Furman University

The Shi Center is pleased to request applications for student sustainability fellowships for Summer 2013.  These fellowships provide a $3500 stipend to each student for sustainability research and service on campus and in the community. 

Summer Fellows will work ten weeks (400 hours) during the summer and will serve as ambassadors throughout the school year to share their experiences with the campus community.  All fellows work with the Shi Center for Sustainability staff, and affiliate faculty as appropriate, to advance sustainability on campus and in the community, and to conduct applied research related to sustainability.  Each fellow will produce a deliverable to be shared at the end of the summer, as determined with input from their supervisor(s).  Students from all majors are encouraged to apply.

TO APPLY:  Please submit a resume, short statement (no more than 500 words) of interest that includes the particular fellowship(s) desired, and names of two references (professors on campus are preferred).  You may apply for more than one fellowship, but please indicate your first choice in your application.  Please email your application to Katherine Kransteuber (Shi Center for Sustainability Program Coordinator) at katherine.kransteuber@furman.edu by Tuesday, January 22, 2013.  In-person interviews will be conducted in February, and selections will be made by March 15.

Campus Summer Fellowships

Sustainable Agriculture and Student Assistant Furman Farm Manager: This Fellow will coordinate student labor and volunteers at the Furman Farm throughout the summer, working closely with the Farm and Compost Manager, as well as the Associate Director of the Shi Center. The Student Assistant Farm Manager will manage volunteer labor, keep records of planting and inputs at the farm, keep records of all outreach efforts, coordinate publicity and outreach, and run the Randy Blackwell Farm Stand. Additionally, the Fellowship supports a research project related to local or sustainable agriculture.

Sustainability History at Furman:  This Fellow will work closely with the Shi Center staff and the University Archives to document the history of sustainability at Furman.  The fellow may focus on various parts of the university’s history, from the early years, to the move to the current campus, to the last two decades.  The fellow may also work on specific projects at the Upcountry History Museum.

Campus Sustainability Assessment:  This Fellow will work closely with the Associate Director of the Shi Center and others to track progress related to sustainability at Furman. This may include assisting with data collection and analysis for the AASHE Sustainability Tracking, Assessment, and Ratings System (STARS), assisting with the greenhouse gas inventory and the Presidents’ Climate Commitment progress report for FY2013, reviewing data collection methods and prioritizing projects, and working with the campus energy dashboard.

Sustainability Ambassadors Coordinator: This Fellow will work closely with the Associate Director of the Shi Center to plan for a new program, called the Sustainability Ambassadors.  Sustainability Ambassadors will implement and advocate for sustainable practices on campus.  This Fellow will also maintain outreach and communications for sustainability on campus, including the Shi Center’s blog, Facebook, and Twitter.  This position requires a full-year commitment – the fellow should plan to work 5-10 hours/week during the 2013-14 academic year for additional hourly wages.

Center for Vocational Reflection: This fellow will work with the staff of Furman's Center for Vocational Reflection to develop initiatives and projects focused on sustainability/stewardship and vocational reflection.  Depending on the fellow's interests and skills, the fellow may assist with further integration of an environmental ethics "thread" into the Summer Connections program for freshmen, developing guides/resources for campus and community groups on sustainability and vocational reflection, and auditing current programs and services to identify additional opportunities for the Center's connection with sustainability.  The Center staff will work with the fellow to identify areas and projects that best connect with the fellow's skills and sense of purpose and the Center's opportunities and needs.  For more information on the Center, visit http://furmanlilly.com.

Community Summer Fellowships 

Livability Education and Outreach: This Fellow will work closely with the City of Greenville’s Connections project (connections.greenvillesc.gov), funded by a federal grant from the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the Department of Transportation (DOT), to promote livability, smart growth, and sustainability principles across Greenville (especially focused on the West Side). The Fellow will work with a program focused on providing resources for K-12 educators to incorporate these principles into the classroom as well as work on developing an outreach program to engage the public in this project.

Greenville County Recreation District: The Greenville Hospital System Swamp Rabbit Trail represents the start of a growing county-wide greenway system. A 3 year impact study is yielding important data including data that shows nearly twice as many people are using the trail for commuting than via other sources of active transportation in Greenville County. This Fellow will work with the Greenville County Recreation District to develop programming that educates and encourages residents to discover a "Greenway of Life". Programming will include working to further the public understanding of the opportunities that a greenway system provides, identifying best possible routes for trail expansion, working to improve barriers to more commuter use, working with partners in the different municipalities, and working with LiveWell Greenville and their programming in the public schools.  See http://greenvillerec.com/swamprabbit for more information.

Additional project: Working with GCRD and realtors, this Fellow will do an analysis of properties near a greenway and similar properties without access to a greenway in order to arrive at a current and true evaluation of economic impact of greenways on residential property in Greenville County. This fellow will report how property assessments work in Greenville County and then conclude if greenways do have an impact on property value. This data will be given to the Rail-to-Trail Conservancy in Washington, DC as part of their growing resource library.

Gardening for Good: Develop an After-School Garden Curriculum.  The fellow will research effective strategies to integrate community gardens into after-school curriculum including math, science, art, sustainability and more.  The fellow will work closely with existing garden programs in the Gardening for Good network, allowing hands-on gardening experience with youth.  The final product will be used to expand garden programs in many of the City's community centers as well as other educational gardens across Greenville County.  Visit www.ggardeningforgood.com for more information about Gardening for Good.