UWM receives national award for sustainability efforts
No other UW System school has received the award since its inception in 2012.
#BublrUWM Unicorn Bikes. Photo by Jack Fennimore.
MILWAUKEE _ The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee just became only the second Wisconsin postsecondary school to receive a U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools Award.
Chancellor Mark Mone announced the award Friday, April 22 – Earth Day – and noted it was emblematic of UWM’s “organic” approach to sustainability and health and wellness.
“This has never been a top-down initiative,” Mone told an audience of UWM faculty, staff and administrators who are involved in the school’s sustainability and environmental efforts. “It has always been due to the hard work of many dedicated people at UWM.”
Kate Nelson, UWM’s chief sustainability officer, said the award was based on UWM’s high achievement in three key areas: reducing environmental impact and costs; improving the health and wellness of students and staff; and providing effective environmental and sustainability education, incorporating STEM, civic skills and green career pathways.
“The Department of Education was very impressed with UWM’s efforts in combining health and wellness, curriculum and research,” Nelson said.
No other UW System school has received the award since its inception in 2012, and the only other Wisconsin recipient has been Western Technical College in La Crosse.
Nelson said the education department was particularly impressed with a number of UWM initiatives from the past few years. UWM has reduced its greenhouse gas emissions at all sites by 10 percent and made a large investment in a bicycle-sharing system, resulting in the 2015 placement of six Bublr Bikes stations around campus.
“They were also impressed with our Master of Sustainable Peacebuilding program,” Nelson said. That program prepares graduates for careers in government and the nonprofit and private sectors, concentrating on human development, resource stewardship and conflict resolution.
About UWM
Recognized as one of the nation’s 115 top research universities, UW-Milwaukee provides a world-class education to more than 27,000 students from 81 countries. Its 14 schools and colleges include Wisconsin’s only schools of architecture, freshwater sciences and public health, and it is a leading educator of nurses and teachers. With a budget of $667 million, UW-Milwaukee partners with leading companies to conduct joint research, offer student internships and serve as an economic engine for southeastern Wisconsin. The Princeton Review named UW-Milwaukee a 2016 “Best Midwestern” university based on overall academic excellence and student reviews.
NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.
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