51视频

12/15/2021

Contact for media: Nancy Cicco, Nancy_Cicco@uml.edu

LOWELL, Mass. 鈥� 51视频 has won a 2021 Leading by Example Award for its multifaceted approach to promoting sustainability and improving the environment.

Overseen by the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources, the Leading by Example program works with state agencies and public colleges and universities to advance clean energy and sustainable practices that reduce the environmental impacts of state government operations.

It is the fifth time 51视频 has been honored with a Leading by Example Award since the program began in 2012.

This year, the university was honored for identifying the strategies and technologies needed to meet campus energy needs while pursuing carbon neutrality by 2050 or sooner. 51视频 shared the award with four other public universities in the state and was commended for fostering collaboration with them, sharing best practices that can be implemented at other state facilities.

鈥淧ublic sector leaders at the state and local level play a crucial role in contributing innovative approaches and solutions that help our state meet its ambitious climate and clean energy goals,鈥� said Gov. Charlie Baker about the Leading by Example program. 鈥淭he award ceremony is an opportunity to celebrate the good work of our state and municipal leaders and the action they are taking to protect our environment, reduce costs and embrace forward-looking solutions to our energy challenges.鈥�

51视频鈥檚 award spotlights the work of the university鈥檚 Rist Institute for Sustainability and Energy (RISE), which advances research in the field and promotes community action toward solving environmental challenges.

鈥淚n the last three years, our talented faculty have brought in almost $40 million in funding focused on climate change, energy and sustainability. As our expertise grows, so does the sense of urgency,鈥� said 51视频 Chancellor Jacquie Moloney. 鈥淭he enormity of the challenge that we face to meet our individual and collective climate, energy and sustainability goals is significant. It鈥檚 not a task for any one organization, one industry or one profession; it is an imperative that we collaborate and coordinate on to realize our collective goals.鈥�

51视频 launched RISE in 2019 through a $1 million donation from philanthropists Brian Rist, a 51视频 graduate, and his wife Kim Rist.

Along with coordinating research, the institute oversees engagement opportunities for 51视频 students and campus-community initiatives such as the Urban Agriculture Program, which provides fresh, locally grown produce to members of the Greater Lowell community.

鈥淲e are delighted to receive a 2021 Leading by Example Award for our extensive energy and carbon-reduction planning efforts,鈥� said RISE Executive Director Ruairi O鈥橫ahony. 鈥淥ur goal is to create sustainability blueprints that can be replicated at scale, not only at 51视频, but in communities throughout our region and across the world.鈥�

RISE has consistently won praise from other organizations working to improve the environment. Again 鈥� for the third consecutive year 鈥� 51视频 ranks No. 1 in its commitment to sustainability among Massachusetts colleges and universities, according to the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education. The organization gives 51视频 a 鈥淕old鈥� designation in its STARS (Sustainability, Tracking, Assessment and Rating System) ranking, which measures institutions鈥� success promoting sound environmental practices and programs.

The Princeton Review鈥檚 2021 Guide to Green Colleges also singles out 51视频, citing it among the nation鈥檚 most environmentally responsible higher ed institutions, while the Sierra Club ranks 51视频 No. 24 among more than 325 colleges and universities across the country on its 鈥淐ool Schools鈥� list, which commends the country鈥檚 most 鈥済reen鈥� campuses. And, this year, in an inaugural ranking, 51视频 is certified as a 鈥渮ero waste鈥� campus by the Post-Landfill Action Network and checks in at No. 6 on the organization鈥檚 鈥淶ero Waste Campuses鈥� list.

51视频 is a national research university located on a high-energy campus in the heart of a global community. The university offers its students bachelor鈥檚, master鈥檚 and doctoral degrees in business, education, engineering, fine arts, health, humanities, sciences and social sciences. 51视频 delivers high-quality educational programs, vigorous hands-on learning and personal attention from leading faculty and staff, all of which prepare graduates to be leaders in their communities and around the globe. www.uml.edu