The SGA Sustainability Committee needs your help in gauging campus interest, understanding, and involvement in the area of sustainability at Georgia Tech. The survey (link below) is intended for the entire network of Georgia Tech students, faculty, and administration.

Prague Summer Schools are seven-day academic programs designed to bring together undergraduate and graduate students of various nationalities and academic backgrounds to enjoy their summer holidays in a unique academic and cultural environment.

The Prague-based NGO SCHOLA EMPIRICA is pleased to announce the forthcoming Prague Summer Schools on the following topics:



New! Summer School on Sustainability and Profitability: Commitment to Sustainable Business across the World

Summer School on Crime, Law and Psychology

Summer School on European Politics: Interests versus Culture?

Summer School on China: A World Superpower - Myth or Reality?

Summer School on New Development Cooperation: Breaking the Chains of Poverty

Summer School on Education: The Future of School

Summer School on Globalization 3.0: Production and Consumption

Summer School on Behavioral Economics and Psychology

When: 2-9 July 2016

Where: Summer Schools will take place in Prague, Czech Republic

We invite you to visit our website http://www.praguesummerschools.org to discover the details about the upcoming programs. The website will direct you to the individual page of each summer program containing information on academics, logistics, photos, alumni feedback, guidelines to application process, and online application.

We also encourage students to submit their applications to Prague Summer Schools 2016 by the Final deadline of April 1st, 2016. Should you have any questions regarding Prague Summer Schools or application process, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Nominations Sought for Campus Environmental Awards

Prague Summer Schools are seven-day academic programs from July 2-9 designed to bring together undergraduate and graduate students of various nationalities and academic backgrounds to enjoy their summer holidays in a unique academic and cultural environment.

Each year Georgia Tech recognizes the legacy of Liam Rattray, a public policy major who was killed in a traffic accident several weeks after he graduated with a BSPP in 2011. Liam was an activist, an urban gardener, an entrepreneur and innovator, and an embodiment of many of the virtues that we hope to promote in our students -- and ourselves. I think he would be delighted at Georgia Tech's new initiative on creating sustainable communities, so it's fitting that his memory is tied to our new campus-wide project. 

General Motors is looking for one student from Georgia Tech to serve (unpaid) on its new Student Sustainability Advisory Council. GM is particularly interested in receiving applications from Master’s level students in their FIRST year, or strong undergraduate students in their LAST year with plans to continue in graduate school. There is no preference for degree program, but the student should have a strong interest and some familiarity with the concepts of sustainability.

The timeline is very tight for application, due November 20 and selection onDecember 7.

We are requesting that students send a one-page resume and a 500-word essay on their background and why they would like to serve on the council. The deadline for submission of these items is November 20th, 2015 and we will begin notifying on December 7th, 2015. Please have them send these items to zineb.bouzoubaa@gm.com with their last name and “GM SSAC” in the subject line.

HSOC PhD Student: Examining Campus Sustainability and Food Sourcing

During her time as a 2015 Georgia Innovation Intern, Rebecca Watts Hull explored how sustainability initiatives are influencing food purchasing on Georgia’s college campuses.

Hull, a doctoral student in the School of History and Sociology, investigated the impacts of the growing emphasis on “buy local” campaigns, and she used national and state data on campus food purchasing to predict the economic development benefits for Georgia of more aggressive local and sustainable food procurement goals. In addition, she investigated ways that universities, state government agencies, county and municipal governments, and nonprofit organizations can expand these benefits for Georgia farmers.

“Growing student demand for and institutional commitment to sustainability practices on college campuses in Georgia has created pressure for increased transparency in food sourcing,” Hull said. “That pressure already has led to student education about the sources of foods served in the dining halls at some institutions and has prompted several produce distributors to identify and market products from regional farms.”

According to her report, entitled “Campus Commitments to Local and Sustainable Food Procurement: Trends, Benefits, Challenges and Opportunities,” campus local, sustainable food initiatives in Georgia have, to date, resulted in greater procurement from commercial, conventional Georgia farms than smaller farms and ones with sustainability certifications.

Hull concludes the report by recommending that Georgia’s public colleges and universities, state governmental departments, and other stakeholders — including nonprofit organizations — extend regional economic benefits of campus local and sustainable food initiatives by implementing local buying commitments at all public institutions. She also recommends supporting infrastructure, such as food hubs, that can connect smaller and mid-sized farmers, including organic producers, with colleges and universities.

TreeZero Paper company www.treezero.com is a manufacturer and distributor of a 100% tree-free paper made from sugarcane waste fibre. Our paper is considered the most sustainable paper on earth. We are currently selling to the College and University market as well as the Fortune 1000 companies that have sustainability initiatives.

TreeZero is currently seeking interns to work at their office at 4401 Northside Parkway, about 7 miles north of GT.

Georgia Tech Earth Day Planning Committee

Georgia Tech's Earth Day celebration is one of the largest in the southeast!

The Earth Day Planning Committee is seeking new members to help plan the 19th annual Earth Day Festival, which will be held on April 22, 2016, at Tech Walk and Tech Green. All Georgia Tech students, faculty and staff are welcome to join. The planning committee meets every other week during fall semester and weekly during spring semester.

All are welcome to join! The first meeting will be Thursday September 17 from 11:00AM-12:00PM in Clough 325. 

For this year’s Project One common reading, Georgia Tech has selected Edward Humes’s Garbology: Our Dirty Love Affair with Trash. The book, which chronicles the production of trash in America and examines our cultural relationship with this waste, was chosen in part because of its strong connection to the them of Tech’s new Quality Enhancement Plan, Serve.Learn.Sustain.

There will be sustainability-focused events in both the fall and spring semesters related to Garbology, including a visit from the author, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Edward Humes (October 1st).

Want to be involved?  Any students who would like to participate in the sustainability-focused Project One events, should contact Dr. Lacy Hodges at lacy.hodges@gatech.edu.

Sustainable Cities & Just Sport Workshop - March 6, 2015, 8:45 am - 5:00pm 

Tech Beautification Day Volunteer Sign Up:

Recent Tech alumni have said they want to see Tech graduates better prepared to understand the social, cultural, and environmental impact of their professions. Georgia Tech’s latest undergraduate educational plan, Serve•Learn•Sustain, is its latest initiative designed to improve the undergraduate education experience by developing academic courses and programs that combine community involvement with sustainability. 

Come to this event and join us in a dialogue that includes both a brief, formal presentation as well as informal conversation with students and faculty about the opportunites that are planned. 

Sustainable Communities Focus of Undergraduate Education PlanGeorgia Tech is laying the groundwork for its next undergraduate learning focus, which will provide students the opportunities to learn and serve around the theme “creating sustainable communities.”

The initiative known as Serve•Learn•Sustain is Tech’s newest Quality Enhancement Plan, an essential component for reaffirmation of accreditation where a university must develop a long-term plan of action that tangibly supports student learning and reflects the institute’s mission.

The Georgia Tech Earth Day Committee is now accepting submissions for its annual Leadership and Sustainable Initiatives awards.

Nominations are sought for individuals or groups who are making a positive environmental impact both on campus and beyond, either through a new initiative or a body of work. The deadline for nominations is Monday, March 2.

Nominees must be students, faculty, staff, alumni, or retirees of Georgia Tech and should demonstrate a positive environmental impact, a commitment to restoring and enhancing the environment, and an ongoing commitment to environmental leadership. Self-nominations are welcome. Individuals or groups are eligible.

Last year’s recipients were the Student Government Association's Sustainability Committee; Carson Meredith, professor in the School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering; and the Georgia Tech Urban Honeybee Project.

The person or group selected for this year’s awards will be honored at Tech’s annual Earth Day Celebration on Friday, April 17.

To nominate a person or group, download the nomination form and submit via email to gtgreenawards@gmail.com.

We are hosting the Sustainable Cities and Just Sport Workshop featuring a series of panels with social scientists discussing sport and urban issues. This workshop will be held on campus on March 6, 2015. More information about this event will be forthcoming.

Title: Student Assistants for Outreach / Analysis
Contact Name: JulieAnne Williamson
Hours: 10-15 per week, per student.
Job Description:
The Office of Sustainability (formerly Environmental Stewardship) is seeking student assistants at the undergraduate or graduate level to assist in the core missions of outreach, engagement, data analysis, and reporting. The positions will include a variety of tasks and will begin in January at the start of Spring Semester.

Core Functions:
The Office of Sustainability reports within the Division of Administration and Finance, and partners with units throughout the division and the campus in all aspects of sustainability. Our role is to facilitate the planful management and development of finances, time, and natural resources within sustainable management and operations, in a way that contributes to our institutional effectiveness and to the achievement of the Institute's strategic goals.

The student assistants will play key roles in:

• Helping to build networks with student organizations, academic areas, and administrative units with responsibilities for various aspects of sustainability at Georgia Tech.
• Researching trends and best practices in various aspects of sustainability, and preparing communications to share the results with student and employee audiences
• Developing programming for sustainability education and engagement
• Gathering, analyzing, and reporting data for key sustainability reports, such as the Sustainability Tracking, Assessment and Rating System (STARS) system from the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE); or the Greenhouse Gas Inventory.
• Assisting with the development of communications regarding sustainability activities at Georgia Tech.

Compensation and Hours:
The 3-4 student assistant positions will require approximately 10-15 hours per week between 8:00 AM and 5:00 PM, with a small amount of possible after-hours participation in special events or functions. Exact hours and schedule are flexible based on class schedule. Compensation is $10-$15/hour based on qualifications and experience. Please note that this is an hourly position, and does not come with a tuition waiver.

Qualifications:

• Experience and interest in sustainability practice or engagement activities
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills
• Strong organizational skills
• Proficient in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint)
• Experience in communications, social media, program design, or data analysis and reporting are a plus

To Apply:
Please send an email providing a brief summary of your qualifications to JulieAnne Williamson, interim director for sustainable management and operations, by Tuesday, December 2nd. Contact information:

JulieAnne Williamsonjulieanne@gatech.edu
404.894.7529

The Global Social Ventures Competition (GSVC) promotes sustainable ventures that address significant social issues, build awareness of the social entrepreneurship field, and educate future future leaders. For more information, please visit http://ile.gatech.edu/gsvc
The Kickoff Event will be TODAY from 5:00-7:30 PM on the Fourth Floor of the Scheller College of Business

Are you a junior or senior interested in sustainability in a business context, consulting, innovation, and/or real world experience working on a dynamic sustainability project with a company? Check out these new courses!The projects course has a prerequisite whereas the innovation course does not. Both are restricted to only juniors and seniors.