The Green Power Partnership is a voluntary program that encourages organizations to use green power as a way to reduce the environmental impacts associated with conventional electricity use.

The Partnership’s Top 20 College and University list represents the largest green power users among higher education institutions within the Green Power Partnership, and the list is updated quarterly.

UT ranked tenth on the January 2013 list after not being ranked the previous year. UT is the only SEC school in the top ten and was noted for its use of biogas, small-hydro, solar, and wind resources, as well as its partnership with the Tennessee Valley Authority.

UT’s commitment to environmental responsibility has also been recognized by the Princeton Review and by the Sustainable Endowments Institute as one of the nation’s top campus sustainability programs.

Over the past eight years, the campus has used funds from the student environmental fee to gradually increase the amount of green power it purchases.

“This rating is a tribute to our students and their commitment to sustainability and the funding needed to make it happen,” said Dave Irvin, associate vice chancellor for facilities services.

For more information on UT’s sustainability initiatives, visit environment.utk.edu.

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C O N T A C T :

Amy Blakely (865-974-5034, ablakely@utk.edu)

Gordie Bennett, UT’s sustainability manager, and Maria Rosales and Nick Alderson, undergraduate students majoring in environmental studies, accepted the award on behalf of the university at a ceremony on April 9 in Memphis. UT was one of several regional businesses and local power distributors recognized for driving the success of TVA’s Green Power Switch program.

The university purchased 9,000 megawatt hours of green power from TVA last year. That is the equivalent of eliminating the yearly greenhouse gas emissions from 1,535 passenger vehicles, according to the US Environmental Protection Agency.

Green power purchases allow consumers to help ensure renewable energy from wind, solar, and landfill gas is added to TVA’s power supply.

TVA and local power companies, working in cooperation with the environmental community, developed Green Power Switch as a way to bring cleaner, greener power to the Tennessee Valley, explains Jenny Wright, product manager for TVA’s Green Power Switch.

“This program is successful only through the efforts of local distributors of TVA power and people and businesses who commit to making the region a little bit ‘greener’ each month,” said Patty West, TVA director of renewable energy programs.

UT’s commitment to environmental responsibility has been recognized by the Princeton Review and by the Sustainable Endowments Institute as one of the nation’s top campus sustainability programs.

Over the past seven years, campus has used funds from the student environmental fee to gradually increase the amount of green power it purchases.

For more information on UT’s sustainability initiatives, visit environment.utk.edu. For more information on TVA’s Green Power Switch program, visit the TVA website.

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Contact:

Gordie Bennett (865-974-7780, gbennet5@utk.edu)

Jenny Wright (423-751-3046, jlwright0@tva.gov)

The committee, chaired by Provost Susan Martin, met for the first time Thursday. The goal is to appoint a leader who will continue the momentum in expanding the university’s research base and strengthening and building new strategic partnerships. Research is at the heart of many of the university’s priorities and is integral to the mission in becoming a top 25 public institution.

During the meeting, Chancellor Jimmy G. Cheek asked the committee to find a person who will continue the campus’ upward trajectory in grants, contracts and expenditures and build upon its strong partnerships with Oak Ridge National Laboratory, the Tennessee Valley Authority, the UT system, other universities and state and federal agencies.

The committee is on an aggressive timetable and its work has already begun. The goal is to conduct candidate interviews in February so that the new vice chancellor can begin work this summer. In the meantime, Wes Hines, professor of nuclear engineering, is serving as interim vice chancellor.

Members of the search committee are Thom Mason, laboratory director at Oak Ridge National Laboratory; William Brown, dean of AgResearch; Cynthia Peterson, professor of biochemistry, cellular and molecular biology and associate director for graduate education for NIMbioS; Bruce Bursten, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences; Brian Wirth, Governor’s Chair and professor of nuclear engineering; Terry Esper, assistant professor of marketing and logistics; Carol Tenopir, Chancellor’s Professor in the School of Information Sciences and director of the Center for Information and Communication Studies; Chris Cimino, vice chancellor for finance and administration; Greg Reed, associate vice chancellor for research; Charles Glisson, Distinguished University Professor in the College of Social Work and director of the Children’s Mental Health Services Research Center; and Jon Shefner, professor of sociology.

To ensure the best candidates possible, a search firm will help with the process and to widely advertise and recruit candidates for the position. National advertising will begin this month.