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News Release
BOISE STATE NEWS RELEASE/September 27, 2007
Gardner Appointed Associate VP for Energy Research, Policy
and Campus Sustainability
A Boise State professor was named the university’s associate vice president
for energy research, policy and campus sustainability today.
John Gardner, currently a professor in Boise State’s Department of
Mechanical and Biomedical Engineering in the College of Engineering, will
immediately take over responsibility for coordinating the university’s
environmental stewardship and sustainability efforts. Gardner will also be
responsible for coordinating and promoting university research related to
sustainability and coordinating outreach to state agencies and citizens
related to sustainability and energy.
Gardner, who stepped down as chairman of the Department of Mechanical and
Biomedical Engineering in July, was appointed to the new position by Boise
State President Bob Kusta. He earned his doctorate in mechanical engineering
from Ohio State University in 1987.
“As Boise State rapidly advances and grows as a research university of
distinction, we must ensure that we do so with mindful focus on creating a
campus with an environmentally neutral footprint while advancing research in
sustainability,” Kustra said. “With John’s leadership, Boise State will
become a model of low-impact development for other universities and
organizations.”
Some of Gardner’s responsibilities will be to:
• Coordinate and lead Boise State’s involvement in the American College and
University Presidents’ Climate Commitment (www.presidentsclimatecommitment.org).
• Establish a process to guide and oversee policy development related to
energy use, energy research, and other initiatives that help create a
financially viable and sustainable campus.
• Aggressively seek funding for energy and energy policy related projects
and research by building synergistic partnerships to address the national
and global challenges related to sustainability.
• Work with local and state government to provide an unbiased and informed
view on the current research on energy, sustainability and the environment
based on information gathered from operational, academic and research units
on campus.
“With Boise State on the cusp of unprecedented growth, we have an amazing
opportunity to use our campus expansion as a laboratory for the development
of best practices in sustainability and low-impact construction,” Gardner
said. “In addition to creating new standards for sustainable development, we
will create an entirely new platform for a wide range of interdisciplinary
research and funding opportunities for the university.”
Gardner’s focus will build on previous Boise State initiatives and
accomplishments in sustainability and stewardship, including:
• Building design (energy efficiency, durability, future adaptability,
sustainable land use).
• Campus energy management (reduced use of electricity, reduced natural gas
consumption, use of geothermal energy, purchase of wind power credits).
• Transportation (free bus passes for students, faculty and staff; free
on-campus shuttle service; grants for a new transit center and new “Park and
Ride” locations; an innovative “bike barn” for campus bicycle commuters and
students; purchase of energy efficient or alternative fuel vehicles for the
campus fleet).
• Campus-wide recycling program.
• Landscape/Grounds (use of plants, irrigation methods, and other practices
that reduce water and chemical use).
• Research (wind energy, energy policy, geothermal, global warming).
• Green Team (campus sustainability committee responsible for raising
awareness and coordination of campus participation in sustainability
initiatives).
Gardner has served as a professor in the Department of Mechanical and
Biomedical Engineering at Boise State since July of 2000. He was named
chairman of the department in July of 2001, making him responsible for eight
full-time faculty members, 260 undergraduate and graduate students, and a
department budget in excess of $1 million. He stepped down from that
position in July. He also served a brief stint as acting dean of the College
of Engineering in 2003 and acting chairman of the Department of Electrical
and Computer Engineering for seven months in 2003 and 2004.
Before coming to Boise State in 2000, Gardner served as an associate and
assistant professor of mechanical engineering, and as professor-in-charge of
mechanical engineering undergraduate programs at Penn State University.
In addition to his doctorate from Ohio State, Gardner has a master’s degree
in mechanical engineering from Ohio State, a bachelor’s degree in mechanical
engineering from Cleveland State University, and is a registered
professional engineer in both Idaho and Pennsylvania.
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Media Contact: Mike Journee, University Communications, (208)
426-1517,
mikejournee@boisestate.edu
For the 10th time in the last 11 years, Boise State University has set an
all-time record for Idaho higher education institutions with an enrollment
of 19,540 – an overall increase of 3.5 percent. A record freshman class of
2,280 students is also the most academically talented group ever to enter
Boise State, including 12 National Merit finalists.
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Last reviewed on
Thursday, September 27, 2007
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