internationally."