Awards and Certifications From September 21
WMU Prof Honored By Geologists: The Eastern Section of the American Association of Petroleum Geologists will present its highest award to a member of Western Michigan University's faculty during an awards ceremony in Kalamazoo Sunday, Sept. 26. William B. Harrison III, WMU emeritus professor of geosciences, will receive the ES-AAPG's John T. Galey Award at a multi-award program from 4:45 to 5:30 p.m. in the Stone Theatre of the Radisson Plaza Hotel. The free public program is part of the 2010 ES-AAPG's annual meeting, which is being held in the Radisson Saturday through Wednesday, Sept. 25-29, and is being hosted by the Michigan Basin Society of Geologists as well as WMU's Department of Geology and its Michigan Geological Repository for Research and Education. Harrison is co-chairing the event. The Galey Award recognizes distinguished geoscientists whose outstanding accomplishments and contributions to their profession and their applications have been directed toward bettering society. Harrison was selected to receive this year's award for "A lifetime of service to others, geoscientists, and the Eastern Section of AAPG by preserving a legacy of geologic data and igniting a passion for geology in an army of students whose influence reaches far into the future..." A WMU faculty member from 1973 to 2003, Harrison founded the University's Michigan Basin Core Research Laboratory, which is now housed in MGRRE and is the state's preeminent source for data on Michigan's subsurface geology. Although retired from full-time teaching, he continues serving WMU as director of the core lab and curator of MGRRE as well as an emeritus researcher in the geosciences department. For more information about the award ceremony, contact Linda Harrison, manager of MGRRE, at linda.harrison@wmich.edu or (269) 387-8633. Visit www.aapgesmeeting2010.mbgs.org for more information about the ES-AAPG's annual meeting.
Pfizer Wins Climate Change Award: Pfizer Inc. has been commended by the Carbon Disclosure Project for its approach to addressing climate change. For the fourth consecutive year, CDP named Pfizer to its Carbon Disclosure Leadership Index, which highlights the company's climate change disclosure practices. Pfizer was ranked highest among the S&P 500 health care companies on the index -- the third consecutive year that Pfizer made the S&P list -- and ranked fourth on CDP's Global 500 health care companies list. "Pfizer's commitment to reducing our impact on the environment fits perfectly with our mission to address health needs worldwide," said Nat Ricciardi, president of Pfizer Global Manufacturing and the company's leadership sponsor of its environmental sustainability program. "I'm especially proud of the innovative ideas and hard work by our employees to achieve these reductions and contribute to Pfizer's sustainable practices." According to Ricciardi, Pfizer exceeded its initial goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by achieving a 43 percent reduction relative to revenue between 2000 and 2007. The company's second goal, to be achieved between 2007 and the end of 2012, is to cut greenhouse gases by 20 percent on an absolute basis. "We've made significant progress on our current goal," Ricciardi said. "Energy teams at Pfizer facilities around the world completed more than 500 conservation-related projects in 2009, greatly reducing Pfizer's annual energy usage while cutting C02 emissions by 120,000 metric tons." Paul Dickinson, CEO of CDP, said the Carbon Disclosure Leadership Index recognizes companies that demonstrate good internal data management practices for understanding greenhouse gas emissions, including energy use. "Companies that make this index have also demonstrated clear consideration of how climate change is and will impact their business," Dickinson said. "As companies' understanding of climate change issues grows, they are better placed to take positive action to manage and mitigate its risks." More at www.cdproject.net.
Baker College of Flint Electronic Tech Program Accredited: The Baker College of Flint associate degree program in electronic technology has been accredited by the Technology Accreditation Commission of ABET Inc., the recognized accreditor of college and university programs in applied science, computing, engineering and technology. ABET accreditation demonstrates a program's commitment to providing its students with a quality education. Accreditation is a voluntary, peer-review process that requires programs to undergo comprehensive, periodic evaluations. The evaluations, conducted by teams of volunteer professionals working in industry, government, academe, and private practice within the ABET disciplines, focus on program curricula, faculty, facilities, institutional support, and other important areas. One of the key elements of ABET accreditation is the requirement that programs continuously improve the quality of education provided. As part of this continuous improvement requirement, programs set specific, measurable goals for their students and graduates, assess their success at reaching those goals, and improve their programs based on the results of their assessment. In addition to providing colleges and universities a structured mechanism to assess, evaluate, and improve their programs, accreditation also helps students and their parents choose quality college programs, enables employers and graduate schools to recruit graduates they know are well-prepared, and is used by registration, licensure, and certification boards to screen applicants. ABET is a not-for-profit organization, owned and operated by its more than 25 professional and technical member societies. An internationally respected organization with some 1,500 volunteers, ABET has set the higher-educational standards in its fields for nearly 75 years. More information about ABET, its member societies, and the evaluation criteria used to accredit programs can be found at www.abet.org. For more information about the accredited electronic technology associate degree program at Baker College of Flint, please contact Jodi Cuneaz at jodi.cuneaz@baker.edu, or call the Baker College of Flint admissions office at (810) 766-4000. The largest private college in Michigan, Baker College is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission and is a member of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools. It is a non-profit higher education institution, serving more than 43,000 students on 12 campuses and in four satellite locations. Baker grants certificates and associate's, bachelor's and master's degrees in business, health sciences, education and human services, and various technical fields, as well as a doctorate of business administration. As a career college, the Baker College system is pleased to report that 97 percent of its available graduates are employed. For more information about Baker College, please check out our website at www.baker.edu.
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