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Contact: Mike Gehrig
(312) 988-2065
mgehrig@thegbi.org

MESA STATE COLLEGE RECEIVES FIRST-EVER GREENING COLLEGES GRANT FROM GREEN BUIDLING INITIATVE™
-- Will Allow Mesa State to Pursue Sustainable Design and Construction Techniques Using Green Globes&trade Rating System --

Grand Junction – Mesa State College has been awarded the first-ever Greening Colleges grant by the Green Building Initiative (GBI), a not-for-profit organization dedicated to accelerating the adoption of green building practices.

The grant will be used to help the college teach students about emerging trends and technologies in green building in a real-world environment, and it will also allow students at Mesa State to use the GBI’s Green Globes environmental assessment rating tool on the new Wubben Hall Science Center building.

The grant includes pro bono consulting services by GBI as well as free use of the assessment rating tool. Additionally, GBI will pay a stipend to the students who assess the building.

The Green Globes environmental assessment and rating system is a green management tool that includes an assessment protocol, rating system and guide for integrating environmentally-friendly design into commercial buildings.

"This grant represents a great opportunity for Mesa State College," said Mesa State President Tim Foster. "Not only will we receive the benefits of having an environmentally friendly and sustainable building on campus, but our students will get the added benefit of learning how to use one of the leading environmental assessment and rating tools first-hand."

This is just the most recent example of Mesa State "going green." Other examples include the installation of an array of solar panels on top of the Science Center as well as using a ground source heat exchange system for its new classroom building.

"We applaud Mesa State's commitment to improving the built environment, in both practice and in the classroom," said Ward Hubbell, President of the GBI. "This college has shown a willingness to be a leader in the green building movement. We are delighted to help them achieve their sustainability and educational goals."

The Wubben Hall Science Center expansion and remodeling project will include approximately 41,000 sq. ft. of new construction on four floors. Construction is slated to begin in January 2009. The building houses Mesa State’s Department of Physical and Environmental Sciences.

For more information about the Green Globes environmental assessment and rating system, or the GBI, visit www.thegbi.org.