ASU President William H. Harris and Gwendolyn Keyes Fleming, region 4 administrator of the EPA, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) during a ceremony held in ASU’s Life Science Building auditorium on Monday, May 21.
“The science about global warming is real; it’s good science, and it tells us that we need to be concerned about the big future for our children and grandchildren,” Harris said. “If we don’t think big thoughts now, it’s going to be too late. We’re here this morning to say that we’re ready to … join the EPA in thinking big about the future of our world.”
The agreement is intended to help attract student participation in environmental study and to enhance ASU’s environmental policy and science curricula. ASU now is the 23rd institution to partner with EPA’s region 4.
The University’s administrative council, college deans and other faculty and staff listened intently as Fleming explained how the partnership will build awareness about environmental concerns in the local community and help further ASU’s commitment to a sustainable future.
Fleming also praised ASU’s chapter of the EnvironMentors, a national science program that provides mentoring opportunities to prepare minority student for degree programs in environmental and related science fields. In fact, ASU will introduce its own degree program in environmental studies, set to start in 2014.
“I applaud this institution for recognizing that investing in simple, on-the-ground practices is what’s going to drive the environmental movement today,” Fleming said. “We all breathe air, we all need water to survive; therefore, we can all become environmentalists and ensure that we protect those vital regions.”
Fleming ended her presentation by re-creating a popular ASU motto.
“I understand that the quote goes, ‘When we teach class the world takes note,'” Fleming said. “So how great will it be that from this point forward, ‘When ASU teaches class about the environment, about environmental sustainability, about environmental protection, the world takes note.'”
