News
Students from award-winning Whites Creek academy visit school’s wind-solar demo site
Nov. 30, 2015—Read the full story here. When Whites Creek High School students and teachers looked for a ground-mount solar cell installation to visit, they didn’t have to go far. It’s a mere 15 miles to the Vanderbilt School of Engineering’s wind-solar energy demonstration site at the top of Love Circle, one of the highest points in...
Vanderbilt offers new environmental sociology major
Nov. 24, 2015—Read the MyVU story here. Vanderbilt’s Department of Sociology this year launched its new environmental sociology major, the first environmental and sustainability studies major outside the sciences at Vanderbilt and one of the first such majors in the country. “Sociology developed the major in environmental sociology to provide students with more options,” said David Hess,...
Vanderbilt Web Communications named greenest group on campus
Nov. 24, 2015—Vanderbilt Web Communications won this year’s football sustainability competition and was named the ‘greenest group on campus’ this football season. This competition is sponsored by Waste Management Inc., Vanderbilt Athletics and the Vanderbilt Sustainability and Environmental Management Office (SEMO). The group celebrated their win with a catered tailgate and an on-field award ceremony at the...
Universities should lead in developing solutions to global challenges, chancellor says
Nov. 19, 2015—Read the MyVU story here. Universities should be leaders in developing innovative solutions to the challenges facing our global society, Chancellor Nicholas S. Zeppos said Nov. 16 at the annual Global Action Summit. “Our mission is to serve humanity, and to do that, we have to look at the constellation of issues that face us...
Green the season: Holiday waste reduction tips
Nov. 13, 2015—Americans throw away 25 percent more waste between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day than other parts of the year, resulting in about 1 million extra tons of trash annually. To help you combat this increase, the Sustainability and Environmental Management Office (SEMO) has some tips for reducing waste and making your holiday season more sustainable. ...
Vanderbilt researchers helping to build a futuristic, sustainable city
Nov. 11, 2015—Read the Vanderbilt Magazine story here. Bouncing along a red-dirt road peppered with a few terrifying embankments, a Vanderbilt delegation arrives at an empty hilltop meadow carpeted with prairie grass and cordoned off by a barbed-wire fence. Other than a few bored cows, the only cue indicating the destination is a lone sign reading “Sterling...
Alumni Hall earns LEED Gold certification
Nov. 10, 2015—Read the Vanderbilt News Story here. Alumni Hall has received LEED Gold certification from the U.S. Green Building Council for its recent renovation and addition. LEED stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design and is a certification program that sets the standard for environmentally responsible construction in the United States. Alumni Hall, which was originally constructed...
Vanderbilt designated a Bicycle Friendly University
Nov. 5, 2015—Read the Vanderbilt News story here. Read the League of American Bicyclists story here. The League of American Bicyclists has named Vanderbilt University and Medical Center a Bicycle Friendly University (BFU) at the bronze level. With this designation, Vanderbilt becomes one of 127 BFUs in 42 states and Washington, D.C. As defined by the league, bicycle...
Slay energy vampires this Halloween
Oct. 26, 2015—Read the MyVU story here. As little ghosts and ghouls prepare to come out in search of Halloween treats, be sure you don’t have any silent menaces lurking around your office or home tricking you into using more energy! Energy vampires are electronic devices that slowly suck energy when they are turned off but still...
Vanderbilt greenhouse gas emissions down almost 30 percent per square foot
Oct. 20, 2015—Read the MyVU story here. Vanderbilt University and Vanderbilt University Medical Center’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions decreased by 18 percent from its peak in 2008 and by 13 percent overall from calendar years 2005 to 2014, according to the Vanderbilt Sustainability and Environmental Management Office’s latest annual GHG inventory. Taking into account Vanderbilt’s significant growth...