Westchester Colleges To Be Honored For Commitment To Sustainability

New York League of Conservation Voters’ 2009 Environmental Champion Awards

NEW YORK – Five institutions of higher learning in Westchester County will be presented with the New York League of Conservation Voters’ 2009 Environmental Champion Award for their efforts to expand environmental education and “green” their campuses.

NYLCV, which works to make environmental sustainability a top policy and political priority in New York State, will honor the College of New Rochelle, Manhattanville College, Purchase College, Sarah Lawrence College and Westchester Community College during a reception on Tuesday, Feb. 17 at Manhattanville College. New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli will be the event’s keynote speaker.

“These five institutions of higher education are setting the bar for sustainability efforts in Westchester County,” said Marcia Bystryn, president of the New York League of Conservation Voters. “Each college is strongly committed to making their campuses and operations sustainable today, while also nurturing the environmental leaders of tomorrow.”

Here’s how each 2009 Environmental Champion is leading the way on sustainability: 

• The College of New Rochelle’s Wellness Center was designed to LEED-Silver specifications, features a landscaped green roof and was built with local and recycled materials. Since its opening last year, the Wellness Center has been utilizing sustainable operating practices such as a heat recovery system that recycles energy. The college’s commitment also includes an environmental studies curriculum, participation in national and regional partnerships and educational events on issues such as climate change, as well as an interdisciplinary team that works to enhance sustainability practices.
• The commitment that Manhattanville College has toward sustainable development can be seen in the two new buildings on campus. The Environmental Studies Classroom, a Maya Lin design, situated within an environmental research park, is a Platinum LEED-certified green building. The classroom is used for the Environmental Studies major and minor, which provides students with a working knowledge of current environmental issues. The other building is the Student Center, opened last year and Gold LEED-certified, which serves as a focal point for the Manhattanville student body.
• Two years ago, Thomas J. Schwarz, President of Purchase College, signed an agreement to reduce the college’s greenhouse gas emissions by 80 percent by 2050. Since that time, the college has taken steps large and small to reduce its carbon footprint. They include the hiring of a sustainability coordinator, completion of a greenhouse gas inventory, implementation of a green building policy for all new construction, the installation of energy-efficient equipment and a redesign of the Campus Plaza to reduce runoff and water pollution. Purchase College is also studying the use of solar thermal and photovoltaic devices for inclusion in future roofing designs.
• Sarah Lawrence College is committed to sustainability in its buildings, grounds and community practices. Examples include the first LEED-certified visual arts building at a college or university, opened in 2004. In 2005, it received the American Institute of Architects’ Committee on the Environment Top Ten Projects award. In 2008, driven by activist students in collaboration with the college’s administration, a residence hall was retrofitted to foster sustainable living. The students live by specific sustainable principles and host educational and community events throughout the year. Also in 2008, one of Westchester County’s first green roofs was installed on another residence hall on campus.
• Westchester Community College is dedicated to sustainability on a number of fronts. In addition to actively participating in a nationwide drive toward more eco-friendly institutions of higher education, the college is about to open The Gateway Center, a 70,000 square-foot building designed by the internationally renowned Polshek Partnership architectural firm. This environmentally friendly building will boast state-of-the-art classrooms, leading-edge technology, innovative use of lighting, a spectacular tower and the extensive use of native plantings on the grounds. It will open in 2010.

NYLCV will present its 2009 Environmental Champion Awards at a fundraising reception on Tuesday, Feb. 17, beginning at 6 p.m., at Reid Castle at Manhattanville College, 2900 Purchase St., in Purchase, NY. For more information or tickets to the event, please contact Hilary Wilkes at (212) 361-6350, ext. 204, or visit www.nylcv.org.
 

The New York League of Conservation Voters (NYLCV) was founded in 1989 as a nonpartisan, policy-making and political action organization that works to make environmental protection a top priority with elected officials, decision makers, and voters by evaluating incumbent performance and endorsing and electing environmental leaders to office in New York State.