Georgia Southern University’s Center for Sustainability recently announced that the Sustainability Fee Committee has allocated $198,997 in funding for 11 sustainability projects at Georgia Southern University in its second funding cycle.

The Sustainability Fee committee received 25 proposals requesting $725,836 and funded 11 of the proposals for $198,997. Fifteen academic departments in six colleges, as well as the Garden of the Coastal Plain, Campus Recreation and Intramurals, and the Division of Facilities Services submitted proposals.

“I was impressed with the quality of the proposals and the diversity of sustainable solutions presented,” said Lissa Leege, Ph.D., director of the Center for Sustainability. “I look forward to the sustainability advancements that these projects will offer our campus."

The winning projects represent a range of sustainable solutions from instant savings with LED lighting upgrades, to high-speed computer networks that are designed to reduce energy consumption and carbon emissions, water bottle filler installations, a green wall for the City Campus, and solar powered trash and recycling compactors.

Students can expect to see some of these projects up and running before the end of the academic year.

The $10 Student Sustainability Fee was approved in Fall 2012 by a 75 percent student majority vote, and approved by the Board of Regents in April 2013. The fee was collected for the first time in August 2013. This represents the second cycle of funding for Sustainability Fee project proposals.

The award recipients and their proposals are listed below:

James Grigg, Director of Facilities Operations, BigBelly solar powered compacting trash cans and recycling cans, $18,300.

Dr. Danda B. Rawat, assistant professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering, Design of High Speed Computer Networks Aimed at Reducing Energy Consumption and Carbon Emission at Georgia Southern University, $31,065.40.

Patrick Reinhardt, golf course superintendent, Georgia Southern University Golf Course Operation Pollinator, $2,378.80.

Dr. Ji Wu, assistant professor, Department of Chemistry, Dr. Shaowen Xu, assistant professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering, High Capacity Lithium Ion Battery for Self-powered and Sustainable Street Light Unit on Campus, $13,344.

David Faircloth, director of Facilities Planning, Design, and Construction, Division Facilities Service, LED Lighting Upgrade Parking Lot: Hanner Fieldhouse, $32,800.

Carolyn Altman, garden director, Safe and Spectacular Smart Energy Lighting for Georgia Southern’s Green Jewel: Sustainable LED lighting at the Garden of the Coastal Plain, $17,900.

Dr. Dominique Halaby, Bureau of Business Research and Economic Development, Katie Reams & Abbie Pelech, student leaders, Living Wall Downtown, $19,650.

Chuck Taylor, campus landscape architect, Facilities Services

Stormwater Improvements: Bioswales at Akins Boulevard, $16,600.

Stormwater Improvements: Bioswales at Fair Road, $33,400.

Dr. Frank Gross, chair and professor, Department of Electrical Engineering, Dr. Rami Haddad, assistant professor, Department of Electrical Engineering, Dr. Youakim Kalaani, associate professor, Department of Electrical Engineering, Sustainable Wind Energy Harvesting from Campus AC Cooling Towers/ Chillers, $11,014.88.

Jason Schmidt, facility coordinator for Physical Operations, CRI, Water Bottle Filler Installation: RAC and CRIBB, $2,543.70.

For more information, contact Lissa M. Leege, director for the Center for Sustainability at [email protected].