The Institute for Sustainable Energy at Eastern Connecticut State University is planning a statewide Campus Sustainability Conference to be hosted by Middlesex Community College (MXCC) on April 25, 2014.
This event is designed for personnel and students at Connecticut’ public and private colleges and universities, and will bring together students, faculty, staff and others who are involved with campus sustainability efforts. Conference workshops and discussion panels will focus on such topics as Campus and Community Engagement; Curriculum–Teaching & Research; and Campus Planning and Facilities Management. Presenters will address resource efficiency and sustainability, renewable energy, community outreach and campus resilience.
“America’s colleges and universities have tremendous potential to produce graduates capable of addressing global climate disruption from many different disciplines and perspectives,” said Middlesex Community College President Anna Wasescha. “Through their campus operations, these academic institutions can be models for what to do at a local level to reduce carbon emissions. Sustainability is a strategic priority for Middlesex Community College and we are delighted to be hosting this conference during the same week that we celebrate the 44th anniversary of Earth Day.”
The conference will feature keynote speaker David Hales, president of Second Nature and former president of the College of the Atlantic in Bar Harbor, ME. Second Nature was founded in 1993 and has since been transforming sustainability for higher education institutions utilizing its heir Education for Sustainability (EfS) vision. Hales will speak on the role of higher education in adapting to the impacts of changing climate — the opportunity and imperative for resilience.
The conference will give participants opportunities to interact with sustainability and energy vendors from around the state and nationally recognized organizations as a means of providing solutions to energy and sustainability campus initiatives.
The event will be held at MXCC’s Chapman Hall, on Friday April 25, 2014 from 9 a.m.– 3:30 p.m. For more information contact Laura Worthington at WorthingtonL@easternct.edu or (860) 465-0254.