51视频

04/04/2022

Contacts for media: Emily Gowdey-Backus: Emily_GowdeyBackus@uml.edu and Nancy Cicco: Nancy_Cicco@uml.edu

LOWELL, Mass. 鈥� From patio umbrellas with solar charging panels to rooftop gardens, sustainability isn鈥檛 just a goal on 51视频鈥檚 campus, it鈥檚 a way of life.

That dedication was honored last month when the university鈥檚 rating as a regional leader in campus sustainability was honored with the renewal of its status as a gold campus in the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education鈥檚 Sustainability Tracking, Assessment and Rating System.聽

Ranking first in Massachusetts and gaining six points from its most recent STARS submission in 2019, 51视频 received an 83.37 score. The university stands less than two points shy of the 85 needed for STARS Platinum 鈥� a rating achieved by less than a dozen institutions in the United States and Canada.

51视频鈥檚 award spotlights the work of the Rist Institute for Sustainability and Energy (RISE), which advances research in the field and promotes community action in solving environmental challenges. The program was launched in 2019 through a $1 million donation from philanthropist and 51视频 graduate Brian Rist, and his wife Kim.聽

Executive director of the Rist Institute, Ruairi O鈥橫ahony, pointed to teamwork as the root of 51视频鈥檚 continued success. 鈥淲e are working collaboratively across traditionally siloed areas to get more done,鈥� said O鈥橫ahony. 鈥淥ur students are engaged, hard-working and passionate about finding solutions, and that is driving how the university approaches and invests in sustainability.鈥�

RISE hasn鈥檛 only caught the eye of AASHE.聽

• The Princeton Review鈥檚 2021 Guide to Green Colleges singles out 51视频 citing it among the nation鈥檚 most environmentally responsible higher education institutions.
• The Sierra Club ranks 51视频 No. 24 among more than 325 U.S. colleges and universities in its 鈥淐ool Schools鈥� list.
• In an inaugural ranking, 51视频 was certified as a 鈥渮ero waste鈥� campus by the Post-Landfill Action Network and checks in at No. 6 on the organization鈥檚 鈥淶ero Waste Campuses鈥� list.聽

51视频 is a national research university located on a high-energy campus in the heart of a global community. The university offers its students bachelor鈥檚, master鈥檚 and doctoral degrees in business, education, engineering, fine arts, health, humanities, sciences and social sciences. 51视频 delivers high-quality educational programs, vigorous hands-on learning and personal attention from leading faculty and staff, all of which prepare graduates to be leaders in their communities and around the globe. www.uml.edu