After sustainability expert Jim Merkel completes his environmentally-friendly book tour of Spanish universities, he will bring his conservation advocacy campaign to Dartmouth this June as the College's first sustainability director.
Merkel, who is currently bicycling through Spain to promote his book "Radical Simplicity," will work with students and administrators to lead the College's environmental efforts and increase awareness across campus in his new post.
Merkel stumbled into a life of dedication to the environment in response to the disastrous Exxon Valdez oil spill of 1989. According to a press release issued by the College, the spill shocked Merkel into leaving his post as a military and industrial designer and salesman for TRW, Inc. and began to campaign for ecological efforts.
Merkel converted his life into a model of economic sustainability, which has allowed him to live on only $5,000 a year -- close to the global average income -- for the past 14 years. Merkel also founded the Global Living Project, an environmental education group.
Merkel, who earned an undergraduate degree in electrical engineering from Stony Brook University in 1984, also founded the Alternative Transportation Task Force in San Luis Obispo, Calif., to create an interconnected bike lane system throughout the city and county. He was unavailable for comment.
The future director will work to support and further develop the sustainability efforts already in place at Dartmouth, such as the organic farm, composting and recycling programs. He will develop a strategy to embed principles of sustainable prosperity in the school's role as a place of learning and research, a business enterprise and a member of the local community, the College press release said.
As sustainability director, Merkel will also join efforts with the Environmental Conservation Organization, an educational network of student and faculty representatives associated with the Tucker Foundation.
ECO Coordinator Phuong Luong '07 said she looks forward to Merkel's leadership in spreading awareness on campus.
"After he comes in, the students will have a better idea of the administration's environmental efforts," Luong said.
The appointment process for sustainability director consisted of interviews with administrators that were open to all interested students.
Merkel was the first choice among students who sat in on the interviews. Jessie Doyle '05, co-chair of the Environmental Studies Division of the Dartmouth Outing Club, was among the student participants.
"I'm excited to work with him because he really knows what living sustainably is all about," Doyle said.
The College is following a recent trend in supporting environmentalism.
Harvard employs an entire faculty team as part of its four-year-old Green Campus Initiative, while Stanford is currently looking into hiring a sustainability coordinator.
