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Furman Receives $1 Million Gift For Shi Center for Sustainability

Submitted by: John Warner on Jun 13, 2010 at 11:42 pm Tagged with: Academia, sustainability Source: Fuman

GREENVILLE, S.C.—The Duke Endowment of Charlotte, N.C., has awarded Furman University a $1 million grant to support the work of the David E. Shi Center for Sustainability.

The Shi Center promotes the study of sustainability both on campus and in the greater Greenville community. Located in Cliffs Cottage, it is named in honor of Furman president David Shi, who is retiring June 30 after 16 years as president.

According to The Duke Endowment trustees, the gift was made in appreciation of the pioneering role that Furman University and president Shi have played in promoting sustainability.

“Our founder, James B. Duke, had a vision for the future that he expressed through innovative philanthropy,” said Neil Williams, a trustee of The Duke Endowment and chair of the Committee on Educational Institutions. “Furman’s sustainability goals echo Mr. Duke’s forward-thinking, long-range approach, and we’re pleased to play a role in the university’s efforts.”Thanks to The Duke Endowment gift, the university has now raised a total of $2.7 million for the Shi Center’s endowment. In addition to contributions from Furman trustees, other leadership gifts have come from Tom and Becky Hash, the Graham Foundation and BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina, an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. In all, over 300 donors have made contributions to the Shi Center.

Since 2007, Furman has received $11.7 million in support of its sustainability efforts, including donations toward the construction of Cliffs Cottage and the recent $2.5 million U.S. Department of Energy grant to install geothermal systems at the North Village apartments on campus.
Having adopted sustainability as a primary strategic goal for the university, Furman is among the leaders in higher education promoting environmental awareness and energy conservation. The university was a charter signatory to the American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment, and it has been named one of the country’s most environmentally conscious colleges and universities by KIWI Magazine and the Sierra Club.

Furman is one of four educational institutions to receive perennial funding from The Duke Endowment of Charlotte, N.C. The Endowment seeks to fulfill the legacy of James B. Duke by enriching lives and communities in the Carolinas through higher education, health care, rural churches and children’s services.

For more information, contact Furman’s News and Media Relations office at 864-294-3107.