Media Alert
EPA ADMINISTRATOR STEPHEN JOHNSON CELEBRATES INNOVATIVE PARTNERSHIP WITH SPELMAN COLLEGE
ATLANTA (Feb. 22, 2007) In October 2006, Spelman College took a bold step toward environmental responsibility by breaking ground for its new “green” residence hall. That step led to a historic move by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Stephen Johnson to visit the campus Feb. 22 to sign a collaborative Memorandum of Understanding. The MOU seeks to bring the ideals of Spelman and EPA together on environmental initiatives and stewardship.
Since 1993, when Spelman and EPA signed the first MOU, many Spelman students have been awarded internships and fellowships within EPA, and many have gone on to become EPA professionals. This time around, the signing is more significant. For the first time in EPA history, the administrator has traveled from Washington, D.C., to a historically Black college to meet with faculty and students to sign an MOU that will serve as one building block in a solid foundation of partnership upon which both organizations will build. This will also be the first time that an EPA administrator will serve as a guest lecturer for Spelman’s political science environmental policy and politics class.
“Spelman has always been a progressive institution that prides itself on ethical mobility and leadership, and it is such a wonderful occurrence that our ethical mindset has caught the eye of the EPA, particularly Mr. Johnson,” said Dr. Johnnella Butler, provost and vice president of academic affairs, Spelman College. “We are looking forward not only to continuing our relationship with the EPA but also to strengthening our capacity to prepare for environmental challenges of the future.”
Administrator Johnson, a strong advocate of the “green culture,” wanted to personally come to Atlanta to sign a new MOU and commend the College on its environmental efforts. “At EPA, we believe environmental responsibility is everyone’s responsibility, and we are grateful that Spelman College is equipping our nation’s future leaders with the tools to be effective environmental stewards,” said EPA Administrator Johnson. “Today’s agreement affirms our shared commitment to challenge our best and brightest to help build a healthier America.”
Spelman is the first historically Black college or university to attain Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certification through the U.S. Green Building Council. The residence hall will be designed with a high priority on health, reduced environmental impact and increased resource conservation.
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Spelman College:
Founded in 1881, Spelman College is the only historically Black college in
the nation to be included on the U.S. News and World Report's list of top
75 "Best Liberal Arts Colleges — Undergraduate," 2005. Located in Atlanta,
Ga., this private, historically Black women's college boasts outstanding
alumnae, including Children's Defense Fund Founder Marian Wright Edelman;
U.S. Foreign Service Director General Ruth Davis; authors Tina McElroy Ansa and
Pearl Cleage and actress LaTanya Richardson. More than 83 percent of the
full-time faculty members have Ph.D.s or other terminal degrees and the
student-faculty ratio is 12:1. Annually, nearly one-third of Spelman
students receive degrees in the sciences. The students number more than
2,186 and represent 43 states and 34 foreign countries. For more
information regarding Spelman College, visit: www.spelman.edu.
