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HARVARD GAZETTE
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Past NewsExecutive Vice President Establishes A 'Suggestions & Comments' Email Address Many of you were able to attend the VPA Town Meeting in late January with Executive Vice President Ed Forst. As he continues to visit more departments to talk about the implications of the financial crisis and the University's plan to address the underlying challenges, it is clear that the best solutions and ideas will come from the talented and capable people who come to work here each day. Thus in an effort to ensure that each and every staff member has an opportunity to voice his or her thoughts while the University tackles these difficult times together, Ed Forst's office has set up a new email address evp@harvard.edu for suggestions, comments, or questions. UOS Shuttle Tracker Did you know you check on the web for the exact location of the Harvard shuttle bus you're waiting for? Check out UOS' Shuttle Tracker at http://www.shuttle.harvard.edu. And when you're on the go, use your mobile capable phone to track the shuttle at http://harvard.transloc.com/m/. Wind Turbines Installed Atop Holyoke Center As part of its efforts to meet President Faust?s ambitious sustainability goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 30 percent below 2006 levels by 2016, HRES has installed six small-scale wind turbines on the roof of the Holyoke Center. These AeroVironment turbines are designed to generate 1 kilowatt each, enough energy to power 30 computers a day. At 6 feet tall, each turbine can rotate right and left in search of peak winds. Stay tuned for future plans to install additional turbines on the roof of the Soldiers Field parking garage in Allston. Harvard Human Resources Develops Web Page to Help Employees Understand and Respond to Changes in the Economy Harvard Human Resources is mobilizing and coordinating an array of financially-oriented resources to provide information, education, and assistance to the Harvard community. The response will include services, events, and a new webpage called "Responding to Today's Economy." The web page is now live on HARVie at: http://harvie.harvard.edu/working/economy/. This page is intended for faculty and staff members who are trying to understand what is happening in today's economy, who have questions about their benefits, retirement, or investments, or who may be facing personal financial difficulties. As events unfold, Harvard HR will continue to update this page, and promote newly-available programs, such as a financial chat series and a financial forum (both in development) that bring retirement vendors, banks, the Harvard Credit Union, the Employee Assistance Program, and other resources on-campus or online via HARVie this fall. Foliage Festival at the Arnold Arboretum On Sunday, October 26th head to the Arnold Arboretum for a fun-filled fall afternoon: it's the Arboretum's Annual Foliage Festival. Hay-rides, apple cider, "SlowFood" from local farms, and music and dancing are just some of the activities on offer. For more about the festival, click here. Harvard University Press Joins Forces to Help Rebuild the Iraqi National Library The Harvard, MIT and Yale University Presses, working with the Sabre Foundation and a grant from the United States Embassy in Baghdad, recently collaborated to send more than 5,000 books to the Iraqi National Library. This donation is part of a larger effort to restore the Iraqi Library and Archives and to re-establish Iraq's reputation for excellence in education and knowledge. For more on this project, click here. Discount on Zipcars for Harvard Staff Picture yourself zooming around town in a MINI or saving lots of money on gas in a hybrid. Commuter choice has negotiated a membership discount for Harvard affiliates and departments when they sign up for Zipcar. To learn more about very affordable "wheels when you want them", click here. HUDS Releases its First Sustainability Report This summer Dining Services released its first annual Sustainability Report, a summary of the department's "green" efforts from a foodservice perspective. A limited number of printed copies of this excellent report are available; or, you can download a much more "green" PDF version from the HUDS website. UOS and ADG to Conduct a Joint Wind Power Study A 164-foot meteorological tower, equipped with anemometers (wind speed meters) was recently installed just south of the Beren tennis facilities near Harvard Stadium. Over the next two years data will be collected on wind speed and direction and that information will help to determine whether wind turbines would be an efficient means of generating renewable wind power on the Harvard campus. For more information on this project and to see pictures of the tower and its installation, click here. Harvard Farmer's Market Opens June 17; Allston Farmer's Market Opens June 18
The Farmer's Market at Harvard is back for another season beginning Tuesday, June 17. Organized by HUDS, the market will be on the lawn between the Science Center and Memorial Hall on Tuesdays from 12:30-6 pm through October 28. This year you will find your favorite vendors joined by several new ones offering locally grown produce, baked goods, artisanal cheeses, and a variety of specialty items including maple syrup, organic chocolate, jams, and more.
Become a Tutor for the Bridge Program The Harvard Bridge to Learning and Literacy, an education program for Harvard's service workers, seeks volunteer tutors to assist adult learners with high-school diploma preparation, English as a Second Language, computer skills, and more. Volunteers must attend training and commit to tutoring two hours per week. The next two-night training session will be August 19 and August 26 from 5:30-8pm. For more information, click here Harvard University Press Helps Kick-off Eco-Book Printing Process More "green" news from VPA: Harvard University Press is teaming up with Maple-Vail Book Manufacturing Group and Amerikal Products Corporation in a groundbreaking initiative to create a new sustainable process that will revolutionize how books are printed and manufactured. The first HUP book to be published using the eco-friendly THINKTechTM process will be The Dismal Science by Timothy Marglin, a senior professor in Harvard's Economics Department. For more on the Press and the new printing process click here To see the 2008 VPA Harvard Heroes, enter your HUID # and PIN here Tickets to hear J.K. Rowling at Speak at Commencement: Available May 28th Muggles, wizards and witches alike are eligible for tickets to see J.K. Rowling speak during the Afternoon Exercises at Harvard Commencement on June 5th. 1,000 tickets have been made available to Harvard staff by the Harvard Alumni Association (HAA) and they will be distributed free on a first-come, first-served basis through the Harvard Box Office in Holyoke Center, beginning May 28. The Afternoon Exercises also include a report from the HAA on fundraising, the election results for the Harvard Board of Overseers, the awarding of the Harvard Medal, and the annual report from the President. You must have a ticket to attend. Special Thanks to the Harvard Staff Who Responded to the May 2nd Manhole Fire in Harvard Square Many thanks to the staff of University Operations, Environmental, Health and Safety, Harvard Real Estate, University Health Services, HUPD and the Incident Support Team who responded to the 3 am call about a manhole fire burning in the middle of Harvard Square. Working with the Cambridge Fire Department, NSTAR, Cambridge Police and others, Harvard's Incident Support team kept the fire under control, notified and updated the university community, and inspected and approved the reopening of Holyoke Center by noon the same day. Harvard's emergency management staff skillfully managed a dangerous and challenging situation for the community and we are grateful for their swift, professional response. Harvard Real Estate Introduces Real-Time Energy Monitor to New Graduate Residence Taking a giant leap forward on the sustainability frontier, Harvard Real Estate Services has placed a real-time energy monitor in the lobby of 5 Cowperthwaite Street so that tenants and visitors can see how much energy is being used by the building -- and be encouraged to reduce that amount. Stop by the 5 Cowperthwaite Street lobby to see the monitor or view the energy data online here HUDS and GSD Find Success with Composting Program at the Chauhaus Earlier this year, HUDS and the GSD debuted a composting program in the Chauhaus, the GSD's campus cafe, and the result has been a 90-plus percent decrease in trash. This pilot program facilitates the conversion of all disposables to compostables (including plates, salad containers, cutlery, soup and coffee cups, and napkins), which is complemented by recycling and trash collection and a heavy customer education campaign. The GSD community has embraced the project and HUDS has found that diners from nearby buildings are visiting the Chauhaus to participate in the program. To read more about this initiative, click here Lilac Sunday at the Arboretum: May 11th Spring is finally here and it is the most exciting time of the year at the Arnold Arboretum. So, be sure to put Lilac Sunday on your calendar for May -- the perfect Mother?s Day outing! On May 11th garden enthusiasts and amateurs alike will gather at the Arboretum to picnic, watch Morris dancing, and tour the lilac collection, rain or shine. While you're there, be sure to take in the beautiful Magnolia trees that have just started to bloom. For more information on Lilac Sunday, please click here. Mayor Menino Recognizes UOS and Commuter Choice for Bike Friendly Practices On April 17th Mayor Thomas Menino will be honoring businesses that promote bicycling as an alternative form of transportation for their employees and UOS?s Transportation Services/Commuter Choice department is among the honorees. As one of the Mayor's inaugural "Bicycle Friendly Businesses", the Commuter Choice group implements many bike initiatives in addition to their Departmental Bike Program which enables employees to rent bicycles to commute around campus. For more information on Harvard bike initiatives, please click here. HUDS and UOS Employees Become American Citizens Every year Harvard?s Bridge to Learning and Literacy Program helps a dedicated group of Harvard staff to navigate the U.S. citizenship process. The program, which prepares applicants for the written and oral citizenship test through summer classes and personal tutors, is an important benefit for many of Harvard?s employees. This year VPA is happy to announce that five members of the HUDS staff and eight UOS workers have completed the program and received their American citizenship. Their new status as citizens was celebrated at the Annual Citizenship Dinner on April 10th. For more information on the Bridge Program, please click here. Arboretum to Begin Construction on Weld Hill Project In January, the Arnold Arboretum received final permission from the Boston Redevelopment Authority to begin construction on the Weld Hill Research and Administration Building. This 43,500 square foot facility will house new, state-of-the art laboratories, growing facilities and greenhouses, as well as administrative offices, all built with sustainable "green" practices and materials. For more information on the project and renderings of the new facilities, click here. President Faust Announces University-Wide Task Force on Greenhouse Gas Emissions Together with the leaders of other Ivy League institutions, President Drew Faust has pledged to develop further institutional priorities for reducing the University's environmental impact. She has formed a Task Force, consisting of faculty, students and staff, charged with determining a greenhouse gas reduction goal, strategy and timeline to be included in its first report at the end of the spring semester. more information Harvard Magazine Debuts Web Extras A new addition to Harvard Magazine's popular web site is the Web Extras, multimedia content that complements the publication. Extras range from video of the first flight of a robotic fly and an update on the study of genetic links to autism to a recipe for Harvard graduate Joanne Change's Sticky Buns and accompanying instructional video. more information The Harvard Faculty Club Unveils its New Web Site The Faculty Club’s new web site, which went live in January, provides members and guests with online access to a variety of Club services, from simply making dining reservations or checking the Club’s calendar to viewing the layout and capacity of each function room or learning about the Club’s vaunted history. more information Quincy House Dining Hall Tests “Trayless Thursdays” In an effort to educate students about food waste, Quincy House and the Resource Efficiency Program have teamed up to create “Trayless Thursdays” in the Quincy House dining hall during the month of February. HUDS has long been aware of the problem of food waste, and the hope is that this effort will make students more aware of how much they are eating and how much they are wasting. In spite of the inconvenience of going “trayless,” most Quincy residents have welcomed the chance to learn about one of many ways to reduce waste. more information UOS Opens New Chilling Plant and Receives Huge Rebate for the University Ever wonder how Harvard keeps cool? The secret lies beneath the Science Center at University Operations’ Oxford Street Chilled Water Plant, where chillers provide cool air and regulate humidity for nearly all of the Cambridge campus. Now, to meet additional demand from the nearly complete Northwest Science building, UOS has opened a new chilled water plant across Oxford Street that will work in tandem with the original plant under the Science Center. With Harvard’s focus on responsible expansion in mind, UOS installed new chillers that will operate so efficiently that NSTAR estimated a $250,000 rebate during the plant’s commissioning phase last year. NSTAR presented the check to the University in December and the plant became fully operational in January. more information Harvard University Dining Services Farmers’ Market Continues until October 30 If you did not have a chance to get over to the Farmers’ Market by the Science Center this summer, you still have a little time. With farm vendors and bakers, plus a rotating specialty spot with everything from chocolate and mozzarella, to olive oil and herbs, this is a great lunchtime outing. The Farmers’ market takes place on Tuesdays, from12:30-6:00 pm until October 30. more information University Planning Office and Harvard Real Estate Services Revitalizing Harvard Square Imagine that you could plan the Harvard Square of the future…what would it look like? In 2006 Harvard conducted a survey of its affiliated students, faculty, alumni and staff to gauge people’s opinions about the retail mix, urban character, and availability of information on events and resources in the Square. Overall, 2,600 people responded to the survey. The results, released earlier this year, will help inform the University’s long-term approach to ensuring that its properties in the Square continue to support a vibrant commercial center with a distinctive character and identity. more information VPA Congratulations to Our 25-Year Honorees Twenty people from VPA were among those honored for their twenty-five years of service to Harvard at a celebration on Thursday, October 18 at 4:00 pm in the Law School’s Pound Hall. VPA’s honorees are Vasco Melo and Barbara Ratner (Faculty Club); John Furlong (Arboretum); and Helen Loughman, Linda Mahtesian, Robert Kearney, Jyoti Rana, Anthony Pendola, Joseph Catalfamo, Claude Wallace, Charles Mawn, Thomas Quinn, Nicholas McDonald, Paul Ahern, Donald MacKenzie, Kun Choe, James Sheehan, Joseph McDermott, John Robinson, and Evelyn Freeman (all from UOS). Thanks to all of you for your many years of work supporting the University’s mission. University Operations Services Emergency Management Guides “Better safe than sorry,” is the motto at Harvard when it comes to emergency planning. We all hope the University never sees a major catastrophe, but smaller problems – spills, accidents, injuries – are not uncommon here, given the University’s size and complexity. The VPA departments have been planning for different levels of emergencies for several years. As part of this planning, UOS has prepared an emergency guide – a small spiral-bound booklet outlining different types of emergencies and giving concise instructions about how to handle them. The VPA departments will be rolling out these guides to all employees over the next month or two, so watch for yours.
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