Other individuals also share Thomas' passion for sustainability, as noted in this earlier photo.
As cities move toward the future in an era of declining budgets, limited resources, and high demands for services, sustainability indicators is a tool some cities are using to set goals and assess progress toward building a more healthy and sustainable community.
Thomas Choate (Warren ’10), a student at the Gatton Academy of Mathematics and Science in Kentucky at Western Kentucky University, realizes the time for action is now.
After spending the summer conducting applied research under the supervision of Nancy Givens, Sustainability Programs Development Coordinator with the WKU Center for Environmental Education and Sustainability, Choate was invited to share his findings before the Bowling Green City Commission on October 20, 2009.
The presentation of this work to the Commission was arranged through City Manager Kevin DeFebbos.
Sustainability indicators recognize the essential links between the economic, social, and environmental aspects of a community, and are used to identify problem areas and develop solutions that impact all areas. For example, poor air quality (environmental) may affect asthma rates (social) and worker productivity (economic).
By improving air quality, cities can positively impact social and economic factors in the community as well. Within a sustainability framework “development is about improving aspects of the community and the environment that contains that community without detrimental effects to other aspects; it is not about growth beyond our means or growth at the expense of others or our environment,” said Choate.
Important criteria for sustainability indicators as identified Choate are that they be relevant to the community, easy to use by all members of the community, repeatedly measurable, and relevant to recent developments and available quickly enough that action to address change is possible.
Sustainability indicators may focus on education, healthcare, employment, environment, population, and transportation goals, among others. Some examples of sustainability indicators that have been used by other cities are ‘ratio of parks to population’ (per capita green space), ‘proportion of recycled materials diverted from landfill’, and ‘ratio of the average cost of a single family home to median household income’.
From his research, Choate concluded that The City of Bowling Green and the surrounding community should consider adopting goals toward a sustainable community and indicators to measure progress towards these goals; that by incorporating existing information and collecting new information, we can establish baselines for many factors which we may seek to improve through directed efforts in the future; and, that if the City doesn’t do so, it may find itself not taking full advantage of the opportunities it has to develop economically, environmentally, and socially for its citizens.
Even though Choate is sharing his findings, he realizes there is still a tremendous amount of work ahead.
“I intend to continue my work on sustainability indicators for the local area with the WKU Center for Environment Education and Sustainability,” Choate noted. “The next step toward Bowling Green adopting sustainability indicators is developing with the City Commissioners and other members of the community a set of indicators that will be relevant and feasible to assess with the resources the city is willing to commit to the project. Additionally, I am working with the WKU Department of Engineering to analyze the heating efficiency of buildings on campus using infrared technology.”
According to Choate, playing an active role in shaping public discussion on important issues should be a priority for all young adults. “As future leaders in our society, students have a responsibility to be involved in the processes that affect their communities,” Choate said. “The experience of presenting information, suggestions, and concerns to a government body is a relevant opportunity to those in all fields of study.”
On October 23, 2009, Dr. Neil deGrasse Tyson delivered a special lecture at WKU. Earlier that afternoon, he had the opportunity to share with Gatton Academy students. (Photos courtesy WKU University Photography.)
This week’s View From the Hill television segment also focuses on Chinese Language Flagship.
Ashley Norman of Union, Ky., planned to attend another university until she learned about a new program at Western Kentucky University—The Chinese Flagship Institute Pilot Program.
The Flagship is an intensive, four-year Chinese language program funded through a Diffusion of Innovation Flagship Partner Planning Grant from The Language Flagship of the National Education Security Program at the U.S. Department of Defense.
Norman, who studied Chinese at Larry A. Ryle High School, said she changed her mind “almost instantly” upon learning of the Flagship program and other opportunities offered through WKU’s Honors College.
“The Honors College opportunity and the Flagship program are the primary reasons I decided to attend WKU,” she said. “The Chinese experience I had in high school motivated me to continue with Chinese language education, and I feel as though I caught on to the language rather quickly. For this reason, I felt that an intensive program would keep me enthralled to the highest degree.”
Amy Eckhardt, Director of WKU’s Office of Scholar Development, said WKU and the University of Kentucky are the only universities in Kentucky to offer four years of intensive Chinese language instruction.
“We are part of one of the most exciting innovative advances in foreign language education in this country,” Eckhardt said. “This will provide needed opportunities for Kentucky high school graduates to continue Chinese language studies.”
WKU is one of nine funded programs in the United States, along with Indiana University, Ohio State University, Brigham Young University, Arizona State University, University of Rhode Island, University of Oregon, University of Mississippi and San Francisco State University.
Ed McDermott, program manager for The Language Flagship, said the organization was proud to add WKU by creating the pilot program because of the commitment the University demonstrated in its proposal.
“Western Kentucky demonstrated that it intends to integrate this program across disciplines and meet the students’ needs,” he said. “That’s the direction we want to go.”
WKU has recruited Liping Chen as Academic Director of the Flagship and an assistant professor of Chinese language and linguistics. Dr. Chen, who has a doctorate in linguistics from Rutgers University, came from the University of Pittsburgh where she was the Chinese language coordinator.
“The moment I saw the job posting, I told myself I wanted this job because it fits both my passion and my expertise and experience with Chinese language and linguistics,” Dr. Chen said. “I see WKU as an exciting opportunity to use my expertise in Chinese linguistics and language pedagogy to help shape and develop its Chinese Flagship program.”
The Flagship curriculum incorporates a series of overseas experiences and internships, she said. It is also outcome based and student proficiency level will be measured by a series of assessment tools.
“Clearly, it is an ambitious project that calls for the commitment and dedication from both the administration and the students,” Dr. Chen said. “And I am convinced that WKU has both.”
“Students who participate in the Chinese Flagship program are committing to studying Chinese during their entire course of study at WKU,” Eckhardt said. “Along with access to excellent and personalized teaching and advising, students will receive scholarships to support summer language study and at least two funded overseas experiences in China as part of the pathway to proficiency.”
With China’s importance in the global economy, the Chinese Flagship program will play an important role in Kentucky’s economic development, Eckhardt said. Not only will learning Chinese help students become global professionals, having the program in Kentucky will have a positive impact on the state’s trade relationship with China, she said.
That importance was cited by Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear in a letter to WKU President Gary Ransdell. Beshear, who recently attended an economic development conference in China, said the Flagship program would be a positive correlation for Chinese investors and for economic development with China in Kentucky.
Dr. Ransdell added: “If there is a language that is going to help define this small global village, we’ll put our stake with the Chinese language.”
Eckhardt added that Chinese is also considered a critical language to the U.S. military.
Rachel Reetzke, a senior from Franklin, enrolled in the Flagship program after traveling to China this summer through the Honors College. For one month she volunteered and observed at the Chengdu Autism Training Center as an independent research project.
“It was through my volunteering and observations that I developed a passion for further learning the Chinese language in order to continue to help the children that I had the opportunity to work with,” the communication disorders major said. “After completing this Flagship program at WKU, I hope to utilize my new language skills to continue helping the individuals with autism in China.”
The Flagship is already attracting the “kind of students every teacher wants,” Dr. Chen said. “They are extremely smart, polite, motivated and dedicated,” she said. Of the 16 currently enrolled in the Elementary Chinese class, eight are members of the Gatton Academy of Mathematics and Science in Kentucky, a residential program at WKU for select gifted high school juniors and seniors. Others are studying in areas such as photojournalism, the arts and psychology.
“Students came to my office hour the first day of class to practice their pronunciation and they could tell each other’s Chinese names in the second meeting of class,” Dr. Chen said. “I can’t wait to see them communication in Chinese when we are in China in January.”
Participants in the inaugural Chinese Flagship Institute Elementary Chinese class
WKU Students
Chris Groves, Bowling Green, Ky.
Jesse Hazel, Bowling Green, Ky.
Charles Meredith, Bowling Green, Ky.
Sara Moody, Bowling Green, Ky.
Ashley Norman, Union, Ky.
Angel Piper, Sebree, Ky.
Rachel Reetzke, Franklin, Ky.
Darra Jackson, Atlanta, Ga.
Students in the Gatton Academy for Mathematics and Science in Kentucky at WKU
Amy Cordero, Pikeville, Ky.
Samuel Firkins, Taylorsville, Ky.
Jason Ludden, Columbia, Ky.
Ballard Metcalfe, Eminence, Ky.
Jared Mink, East Bernstadt, Ky.
Joshua Robinson, Elizabethtown, Ky.
Sarah Schrader, Bowling Green, Ky.
Benjamin Venable, LaGrange, Ky.
More about the Chinese Flagship program at WKU
The WKU Chinese Flagship Pilot Program is an intensive undergraduate four-year course of study that leads to an Honors degree in a home major and to certified proficiency in Chinese. It is the only fully articulated four-year Chinese language program in the state and will offer students from Kentucky and throughout the U.S. an affordable, high-quality undergraduate education that combines the study of Mandarin Chinese with rigorous academics in an engaged Honors community setting.
The WKU Chinese Flagship Pilot Program will be an independent Honors-level certificate program housed in University College, with formal affiliations with the Honors College, Potter College of Arts & Letters and the International Office.
No prior Chinese language experience is required, but students must commit to the intensive study of Chinese for the duration of their degree program at WKU. Students must also commit to a year of study and professional internship in Nanjing, China, and all students must be admitted to, or be in good standing in, the Honors College.
There is a Pre-Flagship Summer Intensive Language Training for students with no Chinese or with beginning (Novice level) Chinese. Students (entering freshman, transfer, or currently matriculated students) who are accepted into the program will receive full scholarships for an intensive Mandarin language course in the summer term before their first fall term in the Flagship program.
In years 1-4, students will enroll each year in a minimum of 12 Chinese credits (eight credits in fall and spring and four credits during winter term). These classes will count toward Honors College credit requirements.
Additionally, each year between the fall and spring semester, students will participate in an intensive four-week Winter Language Practicum in China during WKU’s winter term. This immersion overseas language program will allow students to engage authentically with the culture and language from the outset. Financial support for this program is available to all Flagship students through the generous support of the Honors College and the Office of Internationalization.
All students graduating in this program will complete a capstone year of study at Nanjing University and an internship experience in China. The timing of the Capstone year is determined by each student’s language proficiency and academic major. Staff and faculty from the Honors College, the WKU Chinese Flagship, the Office of Scholar Development, and the Study Abroad office are available to provide guidance and personalized advising to students. While at Nanjing, they complete courses in their major and work individually with native-speaking tutors. Immediately following the semester in Nanjing, scholars complete professional internships at various locations in China.
As students in Western Kentucky University residence halls turn off and unplug, take shorter showers and make other energy conservation measures in this month’s “Reduce Your Use!” competition, they will be able to see how their halls rank thanks to a real-time energy monitoring and display website.
WKU’s Building Dashboard® designed by Lucid Design Group (http://www.wku.edu/housing/dashboard.htm) provides information on energy use for each residence hall, converting kilowatt hours to relatable units such as pails of coal and hamburgers.
Students not only will be able to track which building is winning, but also see whether efforts such as turning off all lights in a building make a big difference.
“The dashboard will help us save energy, but more importantly, it is a great awareness tool,” Sustainability Coordinator Christian Ryan-Downing said. “It empowers us to see immediately the results of our conservation efforts and makes it much more fun and engaging. The dashboard is like a new toy. I keep showing it to everyone.”
Ryan-Downing said energy feedback websites are proving to have great results on college campuses. Reports from both Lucid Design and universities and colleges using the technology say that real-time feedback on energy use is resulting in energy use reductions from 10 percent to 50 percent.
Before the software and dashboard could do their work, residence hall energy meters had to be connected to the centralized computer software system that the WKU Energy Management Team uses to remotely read and control heating, cooling and ventilation in many campus buildings. This system allows the Building Dashboard® to “read” the meters and provide real-time feedback.
“The Dashboard system has an integrated competition module which allows us to easily manage ‘Reduce Your Use!’” said David Baskett, coordinator for Facilities for Housing and Residence Life. “The competition module allows me to set up the parameters of the competition and from there it runs itself. Students will be able to see their hall’s standing along with other real time data by simply going to the Dashboard website. By allowing the residents to see real time data we hope this encourages a healthy competitive spirit and educates them on energy conservation.”
The 2009-10 Cultural Enhancement Series at WKU will begin Oct. 26 with a lecture by astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson.
The event is free and open to WKU students, faculty, staff and community members. Seating is on a first-come, first-seated basis.
Neil deGrasse Tyson at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 26 at Downing University Center Theatre: Dr. Tyson is director of the Hayden Planetarium of the American Museum of Natural History and host of “NOVA ScienceNow,” which explores the frontiers of scientific discoveries that are reshaping our understanding of the universe. He has hosted numerous other science documentaries, authored diverse best-selling science books, appeared on hundreds of talk shows to explain new discoveries in an accurate and approachable manner, and even named in 2000 by People magazine as “Sexiest Astrophysicist Alive.” His books include “The Pluto Files: The Rise and Fall of America’s Favorite Planet” and “Death By Black Hole and Other Cosmic Quandaries.”
His lecture is co-sponsored by the Carol Martin Gatton Academy of Mathematics and Science in Kentucky at WKU.
Other events in the Series’ 13th season are American Revival: Celebrating the New Stars of American Roots Music on Nov. 17, Steve Riley and the Mamou Playboys on Feb. 9 and U.S. poet laureate Billy Collins on April 13.
The Carol Martin Gatton Academy of Math and Science in Kentucky is now in its third year on the campus of WKU. Some of the best high school juniors and seniors take classes alongside WKU undergraduates, and engage in research projects with school faculty. After they graduate from Gatton, students can attend college anywhere. Kevin Willis has this report on the decision facing Gatton graduates: should they stay on at WKU, or pursue higher education elsewhere?
The Council on Postsecondary Education will meet at noon Thursday (Sept. 10) at WKU’s Florence Schneider Hall. The session is being planned by WKU President Gary Ransdell and will be an opportunity for council members to learn more about WKU. No formal action will be taken.
At 3 p.m. Thursday (Sept. 10), the CPE will meet at the Kentucky Building on WKU’s campus. The agenda and directions are available on the CPE website.
An evening reception and dinner is planned for CPE members and representatives of WKU at 7 p.m. Thursday (Sept. 10) at President Ransdell’s home. No formal action will be taken.
On Friday (Sept. 11), the Governor’s Conference on Postsecondary Education Trusteeship will be held at the Sloan Convention Center in Bowling Green. The conference agenda may be here.
“You will have all the benefits of a high level private school and all the intimacy of a family at Schneider Hall,” greets university president, Gary Ransdell. On Monday, Gatton Academy Class of 2011 members and returning Community Leaders met on the president’s lawn to share an intimate dinner to celebrate the closing of the first full day at the Academy.
President Ransdell was aglow with praise for the Academy, himself having worked hard to make it happen. Ransdell also noted his belief in the program as a way to enrich the state and continue WKU’s missions of becoming a leading American university with international reach: “We build the intellectual heartbeat of Kentucky, and you all are the lifeblood. I am honored you would give these two years of your life to the Gatton Academy, WKU, and most importantly, to yourselves.”
Dinner was catered by WKU Dining and accented by set-ups for the popular games of cornhole and Bocce ball. “Who here thinks they’re the best cornhole player at the Academy?” asked President Ransdell. A hand goes up and is quickly retracted, realizing that the president is not kidding.
At dinner, Cass of 2010 Community Leaders, including Community Developers, Academy Avatars, and Student Government Representatives split up and sat at tables with new juniors, answering questions about the year ahead. The Community Leaders were more than happy to share, and just to get to know their new classmates a little better.
Class of 2011 member Chandler Santos intoned her feelings about the Academy: “The academy is such a fantastic opportunity, and children around the state should be honored to have such an opportunity available to them.”
Natalie Schieber had things to say along the same lines: “I’m excited for the unique research opportunities that the Academy offers.”
However, things weren’t all on such a formal note. There were discussions of a wide range of other topics, including where everyone was from, music people listen to, movies playing in theaters, and how much everyone hates their pictures on their ID cards.
Eight Western Kentucky University students, including two Gatton Academy Class of 2009 members, will be setting sail Aug. 28 as part of the prestigious Semester at Sea study abroad program.
“Semester at Sea is one of the most unique educational programs in the world,” said Dr. Bernie Strenecky, scholar-in-residence at WKU. He also is the ship’s director of service learning and a member of the Semester at Sea’s alumni board of directors.
This fall, the Semester at Sea program will celebrate its 100th voyage with about 520 students aboard the floating campus. The University of Virginia serves as academic sponsors. Schools such as Pittsburgh, Colorado, Stanford, Virginia and UCLA traditionally send groups of students on the voyages.
“WKU is going to have a presence there and be among the best universities in the world,” Strenecky said.
WKU students making the trip are Carley Brooks, a senior from Louisville; Joey Coe, a junior from Louisville; Lauren Gray, a senior from Franklin, Tenn.; Jennifer Hail, a sophomore from Brandenburg; Kaitlin Hartley, a junior from Versailles; Cameran Smith, a sophomore from Campbellsburg; Caroline Wells, a junior from Glasgow; and Bobbi-Lee Williams, a senior from Portland, Tenn.
The voyage will begin Aug. 28 in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and will end Dec. 14 in San Diego. In between, the ship (the MV Explorer) will dock in Spain, Morocco, Ghana, South Africa, Mauritius, India, Viet Nam, China, Japan and Hawaii.
“Semester at Sea gives our students an international academic experience that is unique,” said Clay Motley, assistant director of academics for WKU’s Honors College. “We have a lot of cool study abroad experiences, but to do this whole semester on a ship is unique.”
Hartley will take coursework in global studies, zoology, global music and leadership. Hartley believes this program will be unlike any other opportunity for learning: “This is something unique to put on a resume and say you’ve been part of this program,” Hartley said. “I’m really excited. I think it will be a fun environment to be on ship with all the students.”
Wells will study zoology, global studies, leadership development and history of jazz. Wells sees a world of possibility ahead in the coming weeks: “It’s a wonderful opportunity to expand my views on other cultures in the world and to experience things that most people only get to see or hear about on TV or in the media. I can’t wait!”
Established in 1963, Semester at Sea is the only study abroad program of its kind in the world. Using a ship as its traveling campus, students, faculty, and lecturers learn and reside together while fully circumnavigating the globe each fall and spring semester and exploring a world region each summer. More than 2,000 undergraduates representing 200-300 institutions worldwide study abroad with Semester at Sea each year.
Semester at Sea classroom learning is integrated with hands-on fieldwork and service learning in destinations around the world-as many as 12 each semester — where participants gain deeper knowledge of world issues, economies and cultures through comparative experiential study. Participants receive full transferable credit to their home institutions from the University of Virginia, which serves as academic sponsor.
During the voyage, WKU students will be taking classes such as global learning, psychology, zoology, leadership, music, poetry, communication, management, business and service learning.
In the area of service learning, all students will have an opportunity to participate in the $100 Solution, a humanitarian project developed by Dr. Strenecky. Through this project, which is headquartered at WKU, students are provided with knowledge, skills and funds which are used to solve social problems at the national and international levels.
The idea is, Dr. Strenecky said, that many social problems can be solved with $100 not millions of dollars. Last year, for example, a group of students bought a water heater for an orphanage in Vietnam and provided the first hot showers for 45 children there, he said.
Through service learning efforts like the $100 Solution, students learn about the value and importance of giving back to society, Dr. Strenecky said. “We as a university have the responsibility to teach them,” he said.
This fall’s itinerary includes the following locations: Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada; Cadiz, Spain; Casablanca, Morocco; Accra, Ghana; Cape Town, South Africa; Port Louis, Mauritius; Chennai, India; Ho Chi Minh City, Viet Nam; Hong Kong/Shanghai, China; Yokohama/Osaka, Japan; Honolulu/Hilo, Hawaii; San Diego, Calif.
In today’s competitive global economy, U.S. undergraduate and graduate students are under increasing pressure to gain skills that set them apart from the rest of the pack upon graduation.
The Language Flagship, an innovative and relatively new initiative established by the National Security Education Program, has scholarship and fellowship awards available to students with the motivation and determination to successfully complete an advanced language immersion and cultural studies program.
Western Kentucky University was selected earlier this year as of eight funded programs in the United States to receive the honor. Other universities participating in the program include: Indiana University, Ohio State, Brigham Young University, Arizona State University, University of Rhode Island, University of Oregon, and the University of Mississippi.
Additionally, six Gatton Academy students have been selected to participate in the program’s first cohort: Jared Mink, a second-year student from Laurel County; Megan Stulz, a second-year student from Kenton County; Amy Cordero, a second-year student from Pike County; Jason Ludden, a second-year student from Adair County; Sarah Schrader, a first-year student from Warren County; and Ben Venable, a first-year student from Oldham County.
By enrolling students from across all majors and disciplines—including the sciences, economics, business, and literature—Flagship programs mainstream language study into a student’s curriculum, ensuring that they will be capable of functioning in their profession in the target language. A U.S. workforce with language proficiency and more sophisticated cultural understanding will create goodwill leading to greater international cooperation and collaboration.
According to Michael Nugent, director of the initiative based in Arlington, VA, “Graduates of The Language Flagship already have started taking their place among the next generation of global professionals through superior proficiency in languages critical to U.S. competitiveness and national security.” In fact, alumni of the program now work in key leadership and diplomacy positions in the government, business, and civic sectors.
For many careers pursued by top college graduates today, it’s not enough to study political science coupled with two years of language instruction that may not have direct relevance to the student’s major. Today’s professionals need to be able to function at a high level in their chosen fields as well as in their language of study. To meet this need, Flagship programs include intensive language training with long-term overseas study in a non-language subject.
According to WKU’s Office of Scholar Development, these programs are rigorous but rewarding and come with highly personalized advising and lucrative scholarships. Moreover, participation in the program can increase students’ competitiveness for outstanding jobs in both government and industry.
All of the Flagship programs include two components: a domestic component at one of the U.S. Flagship institutions, and an intensive study abroad component at the Overseas Flagship Centers in China. Both components are mandatory and essential to student success.
The 2009-10 Cultural Enhancement Series at WKU will begin Oct. 26 with a lecture by astrophysicist 
In today’s competitive global economy, U.S. undergraduate and graduate students are under increasing pressure to gain skills that set them apart from the rest of the pack upon graduation.