Athens,
Ga. – The University of Georgia Odum School of Ecology, the world’s first
standalone school of ecology, wants to go green with a building that would
showcase its environmental conscience.
Now, with a grant from the Dobbs Foundation, the first step in
considering and exploring such a facility has begun.
The
$180,000 grant from the Dobbs Foundation will fund a study of potential sites, programmatic
elements, special sustainability design opportunities and conceptual drawings
for further consideration by the university.
“We are extremely grateful to the Dobbs Foundation for this
gracious support,” said Odum School of Ecology Dean John Gittleman. “The green building will not only advance our
mission to do the best of ecological teaching, research and service, but will
offer a new educational experience to the people of Georgia about how we will
be living our lives in a more sustainable, healthy environment. The Dobbs Foundation has given us a true gift
to create a better future.”
The proposed Odum School building would be unique in its
showcase of sustainable features and would take advantage of the educational
opportunities from a potential green building.
“The Trustees of the Dobbs Foundation were excited to help Odum
start the process toward a facility that matches the stature of their program,”
said David Weitnauer, president of the Dobbs Foundation. “By featuring sustainable
design and construction practices, the building will embody what they
teach. We hope this will start a trend
of incorporating sustainable practices in new construction on the UGA campus.”
According to Laurie Fowler, professor and chair of the Green Building
Committee, faculty of the Odum School are spread out over six buildings on
campus. Being housed in one building
will further intellectual pursuits and collegiality.
“This building would not only provide the classroom, laboratory
and office space we need, but it would also serve to educate the
community-at-large,” said Fowler. “We
want people to understand why building green is so critical and also learn
about components they can incorporate into their own lives right now. And it’s a given that this building will be
as environmentally friendly as possible.”
The mission of the R. Howard Dobbs Jr. Foundation is to improve
the quality of life for individuals, families and communities by supporting
educational opportunities, improving access to health services, and promoting
environmental stewardship. Additional
information can be found at http://www.dobbsfoundation.org.
With roots that date back
to the 1950s, the UGA Odum School of Ecology offers undergraduate and graduate
degrees, as well as a certification program. Founder Eugene P. Odum is
recognized internationally as a pioneer of ecosystem ecology. The school is
ranked eighth by U.S. News and World Report for its graduate program. For more information, visit http://www.ecology.uga.edu.
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