MEADVILLE, Pa. – Feb. 8, 2008 – A new environmental center will be named for Richard J. Cook, president of Allegheny College, college officials announced today. The Richard J. Cook Center for Environmental Science, to be housed in Carr Hall, will honor Allegheny's 20th president, who is retiring at the end of the academic year.
“Because of Dr. Cook's passionate commitment to a sustainable economic and environmental future, it seemed most fitting that his name be associated with this center, which will provide even more visibility for Allegheny's already strong and nationally respected programs in environmental science and environmental studies,” said Dean of the College Linda DeMeritt in announcing the news to the campus community.
Cook was one of the early signatories of the American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment (ACUPCC) — a national challenge to colleges and universities to develop a comprehensive action plan to reduce their global-warming emissions — and he serves on the ACUPCC's steering committee. The ACUPCC now comprises 500 colleges and universities.
Through his leadership, Allegheny was selected as one of 11 ACUPCC signatories that will launch pilot projects to further green their campuses — and was the first college or university in the nation to submit a request for proposal from energy service companies under the program.
Allegheny is also a member of the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education.
During his tenure Cook appointed a Task Force on Environmental Responsibility — made up of faculty, students, and staff at Allegheny — to explore new environmental initiatives. In addition, Allegheny adopted a set of Environmental Guiding Principles that shape the college's approach to environmental stewardship.
Allegheny was the first college or university in Pennsylvania to install a modern on-campus composting facility, part of a unique natural landscaping initiative eliminating most uses of pesticides and chemical fertilizers.
In fall 2006 the college opened the North Village, a three-building residential complex of townhouse-style apartments that will be LEED certified. The LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Green Building Rating System is a voluntary, consensus-based national standard for developing high-performance, sustainable buildings.
In addition, 15 percent of Allegheny College's electricity is already derived from wind power.
“It's much easier, and far more effective, to teach and do environmental science when you have a leader who gets it,” noted Terry Bensel, chair of Allegheny's environmental science department, “someone who understands that environmental initiatives are not just about improving the public face of the institution but also about improving the health of its students, faculty, staff and the surrounding community; about saving energy and saving money for other, more central purposes of the college; and about providing opportunities for students to get involved in learning about and caring for the local environment and community.
“But perhaps most importantly, our students have been able to roll up their sleeves and shape the direction of these initiatives. President Cook has fostered an atmosphere at Allegheny that has allowed this to happen — not by rushing headlong into the latest eco-fad or trend, but by engaging with faculty, students, staff and others on how to genuinely reduce the college's ecological footprint while balancing the need to be fiscally responsible and to advance the central educational mission of the institution.”
Under Cook's leadership, Allegheny's environmental science and studies programs have drawn enthusiastic praise from world-renowned environmentalists such as David W. Orr, Paul Sears Distinguished Professor of Environmental Studies and Politics at Oberlin College.
“I think Allegheny was among the very first institutions to recognize the potential for collaboration with local communities to build sustainable economies,” said Orr. “Subsequently, the College has been a leader in green building, landscape design, response to climate change, but most important, it has been a leader in curricular innovation to prepare young people for the challenges and opportunities of the 21st century.”
The new center will honor a man whose leadership role in environmental issues on college campuses is a natural outgrowth of his own background. Richard Cook began his academic life as a chemistry professor whose specialty was the intersection of science and public policy. Following work related to the infamous Love Canal hazardous waste depository at Niagara Falls, N.Y., Cook held gubernatorial appointments to the Michigan Toxic Substance Control Commission and later to the Governor's Environmental Science Board.
The new environmental center will be completed through financial gifts by trustees and other donors.
