Happy America Recycles Day to all! In celebration of the 15th annual event today (November 15), AASHE offers two different takes on the day and opportunities it presents for higher education.

Thank you to the College & University Recycling Coalition (CURC) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Food Recovery Challenge for their perspectives!

Virginia Military Institute, Northwestern U and U Massachusetts Amherst get into the spirit.

College & University Recycling Coalition Says:

The purpose of America Recycles Day is to raise awareness about the importance of recycling and waste reduction in conserving natural resources and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The 34 percent of waste currently recycled and composted in the U.S. helps avoid the equivalent amount of greenhouse gas emissions produced by 36 million cars. As President Obama pointed out in the special proclamation he issued today, America Recycles Day is our opportunity to take “bold action to preserve our natural resources, strengthen our economy, and protect the bountiful landscapes we have been blessed with.”

This year, the College & University Recycling Coalition (CURC) is partnering with Keep America Beautiful (KAB) and RecycleMania to get the word out about America Recycles Day to over 250 schools that are planning events. Many of these schools received free toolkits with “I Recycle” shirts, banners and recycled-content plastic bags for tailgate collections at home football games. The University of Texas at Austin, University of Alabama, Michigan State, Virginia Military Institute, Stetson University and University of Nevada Las Vegas are just a few of the schools promoting America Recycles Day at home games this fall.

It isn’t all football, though! In Wisconsin, Carroll University is using America Recycles Day to promote its 3rd annual Recycle-a-Thon, and Duke University and the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill are planning plastic bag and e-waste collection events. Out in the Pacific, the University of Guam got a jump on everyone with day long-activities including games, prizes and a photo booth - all promoting a recycling and “going green” theme.

“We’re excited about all the ARD events happening on campuses this year, especially those doing tailgate recycling collections. America Recycles Day is the perfect opportunity for schools to do recycling outreach in the fall and then follow up with RecycleMania during the winter term,” said Alec Cooley, who manages college recycling programs for KAB.

Join campuses across the country this America Recycles Day to recycle more and help protect the environment. While you’re at it, add your name to the list of 34,000 people who have already pledged online to recycle more at http://americarecyclesday.org/take-the-pledge.

EPA Food Recovery Challenge Says:

For America Recycles Day this year, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is focusing on wasted food. Americans send more food to landfills than any other material in the municipal solid waste stream - 33 million tons per year to be exact! Much of this food is fresh and safe to eat, or is suitable for feeding the soil through composting. When excess food, leftover food and food scraps are put in a landfill they decompose and become a significant source of methane with 21 times the global warming potential of carbon dioxide. The environmental impacts aren’t limited to disposal - wasted food also wastes the fertilizer, water and energy used to grow food and deliver to our communities.

To address the issue of wasted food, EPA started the Food Recovery Challenge under its Sustainable Materials Management Program. Through the Challenge, organizations commit to reducing the amount of food sent to landfills through prevention, donation and composting. Over 60 colleges and universities have already taken the pledge and committed to feed people, not landfills.

Wasting food wastes money. It is estimated that wasted food costs $100 billion per year in the U.S. Businesses and households alike can save money by reducing over-purchasing and disposal fees.

Wasted food is also a social equity issue. Fourteen percent of households in the U.S. are food insecure, and fifty million Americans don’t get enough to eat while we are sending more food to landfills than ever before. We can shift that balance by feeding people, not landfills.

• Prevention/Source Reduction

UC Berkeley recently began tracking the amount of food wasted in their dining halls using a computerized waste tracking system. This system allows them to understand how much and why food is being wasted in their kitchens. While cutting an extra inch off of one bell pepper doesn’t seem like a lot, it adds up when you are preparing 100 pounds of bell peppers. Tracking their waste has allowed UC Berkeley to change operational practices and train staff, leading to significant reductions in wasted food. Staff is also awarded for improving or coming up with innovative solutions to reduce wasted food. These significant reductions are saving $1600 a week!

• Donation

Starting at University of Maryland College Park and Brown University, students realized that good food was being wasted every night at their dining halls. They took action and started a program to get that bounty of wholesome food to those in the community without food. Now on seven college campuses nationwide, the Food Recovery Network’s student volunteers coordinate with their campus’ dining services to safely collect excess food and distribute it to food banks and food rescues in the area. Based on their successful model, the Food Recovery Network is working to expand this to more colleges across the nation.

• Composting

University of Texas at Arlington composts its food scraps on-site and uses the resulting soil amendment at its organic community garden. In 2011, over 60,000 pounds of food and landscape materials were composted and used in the garden to grow food. The food grown at the garden is then donated to a local food bank. Since 2011, more than 800 pounds of food has been donated to those in need.

Let’s continue to make the grade! Keep this Food Recovery Challenge conversation going and talk about sustainable materials management. Not just on America Recycles Day, but every day of the year!

-Laura Moreno, environmental scientist in EPA Region 9's Office of Pollution Prevention and Solid Waste

Apply through UMBCworks: Co-Op – Student Intern –  9254950

Start date for position is January 2013

Are you a student looking to launch your Information Technology career?  If so, then UPS is the place for you!

Once known as a trucking company, UPS is now recognized as a technology company with trucks and is poised for success.  Spending more than $1 billion a year on information technology, UPS provides its customers unparalleled capability in tracking and distribution intelligence.  This technological infrastructure also enables UPS to provide fully integrated Web-enabled, business-to-business solutions.

UPS Information Services, a leader in information technology, is currently seeking college students to join our team.  If you are a highly motivated college student working on a degree in Computer Science, MIS, Mathematics, or Electrical Engineering, then UPS is a great place for you to start your career.

Job Description:

This student Co-op will perform software testing on a shipping application that is mission critical to UPS.

Duties to include:

§  Coding/unit testing

§  Defect reporting

§  Defect correction

§  Release verification

§  Other tasks consistent with the student's abilities and interests.

Knowledge and Skills:

The candidate should have experience with or exposure to the following technologies and skills through hands on experience and/or relevant course work:

§  SQL - Beginner

§  C# - Beginner

§  C++ - Beginner

§  Java Programming - Beginner

§  Visual Basic - Beginner

§  MS Windows - Beginner

§  Linux/Unix - Beginner

§  Microsoft Visual Studio - Beginner

§  Database application development

§  General programming of low to moderate complexity.

§  Good verbal communication skills are required to interact with other team members, testers, and users.

§  Good written communication skills are required to produce concise and understandable technical documentation including but not limited to software defect reports.

§  Strong analytical skills and the ability to work both independently and in a team environment are also required.

Education:

Viable candidates must be currently enrolled in a degreed college/university program working toward a degree in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering or related discipline.  Must be able to work 15-20 hours per week.

BASIC QUALIFICATIONS:

§  U.S. Citizen or National of the U.S., an alien lawfully admitted for permanent residence, or an alien authorized to work in the U.S. for this employer

§  Able to work 15 - 20 hours while school is in session: 40 hours during summer months

§  Sophomore or Junior enrolled in a college/university degree program

§  Applied or academic SQL experience

Other Criteria:

§Employer will not sponsor visas for position.

§There is no relocation available for this position.

§UPS is an Equal Opportunity Employer

Apply through UMBC works and 

To apply, please use the following link:

https://ups.managehr.com/screening/professional/jobdetail.aspx?jobreqid=36161&howheard=

Or Go to UPSjobs.com, US, Job Search, Search by Zip Code (21093)

Nothing warms our hearts quite like witnessing the impact of alumni philanthropy among our students. We see it everywhere — in the classrooms, on our stages, among our volunteer organizations — and yesterday, we watched our students pull off the ultimate THANK YOU for the donors who help make their UMBC experience possible.

In honor of National Philanthropy Day, students spent their free hour yesterday writing thank-you letters to alumni. Some of them even drew pictures of True Grit inside (our students are so creative)! We’re so grateful they’re grateful!

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