Furman University Honored by SC Environmental Educational Association
August 9, 2008
GREENVILLE, SC — August 6, 2008 – The Environmental Education Association of South Carolina (EEASC) has given Furman University its annual award for Outstanding Leadership in Environmental Education.
EEASC is a non-profit association with a leadership role in environmental and natural resource conservation education in South Carolina. Its primary goal is to provide a greater knowledge and appreciation of the state’s natural heritage.
Furman was recently named one of the nation’s 50 most environmentally conscious colleges and universities by KIWI Magazine. University president David Shi also serves in the Leadership Circle of the American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment, a group of college presidents who have committed to address the problems of global warming and pursue the goal of making their campuses climate neutral.
The campus is home to the Cliffs Cottage at Furman, Southern Living’s first “green” Showcase Home, which is a model of environmentally responsible design, sustainable building techniques, and energy-saving systems. The home is open to the public through the summer of 2009.
All of Furman’s new and renovated facilities are required to qualify for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification from the U.S. Green Building Council, an organization that promotes buildings that are environmentally responsible. The university’s Herman N. Hipp Hall, completed in 2002, was the first building in South Carolina to receive LEED certification.
Furman has also received awards from the South Carolina Wildlife Federation and the state chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council for its commitment to sustainability and conservation education. The university is among 25 institutions of higher education that comprise the steering committee for the American Council on Renewable Energy’s Higher Education Committee.
To learn more about Furman’s environmental priorities, visit the Web at www.furman.edu/sustain or contact the News and Media Relations office at 864-294-3107.
