Category Archives: Energy Smart New York

Advanced manufacturing, SUNY, and the future

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On May 25, business, education and elected officials convened for a panel on topics relating to attracting and growing advanced manufacturing at the Hudson Valley Community College TEC SMART facility.  Hosted by GlobalFoundries, the panelists spoke to the need for the US economy to invest in high-tech manufacturing and the role that state and local governments play in policy development .

“GlobalFoundries has been a key driver in helping bring manufacturing jobs back to the U.S.,” said CEO Ajit Manocha. “But none of that is possible without innovative public-private partnerships that support new advanced manufacturing operations like our leading-edge Fab 8 plant.”

In the three years since initial groundbreaking, GlobalFoundries has created more than 1,300 new direct jobs with the project, drawing on a unique and diverse talent pool in the region as well as experienced professionals from across the United States and more than 25 countries.

Johanna Duncan Poitier, Senior Vice Chancellor for Community Colleges and the Education Pipeline, represented SUNY on the panel.  Of the available job opportunities with Fortune 500 companies, she said “If we have a strong, educated work force, we’ll have a strong New York and businesses will come and stay here.”

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SUNY Distinguished Academy brings professors from all disciplines, campuses together

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Chancellor Nancy Zimpher with Distinguished Academy Honorary Inductee, Author William Kennedy, and UAlbany President George Philip

The SUNY Distinguished Academy held its inaugural meeting on May 22 in Albany where, for the first time, every new and previous SUNY Distinguished Faculty honoree was brought together in a single forum to share and discuss ideas on collaboration and innovation.

The meeting began with a town hall session, led by Chancellor Nancy Zimpher.  Afterward, sessions were held with respective Distinguished Faculty groups. During these “breakout sessions” faculty members brainstormed and discussed ideas to foster collaboration and mentorship of Distinguished Faculty within the SUNY community going forward. Individuals were also elected to serve in an advisory capacity to the Chancellor on the ideas discussed.

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Graduation Going Green

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At the SUNY-ESF/Syracuse University 2012 Commencement celebration on May 13, nearly 98,000 plastic bottles were on display in the Carrier Dome, not in their original container shape, but in the form of 3,900 graduation gowns worn by students.

SUNY ESF & Syracuse University commencement courtesy of SUNY ESF

For the first year, all of the custom-designed SU blue and SUNY-ESF green undergraduate gowns, along with the traditional master’s black gowns, are certifiably sustainable. Each gown is made from Repreve Fabric, which uses fibers produced from approximately 25 post-consumer plastic bottles per gown that otherwise would be destined for a landfill. The Herff Jones Collegiate Caps & Gowns Co. has made this sustainable option available to SU and SUNY-ESF by offering its ReNew line of gowns, made using the Repreve fabric. Herff Jones also ships all of the gowns in recycled or recyclable materials. Continue reading →

Celebrating Earth Day 2012 with SUNY

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Generation SUNY is celebrating Earth Day early (it’s this Sunday!) with SUNY’s director of sustainability, Deborah Howard.

Here’s what she had to say:

One of the 6 Big Ideas in The Power of SUNY is SUNY and an Energy Smart New York.  Why is this so important?

We take for granted how fundamental to our life energy is.  Yet we have been going too long on fumes, using extractive fossil fuels that are often difficult to take from the earth and then when converted to energy release gases that are already changing the climate of the planet.

New York and SUNY need to lead the way on discovering and implementing less painful ways to create energy and more efficient ways to use it.  If we are leaders in this field then we will ensure not only that we will be more competitive in our global economy, but that our children’s lives and their children’s lives will not be like the “Hunger Games.” Continue reading →

Chancellor Zimpher Recognizes Student Success

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Upon arrival to The Chancellor’s Award for Student Excellence ceremony, students were offered the opportunity to record a short clip on why they are the “Power of SUNY.” Each students’ accomplishments were categorized under SUNY’s Six Big Ideas. Stay tuned to the blog for upcoming posts highlighting each.

Last Wednesday, Chancellor Zimpher honored more than 300 college students from SUNY campuses throughout the state, presenting 257 with the 2012 Chancellor’s Award for Student Excellence, and congratulating 64 SUNY & CUNY students who received awards from Phi Theta Kappa, the national honor society for community college students.

Students are honored because they have taken full advantage of the academic and extracurricular programs that SUNY provides both in the classroom and in the community. They are proven leaders, athletes, artists, and civic volunteers truly representative of the power of SUNY. Continue reading →