FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 24, 2013
Contact: Rima Mulla, 617-722-0036, rmulla@secondnature.org
Second Nature Announces 2013 Finalists in Competition
to Find Higher Education's Most Innovative Climate Leaders
BOSTON, MA-Second Nature, a national nonprofit that works to create a healthy, just, and sustainable society by transforming higher education, today announced finalists for its 2013 Climate Leadership Awards, an annual, national competition among colleges and universities that are signatories of the American College & University Presidents' Climate Commitment (ACUPCC).
"If the destabilizing economic, political, and environmental events and natural disasters of the last 2-3 years have told us anything, it is that business as usual will not work," said David Hales, President of Second Nature. "We need new and better ways of meeting human needs, and these 20 institutions are leading the way in creating - and teaching - sustainable solutions to the major economic and social issues of our time."
This year, the award program's fourth, drew the largest and most competitive pool of nominations to date. Second Nature will partner with PlanetForward, a web-to-television initiative that documents and shares energy, climate, and sustainability advances, on a public voting competition featuring the finalists' climate leadership and campus innovations during Earth Month (April 2013).
"The caliber of this year's nominations is unparalleled," said ACUPCC Director Ashka Naik. "The depth of climate leadership and the breadth of sustainability education programs demonstrated by these finalists reflect their commitment to truly innovative solutions for a sustainable future."
Awards Timeline
The awards will feature a public, online voting component. Each of the 20 finalists will produce a video that promotes its specific sustainability efforts. Voting will be open during Earth Month, April 2013. Last year's voting competition drew over 70,000 video views and 14,000 votes.
In late spring, award winners will be chosen, independent of the video voting competition, by members of the Second Nature Board not affiliated with ACUPCC signatory schools.
More information on the awards is available here.
Full List of Finalists
The following colleges and universities, listed according to their respective Carnegie Classifications, are the 2013 finalists:
Associate/Tribal College
Bellevue College (WA)
Glendale Community College (AZ)
Saint Louis Community College at Florissant Valley (MO)
University of Hawaii Kauai Community College (HI)
Baccalaureate College
Carleton College (MN)
Hobart & William Smith (NY)
Middlebury College (VT)
Oberlin College (OH)
Master's Colleges & University
American Public University System (WV)
Chatham University (PA)
Goddard College (VT)
Western State Colorado University (CO)
Doctorate Granting University
Georgia Institute of Technology (GA)
Indiana State University (IN)
Missouri University of Science & Technology (MO)
Portland State University (OR)
State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry (NY)
Special Focus Institutions / Other
Massachusetts Maritime Academy (MA)
Pratt Institute of Art & Design (NY)
University of Massachusetts Medical School (MA)
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About Second Nature
Second Nature works to create a healthy, just, and sustainable society beginning with the transformation of higher education. Second Nature is the support organization of the American College & University Presidents' Climate Commitment (ACUPCC).
Learn more at: www.secondnature.org
About the American College & University Presidents' Climate Commitment
The ACUPCC is an intensive partnership among more than 650 colleges and universities to accelerate the education, research, and community engagement to equip society to re-stabilize the earth's climate while setting an example by eliminating net greenhouse gas emissions from their own operations.
Learn more at: www.presidentsclimatecommitment.org