Energy
Greening Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs)
Since Fall 2010 CoLab has been working in partnership with the United Negro College Fund (UNCF) and Tougaloo College, to create and implement a roadmap for developing Sustainability Action Plans for greening HBCUs. Black colleges are a strategic investment for sustainability because they remain a critical training ground for the nation’s African American leaders and thinkers. HBCU centers of excellence in science and technology will be a necessary resource in efforts to “green” cities, particularly as growing numbers of cities become majority minority. Efforts such as the American College and University Presidents’ Climate Commitment focus on carbon reduction and entail in-depth monitoring and reporting requirements. CoLab staff member and DUSP alum Carlos Espinoza-Toro is helping to develop an HBCU-specific approach focused on revenue generation through reduced consumption, energy efficiency and recycling. In early community engagement efforts, MCP student, Aly Bryson and PhD student, Chris Jones, worked with Tougaloo faculty, students and administration to identify key priorities for further development. Through A partnership with UNCF, CoLab hopes that this approach may ultimately serve as a model for greening all Minority Serving Institutions, including Indian Colleges and Hispanic-Serving Institutions.
Links:
HBCU Sustainability Action Plan Road Map
Faculty Affiliate:
Phil Thompson
Student Affiliates:
Alyssa Bryson and Chris Jones
Contact:
Dayna Cunningham
dayna@mit.edu