UGA Office of Sustainability awards $13,000 for student projects

To say that a college campus serves as a “living laboratory” sounds nice, but what does it mean? 

At the University of Georgia, it means that students continually work with faculty, administrators and each other to help make UGA a more sustainable place. On February 22, 2011 the UGA Office of Sustainability announced the inaugural winners of the grant selection process. These grants will enable students to translate their ideas for a more sustainable UGA into a reality. 

Eighteen grant proposals were received, and all were scored and ranked by the Office’s selection committee.  Four projects were selected for funding. 

Winning grants will address many different areas of campus sustainability including water conservation, waste reduction, alternative transportation, and sustainable agriculture.  

Ever need to refill your water bottle in the MLC, but get tired of waiting for enough water to move through the spigot? Emily Karol’s grant will install a water bottle refill station in the MLC so that students can “take back the tap” and easily fill their own water bottles as opposed to purchasing bottled water. The project will also work to increase awareness about how refilling reusable water bottles can save you money and help the planet. 

Late for class or meeting and hesitant to jump in your car to drive a short distance on campus? 

Or perhaps you want to enjoy a beautiful day while traveling on two wheels instead of four? Sheena Zhang’s grant will establish campus’ first bikeshare program, based in the soon to be LEED certified 1516 residence hall. The bikeshare will not only provide a convenient means of transportation for students that do not own bicycles, it strives to promote awareness of transportation alternatives on campus. 

Moving out of your residence hall in May, looking back on a great year of memories, and wondering how you accumulated so much extra stuff? Nick Martin’s grant will fund a dorm move-out waste reduction program, building upon similar efforts last year. Working with many campus and community partners, the initiative combines philanthropy and waste reduction to save sad, rejected dorm furniture and clothing items from the landfill and put them in the hands of people that need them. Items will be collected outside of residence halls and donated to Athens charities. 

Rachel Spencer, Blog Author

Office of Sustainability Intern

Sustainable food is great, and sustainable irrigation – even better. Andrew Douglass’ grant will install a water cistern at UGArden, the campus community garden located past the Botanical Gardens on South Milledge. The cistern will collect water for use in the organically cultivated garden, increasing awareness about water conservation while simultaneously aiding the ongoing efforts of UGA students to produce local, sustainable, and delicious food. 

Stay tuned for more about how these and other projects are helping to make UGA a more sustainable place!