Duke

Green Grant Funding has been awarded to the majority of applicants in the years since the program's inception. The 9 to 11 projects completed each year have engaged students, staff, and faculty in the broader efforts to make Duke a leading sustainable insitution.  Above all, the grant provides creative and passionate leaders across campus with an opportunity to implement and manage their own visions. 

Some highlighted Green Grant projects are highlighted below...

2007-08 Highlights

Laura Hall, owner of The Refectory, received a grant for the purchase of materials to create a vertical wall garden on the Refectory patio.  The garden would grow fresh, organic tomatoes, mint, cilantro, dill, parsley, rosemary, thyme, onion, oregano, basil, sage, kale and assorted lettuces.  The project tied in with the Refectory's existing goal of minimizing the environmental impacts incurred from farm to fork, and serves to educate patrons about the establishments commitment to sustainability.

Jillian Ziarko (Trinity '09) applied for a grant to initiate a compost program at Duke's Marine Lab in cooperation with the campus's dining-hall.  The nutrient rich humus produced from the composting will be used as a soil amendment in an organic herb and vegetable garden.  Jillian's project brought the Marine Lab Dining Hall one step closer to its existing goal of establishing a sustainable food system on the Marine Lab campus.  Students working with Jillian will also educate Dining staff on separation of food waste, as well as help to grow food in the garden.

2006-07 Highlights

Abhinav Kapur (Pratt '09) received a grant to install a rainwater cistern at the Doris Duke Center.  The project's design was the product of several students' work for Dr. David Schaad's EGR 183: Sustainable Engineering" course.  After installation, students will take turns monitoring how much water is collected during rain events. Specific attention will be paid to measuring fecal coliform and E. coli, to determine the potability of the collected water.

Carina Barnett-Loro (Trinity '09)  used funding from the Green Grant Fund to produce a how-to video on managing Duke's highly-succesful Eco-Olympics competition in the dorms.The film required collaborative efforts from over 20 students and staff, and has been one of the most visited videos on AASHE's video page.  Watch the video here.

2005-06 Highlights

Dr. Charlie Thompson, adjunct faculty member and director of the undergraduate program at Duke's Center for Documentary Studies, used  Green Grant funding for his "Food, Farm People and the Environment" exhibit.  The selected photographs and information emphasizes the connections between our food and where it comes from, and focused attention on the frequently overlooked social and economic dimensions of sustainability.

Tom Rose, co-founder of Duke's Smart House, applied for Green Grant funding to send four students to represent the university's commitment to green building at a national conference. Sudha Golapadi (MEM), Josh Sommers (Pratt '09), Tom Rose (Pratt '05), and Ashleigh Thames ('06) attended the GreenBuild Expo in Atlanta along with staff members from Facilities Management Department and the Sustainability office.