For the month of April, the University of Miami’s Office of Sustainability along with the Student Government Environment and Conservation Organization (ECO) Agency, invite students, faculty and staff members, alumni, and community members to celebrate Earth Month through a series of events and opportunities for environmental education and outreach.
The University’s Office of Sustainability and the ECO Agency’s dedication and commitment to reducing its impact on the environment is unequivocal. Organized by Teddy Lhoutellier, director of sustainability, participants can expect a plethora of monthlong programming and projects focused on improving our planet Earth. Opportunities range from beach cleanups to panel discussions, to the annual Hug the Lake event and Roberta “Bosey” Fulbright Foote Award ceremony on April 21 from 12:05 p.m. to 12:20 p.m., which honors a member of the University community who has made a meaningful contribution to the beauty, humanity, and future of the campus.
The period also provides an opportunity to celebrate a recent University achievement. For the first time in its history, The Princeton Review ranked the University of Miami No. 26 out of its 50 most environmentally responsible higher education institutions in the nation for 2023.
“This ranking is really a testimony of our institution’s commitment to sustainability and carbon neutrality. This data collection efforts showed the incredible alignment of so many colleges, schools, and administrative departments across the University,” said Jessica Brumley, vice president of facilities operations and planning at the University. “We’re proud of the contribution UM is making to address global challenges. I know many students take that into great consideration when choosing their future alma mater.
Lhoutellier said that being part of the very competitive Top 50 Green Colleges is a huge accomplishment for the University. Moreover, he wants future students to know that the University strives to push its sustainability efforts forward.
“One of the key factors that allowed us to rank number 26 is the fact that the institution reached the Gold level on the Sustainability Tracking and Assessment Rating System from the American Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Educatio,” said Lhoutellier. "From the Solar Together agreement and its associated carbon abatement, to the creation of the Climate Resilience Academy, the University has been improving its sustainability performance at all levels in the last three years.”
On April 7, the Climate Resilience Academy and Graduate Program in Climate and Health present the Climate and Health Symposium, which will focus on the human and societal impacts of climate change. Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava and Gwen Collman, director of the Office of Scientific Coordination, Planning and Evaluation (SCOPE) will be in attendance along with other policy makers, health care professionals, engineers, and scholars. The event will take place at the Lakeside Village Expo Center and is open to the public.
’Canes Communities will host ’Canes Day of Service on April 15, which offers alumni, faculty and staff members, students, families, and friends around the country the chance to give back to their communities by participating in local service projects, stretching from Florida to California.
Get more information about the University’s Earth Month, and view a full list of events.
