Our commitment to the environment starts at the top. Our president, chemist Richard Cook, recently appointed a Task Force on Environmental Responsibility—made up of faculty, students, and staff at Allegheny—to explore new environmental initiatives and to enhance our already strong programs. Allegheny is also a member of the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education, and Dr. Cook is a charter signatory of the American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment, pledging to eliminate the College's greenhouse gas emissions over time. Read what Dr. Cook has to say about the need for progressive thinking about environmental sustainability on college campuses. His letter to the New York Times was published on April 26, 2006.
The College has also adopted a set of Environmental Guiding Principles that shape the way we as a community demonstrate our commitment to environmental stewardship.
Environmental science major Deserae Pegg (pictured at right) spent a year researching how local food, grown in the Crawford County region, could be incorporated into Allegheny's dining halls. In the process she found dozens of schools with similar programs and began a program of her own. Deserae began an annual tradition at Allegheny College: A "local foods dinner" gives community members a literal taste of the foods that regional farmers produce.
Allegheny College's Center for Economic and Environmental Development engages Allegheny College students, faculty, and the community in creating innovative approaches to environmental stewardship, environmental education, and regional revitalization.
