ESF Earns Spot in Guide to Green Colleges from Princeton Review

04/16/2013

The SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry (ESF) is listed in the 2013 Princeton Review Guide to 322 Green Colleges. The Princeton Review partnered with the U.S. Green Building Council to identify the schools with the nation's most eco-friendly campuses and present information about each school's sustainability, "green" majors and "green" job placement.

"SUNY-ESF is the only school in the nation where all of its academic programs are oriented toward natural resources and the natural and designed environments," the book states. "With sustainability at the core of the university's mission, SUNY-ESF has been at the forefront of nationally-recognized, government-supported research in green issues." ESF's entry continues, stating, "SUNY-ESF's career center is dedicated to placing students in internships and careers in the science, design, policy, and management of the environment and natural resources."

The publication cites ESF's involvement with the development of an ethanol-producing biorefinery in New York and notes the college is committed to being carbon neutral by 2015. Also highlighted is the college's new Gateway Center designed to achieve Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Platinum status. The building will feature a biomass-fueled power plant to generate 65 percent of the heat and 20 percent of the electrical power for the entire campus.

"SUNY's commitment to an energy-smart New York and to sustainability throughout our system is a critical component of our strategic plan, one that our campuses have widely embraced and consistently shown leadership on," said SUNY Chancellor Nancy L. Zimpher. "Congratulations to the eight SUNY campuses listed in the 2013 Guide to Green Colleges. This recognition is much deserved and highly commendable."

In preparing the book, the Princeton Review surveyed 2,000 colleges and universities. The introduction describes the selected schools as demonstrating "a strong commitment to sustainability." It says the survey was both qualitative and quantitative, investigating whether students have a healthy and sustainable campus quality of life; how well a school is preparing students for careers in the "green" economy; and the environmental responsibility of a school's policies.