MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT

PRESIDENTIAL HISTORIANS DORIS KEARNS GOODWIN AND MARK UPDEGROVE, PICTURED WITH PRESIDENT JANE, WERE FEATURED IN THE GUILFORD COLLEGE BRYAN SERIES IN NOVEMBER. MARK, WHO ATTENDED GUILFORD FOR TWO YEARS INTHE 1980S, IS PRESIDENT AND CEO OF THE LYNDON BAINES JOHNSON FOUNDATION.

Photo by Julie Knight

Friends,

Guilford College leads by example in our commitment to sustainability, which is closely linked to the College’s Core Value of stewardship. Why does this matter? A multifaceted commitment to sustainability can support greater economic resilience for individuals throughout their lifespan and for the communities in which they live. Our students learn about this directly within our curriculum and beyond, as Guilford demonstrates our commitment to a future that this generation of students will see in coming decades. As one of the nation’s most environmentally responsible colleges, Guilford leads in so many ways:

• 430 energy conservation measures that have been implemented

• 196 thermal solar panels that produce 9,000 gallons of hot water daily

• A farm that is a learning laboratory and supplier of produce to campus and community

• A commitment to a carbon-neutral campus by 2043

Among nearly 12,000 prospective students and parents The Princeton Review surveyed for its 2019 College Hopes & Worries Survey, 64 percent said knowing a college's commitment to the environment would influence their decision to apply to or attend the school.

The Princeton Review stated: "We salute — and strongly recommend — Guilford College to the many environmentally minded students who want to study and live at a green college.”

In the cover story for this issue of Guilford College Magazine you will read about some of our unique and collaborative classes related to sustainability, including Permaculture Design Certification, Wild Foraging and Food and Faith.

Strengthening student internship opportunities is a priority of The Guilford Edge. In this issue you will read about Noah Jackson’s ’20 internship with the Center for Environmental Farming Systems in which he learned about sustainable agriculture and community food systems from a broad systems perspective, his experience with our Sustainable Food Systems program and what he plans to do after graduating in May.

We’ll take a look at the remarkable work of faculty and alumni in the sustainability field. Professors Kyle Dell and Marlene McCauley are working with a colleague at N.C. A&T State University to research and publish curricula in Sustainable Food Systems. Seren Homer ’17 helped complete Guilford’s STARS (sustainability, tracking, assessment and reporting) tool her senior year and now works with a local environmental consulting company.

Environmental consciousness is a key marker for strong economic sustainability of communities. Our students long to create this kind of meaning in their lives and the ways they live. Guilford is already offering stellar opportunities for learning and practicing one of this century’s most important commitments of stewardship.

We’ll celebrate philanthropic support that is driving Guilford’s progress to become a nationally recognized college of distinction. This includes a deferred gift from Charlie and Mary ’45 Routh for a professorship solely focused on Quakerism, as well as a 3-weekterm course about Quaker testimonies and service. Also, descendants of John Thomas Subak created an emergency fund for students and the Edward M. Armfield Sr. Foundation awarded the College a large, four-year grant to support improvements to Hege-Cox Hall and other aspects of The Guilford Edge.

In this issue of the magazine, you’ll read about our latest Alumni Award winners, a group of 11 alumni who have made their marks in many ways since they graduated from Guilford. For the first time this year we will salute one alumnus with a Lifetime Achievement Award.

There is so much for Guilfordians to be enthused about at this moment in time at Guilford College. For that reason I am excited to invite you into a new level of engagement with the College as we build our sustainable future together.

Jane K. Fernandes, President