Cornell University (NY) will offer a new minor in sustainable energy systems through the College of Engineering starting this academic year. Courses in wide-ranging disciplines will be offered including biological and environmental engineering, earth and atmospheric sciences and mechanical and aerospace engineering. Its broader aspects will encompass environmental, economic and social impacts of energy technologies.

Elon University (NC) plans to launch a competition called POWERless to increase awareness on campus about energy consumption. Pitting residence halls against each other, the competition will measure which residence hall has the greatest energy reduction. The competition, now in its fifth year, will take place from February 15 to March 15. This year’s overall goal is for a 10 percent energy reduction.

In a joint effort between Emory University's (GA) Office of Sustainability Initiatives and Campus Services, the university saved approximately $30,000 in energy costs by turning down thermostats in 32 major campus buildings and residence halls. Over two four-day periods, the buildings' thermostats were set to 50 degrees resulting in roughly twice the savings of last year's holiday break efforts. The increase is attributed to the participation of more buildings this year.

Maharishi University of Management's (IA) MBA program has announced plans to roll out a slate of new sustainability courses this spring semester. Including "Measuring & Reporting on Sustainability" and "Sustainable Community Development," the new courses are designed to better prepare students for the business world's current focus on sustainability. Students will now have access to a new software program that lets one create models of sustainable technologies and be able to examine aspects of organizational change for sustainability.

Mississippi State University has signed a $50,000 annual contract to jumpstart its campus-wide recycling program. The contract with Bluebox LLC eases the recycling process by enabling customers to throw all recyclables into the same container without sorting.

Mount Wachusett Community College (MA) and West Chester University (PA) are in the process of significant renewable energy campus upgrades, The Chronicle of Higher Education recently reported. The community college is installing two 1.65-megawatt turbines that will cover all of the college's electrical demand. The project will cost $9 million with $3.2 million coming from U.S. Department of Energy grants and the rest in clean-energy bonds through the state and the federal stimulus package. The turbines are expected to start generating power in March. The university, which already has 15 buildings on geothermal, will use $5 million in grants from the U.S. Department of Energy to add three buildings to its geothermal system. The conversion of the three buildings will reduce emissions by 4.7 million pounds per year and is expected to save $1 million per year in energy costs.

North Carolina State University has received $750,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Advanced Research Project Agency for Energy to aid in the development of a smart grid for transferring renewable resource energy. Specifically, the university will develop a Transformerless Intelligent Power Station, known as TIPS, to make a cost-effective and efficient power grid that can easily accommodate a variety of renewable energy resources to the existing power infrastructure. Professors and students at the National Science Foundation’s Engineering Research Center will execute this work for Future Renewable Electric Energy Delivery and Management, which is based on the university's Centennial Campus.

President Barack Obama recently visited Pennsylvania State University for a firsthand look at a university researcher’s ideas on how to transform the building industry by making energy-efficient renovations more affordable. The U.S. Department of Energy has designated three Innovation Hubs to develop and advance scientific understanding of how to make more sustainable buildings. The university's professor Jim Freihaut leads the hub that focuses on technology that can reduce dependence on imported oil and curb greenhouse gas emissions.

Purdue University's (IN) recent decision to cancel plans for its new coal-fired boiler brings the total number of scrapped coal plant plans to 150 since 2001, according to the Sierra Club. Recent switches away from coal by Purdue University and Pennsylvania State University cite potentially strict environmental regulations surrounding coal emissions in the future as a factor.

Rice University's (TX) Rice Endowment for Sustainable Energy Technology (RESET) has recently selected six student projects to appropriate $40,000 towards. RESET’s goal is to alleviate climate change and rising energy costs by allocating funds towards student-led sustainability efforts. The appropriated fund will help finance campus projects including a bike share program, self-sustaining police station, weatherization, toilet retrofitting, air conditioning and light renovation, and an outreach event to raise awareness about energy consumption.

Royal Roads University (BC) has announced that it will provide community education and outreach, applied research, monitoring and reporting as part of the City of Colwood's three-year solar power project. The federally-funded $3.9 million effort will include retrofitting municipal buildings with solar energy, working with developers to build new model energy-efficient buildings, working with homeowners to retrofit up to 1,000 homes and installing electric vehicle-charging infrastructure throughout the city.

Southern Illinois University Carbondale has announced plans for an automated biodiesel processor that will convert canola oil into biodiesel fuel and a way to use the byproduct. The manager of the university farm's Dairy Center will experiment this summer with replacing part of his herd's current corn feed with glycerol, the byproduct of converting recycled canola oil into biodiesel and then glycerin. Feeding glycerol to dairy cows could save $40 to $50 per day in corn feed expenses and enable the university to recycle 80 to 95 percent of its canola oil. The university's associate professor in animal sciences and food and nutrition says no studies show that introducing glycerol into dairy or beef cows' feed results in illness and plans to study the energy potential glycerol may have on dairy cows during the program. If the cows show any sign of illness, the program will stop. Students from the university's Dairy Club will operate tasks to create the biodiesel and glycerol.

A 1.6-megawatt tracking array at the University of Arizona will allow customers to begin buying solar energy. Utility company Tucson Electric Power owns the solar infrastructure, but the solar operation is located at the university’s Science and Technology Park. The $6.7 million facility, besides supplying itself with power, produces enough to service 266 additional households in the Tucson, Ariz. area.

The University of Central Missouri was recently honored with Trane's "Energy Efficiency in Leader Education" award for $36.1 million in campus-wide energy-saving infrastructure upgrades that resolved $20.1 million in deferred maintenance. The upgrades, which will be funded directly from energy savings and related costs, are expected to save more than $735,000 in annual energy costs. The university used a performance contract to pay for the improvements directly from energy saving and other future avoided costs. The contract allows the use of future energy and operational savings to finance infrastructure improvement projects.

The week before the University of Louisville (KY) received a STARS Silver rating, the university also received word that it had achieved its third LEED Gold certification for its Center for Predictive Medicine biosafety research lab. The $44 million, 50,000-square-foot center allows scientists from Kentucky and surrounding states to study diseases like the flu, glanders and the plague in a secure environment.

The University of Mississippi will direct 60 percent of a $100,000 grant issued from the state government to improve its recycling program. The primary investment will be the purchase of new recycling bins on campus. The remaining 40 percent of the grant will be invested in recycling improvements for the university's hosting town of Oxford, Miss.

The University of South Florida is collaborating with the Southwest Florida Water Management District to initiate a water conservation campaign called “Every Drop Counts!” The first stage of this campaign began with a sculpture installation in the lobby of the Marshall Student Center by a university alumnus who constructed a pyramid of 111 one-gallon jugs. The number correlates to the amount of water used by the average individual in the Tampa Bay, Fla. region.

A recent survey of the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire campus shows that transit bus riding has increased 19 percent over the past five years. Students and faculty may ride the city bus for free if they have their campus ID. An additional bus route has contributed to the increase, but campus construction and increased prices for a parking pass are also factors that affected the increase.

The University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh’s new Sage Hall is nearing completion and is on track for a LEED Gold designation. Some of the eco-friendly features include a green roof, stormwater purification, solar thermal for heating water and recycled materials used for construction. Natural sunlight will provide 90 percent of the interior lights.

Warren Wilson College (NC) has released a campus Sustainable Practices Guide, recommending actions that support sustainability values and formal pledges including the American College and University Presidents' Climate Commitment. Developed by the campus Sustainability Working Group to replace the college's Green Office Guide, the new guide goes beyond office practices to cover areas such as transportation and campus events. The college has also implemented the Sustainability Recognition Award, which will recognize up to 3 sustainability projects per year. The Sustainability Working Group will select an annual award winner that best reflects the principles of the college's sustainability commitments.

Wartburg College (IA) has begun a $2 million sustainability project that includes numerous energy efficiency upgrades to 17 existing structures on campus and is estimated to save the college $260,000 per year. Upgrades include an efficient steam boiler, control units for heating and cooling, and low-flow water fixtures. This initiative is expected to create 31 jobs between now and September 2011. The Office of Energy Independence helped kick off the project with a $666,000 grant.

Washington State University's Environmental Health and Safety Department is in the last stages of a commuter survey conducted to develop models to better estimate reductions in campus carbon emissions. In its first attempt to understand greenhouse gas emissions as they relate to campus commuting practices, the university emailed the survey to faculty, staff and students statewide.

Yale University’s (CT) Business Operations has announced that it will opt out of printing the typical 8,000 - 10,000 copies of its annual financial report. Instead, the report is available for viewing, downloading and selective printing on its website. This is estimated to save the university $60,000 and more than 300,000 pages of paper. All printing will be done on 100 percent recycled paper for those hard copies that are requested, part of the university's commitment to reduce paper purchasing by 25 percent by 2013.

Forty-three new campuses have submitted Climate Action Plans (CAPs) as part of the American College & University Presidents' Climate Commitment (ACUPCC) since the last update in the AASHE Bulletin on Dec. 6, 2010. The plans illustrate the specific steps schools are taking to reach climate neutrality. The CAP is the second major reporting requirement of the Commitment and is due within two years of signing. The new submissions are, in alphabetical order: Babson College (MA); Clemson University (SC); Coppin State University (MD); East Los Angeles College (CA); Everett Community College (WA); Gateway Community College (AZ); Goucher College (MD); Governors State University (IL); Gustavus Adolphus College (MN); Hillsborough Community College (FL); Holyoke Community College (MA); Huston-Tillotson University (TX); Johnson County Community College (KS); Juniata College (PA); Lane Community College (OR); Los Angeles City College (CA); Los Angeles Harbor College (CA); Los Angeles Mission College (CA); Los Angeles Pierce College (CA); Los Angeles Southwest College (CA); Los Angeles Trade-Technical College (CA); Los Angeles Valley College (CA); Massachusetts Maritime Academy; Monroe Community College (NY); New Mexico State University at Carlsbad; North Carolina State University; Southern New Hampshire University; St. Mary's College of Maryland; State University of New York at Albany; The New School (NY); University of Massachusetts Dartmouth; University of Minnesota-Crookston; University of Minnesota-Duluth; University of Minnesota-Twin Cities; University of Mississippi; University of Missouri-Columbia; University of Missouri - Kansas City; University of Richmond (VA); University of South Carolina Lancaster (SC); University of Vermont; University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire; West Los Angeles College (CA); and Western Technical College (WI).

A Louisiana State University industrial engineering assistant professor has teamed up with PURETI Inc, a U.S.-based manufacturer to announce the first evaluation of air-purifying asphalt and concrete. Photo catalytic pavement uses light and titanium dioxide to accelerate decomposition of organic matter. A field study of this new technology is underway near the university's campus. The year-long study will measure air quality and groundwater runoff. Dr. Hassan will present her findings at the Transportation Research Board’s Annual Conference in Washington DC. She says that this will be “the first photo catalytic pavement in the U.S. capable of purifying outdoor air...from traffic emissions.”

A recent survey of Portland State University’s (OR) staff and student population revealed that 75 percent commute to campus without a car. The survey shows that bus, light rail and streetcars are the dominant forms of transportation to the campus. With a new bicycle track that runs through campus, however, biking is the mode of transportation that is growing the fastest. The inclusion of 2,000 bike parking spots and a bicycle repair shop on campus has helped increase the popularity of biking to campus. The electronic survey was completed by 960 employees and 1,109 students.

The senior class of American University (DC) recently unveiled its parting gift – a wind turbine that will power a campus building called the Tavern. A fundraising event raised money towards the overall goal of $22,000. The class of 2011 will continue to fundraise to pay for their gift, but the college’s Office of Sustainability will finance the difference should they fall short of their goal.

Funded by $1.6 million of stimulus money, Austin Community College (TX) has successfully installed enough solar panels on its Eastview campus to save the school $44,000 each year. Besides saving the college money on its utility bill, the project also created five jobs and contributed to 48 others at Jamail & Smith Construction and Texas Solar Power Company.

Brigham Young University (UT) chemistry professor Richard Watt and a team of graduate students have developed a process that mimics photosynthesis to create energy. It is still in the developmental phase, but the chemical reaction works by using protein, citric acid and gold atoms. Their study was recently published in the Journal of Nanoparticle Research.

The Power and Energy Society, an on-campus electrical engineering club at California Polytechnic State University (CA) recently volunteered to help install solar panels on low-income houses. Five houses received the solar panels that are expected to provide 90 percent of their electrical needs. The students installed the panels with two non-profits, GRID Alternatives and People’s Self-Help Housing Corp. The project received funding from the California Solar Initiative Single-family Affordable Solar Homes program.

The Culinary Institute of America’s Greystone campus in California is turning waste vegetable oil into biodiesel to fuel its campus shuttles. Oil from multiple oil fryers in campus kitchen classrooms is being converted to fuel using a BioPro biodiesel processor. This processor is expected to pay for itself within a year. By switching from diesel, the institute saves $64 a tank in the two shuttle vans outfitted to run on biodiesel.

A shaky economy with an uncertain job market is contributing to a surge in popularity of campus food pantries, reports Inside Higher Ed. Three pantries at Iowa State University, the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville and the University of California, Davis have opened in the past month. Last year's National College Health Assessment revealed that finances for the past 12 months were "traumatic or very difficult to handle" for 35.2 percent of students. The two biggest financial issues facing college students are joblessness and education cuts.

Ithaca College (NY) has received LEED Platinum certification for its Peggy Ryan Williams Center, which houses the Office of the President and other senior administration. More than 50 percent of the building's energy comes from renewable sources, with a geothermal system to provide heating and cooling and natural convection ventilation that pre-cools the atrium at the start of each day by drawing in cooler night air and relieving it out a light monitor four stories above. Other sustainable features include nearly 6,500 square feet of vegetated roofing and a 12,000-gallon tank below the garden that collects rainwater from the roof, serving more than 85 percent of the building's yearly water needs.

John Brown University (AR) has announced plans to construct a wind turbine expected to produce 2,000-3,000 kilowatts per year. At 60-feet tall with a 3.5-kilowatt capacity, the turbine will be used to power trail lights around the campus. The turbine is a donation from the Spanish manufacturer Sonkyo Energy.

Kansas University's Surplus Property Recycling Program has saved an estimated $100,000 in recycled furniture. This program aligns departments who need furniture with those who want to get rid of furniture on campus. The program has developed an inventory and has a store on campus. Many projects are small in scale, but they recently refurnished the entire Transit and MV Transportation offices with recycled furniture.

As institutions like Pennsylvania State University, University of Central Florida and possibly Purdue University (IN) make the switch to natural gas, the fossil fuel is getting a fair amount of attention in the media. The Chronicle of Higher Education and The New York Times' Green Blog both point to a ProPublica article that says the assumption that natural gas produces 50 percent less greenhouse gases than coal is not taking into account the methane and other pollutants emitted when gas is extracted and piped to customers. When all emissions are counted, gas may be as little as 25 percent cleaner than coal or less. The benefits of natural gas are also weighed, including the fact that it's a cleaner-burning fuel and doesn't have the devastating effects that the mountain top removal method of coal extraction has.

Princeton University (NJ) has announced plans to install a 5.3-megawatt solar collector field on 27 acres owned by the university adjacent to its main campus. Construction could begin as early as this summer on the system, which will include 16,500 photovoltaic panels. The collector field is expected to generate eight million kilowatt-hours per year, enough to meet 5.5 percent of the total annual campus electrical needs. The renewable energy source will be funded and owned by Colorado-based Key Equipment Finance, which will lease it to the university. The university will pay for the lease through incentives and by initially selling solar renewable energy credits associated with the system.

The San Bernardino Community College District (CA) has initiated a five-year Alternative Energy Concept Plan that is expected to reduce energy consumption at two campuses and the district offices. They will accomplish this with additions in solar panels at the Crafton Hills campus and the consolidation of electrical control at the Valley College central plant. These sustainability-driven modifications will cost the district $10 million. With savings estimated at $1.2 million a year, the district is expecting this initiative to return its investment in 10-15 years.

Following pilot programs at more than a dozen schools, food service provider Sodexo has announced plans to launch its Meatless Monday initiative at 650 Sodexo-served campuses this fall. Developed by nonprofit The Monday Campaigns with the assistance of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and the Johns Hopkins Center for a Livable Future, the adoption of this public health initiative is part of Sodexo's "Better Tomorrow" plan including commitments to promote health and wellness solutions and protect and restore the environment. The Meatless Monday campaign's primary goal is to reduce Americans' saturated fat consumption by 15 percent and reduce the environmental impacts of industrial meat production.

Thirty-four institutions have submitted reports for the first deadline of AASHE's Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System (STARS). Among the institutions who have submitted complete reports so far, seven have received a STARS Gold rating including American University (DC); Duke University (NC); Middlebury College (VT); New York University; Oregon State University; University of Colorado at Boulder; and University of South Florida. Seventeen have earned a STARS Silver rating including Babson College (MA); College of Lake County (IL); Delta College (MI); Furman University (SC); Grand Valley State University (MI); Indiana University Bloomington; Pacific Lutheran University (WA); Royal Roads University (BC); Santa Clara University (CA); St. John's University (NY); University of Colorado at Colorado Springs; University of Florida; University of Louisville (KY); University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; University of Texas at Arlington; University of Texas at Austin; and Wake Forest University (NC). And nine institutions have earned a STARS Bronze score including DePauw University (IN); Estrella Mountain Community College (AZ); Goshen College (IN); Kankakee Community College (IL); Moraine Valley Community College (IL); Orange County Community College (NY); State University of New York at Fredonia; University of Illinois, Chicago; and Wilfrid Laurier University (ON). Earlham College (IN) also submitted its data as a STARS Reporter, a reporting level that doesn't seek a rating but is still available for viewing on the STARS website.

Winston Chung, a Chinese executive who invented a special lithium battery, has donated $10 million to the University of California, Riverside. The donation will be used to create a long-term endowment for the Bourns College of Engineering. The annual interest of this endowment, estimated at about $500,000 annually, will be spent to advance research for electric vehicle batteries. This donation will immediately be put to use by establishing the Winston Chung Global Energy Center at the university and two endowed professorship positions.

A Mitsubishi engine 30-feet long and 10-feet wide will run on natural gas and provide the University of Central Florida's main campus with a third of its energy. The $9 million project is scheduled for completion in December 2011 and university officials estimate it will save $2.5 million per year. Along with electricity, "absorption chillers" will capture escaping heat and power the campus water cooling system.

The University of Colorado at Boulder's Environmental Center has launched a sustainability management certificate program. "Designing for Sustainable Transportation," "Becoming a Sustainability Coordinator" and "Introduction to Smart Grid" are a few of the courses offered through the Sustainable Practices Program at a 20 percent discount to faculty and staff, and a 50 percent discount to students. The curriculum is tailored to professionals and entrepreneurs interested in developing new skills and sustainability training.

The University of Colorado at Boulder leads the recently released Peace Corps' annual ranking of the colleges and universities that sent the most volunteers to serve last year, reports The Chronicle of Higher Education. With 117 volunteers, the university led the category of large colleges and universities. The universities of Florida, Michigan, North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Washington rounded out the top five.

A recent survey at the University of Dayton (OH) shows that a new sustainability project targeting student neighborhoods is influencing student energy usage at home. The Greenhouse Effect report card program measures current resident usage of natural gas and electricity versus the bills of previous residents. Forty-eight percent of the 350 students surveyed said that their first report card grade affected their energy habits. Of the roughly 300 houses and 150 apartments tracked, it is estimated that $7,320 was saved over the course of November and December last year. The university’s administration is repaying the top performers with financial incentives to build support for the program.

Joined by Tennessee state Rep. Jeanne Richardson of Memphis, University of Memphis faculty, staff and students recently held a vigil with local faith leaders and elected officials for increased wages. A study by the university’s professor emeritus of economics determined that a living wage - the pay required for a household to "live a minimally decent life" - in Memphis is $11.62 per hour. University employees have not received a wage increase in four years, and in some instances, employees of over 20 years are still making $7.50 an hour. The vigil was an effort to raise awareness to introduce the issue to Tennessee’s state legislation.

The Morris Healthy Eating Project, a University of Minnesota, Morris-based program, has announced plans to launch a campaign to make locally grown fruits and vegetables and other healthy food options the easy choice on campus and in the community. With obesity rates rising in Minnesota and on campus, the project conducted a food assessment that shows access to fresh fruits and vegetables is lacking at their campus. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota estimates that obesity-related health conditions could cost the state $3.7 billion by 2020. The 95-page assessment outlines the Morris Healthy Eating Project’s vision for a healthier community.

The University of Toledo (OH) has installed three electric vehicle chargers. The charge stations use technology that debuted last year including General Electric Co.’s smart meters and Juice Technologies’ Plug Smart engine. The university's decision to implement charging stations is in anticipation of the university community's purchase of electric vehicles as electric cars gain traction with national automakers.

Scientists at the University of Utah have installed an experimental system on campus that will store winter cold underground in a giant ball of ice to use as air conditioning in the summer. A team from the Department of Mechanical Engineering created a system of 19 connected vertical pipes that extend 50 feet into the ground. The pipes will circulate a refrigerant that when exposed to the winter air, will become chilled. As it goes back into the ground, it's expected to freeze moisture in the soil, creating a ball of underground ice about 35 feet in diameter. In the summer, the refrigerant will be pumped up to the building's air-conditioning system to cool the building as the ice ball melts. The university expects the $20,000 installation to pay for itself in reduced energy bills within two years if used on a building with a high demand for cooling.

The Campus Sustainability Fund committee at the University of Washington voted unanimously to approve a $78,306 proposal to expand the campus farm. A part of the funding will initially fund student internships, but over time, the farm director says the university hopes that profits will pay for student interns. Another portion of the funding will purchase an additional acre to increase production. The farm also plans to increase its capacity to engage students with experiential learning, academic credit and food.