Environmental pact: GPC and EPA join forces to

promote sustainability initiatives

March 2012
EPAs Gwen Keyes Fleming and GPC President
Anthony Tricoli sign the documents to join forces in
their sustainability efforts.
Related story: sustainability tips from GPC faculty and
staff.
View video of the signing ceremony.
by Rebecca Rakoczy

Student internships focused on key

environmental issues including air quality and
water conservation

Research aimed at developing greener technologies

Faculty access to environmental experts who will help grow Georgia Perimeters sustainability curriculum

These are but a few of the many opportunities GPC students and faculty will have, thanks to a landmark
memorandum of understanding between the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (Region 4) and Georgia
Perimeter College.
The partnership was formalized Feb. 15 during a signing ceremony by regional EPA administrator Gwen Keyes
Fleming and GPC President Dr. Anthony Tricoli. The event coincided with the launch of the colleges new
Southeastern Institute for Sustainability, located in the Atlanta Center for Service Learning & Civic Engagement at
GPC Clarkston.
This agreement is a hallmark for the whole country to emulate at the community college level, said University
System of Georgia Chancellor Hank Huckaby, who spoke at the ceremony. Huckaby joined state legislators and
community leaders in lauding the EPA partnership,
which is the first of its kind for any institution in the
University System of Georgia.
Huckaby added that the agreement will help GPC be
more responsive to workforce needs, which increasingly
are demanding graduates who understand
environmental issues.
GPC President Anthony Tricoli gets a hand from
student Khadijat Abdulkadir in unveiling the new sign
and logo for the colleges Southeastern Institute for

Sustainability.
Collaborating with the EPA is a big step for the college, says Tricoli. The agreement with the EPA will strengthen the
sustainability efforts already in place at GPC and create new opportunities for students, and it also will enhance our
sustainability efforts in the communities we serve.
With the agreement, the EPA officially has tapped Georgia Perimeter to serve as the flagship model for environmental
sustainability education for community colleges across the nation.
Toward that effort, Dr. Joanne Chu, the director of GPCs new Southeastern Institute for Sustainability, will work with
community partners and the Atlanta Center to create service-learning opportunities for students and internships with
the EPA. Students will learn how to address the challenges of environmental sustainability and tackle issues of
environmental justice in communities that are adversely affected by polluted streams, landfills and lack of access to
fresh food. That meshes with Chus broad understanding of what sustainability means.
It is a world view that emphasizes real-world problem-solving while considering interactions among economic
development, social justice and the ecological limits of the planet, she says.
The EPA also will offer technical support for GPCs Green Energy Building and recycling initiatives, develop joint
research projects between the college and EPA, and provide experts for the development of environmental curriculum
and access to training programs offered by the EPA.
The communities the college serves also will benefit from this relationship, says Keyes Fleming. GPC is ahead of the
curve, she notes. In our travels across the state and region, weve had numerous conversations with business people
who would [like] to have an intern or student who can tell them how they can green their business and have more
sustainable practices. Now GPC will be the place they can go to get that information.