EEM Newsletter Fall / Winter 2021

Two Spring Courses to Focus on Major Changes in Federal Environmental Policies Under the Biden/Harris Administration
With the pending sea change in Federal environmental and energy policies associated with the Administration transition, the GW Environmental and Energy Management graduate program is offering two Spring 2021 semester courses to support the new directions of our Nation.

News of EEM Students and Faculty
EEMI Director of Climate Change Dr. Rachael Jonassen recently completed a 13-month assignment with the Asian Development Bank (ADB), leading a team of 44 specialists designing a low carbon plan for the city of Xiangtan, China. Dr. Jonassen was responsible for documenting the carbon reduction impacts of the project throughout the 25-year lifetime of the loan, and her work has been cited by the ADB as a “best practice” and “model project for low carbon development.” Eight GW graduate students were involved in this project.

EEMI Board Member Inducted into the National Academy of Engineering
Dr. Lilia Abron, a long-time member of the Board of Advisors of the SEAS Environmental and Energy Management Institute, was inducted into the National Academy of Engineering on October 4, 2020.

EEM Professor Ekundayo Shittu Lands Multiple Research Grants
During the Fall 2020 semester, EEM Associate Professor Ekundayo worked with other members of his research teams to be awarded two major research grants. One of these awards was a $150,000 planning grant from the National Science Foundation to improve low-income household energy access in the District of Columbia. Prof. Shittu worked with an interdisciplinary team of GW faculty to land the grant.

EEMI Co-Hosts Natural Resources Symposium
On September 17, 2020, the GW Environmental and Energy Management Institute co-hosted a web-based symposium entitled “Natural Resources at a Crossroads: How 2020 Has Affected Natural Resources Law and Policy,” with the Environmental Law Institute, the GW Law School and the Industry Natural Resource Management Group. The event highlighted the importance of private/public collaborations to advance shared objectives.

GW Expands Renewable Energy Commitment with New On-Campus Solar Panels
Despite the COVID pandemic, GW has remained active in tits commitment to renewable energy by providing rooftop space on five on-campus buildings for solar photovoltaic panels that will increase solar electricity in Washington, D.C. Solar panels have been installed on the rooftops of Funger and Duques Halls, the Charles E. Smith Center, Monroe Hall of Government, Lisner Auditorium and the Media and Public Affairs Building.

GW Decides to Eliminate All Fossil Fuel Investments from Endowment Fund
The George Washington University Board of Trustees voted in mid-2020 to not make any new investments in businesses that derive the majority of their revenue from the extraction of fossil fuels.

GW Attains Top Spot in Sustainable Campus Index
The Sustainable Campus Index, an annual publication by the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education, recognized GW in its 2020 report of top-performing colleges and universities. The report assesses 17 sustainability impact areas, as measured by the Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System.
Newsletter Editor: Seth Barna