Second Nature Announces New President

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 25, 2014
Contact: Anne Waple: 617-722-0036 ext 204; awaple@secondnature.org
 
 
SECOND NATURE ANNOUNCES NEW PRESIDENT
 
Dr. Timothy L. Carter, named as one of Indianapolis’s “Forty Under
Forty” last year, joins Second Nature as its third President

BOSTON, MA- Second Nature is pleased to announce that Dr. Timothy L. Carter will be joining the 20-year old organization on September 22nd as its new President. Dr. Carter will replace David Hales, who retired in August after long and dedicated service to Second Nature and its mission. Second Nature is the umbrella organization supporting the American College & University Presidents’ Climate Commitment (ACUPCC) – a network of over 680 institutions of higher education committed to sustainability and climate preparedness.

Dr. Carter received his Ph.D. in Ecology with distinction from the Odum School of Ecology at the University of Georgia (UGA) and completed his B.S. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. As a post-doc and faculty member at UGA his work focused on the intersection between urbanization and environmental management through studies of designer ecosystems, sustainable development, environmental policy, and climate change impacts on coastal areas, including visualizing sea level rise on the Georgia coast. In addition, Dr. Carter developed a sustainability plan for the school.

As the founding Director of Butler University's Center for Urban Ecology (CUE), Dr. Carter has built the CUE from a fledgling unit with two interns and a program manager to a thriving academic center with over $3M in externally funded initiatives. Through partnerships Carter developed across the city of Indianapolis, as well as through his work with staff, faculty, students, and leadership at the university, the Center has become not only a successful place for the study of ecology but also a participant in increasing the sustainability of the city and campus. CUE projects include collaborative installations between artists and scientists for informal science learning, creation of a community currency to encourage urban watershed conservation action, and the use of mobile device technology as an engagement strategy for residents of the city. The CUE also led efforts to develop Butler’s climate strategy including signing the ACUPCC, developing Butler’s Climate Action Plan, and hiring Butler’s first sustainability officer.

Carter joins Second Nature at a time when the organization is poised to build on successes and to take on new strategic directions. After an assessment of Second Nature’s programs and strengths undertaken over the last year, the organization has plans to strengthen the ACUPCC, as well as develop new focus areas, including expanding its newest program, the Alliance for Resilient Campuses (ARC). “We absolutely believe Tim is the best person to lead us forward’ says Richard Cook, Chair of Second Nature’s Board of Directors. “Tim's experience running an influential and purposeful Center at Butler University, as well as his clear success in engaging diverse partners, his academic background, his support of higher education as well as the community, and his abilities to lead change all make him a great choice for Second Nature and the ACUPCC.” 

“I am thrilled to be given the opportunity to lead Second Nature” said Carter, “The organization has achieved incredible success in climate mitigation, and in leading sustainability efforts, and I am looking forward to building on that rich history and taking it even further. It’s a critical time for generating widespread commitment to sustainability and climate preparedness, and higher education has an enormously important role to play in leadership, education, and practical implementation. Second Nature is supporting this progress in innovative and inclusive ways, and I am very excited to be a part of continuing that important work.”

Tim comes to Boston, Second Nature’s headquarter city, with his wife Katy and three children.

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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 supporting organization of the American College & University Presidents' Climate Commitment. Learn more at: www.secondnature.org.

About the American College & University Presidents' Climate Commitment (ACUPCC):
The ACUPCC is an active partnership among 684 colleges and universities to accelerate the education, research, and community engagement needed to slow human-induced climate change while setting an example by eliminating net greenhouse gas emission from their own operations. Learn more at: www.presidentsclimatecommitment.org.

Publication Date: 
Monday, August 25, 2014