CAMPUS HAPPENINGS Bill Gates Discusses Climate Change with Howard, Other D.C. Universities
Howard Establishes the Marriott-Sorenson Center for Hospitality Leadership
Howard University joined Bill Gates and other local universities to discuss topics surrounding his new book, “How to Avoid a Climate Disaster: The Solutions We Have and the Breakthroughs We Need,” during a recent online event. The conversation surrounded what individuals, advocates and governments can and must do to reduce the world’s greenhouse gas emissions to zero.
The J. Willard and Alice S. Marriott Foundation has announced a $20 million endowment to launch the MarriottSorenson Center for Hospitality Leadership at Howard University. The effort is in honor of Marriott International’s president and CEO, Arne Sorensen, who recently passed away from pancreatic cancer.
The discussion was moderated by CBS News correspondent Michelle Miller (B.A. ’89) and included audiences from Howard University, American University, Georgetown University and George Washington University. Gates discussed the need for governments, corporations and individuals to prioritize going green. He named several industries that make up most of the world’s carbon emissions, including transportation, electricity, manufacturing, agriculture, and heating and cooling.
The center, which will be housed in the School of Business, will feature a best-in-class program that expands educational and professional opportunities for Howard students and aims to develop future executives in the hospitality industry. The goal will be to expose students to the hospitality industry through a management lens. In addition, the Arne M. Sorenson Hospitality Fund is being created to support the programmatic and career development elements of the center. Marriott has pledged the first donation of $1 million and is inviting other companies, organizations and individuals – from all industries – to support this effort.
Senior biology major Tyler Colon asked Gates about how to offset the economic costs of going green, also known as the “green premium,” which hinder everyday individuals from purchasing green technologies. “We’ve done some of that by having the tax credit for electric cars, but if you look at those, it’s not across the entire economic spectrum,” said Gates. “Maybe there needs to be a different credit amount for people across the economic spectrum. At the end of the day, affordability is the metric we’ve got to win on.”
President Frederick calls this partnership a game-changer. “What we are creating is a direct connection between an industry that is on the edge of change and a top-caliber talent pool for them to recruit from,” he said. To learn more about the Marriott-Sorenson Center for Hospitality Leadership and the Arne M. Sorenson Hospitality Fund, or to make a donation, please visit www.howard.edu/ sorensonfund.
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